Trapped In Time

Chapter 11: Faking It

When I wake up I'm extremely cold; my fingers are practically numb. I'm shivering under the covers, afraid to move. I hear the shower running and exhale; I'm safe for now. I hurriedly throw on sweatpants, not bothering to change my shirt. I comb my fingers through my hair the best I can, but its still a mess.

The shower stops, and my heart begins to pound. I glare at myself in the desk mirror. "Be convincing," I whisper at my reflection. "Just hold it together."

Angelo opens the bathroom door, startling me. My heart pangs a little when I take in his structured jaw and wet hair. I'm shocked, do I still subconsciously feel what I felt for him before I knew the truth? The thought terrifies me.

He smiles at me, "I love you dear."

"I love you too," I choke out. The words taste bitter in my mouth, yet they're not entirely untrue.

"Shall we head out?"

"Sure as soon as I brush my teeth," I say, keeping my tone even.

The fluorescent lighting in the bathroom makes me look pale and blotchy. I can see the veins under my skin. I quickly wash my face, the cold water calming me down. I let the washcloth drop to the floor when I'm done with it. I brush my teeth in slow motion, carefully scrubbing each tooth. I end up taking about ten minutes altogether.

When I leave the bathroom, our bags are stacked by the door. I don't see Angelo anywhere.

I start to call out, "Angel-"

I'm such an idiot! I frantically look around for him, but he's not anywhere to be seen. I let out a sigh of relief, I can't slip up like that again. He thinks that I still know him as Keith, so that's what I have to call him. I'm beyond lucky that he wasn't in the room to hear that.

I creep towards the door, and open in a crack. As I peer down the hallway, I see Ange-Keith walking towards me. 'Think of him as Keith,' I remind myself. Then hopefully I won't end up calling him the wrong name.

Keith sees me and smiles. He's carrying two smoothies in his hands. I stare at them hungrily. It's safe to accept food from him, right?.

"Here you go doll," he says while handing me one. "I already checked us out, so if you're ready we can get going."

"Yup, I'm good," I greedily take the smoothie, and pick up my bag. "Let's go."

~~~

We drove to the hospital was eerily quiet, but I just couldn't force myself to make small talk. Instead, I stared out the window.

As we pulled into the parking lot Keith looked at me, "You're awfully quiet," he commented. "Something on your mind?"

"No, just a little nervous about Gran," I lied smoothly. I was getting better at this. "I'm not sure what to expect."

Keith nodded, "Everything will go fine, I hope."

'Really?' I thought. 'Does he hope that Gran won't recognize him as a murderer? Is that what he hopes?' I was honestly surprised that he was even allowing her to come back with us, but I guess he didn't want me to doubt him or be suspicious.

I just nod, "Why don't you wait in the car, I won't be long."

"Okay," he leans in to kiss me, but I pretend I don't notice. Once the door is shut I give him a little wave, and head towards the entrance. Once I'm out of his sight I pick up my pace, frantic to get away.

When I enter the hospital I am immediately overwhelmed by the overemphasized cheerfulness. Every employee I pass gives me a huge smile and sometimes they wave.