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Sky’s Nan was her anchor in life. The one she’d been able to turn to when her mum got flaky. When she would disappear to festivals for days at a time, or was tripped off her head, or running off to distant shores with Rory’s dad. It terrified her to think of life without her Nan. The very notion made her feel cold and alone, it represented a life she didn’t know was worth living.
The heat from Rory’s body kept her focused. Thank goodness he’d been able to take her. She’d have been in a terrible state on the train, at least on the bike flying along the motorway it felt like they were going to get there quicker.
He made several stops to refuel and on one of them made her have a hot soup and eat a sandwich. She took the opportunity to ring the hospital and ask what her grandmother’s condition was. She was told Nan was stable. The sense of relief she felt was huge, leaving her limp like a dishrag. She noticed there was a text message from her sister, Rowan, who was already at Nan’s bedside.
“When do you think we’ll get there?”
Rory took a gulp of coffee then looked at his watch. “An hour, maybe less. How you feeling?”
“Better, thank you. Rowan is with her. The soup helped a lot, you were right.”
As they closed on their destination, Sky assisted, pointing directions over his shoulder. Swinging into the car park, he drove into a bay occupied by bikes, and rolled his into position alongside them.
Sky took off her helmet and shook out her hair as she unzipped her jacket and looked around.
“You’re pale,” Rory commented, with a frown.
She nodded but glanced away so he wouldn’t look at her puffy eyes.
Securing the bike, he reached over and squeezed her shoulder.
“Are you going to grab a coffee at the café or something?”
“No, I’m coming in with you.”
That felt good.
He smiled. “I haven’t come all this way to stand by like a chauffeur, madam.”
“I didn’t know if you’d want to. I mean, Rowan will ask questions.” She stared at her feet for a moment. She’d thought about it on the journey. “They’ll want to know why we’re together. I’d understand if you didn’t want to deal with it.”
“Hey,” he whispered moving in against, “We’re together. I’m not going to hide.”
Sky had to swallow back the urge to cry on his shoulder. Overwrought and fretful, hearing him say the words she’d wanted to hear for so long—that they were together—made her knees go weak.
He lifted her hair free untangling it with his fingers, watching it as it blew out in this the breeze from the North Wales coast. “Unless you’d prefer they didn’t know—”
She quickly shook her head.
He gave a slow smile. “I intend to be right there with you. You’ve got nothing to hide, Sky, but I respect your decision if you don’t want them to know. Be sure.”
His expression softened.
She grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly. “No, I’m good.
“Okay. Let me get this bike locked up, then we can get in there and see what’s happening.”
Moments later they were walking through the entrance doors, seeking signs to the wards. Rory headed over to a reception desk to get guidance. When he turned back, Sky seemed frozen to the spot, staring up at the information boards. “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “It’s just this place, I hate it.”
“I hate hospitals too. Reminds me of my mum, how bad it was at the end.”
Sky stared over has shoulder down the long corridors. “Reminds me of my mum too, being here with her.”
She hadn’t meant to mention it. It was a big mistake to have done so.
He stared at her for a long moment, as if about to ask more. Thankfully he didn’t.
