Alive at Sunset (Rituals of the Night Series Book 2) (21 page)

L
una came back to consciousness some time later when EMT’s unloaded her from the ambulance. She was strapped to a hospital bed; an oxygen mask was planted neatly over her face. When she opened her eyes, her blurry vision picked up images of a bleak white hallway. She knew she was at the hospital. Figures cloaked in blue scrubs with masks over their faces pushed her bed onward through the building.

“Twenty year old female, some head and neck trauma,” she heard one of them say suddenly.

Luna groaned and tried to focus on which one was talking. It was then that she noticed one that was frighteningly familiar. Blond hair was trapped under a white cap. A doctor’s mask covered the lower half of the pale face, but sapphire blue eyes stared at her from above the white line. She felt her heart speed up at the sight, it pounded harder than it had when she crashed. She realized he was helping the EMT’s pull her bed along

“Vitals are normal,” he said to one of the other figures around her as he broke the gaze between them.

Luna opened her mouth to try to speak, to say anything that might help save her life. She found she couldn’t muster the strength. She gasped for air instead. Chance casted another glance at her, and she looked back at him. She could feel her strength slipping away again, and she passed out.

                                          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Luna woke up, she felt an awful amount of pain in all of her joints. A mean bruise lined a chunk of her ribs, making each breath difficult to draw in. She felt like she had been in the worst fight of her life and consequently lost. Her eyelids fluttered open to see a blanched white ceiling above her. Her vision was fuzzy, and she blinked a few times to clear it. She felt unsure of moving too much, but suddenly she could feel eyes on her.

“Thank God, you’re awake!” she recognized the sibilant screech of Rose’s sorrowful voice.

Luna groaned at the sound and grunted in pain as she tried to sit up and see her mother. It took a lot of effort, but she managed to pull herself up. Rose was beside her bed, an uncertain look veiled her face, and a few feet away, Amanda was standing beside the bed.

“Of course I’m okay, Mom,” Luna managed to croak, moving her eyes to look at her distraught parent.

“Oh, first David, and then I hear you were in the hospital for a grisly car accident. I was so worried I had lost you too!” Rose continued, dabbing at the corners of her eyes with a napkin as more tears ran out.

“I’m okay, really,” Luna said, wondering how loud she was talking. She wasn’t sure if Rose could even hear her.

“What happened today, Luna?” Amanda asked, taking a small step towards her to set a comforting hand on her knee.

“I-I don’t really remember. I was using the radio, and I just lost control of the wheel,” Luna said, struggling to remember the past hour. “Amanda, I’m so sorry about your car!”

“Hey, don’t worry about it,” Amanda said. “Accidents happen. The important thing is that you’re alright. My parents had it taken to a repair shop, and it should be good by the morning. Don’t even think about it, okay?”

“Okay. That’s a relief at least,” Luna said sighing as she relaxed against the bed in the most comfortable position she could manage.

Amanda nodded. “When I heard about it, I was more worried about you anyways. Just worry about getting better.”

“Luna, you need to be more careful from now on!” Rose cut in, worriedly rubbing the bandage over her daughter’s forehead.

“I will be, Mom,” Luna said, blinking up at her appreciatively. “I didn’t mean for this to happen, it just did.”

“I should hope so,” Rose said sniffling. “I need you. Especially without David around anymore.”

Amanda stepped up to where Rose was and handed Luna her small phone. Luna took it from her questioningly.

“The doctors said you might be released tomorrow afternoon. So, call me, and we’ll come get you whenever,” Amanda said. “I know how you are. I mean it when I say call anytime. Don’t hesitate, don’t be stubborn, just call me to come get you.”

“Okay,” Luna said. With the amount of pain that she was in, there was no way she was going to argue.

“Visiting hours are up,” a familiar voice called into the room.

Luna’s blood ran cold at the sound.

“Keep an eye on her please,” Luna could hear Amanda say to him.

“We’ll see you in the morning, Dear,” Rose said, hugging Luna gently in time for her to not hear Chance’s reply.

“’Bye,” Luna said feebly as her roommate and mother slowly left the hospital room, casting worried glances behind them.

Luna sighed and tried to get comfortable against the stiff bed to the best of her ability. It was going to be a long, restless night she was sure. Instead of her phone, she wished Amanda would’ve given her some aspirin. She closed her eyes, trying to relax and fall asleep. If she slept, at least she wouldn’t have to feel the deep ache that was radiating throughout her body.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps approaching her bed. She opened her eyes, expecting to see Amanda or Rose coming back. Instead, it was Chance standing at the foot of her bed. His white mask was hanging loose around his neck, and his cap was gone revealing his messy blond hair. He still wore his light blue scrubs. Luna laughed quietly to herself as she looked at him. She had survived a car crash to die by more painful means.

