The drive was long. I didn't sleep, no matter how much I tried. With each bump in the road, each nightmare that started, and each movement from Samuel, I was left more and more awake. So, I spent the time thinking, instead. I thought about everything that happened previously and everything that was bound to follow our arrival back in town. The reality of the situation was pressing, and decisions needed to be made. So, I started with the small things and worked my way up.
The least of my worries was that I would probably no longer be allowed to work or to go anywhere, for that matter. I would have no more freedom in any sense of the word. Samuel would never leave me. That much, he promised. I needed to get used to his presence, which led directly to my next problem.
I would probably be spending a lot more time with the wolves. If Samuel still insisted I move in with him, he'd probably be living with the rest of his kind. They would most likely all want to eat me alive. I was supposed to ignore this and push past my anger at Samuel, at Riley, at everyone. I'd have to do more than lie and fake emotion because they would see right through me. Riley would see right through me.
There was no doubt in my mind Riley would constantly be watching me. That, I was sure of. He'd monitor my every move and hold it over my head if I didn't live up to his expectations. Samuel had to be kept happy. If not, I wasn't the only one that would get hurt.
At that, my thoughts turned to Riley's threats. His demands. It was in that moment, in the dark of the truck with Samuel distracted beside me, that I finally allowed myself to dwell on the fact that my humanity wouldn't last much longer. If Samuel wanted to turn me, I couldn't refuse. Riley wouldn't let me. If I were to even try, my own life would be the least of my concerns.
I saved my biggest concern for last, knowing once I dwelled on this thought all others would cease. Of course, all other thoughts led me here, anyway.
My family. My small, broken, family. I couldn't help but think of the possibility of arriving back home only to find they were gone. Dead, even. That thought broke me more than anything else could. They were all I had. I was hopeful that Riley hadn't harmed them, as I hadn't provoked him enough to do so. But, they'd been left alone with James, and that was just as dangerous.
These thoughts were enough to occupy my mind for days, so it wasn't surprising when enough time had passed and the truck was suddenly being opened. When the light flooded our surroundings, I wasn't given time to adjust, think, or move. Samuel scooped me up and brought me directly to the hospital.
I was in the same hospital where Will resided, that much I knew. It was where all the humans were treated. Where I was, what floor, or even what room, was left a mystery. When Samuel brought me through the sliding doors, a whirlwind of people hit me. I vaguely recognized a few of their faces from when I visited Will, but none of them would look directly at me. They followed orders barked at them by Samuel, hurriedly preparing what was needed to make me whole again. They'd brought me to this room, placed me on the bed, and cleaned me up. It was absolute hell. They'd dressed and sewn up my gunshot wound, forced needled into my skin, pushed medicines down my throat, and mumbled about infection and treatments. I was a rag doll in their hands, a broken dish they were intent upon forcing back together.
It seemed like lifetimes before they left. When they did, it was only after they were temporarily satisfied with the endless supply of fluids and pain medication dripping into my body. I was now lying back on the bed in a white gown with matching knitted blankets pulled up to my shoulders. I was supposed to be sleeping, but I was only fading in and out. For some reason, my body wouldn't let me fully relax. The reason couldn't be that Samuel was continuously staring at me from across the room.
"Will you stop?" I finally called out, shifting the blanket around me. My sleep deprivation left me utterly exhausted and therefore, short-tempered. I was normally able to ignore his intrusive stares, but today they were dominating my consciousness.
In the beginning, after the rush of doctors started to recede, I thought Samuel would leave to be examined, himself. But, the hospital workers didn't so much as glance at him. He seemed to be in perfect health. To him, it was as if the past week never happened.
He smirked. "Stop what?"
I crossed my arms, ignoring the wires that tangled around me. "You know what," I grumbled.
"You're supposed to be sleeping, you know."
My eyes rolled dramatically. "I know."
"Well? Do you need something to help you?" He started to stand, motioning to someone through the open door. He quickly caught a nurses eye and she began a slow trudge to my room.
"No!" I quickly cried. He looked back at me curiously but didn't stop the nurse. I frantically continued. "No, I don't need anything. I'll fall asleep in no time. No time at all. No drugs needed," I rambled, waving my hand. To prove my point, I leaned my head back once more and pretended to get comfortable.
Samuel stayed in place, continuing to watch me before he waved off the woman who came to the door. When she was gone, he slowly wandered to my bed. My body involuntarily tensed at his presence, but I tried not to let it show. So far, I'd put on a pretty good show of trust, and I wasn't going to stop now.
"You're acting a little crazy," he told me, matter-of-factly. "Are you sure you don't want anything? I would stay here the whole time you were asleep."
That's what I was afraid of. Being completely alone with Samuel while I was in a drug-induced sleep. I forced my body to relax and pushed out a yawn. "I'll be fine if you just stopped staring."
He chuckled, raising his hands in surrender. "Fine, fine. Anything for you."
