Path

Chapter 5

Chapter 5:  Olivia Roune POV

                I awake to Nate standing directly over me as I blink my eyes into focus. He hasn't been watching me for long because the food on the tray he is holding is still steaming. I smile up at him which seems to shock Nate because he had to blink twice before he grins back.

Then he gently lays the plate down on the foot of my bed and says, "Make sure you eat carefully, there may or may not be a surprise at the bottom."

He nearly skips out of the cell, which makes me giggle. I am suddenly so hungry I nearly inhale the whole plate. Then I remember that Nate told me to eat carefully, this makes me slow down and focus on my spoon tapping the plate. Finally I am finished and upset because the surprise Nate told me about wasn't there. Anger rushes to my conscious and I hurl the tray at the wall, which breaks it in two. I turn my head away in frustration until I hear a faint ping on the metal bed frame. I lean down to see a small key on a metal chain sitting next to a leg of the frame.

                I reach to grab the key and read a scribbled note on the flat part of the cool object. It reads Harmony Tanner on the paper. I nearly burst with joy Nate must have known I would want to talk to her again. My mind is racing of things to say to her and when should I go to her, maybe she would even sing for me. I look over to the window and see the shower sign again, grinning wildly I wait for him to come back and take me with him down the sterilized hall. This same hall I walked down with him last night hearing his steady breath reassure me.

                Suddenly there he is door open and rumpled hair loosely thrown around his face. I smile at this wanting to stand and arrange it just so. He reaches for my hand like a true gentleman would before a dance. I gratefully take it noticing that he is gripping it tighter than normal, so in response I grip it just as tightly which makes his shoulders loosen. On our way down the hall I catch Harmony's eye and give her a smile which she gratefully returns. As we finally reach the door for the showers Nate loosens his grip on my hand and I almost scream out with shock, I still want his hand on mine.

He turned around abruptly and says, "Did you find the key I left for you?"

I nod slowly and mutter, "Thank you so much."

He smiles and says, "I thought you might want someone else to talk to besides me. I know that I am the most amazing thing since sliced bread, but I realized that you might want to talk to a GIRL."

I grin thinking of him saying I may need girl chat.

He walks in, turns on the water and says, "Call me if you need me okay?"

I give him a short glance and see his eyes the deepest shade of brown. Realizing that he is serious, I say, "I promise."

                When I am finished, I knock on the door and am guided on my way back to the cell.

  Nate says, "Don't try to see her until I come and tell you the coast is clear, you will have only thirty minutes to say what you want."

I nod and say, "I can't tell you how much this means to me."

He smiles and says, "Anything for you Olivia." Then he leaves and shuts the door tightly behind him.

I go back to my bed and fall asleep waiting for the dinner call and my reading period.

                Nate taps the window and slides the books I will be allowed to read through the slot. I scramble over and grab the books, this makes Nate chuckle, which makes me glare at him. He grins harder and then he points to the slot. I lean down and remember doing this the night before with Harmony.

He says, "Read these books and memorize them, you might need them someday."

Then he stands and leaves, again with leaving me to uncertain thoughts I am going to have to remind him how badly this upsets me. I open the books Nate gave me. One is entitled My Day at the Park, the other How Dogs Can Speak. I flip open the first and notice the pages aren't about the book title. The next book is the same way, at first I was confused and then I looked closer. My Day at the Park is actually a book on hand to hand combat and ways to move and hurt others easily, I wonder why Nate wants me to learn about fighting. How Dogs Can Speak is actually a book on animals combined with an Atlas full of landmarks and bodies of water.

                When the dinner plate arrives I have so many questions, but know better than to swarm him with them now. It still isn't safe to carry on a conversation of war techniques.

He says, "Soups on Olivia. Come and get it while it's hot."

I gratefully grab the tray and see Nate bend down to be eye level with me through the slot. He holds his hands to make the number twelve with his fingers which lets me, know that he will be here around twelve o'clock. I nod and stand back up to look at him through the glass. I marvel at his eyes and how light with hope they are.

                Twelve o'clock finally rolls around and quicker than usual, time seems to fly when I am staring at a wall waiting and waiting. I think about the things I will say and what she will ask. The term girl talk comes to mind and an image of Nate flashes across my eyes and I grin uncontrollably and start shaking with laughter. Then I jump with fright because Nate is in the room and staring right at me.

Then he asks, "What is so funny?"

I quickly compose myself and say, "Nothing just remembering." He seems to have shrugged it off because he is crossing the small distance between us and grabbing for my arm. He leads me to the hall and to where the familiar cracked glass of Harmony's cell is and asks for the key. I hand it over to him and watch as he slides in the lock and hear the calming click of the bolt sliding open.