Chapter 36

Trinity

Lucian stood as I adjusted my bag. Mark came back with a plate full of food and sat down, glaring at Lucian.

“When will you be back?” Mark asked stiffly.

“Soon,” I said and shook my head as my phone rang. It was the hospital. I turned away. “I’ve got to take this. We can go right after.”

“Of course,” Lucian said, seemingly relaxed in his seat. Lucian didn’t seem bothered, but there was definitely tension between the two of them. I sighed and shook my head. I couldn’t do anything about it right now.

I answered the phone. “Hello?”

“Is this Trinity?”

“Yes.”

“I’m calling about your father. He’s woken up.”

I gasped and turned to look at Lucian. “I’ll be there soon.”

I shoved my phone into my pocket and grabbed my jacket before turning to Lucian and Mark.

“Could we make a stop at the hospital? Dad’s woken up.”

Mark stopped midbite and looked at me. “I could take you.”

“You need rest,” I said, shaking my head. “And I was already heading out. We can go together later. I’ll call you if anything comes up.”

Mark hesitated, glaring at Lucian, but he nodded slowly. Lucian stood and followed me towards the door.

“You should come over for dinner,” Mark said lightly. “I’ll pull out the good silverware.”

Lucian turned back. “I’ll check my calendar.”

It was a weird exchange. Truly, the whole thing was weird, but it didn’t matter. I’d talk to Mark later about his behavior and hope that Lucian wasn’t so offended that I would be kicked from the program or that he refused to see me again.

We walked down the front steps and Lucian opened the car door for me.

Once we were inside, I turned to him. “I’m so sorry about Mark. I don’t know what his problem was.”

He smirked. “Likely taking Vicodin with whiskey.”

I chuckled and nodded, relieved that he seemed to be really unbothered about it.

“If you do come over for dinner, I’ll make sure he stays in line.”

“I have no fear of another verbal duel with Mark,” he said. “Do you and your father plan to live in his house for long?”

“I hope not,” I shook my head. “It’s been comforting to be near him, but it’s about time that Dad and I got our own place… At least, it will be after I’m sure he’ll be all right.”

He took my hand gently. Heat pooled in my gut as I looked up at him.

“I am certain that your father will recover in due time.”

I nodded, thankful for his kind words. Soon, we arrived at the hospital. I rushed up the stairs instead of taking the elevator to see the doctors in my dad’s room. There were only two of them and I didn’t recognize either of them.

They didn’t introduce themselves either.

“How is he?” I asked as they glanced over their charts. Dad seemed to be asleep. “I thought he was awake.”

“He was a few moments ago,” one of the doctors said. “He’s asleep now, rather than in a coma. It’s a good sign.”

I nodded. “H-How much longer will he have to be in the hospital?”

“He should be okay to discharge in about two weeks. He’ll need a little help while he’s recovering, and the casts should be able to come off in about six months.”

I nodded and they left without another word. Another two weeks in this hospital would be expensive, but so long as I could keep giving blood, it should be all right. I pressed a kiss to my dad’s forehead and adjusted the sheets over him before walking down to the clerk’s desk.

The man looked up at me with the same surly expression.

“When will the next bill be due?”

“Friday.”

I nodded. “Could I have a copy?”

He typed on his computer, and soon the printer hummed and spat out a sheet of paper. The charges weren’t as steep as I thought they would be for his stay, but I had no idea if his charts had been updated with the clerk yet.

I left the hospital a little more hopeful about my dad’s future and we headed to the lab to have my blood drawn. Lucian stayed by my side. I stared at him, trying to ignore the prick of the needle in my arm.

After we were done and the transfer was initiated, we went to dinner at a quiet little place with good food before Lucian returned me home, stating he had work to do.

“What do you do?” I asked, realizing that I had never asked.

“I help with research.”

“You’re a doctor?”

“Not quite,” he said as we pulled up in front of Mark’s house. “I would be happy to speak of it more in the future.”

I nodded. “I’d like that.”

He opened the door for me and I got out of the car. I readied myself to talk to Mark, but his car was gone.

Time went on, and the season changed. Spring was coming quickly, and the end of the semester was coming with it. It took a little longer than they first thought to get my dad discharged, but we had a small celebration when I could bring him home. Mark had been there briefly.

He asked about Lucian but seemed upset to hear that Lucian had arranged the ride home but couldn’t make it. Mark was in a pretty bad mood for most of the evening, but I was just so happy that I could get my dad into bed and he could sleep peacefully.

His car had been completely destroyed, but he hadn’t been at fault for the accident, and the other driver had fled the scene. No one had any leads about the driver or what happened, and dad was just grateful to be alive. He lost his job while in the hospital because he hadn’t called in, and I hadn’t known where he worked, but he wasn’t worried about that either.

“I’ll find another job,” he said, the way he always did. I tried not to worry about it.

Since the weather was getting better, I wanted to invite Lucian and Mark to the lakeside. It wasn’t as glamorous as a real beach, but Sindia recommended it for a brief getaway. Lucian agreed, but Mark never answered his phone.

Finally, I just called the police station, searching for him.

“Sorry, he’s on a case out of state,” the clerk said. “We don’t know when he’ll be back.”

I sighed and looked back at the bag I’d packed for the trip.

“There will be other times to go to the lake with him,” my dad said. “Don’t worry about it. Go out and enjoy yourself.”

I nodded as my phone chimed. Dad waved me off and turned over to get some more rest. I grabbed my bag and went to answer the door. Lucian was on the other side, smiling at me lightly.

“Ready?”

I nodded. He led me to the car and we drove for an hour or so to get to the lake. There were a few people there, but not many. I pulled out my towel and shook it out by the shore, lying back and soaking up the sun, grateful that I had a little bit of time to relax.

“Are you and Mark involved?” Lucian asked lounging beside me.

I wrinkled my nose and shook my head. “No. Never. I… I had a boyfriend, but I went missing for a few months and by the time I had been found, he’d moved on.”

He nodded slowly. “No one before him?”

“A few,” I shrugged. “It never seemed to last. I want love, but I’m happy with my life for now.”

He nodded before I rolled onto my feet. “No sense in just lounging by the water!”

I grabbed his hand and helped him up before dragging him into the water.

I turned back, splashing water at him. His face blurred behind the water, but I could still see his figure. My vision blurred and the world narrowed to a single corridor. That mysterious figure was closer than the last time.

“Be careful!”

I tried to shake myself free of the vision, but I slipped on something beneath the surface of the water. Warm arms wrapped around my waist, catching me, and keeping me up.

“Are you all right?”

I nodded, staring up into his eyes. They flashed and seemed to burn, but I was drawn to them. My heart was pounding at how close we were. He drew closer and closer. His wet hair dangled over me. Our lips grazed before her pressed his mouth firmly against mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck, moaning into his mouth and melting into his touch. My head was spinning.

I didn’t care who was nearby or what they would say as he held me to him and the sun began to sink beneath the horizon.