Howl

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

 

Lukas went with Emma when she entered her apartment to get ready for class. She appeared to be confident going in, but Lukas could tell she was a bit nervous. Once inside, she acted as if nothing had happened. She changed into her own clothes, as she had been wearing something given to her at Sophia’s after taking a shower there, and then got her books together.

“Did you want me to drive you downtown?” Lukas asked after she announced she was ready to go. He had waited in her living room, not wanting to get in the way or make her feel like he was being to overprotective.

“You can just take me to the light rail station,” Emma said. As soon as she said the words, she wished she had said she could drive herself. Her truck was just outside in the parking lot, and there was no need for Lukas to take her anywhere. “Or I can drive myself.”

“If you want to, but I don’t mind driving you. I was going downtown anyway.”

“Well, when you put it that way…” Emma shrugged. She guessed he was lying about that, but if she didn’t have to take public transportation, she knew better than to argue too much.

“I forgot to mention it earlier,” Lukas said as he started the car, “but Beth called me yesterday. She told me you didn’t show up at work and she was worried about you. I promised to call her once I found anything out about you, so I gave her the whole accident thing. I didn’t give many details, but I said I called hospitals looking for you and that’s how I found you. In case she asks.”

“She will.” Emma was not looking forward to lying to her best friend, and she wasn’t even completely convinced that she should be going along with the story Lukas gave her. She remembered the reasons made sense earlier, but now, she couldn’t remember why it had made sense. “What kind of accident was it again?”

“You were walking and hit by a car.”

“Makes me sound like an idiot.”

“Oh, it was totally the driver’s fault,” Lukas assured her. “The only other reasonable excuse would be a car accident, but then we’d have to smash your truck up a bit, and I don’t think you’d like that.”

“I’d kill you.” She sighed, not liking the story very much but accepting it. “Okay, I was hit while walking. Got it. But I don’t remember much because I hit my head. So I just woke up in the hospital and saw your worried face?”

“If that’s how you want to play it. Or maybe you regained consciousness before I got there. As long as it’s convincing, because when I told Beth you were in the hospital, she wanted to come see you. So I kinda had to hang up before she tried getting information out of me and I’m not sure if she really believes me.”

“Knowing Beth, she probably called the cops,” Emma said.

“If she did, there is a record of you having been in the hospital, so they should back up the story.”

“Anyway,” Emma said, wanting to change the subject. “How long are you going to be downtown for? Should I take the train home?”

“A few hours maybe,” he said, not really sure. “What time do you get out of class? I can wait for you.”

“Two fifteen. You don’t have to wait for me. There’s a light rail station within walking distance of my place.”

“That might just work out.” Lukas knew it wasn’t likely Emma would believe him, so he sighed and said, “Okay, I was planning on waiting for you. I really don’t mind. I’m good at keeping myself busy and it’s not like I need to be anywhere today.”