That was her luck.

“Come to finish me off?” she asked, trying to sound strong as she watched him.

“No,” he said, staring at her like he didn’t have anything else to say.

“Why are you here?”

“Part of my job is to tell you what’s wrong with you,” Chance said, sounding irritated. “I
am
a nurse after all.”

Luna stayed silent, listening to her rival speak.

“You had a concussion, whiplash, and some good bone bruises in quite a few places. There is a minor crack on one of your ribs, but you’re going to be alright,” Chance said, his voice was monotone.

“Great,” Luna said emotionlessly. She wished she could turn over and not have to look at him anymore, but the IV in the crook of her arm prevented her from moving. It reminded her a bit of her dog chain prison -she didn’t like it.

“What were you trying to do today?” he asked quietly, scrunching up his pale face as he asked.

“I wasn’t doing anything.” Luna scoffed. “I wasn’t watching where I was going. It was an accident.”

“You were trying to kill yourself, weren’t you?” he asked, and his tone was distant. “Was it because of what I told you?”

Luna bit her lip and dragged her gaze to the floor. She didn’t know what to make of his words. Luna felt her heart racing as she wished the situation away. “What you did to me was awful,” she said, forcing herself to not cry at the memories that swarmed her mind. Finally, she looked back up at him. “So, what if I did?”

“That wasn’t part of the plan,” he said, looking as if he wasn’t speaking to her but someone else in the room.

“What does that mean?” Luna demanded though she didn’t have as much vigor in her voice as she had hoped.

Chance was silent. He scoffed a bit but seemed speechless. Whatever was on his mind was bothering him.

“I’m a mess, just like you planned,” Luna said smiling at him. “So, go ahead and smile, get your kicks out of this. It doesn’t get much worse for me. Except of course if you finally decide to put me out of my misery.”

Chance sighed, and it was obvious he was done with that conversation. “Doctors want you to stay overnight for observation.”

“No, I want to go home.”

“Luna, be reasonable. You were in a car accident.”

“I don’t care. I’m refusing treatment,” she said, forcing herself to sit up and earning a sharp jut of pain in her ribs. “Legally, I’m allowed to.”

He sighed. “If you’re sure, I’ll get the discharge papers. Be back in a few.”

Luna watched him go and sighed in relief the moment he disappeared. He brought the discharge papers in for to sign. She grabbed them from him eagerly and quickly scrawled her signature on them.

Chance looked at her. “Since you’re set on leaving, I’ll drive you home.”

That caught Luna’s attention. Her smile went away instantly. “No way. Just kill me here if you’re gonna do it.”

“You don’t have a choice,” Chance said crossing his arms over his chest. “Unless you want to stay.”

“Fine.” Luna snapped. She didn’t want to argue with him. She wanted to get back to the apartment and go to sleep.

Chance took a few steps closer to the bed. Luna was instantly uncomfortable. She wondered if he found ways to bring his dagger into work or if he used other tools to do his bidding. Instantly she thought of the hypodermic needle he had used to kill her father.

“What are you doing?” she demanded, wishing she could move off of the bed.

“My job,” he said with a slight frown on his face as he set his hand to her IV. She glanced at him, but he didn’t notice.

He pulled the tape off of her arm and gently slid the IV out. Crimson flooded the line of her arm before he stuffed a cotton ball into the crook and closed it.

“Okay, now get dressed, and I’ll be back in a minute to take you home,” he said, leaving the room.

Luna stared after him feeling dumbfounded. She had thought for sure that that would be the night that he came to kill her. Instead, he helped save her life like he had once before. Luna stood up cautiously, worried on how her tattered nerves would hold her and hurried to get dressed.

She knew that she didn’t want to ride with Chance. He might drive her somewhere to kill her, and his nice act was a façade to convince her she was safe. She didn’t want to drive in his shadowy truck of nightmares, but what other choice did she have? Luna glanced around, looking for something she could use to defend herself.

She couldn’t find anything.

She looked to see Chance coming back. His light colored work scrubs were gone, and he was cloaked in his white muscle shirt and blue jeans from earlier. His shining blond hair looked slightly tidier though his eyes looked dull with exhaustion. She studied his arms to see a series of purpled scars running up and down them. They were faded slightly, and Luna shivered as she wondered how old they were. She couldn’t find the courage to move as she watched the monster approaching.

