EMBER
“This is a bad idea,” Wally states as he helps me into the car he’s rented.
“It’s what I want.”
Sullivan disappeared right after the doctor left, but Wally arrived shortly after. It had taken quite a bit of convincing—especially once Doctor Bell got his hands on him. But when I explained to Wally that I was leaving with or without his help, he’d finally agreed—very reluctantly.
He climbs behind the wheel of the car and pulls away from the hospital. Already, I’m feeling better. Just knowing I won’t die surrounded by machines is enough for me. With a soft smile, I roll the window down and relax back, closing my eyes. Breathing deeply, I inhale the scent of fresh rain carried by the breeze.
“I was able to rent us a suite,” Wally tells me.
“Thank you. But, please know you don’t have to take care of me.”
“The hell I won’t,” he replies. “You are not dying alone, Ember. Heather and Amber would be here if they could be.”
I roll my head to the side and smile weakly at him. “Thank you.”
“You’re family,” he replies as though it explains everything.
“I’ve never had a family,” I tell him. “Not until you guys.”
Wally reaches over and squeezes my hand gently. “You have us. Always.”
My thoughts drift back to what Sullivan said earlier. About my death not meaning nothing. I didn’t understand it then, and maybe I don’t fully get it now. But Wally being here tells me that I will be missed, and that means a hell of a lot more to me than I can put into words.
Minutes tick by, and I drift in and out of sleep, exhaustion pulling me under every few minutes. What feels like no time at all, Wally is gently waking me.
“We’re here,” he says softly.
Blinking rapidly, I let him help me out of the car. An arm around my waist, he guides me through a garage toward an elevator. Once inside, he presses a button to take us to the ninth floor. I grip the metal bar inside, holding as much of my weight as I can while the metal box carries us higher and higher.
It beeps, signaling that we’ve arrived, and Wally helps me out and down the hall to apartment nine-oh-three. “Here we are, kiddo.” He unlocks the door, and we move inside.
The room has been expertly decorated with two cream-colored couches and a bright floral chair. Celtic tapestries adorn light-grey walls. The living room opens into an upgraded kitchen, and I can see at least three doors off the main room.
It all looks gorgeous—and incredibly expensive. Way too expensive for a man who works at an apartment. “Wally, this is too much.”
He scoffs. “It’s nothing, really. What else will I spend my money on?” He guides me through the room and into a bedroom featuring a massive four-poster king bed with a forest green quilt. A tapestry boasting the Celtic Tree of Life hangs over the head of the bed.
It should probably strike me as ironic, but instead, I’m barely keeping my tears back.
Wally releases me so I can sit on the bed, and he kneels to start unlacing my shoes.
“This is too much. This had to be incredibly expensive. I don’t have a lot of money left.”
He looks up at me and smiles softly. “I assure you I have plenty of money, Ember. So stop worrying about it. I wasn’t always a doorman, you know.”
Before I can ask him to explain, he helps me stand and pulls the covers back before leaning me back down. Then, he grabs my legs and helps me swing them up onto the bed.
It’s humiliating.
As soon as I’m settled, he smiles and claps his hands together. “I’m going to make a supply run. The phone is right there. My number is programmed to speed dial number one, so all you have to do is press and hold. I can be back here in a matter of minutes,” he says. “You going to be okay?”
I nod. “Thank you.”
“Anything for you, kiddo.” He turns and leaves, cracking the door behind him. A few seconds later, I hear the soft thud of the exterior door.
Which is exactly when Sullivan decides to make an appearance. “You’re making a mistake,” he says.