Samuel made his way back across the room to sit in the armchair he'd been occupying all afternoon. It was a light colored wood with green cushions and seemed extremely out of place compared to everything else. The rest of the room was plain and colorless. My bed, the table designed to hover over me, even the equipment. A large window was to my right, but the curtains had been shut to hide the outside view.
He settled himself in the uncomfortable chair and pulled out his phone. When I was sure he wouldn't move, I turned away from him and closed my eyes for what seemed like the hundredth time. I was immediately met with visions of guns, fire, and bloodied family members. I was almost used to these pictures running through my mind by now, but they still stung, preventing me from even thinking about sleep. After only a few short minutes, I opened my eyes and trained them on the heart monitor sitting next to me. It beeped monotonously but kept track of the time passed. I let the rhythm to lull me into a numb state, where I was allowed to lay on the bed and pretend to be anywhere but here.
Eventually, though I'm not sure how, I fell asleep. It was, once again, fitful and nightmarish. When I woke up, the room was dark and the door was shut. A bright white light shone underneath the crack, illuminating the few pieces of furniture in the room with me. My gaze glanced over Samuel who was still sitting in his chair, but now with his head slumped on his shoulder.
I shook away the images remaining in my mind and pulled the blanket and countless cords off of my body. My feet swung around and hit the floor, and when I was ready, I pulled myself up to stand. I swayed only slightly, but for the most part, held a firm position. When I was sure I wouldn't fall, I quietly padded away from my bed and towards the bathroom door next to Samuel. The minute I got a foot away from my bed though, something caught on my arm and fell to the ground. It crashed and bounced, sending an abrupt noise through the still and quiet room.
Not another moment passed before Samuel was on his feet, searching the room wildly. I paused, ignoring Samuel, and half turned to glare at the tangled cord that knocked my cup of water to the floor. When I was sufficiently satisfied that nothing else would fall if I moved, I started towards the bathroom once more. I was stopped, however, by Samuel's broad frame stalking towards me.
"What are you doing?" He called out. His voice held too many emotions. Worry, concern, anger, and a touch of hurt.
I was confused until I realized the scene he'd woken up to. It was the middle of the night and I was sneaking in the direction of the front door. The bathroom was right next to it, but of course, that wouldn't be Samuel's initial thought.
"I was just trying to go to the bathroom," I quickly muttered. He was beside me now, untangling a chord I hadn't noticed that was attached to my wrist. "Sorry."
He looked at me warily, watching my lost expression. Finally, he shook his head and sighed. "Sure."
I couldn't hold back my scoff. "If you're that worried about me running then maybe you just tie me up. Works for everyone else."
"Stop being so dramatic." He rolled his eyes and tried to hold back a frown. His hand was still on my wrist, though the wire was long gone. He paused, eyes glancing over my expression as I shifted under his stare. I was still fuming at his comment and I was certainly not holding back my glare. Eventually, though, he met my eyes and softened. "Come on, I'll help you to the bathroom."
I let him help me to the door, where he waited patiently for me to finish my business. I gave myself enough time to compose my features and push back my anger. When I was through and ready to face Samuel, he carefully led me back to the bed and pulled the blankets around my shoulders. I leaned my head against the flat pillow and pressed a button that raised the back of the bed and allowed me to sit up. Samuel watched me warily, holding out his arms as if I was going to fall.
"It's going to be hard to sleep sitting up, don't you think?" He asked after a while.
I adjusted my pillow and closed my eyes, wishing I could ignore him. "I'm not tired. I got enough sleep."
"I think we both know that's not true."
I raised one eyebrow while opening my eyes to a slit. When I saw his hardened expression, I closed them again and remained silent. I was finding that it was easier to say nothing than to risk the wrong words escaping my mouth.
Samuel slowly lowered himself to sit at the foot of my bed. His hand rested on my calf and I fought the urge to pull it away. "How are you feeling?"
"Fine," I quickly responded.
"Do you need any more pain medicine?"
"No."
"You'll tell me if you do?"
No. "Sure."
We fell into silence. It wasn't comfortable, but it wasn't filled with unease, either. It was just there. Neither of us knew what to say, and I believed it was because neither of us knew what to do, either. No matter how I tried, Samuel knew I was still upset with him. He'd known me long enough to realize I didn't let things go so easily. Why he wasn't confronting me about it wasn't something I was going to bring up.
I listened to the soft hum of voices outside my room, trying to discern what they were saying. It passed a bit of time and allowed me to focus on something other than Samuel's fingers running along my lower leg.
"How long will I be here?" I suddenly broke the silence, opening my eyes. They'd adjusted to the dark room now, and I was able to make out Samuel's features clearly. His main feature was exhaustion, and I could tell he needed several more hours of sleep before the bags under his eyes would disappear.
He thought for a moment. "I'm honestly not sure. They want to watch you and make sure everything is alright. There's a big chance your wound is infected."
"I'm fine," I started, but he quickly cut me off.
