An adult. We can’t hold you hostage. But I will tell you, I want you to call me if you have any questions. If those wounds don’t heal correctly, you could find yourself with an infection you don’t want, so be sure to follow my at home care.”
“Yes, Doc.” I smile at him.
He must feel my relief because his own lips break into a smile. “Sure thing, Miss Weston.”
Once he’s out of the room, I sigh in relief. This hospital bed might as well be made of cinder blocks. The staff is doing nothing different than what I can do at home. Rest. Change my bandages. Rest. Sleep. Eat.
“Do you think leaving the hospital is a good idea?” Marek questions, resting forward, his forearms flexing as he clenches his fingers together. “And when did you turn eighteen?” He shakes his head, surprised that I didn’t roll out a banner when it was my birthday.
“I turned eighteen before school started.” I slide my legs over the side of the bed. “And here’s the thing. You don’t get to have an opinion on what I do and don’t do, Marek.” I stare at him, hoping he sees the sincerity in the words I’m about to spit at him. “You lost that privilege the moment you decided my safety no longer concerned you, when you dangled me over the wolf pit. So, you can either sit there and look pretty as fuck and shut up, or you can walk your ass out of this room.”
The nurse strolls in, fully aware of the tension between us. She flies through the process of taking out my I.V., needing to get away from our energy.
Once I’m free from the shackles, I stand.
“What’s this?” Marek leans towards the bed and reaches out.
I swipe it before he can touch it. “It’s my necklace.” I toss it into the hospital bag. “Shit.”
“What’s wrong?” He stands, getting to my side in a split second.
“I don’t have a change of clothes.”
“I can go grab you something.”
“No, it’s okay.” I brush him off, pulling my phone from the bedside table drawer. Curiosity flashes across his face. “Delaney brought it to me last night, so I could talk to my parents.”
“Speaking of, where are the parents of the year?” Marek sits on the foot of the bed. I sort of resent the hostility in his tone. They’re my parents. Only I can call them on their lack of empathy.
“They’re flying back today,” I answer to appease him and maybe get him out of my room sooner.
“Didn’t want to cut that vacation short, huh?”
Kids at Glass Heart Academy are basically born parentless. They may be physically there for you to call Mom and Dad, but they aren’t really present for you. It’s why we are shipped off to private schools, out of their hair.
“No, I guess not.” I shrug, finishing and sending a text. I toss the phone into the bag. Its meager contents tell quite the story.
Hospitality knocks, then rolls in a tray of food. Marek snatches the apple from it and tosses it to me. “Eat up.”
“Did you poison it, one last chance to get rid of me?”
“I’m glad we can make jokes about this now.”
“If I don’t, I’m positive I’ll crumble, so yeah, if joking makes this any bit easier for me, then consider me a fucking comedian.” I ease down onto the windowsill, looking out at the town below.
Everything appears normal. Nothing looks out of the ordinary. The gates of Glass Heart Academy are closed. School is in session.
“Wait, how are you here? Don’t you have class?” I point at him.
“Some things are more important.” He shrugs, watching me swing my bare leg.
He sits in his spot, and I stare out the window. Several times during the almost fifteen minutes of pure, uncomfortable silence, I can feel us both ready to crack, but it won’t be me. He owes me more than he’ll ever be able to fork over. If I have to endure a little awkward silence to hold my ground, then so be it.
Breaker barges in with a tote bag from my dorm room. “I brought you everything you wanted.” He stops short when he spots Marek.
They have a little showdown right here in my hospital room, like they’re about to duel, draw their weapons, and shoot.
“What are you doing here?” Marek stands. His presence is strong, all-consuming.
Breaker laughs at his intensity, patting him on the chest. “Calm down. She asked me to bring her clothes.”
“I see that.”