“Come on,” Chance said.

“Why?” she demanded, folding her arms over her chest. Free of the IV prison, she felt she had a little bit more energy in her to fight.

“So I can take you home,” he said.

“You want to kill me, why should I trust you?” she sneered.

“You’re right not to, but tonight you made yourself suffer enough. I’ll throw you to Amanda to sort you out. I know how much you love to be questioned,” he said, rolling his eyes.

“Just take me home,” Luna said, sighing.

“You really did try to kill yourself today, didn’t you?” he asked sounding suddenly passive.

“What does it matter to you?” she snapped, walking out to the hall. “I’m miserable, just like you wanted.”

Chance led the way out of the hospital without another word, and Luna sulked behind him. She still didn’t want to get in Chance’s truck, but after what she had gone through, she was convinced she could survive anything. Why should he be any different? She climbed reluctantly into the passenger seat as Chance got in the driver’s side. She remembered being in the truck before and wondered what its driver’s true intentions were.

Both of them stayed oddly silent as they drove. Luna waited for him to turn on her with his flashing dagger or words barbed with venom. He didn’t try either. His eyes stayed on the road, and his lips stayed closed in a pencil straight line. After a few minutes, he pulled up in the parking lot of her apartment complex.

“You really did just want to drive me home?” she asked, turning to look at him.

Chance was silent and unmoving in the driver’s seat for a moment before he got out and opened her door, staring at her with an unamused look on his face. “I have to help you.”

“I can handle myself,” Luna said.

“I don’t care if you can. You refused treatment at the hospital, and I can’t ignore the fact that you’ll be in agony once those pain meds wear off.”

“You’re not even a real nurse,” she said as she stepped out of the truck. “I thought the goal was to make me suffer.”

Instantly, she wobbled as she felt the pain stab into her ribs. Chance wrapped an arm around her waist to hold her up and looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “Stop with the bravado.”

Luna swatted weakly at him. “Don’t touch me,” she said, thinking of what he had told her at work.

“Stop,” he said simply as he began to walk her to the apartment.

“Please let me go.”

He tightened his grip in response. Luna sighed as they approached the door. The entire walk to her apartment, she wondered why Chance had allowed her to live once again.

C
hance knocked three times on the door, and Luna hoped Amanda was awake to hear it. She waited a minute before the door opened, and Amanda looked at them surprised. She stepped aside to allow them to enter their apartment.

“Hey, you didn’t call!” Amanda said as she shut the door.

“Your friend is stubborn,” Chance grunted as he led Luna inside.

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Amanda said. “What happened, Luna?”

“I refused treatment. I want to be home, not there,” Luna said.

“She doesn’t seem to understand that a cracked rib will hurt,” Chance said, pressing his lips into a pencil straight line as he looked at Amanda.

“Don’t you see that he’s trying to be nice to you, Luna?” Amanda said passively, closing the door.

Luna sighed and held a hand to the bandages that were still plastered across her forehead. If only she knew everything Chance had done. “I really don’t wanna talk about this right now, Amanda. I’m tired, and I think I need to rest.”

Amanda nodded, glancing up at the white swathes of cloths under Luna’s hand. “I understand.”

Luna kept her mouth shut, glad that for once Amanda was willing to listen to her.

“I’m gonna help her get settled in bed,” Chance said, offering Amanda a quick kiss on the lips.

“Uh, I don’t think so,” Luna said, struggling to get away from him.

“Luna, you’re in no state to be stubborn. Chance knows what he’s doing…let him help.”

Luna frowned in response as she wandered to her room. Chance was right behind her, and he shut the door as Luna sat on the bed with her arms crossed.

“Open that back up, and get out of my room.”

Chance sighed as he looked at her. “You don’t get it, do you?”

“All I know is what you did to me,” Luna said. “Get out before I tell someone.”

Chance rolled his eyes. “That threat doesn’t scare me. Just listen for a second. It was my fault you almost died. The least I can do now is nurse you back to health.”

Luna scoffed. “It’s no fun hunting a maimed animal, is it?”

Chance held a hand over his mouth for a moment as he stared her down. He knew the medicine that flowed through her veins was giving her more courage than she actually had. “You’re very difficult.”

“How mental are you? One moment you want to kill me, and the next you want to help me? I don’t understand.”

