Page 9 of Written In Flesh

“And what brings you to this area at this time of night, Skully?”

I tuck my dark hair behind my ears, really thinking of the nicest way to answer his question. “Night school.”

His brow shoots up, and he nods. “Miss some credits last semester?”

“Something like that.” I glance at the neighborhood as we walk. My old friend, bitterness, sits in my throat, choking me, making tears spring to my eyes. “I was a senior. I had an accident, and I don’t remember nine months of my life, all of it school, of course. So they won’t let me graduate until I finish night school as a refresher.”

“Wow.” He blinks at me; clearly, he wasn’t expecting me to share all my garbage in the first fifteen minutes of walking. “That sucks.”

I shrug, agreeing with him and hating that there is nothing I can do about it. Everything is out of my control. We walk in silence for a block, and I really start to regret how much I shared. Between my verbal garbage and the weird moment when he first noticed me, I’m sure he thinks I have issues. Besides the missing memories, I mean.

“Has night school helped trigger your memories at all?” Azriel speaks, and my eyes jump to him. “I’m not trying to pry or anything; it’s just not something you hear of every day.”

He gives me a small smile, and I read the intrigue and concern in his eyes. Nothing about his tone or the question makes me feel defensive or defective. “Not yet,” I tell him truthfully, sighing in disappointment. If only it were that easy. “I keep hoping it will all come flooding back. Maybe that was what happened earlier. I’m not really sure. I get moments that feel like they’ve happened, but then it’s like my mind won’t stretch past that.”

I glance at him and find his unusual violet eyes watching me, listening to every word. My cheeks heat from the attention. It’s not sexual or friendly even. It’s just the attention of another person really listening to me and not trying to fix me or diagnose my symptoms.

“I hope it does,” Azriel murmurs. “I can’t imagine. I bet it’s frustrating.”

I nod in agreement, hating that my throat suddenly feels tight with emotion. Thankfully, Azriel is good with small talk while I die of embarrassment on the inside from spewing my guts to him. I just met the guy and feel like I can talk to him about anything. I doubt he’ll want to talk to me more after today, though. By the time we reach the hospital, my insides are all tied up in knots.

“Ah, thanks.” I point at the hospital. “For walking with me, I mean.”

His violet gaze travels over me lazily and slightly amused. I wish the floor would open and swallow me whole. “Anytime, girl. Good luck with night school.”

With a slight tilt of his head and a smirk on his lips, Azriel and I go our separate ways. I watch his back as he saunters away toward the west wing, the area reserved for patients with severe mental health issues. Sighing, I head in the opposite direction in search of Loreli.

I find my aunt deep in her charts and not even paying attention when I settle in next to her. My arm brushes hers, and she jumps. “Skully! You scared me.”

I laugh softly, and so does she. “Sorry. I called you, but you must have been busy.”

Her lips turn down in a frown as she checks her phone. “Yeah…yeah, Mr. Goldberg took a turn for the worse today, so I’ve been helping get his discharge papers ready for the family.”

We start walking toward her office while I turn her words over in my head. Mr. Goldberg is ninety-seven and has lived a very good life. His age and the natural decline of his body have sped up over the past week. If Loreli is planning his discharge paperwork, it must mean the family wants to move him to home hospice, a choice many make to live out the remainder of their days in the comfort of their families.

“I liked Mr. Goldberg,” I tell her, feeling a wave of sadness hit me in the gut.

“I did too,” she whispers, and her eyes get a faraway look. I will always admire my aunt for the work she does as a hospice nurse. It’s a special position that I feel not everyone can fill. She always handles it with grace and understanding.

She looks down at her phone again before glancing at me. “I could probably leave a little early, but I still have about two hours left.”

“It’s fine. I can study for my math test tomorrow,” I tell her, shrugging my shoulders.

“Okay.” She looks relieved, and I feel guilty for missing my bus. Loreli works hard to provide for us, and even though she can leave early, I know she’d be missing out on money. “I’ll come find you in the break room when I’m done.”

I give her a quick hug and head to the lounge. On my way, I pass the mental health unit again and think of Azriel, hoping his visit is going well, before scurrying past so he doesn’t see me. I don’t know how I’ll react if I ever see him again. Within the span of an hour, I managed to embarrass myself and forget that I had a filter. What a great way to start the week.