"Samantha," he deadpanned. "You were shot."
I huffed out a short breath. "So were you. More than once I believe."
"Ya, well, I heal quickly," he muttered. It wasn't hard to tell he wasn't in the mood to argue.
I quickly changed the subject, asking my next question before thinking it through. "Can I see Will while I'm here?" I paused after I asked, watching him carefully. His eyebrows raised and then furrowed and I instantly regretted my outburst. This wasn't a question I wanted an answer to.
He was quiet for a moment longer before slowly saying, "I don't see why not."
I stilled. Had I heard him right? No. There was no absolutely no way. He'd never allow me to see my family after I ran. I was supposed to be rejected, put down, and banned from speaking for the rest of the night.
Samuel noticed my astonishment. His lip twitched, hinting at a small smile. "Did you really think I wouldn't let you see him? I'm not that big of a dick."
"Really?" I started, my mind barely registering my words. His expression darkened and I quickly recovered, catching up with the conversation. "Sorry, not about that last part. You're really okay with me seeing him?"
His face fell back to normal and he shrugged. "Of course. I mean, you can't go alone, but you can still see him."
A large smile slowly spread across my face. I never expected I'd be allowed contact with my family, never thought that Samuel would allow me any relationship outside of his.
"Thank you," I breathed. "When can I see him?"
He looked at the curtains. "I guess when morning finally decides to show up."
If possible, my smile spread further. "Thank you, really," I repeated.
This time a smile did appear on his face. I watched it light up his features like it had so many times before. He looked years younger with this expression, and it suited him greatly. Not that I would ever tell him that.
"Just call me a saint," he responded, waving his hands aimlessly.
I tried to hold back a smile. "Ya, right."
He looked at me with pure innocence, mock offense lining his amused expression. "You don't think I'm a saint?"
"You're a lot of things, Samuel, but I don't think a saint is one of them," I laughed. It was a loud noise, abrupt, and foreign. I couldn't remember the last time that sound came from my lips.
Samuel was slightly shocked as well, but he recovered quickly. "You hurt me, Samantha."
I rolled my eyes, my small fit of laughter dying off. When I looked up again, Samuel had his dark eyes trained on mine. They held something unreadable, some untold thought or emotion. I was suddenly reminded of the past week, the pain and betrayal from every corner, and it was as if the world came crashing down around me, reminding me that I had nothing to laugh for. I cleared my throat, quickly glancing away, trying to remain casual.
"You should get some sleep. You look worse than me." I shook my head, attempting to clear my thoughts.
He shrugged and momentarily took his hand off my leg, stretching his arms high above his head. "Nah, I'm great. Besides, if you're in a good mood, we could talk about some things."
"What things?" I held back a groan. I hated talking about things. This might have worked moments ago, but now every time I looked at Samuel I could only think of the reasons I ran from him. Mirroring those thoughts were Riley's threats, constantly reminding me that if Samuel wasn't happy, my family would be hurt.
I tried to hold back a sigh. This was impossible.
Samuel let out a small laugh. "Well, I talked to Riley about everything. I told him about you, your situation, everything." My heart skipped a beat and I almost missed his next words. "He agrees that things are different because at least one of the reasons you ran was your father-"
"Step-father," I automatically mumbled. He shot me a look, to which I mumbled a quick, "Sorry."
"It's fine," Samuel nodded. His hand moved to rest on my foot, where he rubbed small circles as he finished his explanation. "He's decided to let you off pretty easy. I mean, considering you are a human and all, and you broke one of the biggest laws." His voice trailed off for a moment while he thought of his next words. I tried desperately to hold my tongue and push back my glares. "He's giving you a small sentence. Simple house arrest for a few weeks. Maybe less."
I stilled. House arrest? What did that even mean?
Samuel noticed my confusion. "It basically means you'll just be confined to a certain place, under surveillance, for a certain amount of time."
"Just one place?" He nodded and I furrowed my eyebrows. "So essentially, you're throwing me into a jail to rot away the rest of my days."
Samuel's body stiffened slightly and he took a deep breath. When he spoke though, his voice was surprised and gentle. "Of course, not. It's called house arrest for a reason."
"So you're confining me to my house forever?"
"No," he started, shifting his weight so he was sitting more fully on the bed. He paused the circular movements of his hand and gripped my foot lightly. "My house."
***
For those of you who don't know, I made this chapter extra long because...
WE'VE REACHED 50K READS! THIS IS HUGE! (For me at least 😁) YOU'RE ALL TOO GOOD TO ME! (I honestly couldn't think of a more relatable gif for this moment.)
What did you all think of the chapter?? What of Riley's 'sentence' for Samantha's 'crime'? I can tell you one thing...she ain't gonna be happy...
If you enjoyed the chapter don't forget to comment and vote! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Aaaaalso...finals week is coming up so I'm not sure when the next update will be! Hopefully, it'll be soon; I will try! Thanks for your patience!
Mquistey