15. CHARIOT OF ELIJAH

15

CHARIOT OF ELIJAH

Summer

Bang. Bang. Bang.

"What the fuck?" I murmur trying to shake the sleep in my eyes. Did I hear that or I was just dreaming?

Bang. Bang. Bang.

I groan.

"Don't break my door down." I slip out of bed and look at my watch. 07:21 a.m.

Archer. I need to go to the hospital.

I open my door and find an almost frantic Logan.

"What the fuck, Su?" He walks in, eyes not leaving me as he stands in the middle of my room. He looks pissed and I know he has every right in a way to be, but I hope he isn't here to scold me or some shit, ‘cause that isn't going to go where he thinks it will. I don't have time for it.

"Morning to you too." I push the door closed.

"Why the fuck is your phone off? Do you know how worried I've been?" He spits fire like a dragon, but honestly, I don't have the energy to entertain this little tantrum. I walk to the phone on my bedside table, ignoring that.

It's still on Airplane mode.

"I forgot to take it off Airplane mode," I say, sitting on my bed. Fuck, I need sleep. And I don't need this.

"Are you serious? That's all you will say?"

"I'm sorry?" I hold back the shrug that almost pops out of me. "Look, I got an emergency, and I couldn't answer calls or texts."

"What was the emergency, Summer?" he asks but by the look on his face he already knows. Which would be accurate because Archer was fetched by an ambulance at their house, of course he'd know.

"You know what happened, I don't know why you are asking." I get up needing to get ready.

"So, you really cancelled our date to go attend to your ex?" he asks, rage spilling out.

I stand in front of him.

"Look, he is sick, and I panicked. When they fetched me, I thought the worst and I wasn't thinking."

"Couldn't you have told me that last night instead of switching your phone so I couldn't even reach you?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't think." It's all I can say. Truth is, I really just need this conversation to be over.

He stares at me for a long while. A myriad of emotions goes through them. Finally, he softens and he sighs.

"Fine, but you owe me another date," he says and I smile at him.

"Fine, I will plan it. I will sweep you off your feet."

He smiles. "You better. How about it starts now. I'm hungry, haven't eaten since last night." He kisses my lips then he moves to my bed.

"Um… I can't right now."

This isn't going to go well.

"Summer, don't tell me you are going to see him again today. Just don't tell me that you are dropping me for him again."

I don't answer immediately, but I bet he knows.

He is in my face the next moment.

"Summer, I am your boyfriend. I. Am." He hits his chest.

"I'm sorry. He's just…"

"You know what? Fuck this. I am going to my house because otherwise this isn't going to turn out good."

"Logan—"

"Nah, just call me when you are ready to be my girlfriend again."

He slams the door leaving me standing there gawking after him. I know he's mad, but damn.

I turn on my phone. All the messages come in, mostly from him but some from my family as well. I check the family group chat and seems they all tried to contact me last night with no success. I shoot them a text.

I'm alive. Don't call 911 just yet.

Dad: Your grandmama was about to send the chariot of Elijah to fetch you in whatever heathen's den you had fallen into.

I laugh loudly.

What?

Dad: She was convinced the college life had consumed you and you had fallen from the path of righteousness.

Me? A heathen? Now how would the angel Michael let that happen?

Nana: It was about to be a drive-by with the heavenly angels, little girl.

I cackle.

You are such a gangster, nana. I miss you.

Nana: It doesn't show though.

I sigh. I need to call them later.

Then I scroll and there are lots from Logan. I groan as I sit to read them.

18:47 Logan: What emergency?

18:51 Logan: Why is your phone off?

19:17 Logan: Su, I hope to God you aren't going to be with one of your exes.

19:19 Logan: You dropped me for him? Are you fucking them, Su?

21:54 Logan: I just think it's really unfair that you are doing this to me, but guess what? Two can play this game.

I frown at that. What the fuck does that mean?

00:49 Logan: I'm sorry for what I said earlier. I was just angry. I just love you so much, baby, and it just hurts that it feels like I'm just an option to you. Call or text me when you are finished. I'll come pick you up.

02:35 Logan: Still not back yet??

05:21 Logan: I feel like such a fool for loving you…

And that is the last of his messages. I feel like shit.

Hazel barges in, scaring me.

"Sheesh! Don't scare me."

She doesn't react to that. Her face is not friendly.

"Where were you last night?"

I want to roll my eyes. I already had this conversation with my boyfriend.

"Woah, where is that coming from?"

"Su, I don't have time for your shit. Where the fuck were you?"

"Looks like you already know the answer to that. So why don't you tell me what this is really about."

She exhales. "Su, Trev told me Logan was upset yesterday. Apparently, you cancelled your date for your ex. What's going on? Tell me that's a lie, Su."

