A Vampire's Heart

CH 8 Remember

Lyla’s POV

The rest of the drive was in silence, I could tell he was thinking hard about something. He gave me a towel he had in his backseat to clean my head and keep from getting the seat and my clothes dirty. I couldn’t help but admire his looks, his hair, don’t even get me started on those eyes. I don’t know what it is about them and those lips, oh I could kiss them all day. What is going on with my brain today?

“Are you enjoying the view?” I snapped back to reality. We were at the hospital now and he was just smiling at me. 

“You wish.” I said, rolling my eyes turning to look out the passenger window, I could feel my cheeks getting red. 

He chuckled and turned the ignition off, he got out the car and walked over to open my door. As I got up, I could feel my head spin and a headache start. I felt his hand grab my waist, pulling me closer to him and I almost lost my breath as I laid my hand on his chest. I could feel his heartbeat against my hand, the tingles were back, I loved being this close to him.

He pulled away, how I wish he hadn’t. He grabbed my hand and for the first time, I could see that he was affected by our touch. His shoulders relaxed, concerned, showed in his beautiful eyes, although I swear I saw a glimmer of blue but before I could question it he turned away.

We walked in through the ‘Accident and Emergency’, wide entrance with automatic sliding doors, ambulances lined up outside, paramedics wheeling in patients on trolley. I felt his grip tighten as we walked further in, he must not be a big fan of hospitals.

We continued walking towards the front desk, I pulled my hand away and heard a small whimper come from Anthony. I pretended I didn't and started rummaging through my bag looking for my license and insurance card. 

“I can go to the desk alone, you can sit in the waiting area?” I said questioningly, he nodded and walked towards the sitting area.

“Hi,” I said as I walked up to the lady at the front desk. She was focused on the screen in front of her and I wasn’t sure if she heard me. She looked up from the screen and placed a clipboard on the counter with a pen. 

“Just fill these forms out for me and have your insurance card ready please.” She spoke without looking away from the computer. I grabbed the clipboard and decided I would go sit with Anthony. That is if he’s still here.

I walked down the hospital corridor, it's stuffy and the air has an undertone of bleach. The walls are scraped in places from the hundreds of gurneys that have bumped into them. I continued past the emergency room, turned right and there he was, sitting in the back with his nose in a magazine. I couldn’t help but let a smile escape as I walked towards him.

“I didn’t take you for the type that likes cosmopolitan.” I giggled sitting in the seat next to him. He looked at me and smiled, setting the magazine down next to him on the table. 

“In my defense, it was the only thing here.” He chuckled. “What’s that?” He said glancing at the clipboard in my hand. 

“They need me to fill out this stuff before the doctor can see me.” I began writing my name and my insurance stuff. I looked up at Anthony, he was just staring at me. I’ve never seen anyone look so concerned for me, not in a long time.

“What?” I blurted. 

“Nothing, I--- I just--- how’s your head?” he stuttered.

“It’s fine, doesn’t hurt anymore. Oh my god! I know who attacked me!” the flashback hit me, I remembered what happened and who it was I saw standing there. It was Nicolas. I couldn’t believe he would attack me.

“You do?” he sounded surprised.

“Yes, it was Nicolas! But I--- I don’t know what I did to make him hate me all of a sudden.” I sat there bewildered at the very thought. I was confused for the most part, I’ve known Nick since we were in elementary school, he was one of my first friends til middle school happened. But I didn’t always live here, we moved here after a call from my grandma had put worry in my parents. 

“So, you mean to tell me..” Anthony paused, as if trying to retain his anger before looking at me. “You’re saying your so-called ‘friend’ did this to you?” I could tell he was angry, but it was something strange about his eyes, they looked bloodshot all of a sudden and I know I saw that shimmer of blue again. 

What is going on?

Anthony’s POV

I sat in the waiting room pondering. Why didn’t compulsion work? How is it she hasn’t had an incident with magic til now? I began to think even harder, there’s been no known history of a vampire and witch being mates, so why is it a first now? 

I could hear her voice in the distance talking to the receptionist lady, then her footsteps grew nearer, I grabbed a magazine from the table next to me. After a while she was sitting down by me, I really enjoyed being close to her, I yearned to be in her presence. She joked about the magazine I grabbed, she had a clipboard in her hand and said she needed to fill it out. I couldn’t help myself from staring at her, I just wanted to hold her, make her feel safe. Part of me, the demon inside, wanted to go to that barn where the others were holding the son of a b***h that did this and rip his heart out.

She remembers who attacked her, how were we going to fix this part of the situation now? She will end up asking questions. This began to anger me more, I could feel my fangs bare. Her knowing the person who did this, someone who was once close to her, how could somebody betray her like that? As I looked at her, her face expression changed, she looked confused and I could sense a little fear. 

Is she afraid of me?