Page 34 of Protective Love

"How is it that you're all able to get into my apartment complex?"

She glances at me over her shoulder.

"What do you mean?"

"It's a gated community," I state, opening the back door of Kaleb's car as she opens the passenger door. "You need a key or a code to get in, and as far as I'm aware, only residents have access, yet Kaleb was able to get in yesterday and you've also managed to get in today."

"Kaleb has his ways," she responds, shrugging her shoulders and smirking slightly before climbing in the car.

Standing with the door open, I stare at the bus stop down the road, wondering if I should make a run for it because I'm convinced, now more than ever, that Sophia is in love with a psychopath.

Knowing I couldn't run fast enough, I climb into the backseat, place my bag on my lap and settle into the leather seat.

"It's a nice little place you live in," Sophia says, swivelling around to face me form the passenger seat as Kaleb pulls away from the curb and drives down the street. "How long have you lived there?"

"Not too long," I reply, keeping my answer vague and turning my attention to the scenery outside so I can avoid her curious gaze.

"Ah, okay. Sorry, I don't want it to seem like I'm prying or anything."

"That's exactly what you're doing," Kaleb says, laughing when she swats her hand at him. "Stop twisting round like that and sit properly please."

She huffs and shakes her head, turning to face the front of the car again and slumping back in her seat.

With the silence in the car growing, I decide to sneakily pull my Kindle out of my bag and begin reading the book Chrissie told me about this morning.

After reading the first few paragraphs, I relax into the leather seat as I become fully engrossed in the book.

"Rory!" Sophia calls out, tapping her hand against my knee and forcing me to lift my head, tearing my attention away from my Kindle. "We're here."

I glance out the window and see we're outside the hospital and my eyebrows raise when I realise I had no idea the car had even stopped.

"Oh, shoot. Sorry, I was reading," I explain, shoving my Kindle back into my bag and then unclipping my seatbelt. "Thank you!"

I quickly jump out the car and rush through the hospital entrance, fumbling with my phone to check the time as I walk towards the elevators.

"Hold the doors!"

I slam my arm between the closing doors, wincing as I picture them forcing themselves shut and breaking my arm off, but thankfully they stop and push open again, revealing Lola jogging down the hallway towards me.

"Oh, thank God!" she says breathlessly as joins me, slumping against the side of the elevator. "I swear, these early morning starts are going to kill me."

I chuckle as the doors close, and the elevator starts moving.

"They're not that bad once you get used to the routine," I tell her, trying not to laugh as I watch her hunched over with her hands pressing against her knees as she greedily sucks down oxygen.

"I've always been on late shifts, ever since I first started, but now that Rayna's on maternity leave and Kirsty left, Markus has been switching up my time-table and it's hell. There's no sort of routine and I'm honestly falling apart."

"Damn, that sounds tough."

The elevator stops on our level and we both walk down the corridor together towards the staff room.

"It is, but he's promised me that he'll have everything sorted out in the next few days."

We unlock our lockers, putting our stuff inside and then move over to the sinks to wash our hands.

"Do you want to have lunch together today? I'd assume you're on break at one as well considering we're starting at the same time."

I hesitate for a moment, unsure if I'm ready to push myself into trying to make new friends and get to know someone, but then I nod my head in agreement and push all of the doubts inside my mind out of the way.