Turning from her, I go to the bathroom. I still need to get ready to leave, needing to be at the hospital at 9am. And I don't know why everybody is on my dick about this, it's not like I ran to have sex with Arch, he was sick.

"He collapsed. I had to go to him." I splash water on my face then take my cleanser and go back to the room.

"Su, you have a boyfriend."

"I never said I didn't. Arch needed me. And I didn't cheat on Logan." This is definitely going where I don't appreciate. I squirt the product in my hand before I close the cap.

"I'll say it again, Su, you have a boyfriend ."

"And what the fuck does that mean, Haze?" Dipping my fingers, I start working the product in circles on my face.

"It means, you don't cancel plans especially abruptly to run off to your ex and then switch off your phone. What the fuck were you thinking?" She sounds way too angry at this.

"Haze, I know you mean well, but step away from my business."

"Logan is a decent guy, and he deserves better treatment from you."

"Like you said, he's my boyfriend and how I treat him is my business. Focus on your situationship with Trev." I know it's a little vile, but I won't take this from her or anyone for that matter.

She stands up abruptly, even trembling a little. You'd swear she has more invested in this than she's saying. "No need to be a bitch, Su. I was just giving you friendly advice as a good friend."

That cuts me down a little and I feel like shit. Maybe I am being more defensive and combative because I know maybe it isn't nothing and they have a right to be a little skeptical.

"I'm sorry, Haze. I just…I feel responsible for his episode. I know you can't understand our situation, but everything is above board, I promise."

She comes close. "Then trust me with it. Let me be your sounding board. You are in a relationship, and something may not look as innocent as you think."

We hug. "I'm sure Logan will be happy to find out he has a stan," I say in her embrace. I may be wrong, but I feel her stiffen a little at the mention of his name.

We pull apart. "I just want you guys to work out." She goes back to the bed.

"We'll be fine. I'll go and make amends later," I say as I turn to the bathroom again.

"Later?" she asks.

"Um, yeah, later." I hope she doesn't poke at that.

"Do you have plans, are you going somewhere?" Her tone is neutral, maybe she's just asking. I mean, we do a lot together especially on weekends, so her question is in the realm of normal. Even if I feel a little suffocated by it, but I try to be neutral.

"Uh, yeah. I just have a few errands to run."

"Aight, lemme leave, I guess we'll do lunch then?" She pops in the bathroom, eyes expectant.

"Um, how about I'll let you know when I finish?"

"Okay, text me then. There is this Greek restaurant I've been wanting to try."

"Greek?" I can't help my face twisting a little.

"Yeah, have a problem with the Greeks?" she asks with a little violence, and I chuckle.

"Of course not. Greeks are great. They brought us…Zeus."

She laughs. "Probably not the best example but they are fine as fuck."

"Logan is Greek."

I see a tick on her face I can't explain. I'm definitely seeing things because something I don't know flashes in her eyes. Maybe a trick of the light.

"Yeah? No wonder he's so…"

"Handsome? You going to say handsome, right?" I tease with a grin.

"No, ew. He's your boyfriend. Basically, a eunuch to me. I was going to say gifted."

I arch an eyebrow because my mind just went to the gutter. I haven't fucked Logan, but he is not lacking in size, but of course I know she doesn't mean that.

"Well, you are not wrong on the gifted part…" I wiggle my brows at her, but she doesn't find my joke funny.

"Wait, have you had sex with him and not told me?" She crosses her arms over her chest.

"No, like I promised you'd be the first to know when I ride the Logan train. Now please…" I take off my top. "Can we talk about anything besides my brooding hot boyfriend?"

She chuckles and we switch the topic to breakfast options before she leaves me quickly and I finish getting ready.

I take an Uber to the hospital, getting there just before 9 a.m.

I go to the cafeteria first. I need coffee and maybe get Arch something nice. I know hospital food isn't all that. When nana was hospitalized two years ago, she'd give me all her hospital food and eat what we brought her and, um, ew.

I order a Caramel latte and take a seat, waiting for the first visiting hours. Then buy an assortment of donuts for Arch after perusing the menu. This is how I'll test how far from good health he is. He loves sweet things when he's well, but he doesn't eat a lot of them when he is in his episodes.

I think back to the conversations I had this morning with Logan and then with Hazel. I was really shitty to Logan. I need to make it up to him for sure. A date won't be enough, and Hazel was right, he deserves more from me. Maybe it's time I took the next step with him. It wouldn't hurt.

Nothing is really in our way besides my mind telling me it isn't ready to go there yet. But I am master of my body, and I need to do this. I need to make this work. It's my way of repairing my heart and proving to myself that I am enough. My attempt at a normal relationship.

Shadows stand in front of me, and I raise my eyes to find the three of them. They look like they barely slept making my heart squeeze in my chest. Now that I really look at them, they have dark circles I hadn't noticed. They look weary, their auras are off.

"Can we sit?" Jaden asks and I gesture with my hand.