Fallen

Chapter Fifteen

After another long day at work, I was just glad to get home. With a sigh, I kicked off my shoes and pushed them to one side of the hallway when I saw Ellie stood in the doorway of the living room.

"Have I ever mentioned that Carly can really wind me up sometimes?" I asked. "She forgot to lock the bloody till at the end of the day so I had to go back and do it for her because she was already home. Honestly, that girl makes me want to scream sometimes."

Ellie didn't respond. She looked sad and distant as if she hadn't heard what I just said. I dropped my bag by the shoe rack and approached her. "What's up?"

Ellie looked down to her feet before disappearing into the living room. I followed her in to see Nick sat back in the sofa as silent as he'd ever been before. I glanced at Ellie who was facing the TV. Nick turned up the volume.

"A twenty-four-year-old student nurse has been pronounced dead in her home just last night. Maria Ramírez was found by her boyfriend after he had returned home from a trip abroad. The police are yet to release a statement, but they are concerned that they might have to treat it as murder."

I stared at the screen as the news showed Maria's beautiful face. She was grinning at the camera as she stood with a group of other student nurses in their uniforms. I suddenly forgot how to breathe. My knees gave way under me. Luckily, Nick was there to guide me to the sofa.

"I'm sorry, Anna," he murmured.

"B-but she can't be. Nick, she can't be."

I wanted to scream and cry and scream some more. My chest was so tight I began to hyperventilate. Nick wrapped me up in his arms as the shock slowly sank in. I panted into his chest. Then the shock turned into anger. I started sobbing so heavily my throat ached and my body shook like mad. She couldn't be dead. She was going to start a family with Carter. She was going to qualify as a nurse and save thousands of lives. She wasn't dead.

"I'm so excited," her voice echoed in my head.

Suddenly, I was screaming and hitting Nick in the chest with the side of my fist. He only held me tighter.

"Fuck!" I cried.

Nick kissed the top of my head and took my thrashing about until I lost all sense of anger and the sadness washed over me. I slumped against him and cried weakly.

"I'm so sorry, sweetie," Ellie murmured, rubbing the back of my head. "I'm so sorry."