A Life Unexpected: Holly Nather Book One (Holly Nather Series) (6 page)

I can’t move my head. I put my hand to my neck and feel the neck brace. I blink a few times and a nurse comes into focus.

She smiles kindly. “You were in a wreck. You’re going to be just fine.”

“Luke?”

“Right here,” he says as he comes into focus. I feel his hand holding mine.

“I bet I look really dumb,” I say and scrunch my eyebrows when it comes out in a slur. “What’s wrong with my voice?”

The nurse smiles. “Really good pain meds, dear.” She touches my hand. After she lets go I bring my hand up to look at it and see the IV.

I move my legs and as much of my body as I can to make sure everything still works.

“Ms. Nather, I’m Doctor Simmons and I’m here to look you over. Are you hurting anywhere right now?” He smiles as he stands over me.

“No, sir. But this neck brace is really annoying.”

He laughs. “You were passed out and unresponsive when the medics showed up. It’s just protocol that they put that on you until a doctor assesses your injuries because you couldn’t verbally tell them what was going on.”

He slips the neck brace off carefully and Luke smoothes out my hair so it wasn’t such a mess. I smile at him.

“Alright, with my help, I want you to sit up so I can take a good look at you.” Dr. Simmons holds out his hand and I take it, easing myself into a sitting position.

He looks me over and asks me a long list of questions. The ones about pain are hard to answer because I am so doped up on pain meds I can’t feel a thing. I am able to move fine so I assume that nothing is broken. A few tests were run to check for a concussion before I was sent back to the room to wait.

The doctor comes in.

“I think you’re good to go. I will write you a prescription for a few days’ worth of pain meds to help with the pain. For some reason, the third day after a bad wreck, you hurt the worst.” Dr. Simmons scribbles on his clipboard and while he does, I looked at a very worried looking Luke.

“I’m fine,” I whisper.

A hint of a smile appears on his face but that’s it. He doesn’t say anything. Instead, he watches the doctor.

Before long and we are able to go. When we get out of the hospital I see Blayne’s car parked in front. She jumps out of her car and hurries over to me.

“Holly!? Oh my gosh, I’m so glad you’re okay!” She hugs me. “I called your parents and they are on their way here!”

“What? No. Blayne, I’m fine. There’s no need for them to come.” I pull out my phone to call mom.

“Hello? Holly?! Are you alright?!” Mom asks frantically.

“Yes, mom, I’m perfect. I’m leaving the hospital now. Really, I’m fine. There’s no need for you guys to come here.”

“But, we—”

“Mom, no. It’s late and too far of a drive.”

“But your father and I—”

“Mom!”

She sighs heavily into the phone. “Fine but the second you feel any pain you call me and I’m coming to get you!”

I laugh. “Yes, ma’am.”

I looked at Luke and Blayne. “Since meeting you I’ve been in the hospital twice. Maybe it’s a sign that we shouldn’t be together?” I laugh as I sway a little. Luke catches me.

“Or it’s a sign that you need someone like me looking after you.”

Blayne smiles. “Are you staying at the dorm tonight or with Luke?”

“Dorm.”

“I’ll drive you there,” Luke says as he helps me into the car.

As he drives I watch him. I see about ten of him which I don’t mind. He’s gorgeous. He looks at me and laughs. “What?” I ask smiling.

“You’re looking at me funny.”

“You look nice.”

He laughs. “Someone is high.”

“You know…I find it really funny that I’ve been hurt twice since hanging out with you. I fell down the stairs, and we got rear ended. It’s like you’re a bad omen or something.” I look out the window and scrunch my eyes when I see a group of men walking down the road, all dressed the same and staring at Luke’s car. I sit up straighter. I turn my head to stare at them as we drive past. After we pass them, I look out the back window and they are gone. No trace of them.

“Luke.”

“What?”

“Did you see that group of men back there?”

He looks in the rear view mirror. “No. Why?”

“Well, I saw them, and then they disappeared. It was strange.” I look out the back window one more time, feeling like I’m being watched. No one is behind us.

“I think they gave you too much medicine.” Luke takes my hand in his.

We get to my dorm and he helps me in and crawls into my bed with me.

“You don’t have to stay,” I say quietly, staring at his lips.

“I know but I want to. I know they said you were fine but I’ll feel better if I stay to make sure.” He kisses my forehead as my eyes close.

“That feels nice.”

I feel his lips touch mine; he parts my lips with his and kisses me. Every inch of me feels tingly as I kiss him back. We stop when the door opens.

“Don’t stop on account of me,” Blayne teases. We laugh.

He kisses my nose. “Get some sleep.”

I nod and lay my head on his chest. Within minutes I fall asleep to the sound of his heart beat and with a huge smile on my face. I don’t know where our relationship will end up, but I am willing to take the risk. Good or bad.

I JUST FINISHED
a late night of studying at the library and am about to call Luke to tell him I’m ready for him to pick me up when I see his car swerve into the parking lot.

He jumps out of the car and runs toward me.

He’s staring at me like he wants me to say something. Problem—I don’t know what to say. What do you say to someone who is acting like a mental patient? I go with the first and most obvious question that comes to my mind. “Are you okay?!”

“Yes, now that I’ve laid my eyes on you,” he says in an exasperated tone. He hugs me. “You’re alright, right?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” I look up at him and touch the side of his face. “But you’re not. What’s wrong?”