Chance felt his cheeks flush with color. He didn’t know how to answer her. “I’ll leave once you’re in bed.”

Luna sighed as Chance turned to dig in her closet. He spotted the nightgown she had been wearing that night. He grabbed it feeling the soft material as he tossed it to her. Luna looked at it before looking back at him.

“I’m not putting this on with you right here,” she said. “You attacked me once, I’m not giving you the opportunity to do it again.”

“Fine,” Chance said, turning his back to her. “Hurry up.”

Luna grunted to herself as she quickly shed her clothes. She groaned in pain that radiated from her ribs. Chance turned at the sound of her distress.

“You obviously can’t do it on your own,” he said, walking over to her.

“I don’t need your help,” she hissed.

“Relax. I’m not trying to take advantage of you. Part of what I do every day involves dressing people. Stop acting so damn proud, and let me help.”

He ignored her protests as he pulled her shirt off. He winced at the sight of the bandages and bruises that dotted her abdomen before he pulled the gown over her head. He looked at her for a long moment. She paid him no attention as she slid the gown down all the way. Chance moved to prop her pillows for her. She grunted in pain again as she tried to lie down among her bedding.

“I’ll try to get you some pain meds first thing in the morning,” he said.

“Great,” she said and turned on the side that hadn’t been damaged in the accident. She was glad that she had managed to survive another day.

Chance stared at her for a long moment.
All that beauty and no one to claim it,
he thought as he headed to the kitchen.

He moved towards the fridge when he noticed the phone on the table. His heart quickened as he realized it was Luna’s. He glanced over his shoulder once before he picked it up. He clicked it on to see a picture of her and Max. He frowned at it, feeling that usual trill of jealousy.

Even death didn’t seem to be enough to distance her from him.

He sat down at the table as he worked at cracking her passcode. He felt proud when he got in on the third try. Instantly he went to her messages and frowned as he realized it was empty. Her call logs were as well.

Chance frowned as he held her phone. She was either more isolated than he could’ve imagined, or she had purposefully cleaned her phone. His face stayed screwed up as he maneuvered through the hardware and found the parental settings. He set up the GPS tracking and confirmed it with his own phone. He smiled to himself as the screen went dark. One way or another he’d find out what she had been up to.

                                          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

              An hour passed, and Luna was still awake. She groaned at the stiffness in her body as she forced herself to sit up. The pain seemed the strongest yet, but she forced herself to stand to her feet. She was quiet as she wobbled into the kitchen. She knew that any noise she made might attract Chance’s attention again.

              Her hands were shaking as she held a glass under the faucet. She slowly took a sip of the water before the pain was too much. The glass slid from her fingers to crash to the floor.

              “What are you doing up, Luna?” Amanda’s voice said from behind her.

              Luna frowned and turned to look at her. “I wanted a glass of water.”

              “You should’ve just texted me. I would’ve gotten it for you.”

              Luna glanced once at her phone on the table.

              Amanda sighed before she bent down to begin picking up pieces of glass off the floor.

              Luna watched her for a long moment. “Amanda, when were you planning on telling me that Chance was
living
here?” she asked.

              “He’s stayed here a couple of nights. I just thought with your accident and all, it was best to make it official,” she replied as she tossed the glass into the garbage can.

              “You’re a terrible liar,” Luna said. “Chance told me himself he was living here yesterday.”

              “Look, I’m sorry, okay? I want you both in my life. I just didn’t know the best way to tell you.”

              “How could you do this to me, Mandy? You know how I feel about him.”

              “And I still think you’re wrong! He’s a different person now, I wish you’d allow yourself to see that.”

              “And
I
still think you’re an idiot for believing that.”

              “Luna, there’s plenty of room for us all to live here. It will be fine.”

              “Says you.” Luna snorted. “I can’t live here with him. Different person or not, it’s just too hard. He made my life a living Hell, and even though you want to live in your delusion that he’s a great guy, he’s still ruining my life.”

              “He works so much, you’ll barely even see him around.”

              “If you want me to move out, just say so,” Luna said. “I think my mom could use me living back home now that she’s alone.”

              “I don’t want that, Luna. We’re best friends. Please don’t leave.”

              The corner of Luna’s lip turned up at her words. It was obvious that Amanda didn’t understand the pain she was causing.

              “Right,” Luna said, walking away.
You’re an idiot. Chance couldn’t have chosen a better target.

              Amanda watched her go helplessly as Luna wobbled down the hallway. She gritted her teeth as she lie back down and eventually slid into a dreamless sleep.