Chapter 25: Vanished
Zane~
The drive to the hospital started quietly, save for Alexander’s cheerful singing from the backseat. I glanced at him through the rearview mirror, his tiny face lighting up as he sang out an off-key performance of a song I couldn’t recognize. For a moment, it was almost enough to drown out the tension sitting heavy in the car. Natalie sat rigid in the passenger seat, her hands clenched tightly in her lap, clearly trying to ignore me. I could feel her unease, and it gnawed at me more than I cared to admit.
Natalie was a puzzle I hadn’t solved yet, and I hated loose ends.
Taking her to see Garrick was supposed to be my way of extending an olive branch—a truce to make her feel comfortable around me. But now, as we neared the hospital, it looked as if she’ll never loosen up around me.
"I glanced at her and then at the clothes she wore and my jaws tightened. "We’ll need to stop and get you more clothes after this." I tried to make my tone casual, but I didn’t miss the way her shoulders tensed.
Natalie turned to me, shaking her head before I’d even finished speaking. "That’s not necessary," she replied quickly. Her voice was firm, but there was an edge of anxiety behind it.
I narrowed my eyes, keeping them fixed on the road. "It’s not up for discussion," I stated, leaving no room for argument. Besides, the thought of her wearing clothes purchased by some mysterious masked stranger didn’t sit well with me. I didn’t understand why, but it didn’t matter.
Natalie let out a soft sigh, and the silence between us stretched again until I thought of something else to say, "What’s your educational background?" I asked simply to break the silence.
Her hesitation was unmistakable. "I didn’t finish eighth grade," she finally admitted, her voice quieter than before. The answer shocked me greatly. Eight grade was too low.
"Why not?" I pressed.
Her hands trembled slightly in her lap. "My parents died," she said simply. The raw emotion in her voice made my chest tighten.