He tucks my hair behind my ears and kisses my cheek. “I wish I could tell you, but it’s complicated.”

“Just tell me. Remember that night at the formal? We promised each other no secrets.”

“Yeah, but this is really complicated.”

“Look, like I said that night, secrets are definite deal breakers.” I wiggle myself from his grip.

“I want to tell you, but I can’t,” he says with a pained expression.

I shake my head and back away from him. “Not a good enough answer, Luke.” He moves closer to me, puts his hands in my jacket pockets, and slowly pulls me close. I freeze.

In a whisper, he says, “You have no idea how much I want to tell you, but I can’t.” Suddenly fear fills his eyes. “We have to go!” Putting his arm around me, he makes me keep up with his fast pace.

Should I dial 911 now? What’s going on here?!
I don’t ask. I just keep running with him which is probably the shittiest decision I’ve ever made. We get to his car quickly.

“GET IN!” He yells as he hops in on the driver’s side. I get in with no questions. This is a bad movie waiting to happen. I’m getting into a car with a guy I’ve only known for a little over a month.
What the hell is wrong with me?
I’m too scared to speak or run away. I quickly put on my seat belt.

“What’s going on, Luke? I deserve to know!”

“They are coming. . .” He keeps his eyes fixed on the road and his hands gripped tightly on the steering wheel.

“Who is coming?! Is this a joke?!” I’m nervously biting my nails and hoping that it is just that—a joke.

“The Poyen.” He begins to drive faster taking us to who-knows-where.

“Is that a name? A last name? Some sort of gang? I’ve never heard that before! And why would they be coming? You’ve got to start explaining! I’m freaking out over here!” If he doesn’t explain soon, I’m going to jump out of this moving vehicle, regardless the physical pain it will cause.

“No. It’s not a name, last name or a gang. It is a
they.
The Poyen are terrible. They take traditions and rules
very
seriously. They are coming for you, Holly.”

This situation has gone from strange to stranger.
They are coming for me?
I believe this guy has lost his ever-lovin’ mind. Is he a drug dealer who forgot to pay the big guy, and now they’re after what he cares about—me? I’m so confused, mad and scared.

“What did you get me into? If this is a bad drug deal or something, I want nothing to do with it! Please just take me home!” I want to go home to my parents. Not my dorm. Not under the circumstances I’ve found myself in.
This is crazy
. And I’m crazy for allowing myself to get involved. I face palm and curse myself for being so stupid.

“Holly, please listen to me. I can’t take you home. I have to get you as far away from here as I can.” He pulls into an abandoned parking lot in the middle of nowhere.
Oh, this is just great
! I’m about to get raped, killed, chopped into a million pieces, and buried or stuffed in a trunk. I’ve seen a movie like this before, and it didn’t end well. I start to grab my phone out of my pocket, but quickly realize it’s not there. I glance up and realize Luke has my phone in his hand.
How in the hell did he do that?!

“I can’t give you your phone back. They are tracking you, and if you make a call it will register on their satellite. They’ll know where you are. Holly, would you stop looking at me like I’m going to kill you?”

“Give me the phone, Luke! This isn’t funny! I want to go home!” I yell while unsuccessfully trying to take my phone from him.

“Holly, I will tell you everything, now that we’re in this situation. I am Prince Lucas Denton. I’m not from here. I’m from a different world than yours. It’s called Terre.” I start laughing at him and begin to say something rude, but he cuts me off.

“Holly, stop laughing at me. This is true! The Poyen are what you would call a government here. Only worse. I don’t have much time to explain, but here it is, the best I can put it in little time. Like I said, I am a Prince of Terre. I am next in line, after my father, to rule. I was arranged to be married to a girl who I don’t love. I ran away and used my magic to escape when I was eighteen. The Poyen have been searching for me but have had no idea where I am. I am forbidden to fall in love with anyone other than Lana. When I told Lana I was leaving, she was angry and told me if I broke off our arranged marriage, she would find me and do god knows what... I have magic that is protecting me from being found, but they can sense you, since you don‘t have magic to protect yourself. You are safe here with me, where my magic can protect you.” He takes a deep breath and looks at me.

I stare back into his eyes and start laughing again only it’s more hysterical now. “I don’t believe this! This is crazy! No,
you
are crazy! Just take me home! Can I
please
have my phone back?!” He hands the phone back to me staring at my fingers—hoping I don’t hit the call button. He starts driving down the road, fast, like a crazed lunatic again.

I grab the ‘oh-shit-handle’ as he speeds around a curve. “Let me out of this car, NOW!” I scream at him. He just drives faster. As he drives faster, I yell at him louder as I grip the handle tighter. “NOW, I SAID! TAKE ME TO MY HOUSE, NOW!” As I explain where my house is, he keeps going in the opposite direction. I pull out my phone to start dialing 911, and he quickly puts his hand over my phone.

Through a clenched jaw, he says, “Please. Holly, don’t.” We turn into a gas station, and behind it is nothing but trees. “I would take you home, but you won’t be safe without me.”

I scoff. “Really?! Because before I knew you, I was pretty damn safe, Luke!” I cross my arms over my chest.

“You’ve not been safe since the day I fell in love with you. My attraction to you is too strong. They’ve seen you in my thoughts.”
Did he just say love?
Damn, he looks serious. This is too crazy even for a crazy person in a mental institution, doped up on meds to believe.