A Grim Love: Can't Fight Time (5 page)

CHAPTER FIVE

“Such an asshole!” Nina muttered as she slammed her front door, not caring if it upset her father or not, because right at that moment she wanted to be angry, and feel something!

Tossing her bag on the couch and kicking off her shoes Nina marched up to her bedroom only to find the door slightly ajar.
I know I locked it.
Nina thought, her anger cooling drastically as cool logic once again reigned.

With a practiced calm, Nina pushed her door open only to see her father at her computer, facing her with a thunderous expression on his face. Instead of moving into the room, she stayed rooted at the opening, her carefully blank mask in place.

“Your teacher sent out the make-up assignment for missing class,” her father said slowly, getting up from her desk slowly and making Nina take an instinctive step back.
No way am I telling him I was playing hooky all day with Death.

“How was it you missed class when I heard you leave early this morning?” her dad asked calmly, with an edge to his voice.

Maybe he isn’t in one of his moods and he’s just angry?
Nina wondered. But still she didn’t make a move towards him, feeling far more comfortable treating this as another one of his episodes. “Dad, I was--” She began to tell him that she was at the police station all day; not entirely a lie.

“I know where you were!” he roared at her, making Nina stumble back and bump into the hallway wall. “Do you think I wouldn’t know that you were playing hookie with Nicole? That she was the one convincing you to hang out with boys? I already had a very long conversation with her about it,” her father thundered, appearing in the doorway she had just occupied.

Nicole called? And lied?
Nina wondered, trying to shake and begin crying.
Stupid Nicole, why does she have to needle him!

Nicole hadn’t been intimidated by her dad’s weird mood swings or his new controlling tendencies. In fact she’d all but told Nina: “Hey! You’re an adult and can leave whenever you want! You don’t have to put up with his shit!” But of course she hadn’t said that, just hinted at it aggressively.

“Nicole called? But she lied, I didn’t--” Nina began, about to explain that she hadn’t been playing hooky with her best friend, but talking with the police.

“I don’t want to hear any more of your lies!” her dad screamed, coming at her in a blur of speed and slamming his fist into the wall only a few inches from her head.

Tears began to stream down her face, as her resolve cracked and real fear leaked from her. The violent man in front of her wasn’t her father.
No, it was some stranger in her father’s body.

“Look at me when I talk to you!” he whispered harshly, as Nina forced her head up, despite her body’s shaking protest.

The eyes that met her were violent, chaotic, a whirl of dangerous thoughts that made Nina want to shrink back into herself and disappear.
There’s no way he can be my dad. It’s not him! It’s not!
Nina denied, her lips quivering as thick tears fell from her eyes.

“Just like your fucking mother!” he spat, turning sharply and heading down the stairs. She could hear him pause at the entrance to the door, stuffing his feet into his shoes, grabbing his keys, then opening the door and slamming it shut.

Sobs broke free from her throat as her knees buckled, and she slipped to the ground, her stomach churning dangerously as she shuddered and broke down completely.
I guess this is one of those times when I lose my marbles.
Nina thought hysterically before she succumbed to the bile crawling up her throat and the wave of emotion taking her under.

***

“You shouldn't sleep in the hall next to a pile of your own vomit; it’s not sanitary.” Nina heard a male voice above her as she struggled through the cloud of exhaustion that had taken over her after she had crumpled to the ground.

Rubbing at her eyes, Nina tried to ignore the sour-tasting vomit in her mouth and look up at the good looking redhead above her. “Help me up,” Nina ordered tiredly, extending her hand to him as goose bumps ran up her arm like ants.

The redhead blinked at her with a baffled expression as if he couldn’t believe she’d just said that. “I’m sorry?” he asked, making Nina glare at him from her spot on the floor.

“For a reaper you're not very smart!” she snapped, in a foul temper because someone had caught her in a vulnerable position. But not just that, she had allowed herself to be caught in a vulnerable position. And that alone pissed her off.

The red-headed reaper grabbed her hand and pulled her up as if she weighed nothing. Immediately Nina was yanked as if on an invisible string into his chest, and she shivered, her teeth chattering from the biting cold. “Sorry ‘bout that. Used too much strength,” the man said, wrinkling his nose at her in disgust.

