Page 11 of Shattered Saint
Before I could blink, we were pulling up to the large building where Nash's apartment was located. I thanked my driver and unbuckled my seat belt. As I opened my door, I was hit with the smell of freshly fallen leaves. It made me yearn for something pumpkin flavored. Maybe I could order food delivery and get something that would satisfy my craving.In the meantime, the driver opened the trunk and exited the vehicle.
I met him at the back of his car, and he handed me the bag I packed for my weekend. I thanked him once more and entered the luxury building that would be my home for the next couple of days.
It took me a second to find the front desk but once I had, I walked over and a woman who looked maybe a little older than me lifted her head with a smile on her face.
"Hello! How may I help you?"
"Hi, I'm staying with my brother this weekend, but don't have a key to his apartment. His name is Nash Henson and he told me to come to the front desk to get everything taken care of."
"And your name?"
"Bianca Henson."
"Do you have any ID on you?"
"Uh—uh, sure." I hadn't been expecting to go through all this, but it wasn't too much trouble. I could understand why they wanted to take precautions. It took some maneuvering, but I was able to grab my wallet and showedmy ID.
"It's cool, Melanie," I said after I read the name tag on her shirt. She gave me a small smile because I said her name, and I wondered how many people chose to ignore that. Then again, that could just be presumptuous of me.
She typed on the computer and studied my ID for a moment before handing it back to me. "Okay, Ms. Henson, you're all set. I'll give you some keys and you can return them when your stay is over."
"Sounds good."
Melanie stood up from the desk and walked around to the front. "Do you need any help with your bag?"
"No, I got it." I almost told her I didn't need any help getting to the elevator because I'd been here before, but I let her lead me to the elevator bank.
Melanie summoned the elevator and when the doors opened, she stepped inside, waved the small badge on the keychain, and pressed the number fifteen before handing me the keys.
"Mr. Henson's apartment is 1503. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to call the number on the back of that badge."
"Awesome. Thank you so much."
"You're welcome." With that, Melanie walked out, and the elevator door closed behind her.
I was alone.
For the first time in what felt like days.
While it sucked that Nash wasn't here, maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.
The elevator ride was quick and once it was over, I walked to Nash’s door. It didn't take much effort to get into Nash's apartment, but it wasn't until I'd closed the door behind me that I felt like I could truly relax.
Nash’s place was designed to be a sleek and modern space. The natural light that flowed into the living area was to die for and cast a warm glow over both the living room and the kitchen.
I took my bag to the guest room and tossed it on the floor near the bed. I immediately plopped down on the white comforter and fell back, my body slightly bouncing as I settled on the bed. The desire to move anywhere but this very spot was nonexistent.
I shifted my body so that I could pull my phone out of my back pocket. I debated texting my parents to let them know that I was alive and wondered if it was worth it. Reaching out to them right now might stop them from trying to bother me later though, so I typed out a quick message and sent it to both of them.
Me: Everything went well today, and I'm now back at Nash's apartment for the evening.
Since I already had my phone out, I decided to text my best friend, Iris, too.
Me: Brentson was pretty cool, and I was able to meet some professors.
Iris: That's good. I was worried your experience would be like the time we went to camp.
I laughed out loud. Iris and I were not the camping type, but I had begged my parents to put me in a summer camp so I could do something different one summer. I met Iris there, and the rest was history. My parents hadn't been completely thrilled with my friendship with her, but I didn't care.
