Fate

18

Chapter 18

Aryan set our bags in the trunk of the car then opened one of the doors to the back seat. I climbed in and let my head fall back against the seat. Aryan got in beside me and wrapped an arm over my shoulders.

"We're gonna figure things out."

I nodded.

"Do you want something to help you sleep through the car ride?"

I shook my head quickly, biting at my bottom lip. Ever since I left the hospital, I refused pills of any kind. I hated the thought of taking something, especially over a long period of time. It gave me a bad feeling.

Lucy and Kellan were talking as they came out of the house. Lucy locked the doors then helped Kellan put their luggage in the trunk.

"So why are we riding in a car again?" I asked Aryan, my entire body tensed.

"Because you and four suitcases don't equal adequate flying."

I punched his side. "That is not my fault."

"You wanted an answer and I gave it." He shrugged.

I rolled my eyes.

Lucy got into the driver's seat and started the car. Her hair was pulled back and I could see a hint of a bruise on her neck.

I elbowed Aryan and nodded my head in Lucy's direction.

He looked up and a grin spread on his face. He leaned forward and whispered in Lucy's ear.

She whipped around and narrowed her eyes at him. "I burnt myself with my straightener."

"Straighteners wouldn't leave a blotchy bruise."

She didn't look at me but I knew she wanted to. "It was just an accident."

"Right." He said, leaning back in his spot beside me.

"Isn't Holden coming with us?"

Kellan got in the passenger seat and looked back at me. "He gets anxious riding in cars."

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Can you blame him? I don't care for it either."

"You get used to it after a while." Kellan was so calm and relaxed. It made me more stressed out, like I had to hold onto his stress as well as my own.

The car ride felt long but Aryan told me it was only a 45-minute drive into the city. Lucy kept her speed, making me wonder how often she drove. Her car was extremely nice. The seats were black leather. Cup holders were everywhere in the car. She even had satellite radio.

I didn't ride in cars often but it had to be the nicest, and most expensive, car ever.

When we got into the city, Lucy took the first road on our right. Kellan started messing with the buttons on the car and a map appeared. A red dot showed where we were and a yellow arrow showed where we needed to be.

Lucy drove us to a large hospital. It wasn't the one I stayed in, thankfully. Not one I'd seen before, either. The word emergency was lit in bright red on the side of the building. Lucy drove around to the parking lot and found a spot close to the building.

"When will Holden get here?" I asked, following Aryan out of the car.

Kellan nodded above us and sure enough, there was Holden in the sky. He flew down beside us and pulled a backpack off his back.

"I called ahead so there's space reserved for us."

"How do you have access to everything?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.

"I pay for this hospital. So what I want, I get." He said, heading for the entrance.

I looked at Aryan, my eyebrows raised. I didn't think I'd ever get used to Holden.

He took my hand and squeezed it. "I'll be with you the whole time."

I leaned against him as we followed Lucy and Kellan inside. The fluorescent lights almost blinded me and I tensed up immediately. It smelled like the hospital I'd been in.

The second someone saw Holden their eyes lit up and the smiled brightly. Most of the nurses were women.

"Dr. Holden, it's so nice to see you." One brunette nurse said, sitting behind a computer.

He smiled at her and I knew she was swooning over him.

We walked down several hallways, passing patients in wheelchairs. I gripped Aryan's hand tighter and walked faster.

Holden walked down a short set of stairs and opened the first door on the left. He held it for us, his eyes on me. "Just one quick test and then you're done."

"That's it?" I was so nervous I felt like I was going to puke.

He nodded. "Unlike the doctors here, I can already rule out basically anything. So this is the last step, in a way."

I took a deep breath and walked into the room.

The lights were dimmer than the rest of the hospital. There was a bed with a large machine attached to it. To the far right was a desk with several clipboards scattered on it.

"Go lay down on the table." Holden instructed, walking to the desk. He opened one of the drawers and pulled out a set of gloves.

I went to the table and hesitated beside it before I laid down on it. I trusted Holden. Not as much as Lucy did but I trusted him. I knew he wouldn't hurt me on purpose. But I was still so scared that something would happen.

As he ran the test, Aryan stayed close by. I would have felt more comfortable if he had been sitting or lying beside me but that wasn't possible for the exam.

Holden was quick. He knew what he was doing and he knew how the machine worked. It was odd that an angel as old as him knew how to work machines so new and advanced. But he was a doctor and had lots of experience. More so than most doctors.

When he was done, he flipped the lights to the room on. He wrote something down on the clipboard he was holding then walked over to me. "You're free to go. I'll have to work on the results and run the lab work over these next few days."

"How long could it take before we know what's wrong?" I asked, sitting up on the table.

"It could take up to a week."

I sighed. "I guess I can't expect quick answers when it comes to this stuff."

He gave me a small smile. "I'll see what I can do."

I nodded and Aryan helped me to my feet.

"I assume you'll be staying at Kellan's apartment the next few days?" He asked, looking at Aryan for the answer.

I did as well. This was news to me. Kellan had an apartment?

Aryan nodded. "Yes."

"I'll come over when I have the results."

"Thank you, Holden."

He nodded. "It's my pleasure, truly."

Aryan and I left and I wasted no time grilling him for answers.

"Why didn't you tell me Kellan had an apartment?"

"Just wait until you see it."