No doubt that was because I look like death warmed over. Ha, Death,
Nina thought caustically, smirking at her little joke. “Sorry if I smell terrible, but that’s what happens when you throw up on yourself and then pass out,” Nina said sarcastically, as she pulled away from him and with far more strength than she felt, walked into her room and began rummaging through her dresser for some clean clothes.

“How’d you know I was a reaper? I could have been a robber or something,” the redhead said behind her, his voice reflecting curiosity.

Nina pulled out a sweater and skirt set, threw it on her bed and then dug around for a bra and panties set. “I’m freezing cold and have goose bumps. Plus when I touched you I felt like I was freezing from the inside out. I have the same reaction with Grim,” Nina said as she threw her undies on the bed.

“Excuse me,” Nina continued, pushing past the redhead and heading towards the bathroom for some cleaning supplies.

“Well, you’re not very nice are you? And here I was going to introduce myself and make nice with my brother’s new beau,” the redhead said as Nina grabbed the supplies from under the sink, filled a bucket with water, and went to the vomit stain in the hall.

“So you’re Grim’s brother?” Nina said as she pulled on a pair of gloves and began to scrub at the stain. “And for your information I’m not his latest beau. If anything, I’m his pity project,” Nina said as she looked up at him mid-scrub.

“Yeah, I’m Uriel, but everyone calls me Uri. Here,” Uri said, getting down on his knees and taking the cleaning brush from her hand. “Why don’t you go take a shower and change while I clean this up?”

Nina sat back on her haunches and looked at the redhead as he steadily scrubbed at the stain.
I don’t think he knows what he’s doing.
Nina thought as she watched him diligently work as if she wouldn’t know that he’d probably never cleaned a stain out of a carpet before.

But she was too tired, too emotionally drained and fragile to mutter anything but a quiet “Thank you” as she moved to the hall closet and grabbed a clean towel, then headed to the bathroom.

Locking the door, Nina turned on the shower and began shedding her clothes.
Wow! I look like shit!
she thought with a sad smile as she stared at her reflection in the mirror, the woman staring back at her looking nothing like the imagine Nina had grown used to seeing. No, this woman had sunken eyes, pale skin, vomit in her hair, and white lines where tears had streaked down her face. All in all, the woman looked broken.

You are not broken;
her internal voice reminded her immediacy.
He will not break you.

Climbing in the now-steam filled shower, Nina luxuriated in her first shower in a long time where she didn’t have to worry about her father suddenly walking in on her, or breaking the door down. Despite what Grim had said about Reapers not meddling in human affairs, his brother was in her hallway cleaning her vomit off the floor.
I think that constitutes meddling.

Scrubbing at her face and skin until it felt raw, Nina washed and conditioned her hair until her scalp hurt and her fingers ached. Still she scrubbed, not even realizing the tears streaking down her face, or the now-cold water raining down on her. She just wanted to feel clean. That single thought drove her.

“Nina, you ok in there? You’ve been there for a while.” Uri said, knocking on the bathroom door and breaking Nina’s trance. Her skin was bright red and hurt, but not only that; there was blood under her fingernails.

You’re stronger than this! Pull it together!
She consoled herself as she turned off the freezing water and wrapped a towel around herself. Exiting the shower, Nina picked up her clothes and opened the lid to the hamper. “What the hell?” she whispered as she dropped her clothes and gingerly picked up her father's bloodstained shirt.

Pain in her stomach hit her suddenly and made her drop the shirt and gag. “Nina!” she could hear Uri yell as he pounded on the door. “You got three seconds before I ghost through this door.”

Chucking her clothes into the hamper, Nina turned on the facet and grabbed the hand soap. “I’m fine! My stomach just hurts!” Nina yelled at the door as she compulsively cleaned her hands again and again.

Satisfied that the blood was no longer on her hands, Nina grabbed the knob and opened the door, pasting a fake smile on her face. “I’m good Uri, but thanks for worrying about me.” Nina said casually as she breezed by him and into her room, not shivering in the least. “Great job on the carpet, but you know you really should leave before my dad gets home and does--” Nina paused as tears began to fall again, and she slid to the ground and started to hyperventilate.

“Shit! I don’t know anything about humans!” Uri said as he knelt beside Nina and waved his hands back and forth. “Tell me what to do Nina? What can I do?” Nina heard Uri ramble.

You can’t break down again, Nina. You need to get up, get dressed, and get out,
her subconscious told her in a no-nonsense tone, forcing Nina to build up her will.
You’re stronger than this. Get. Up!

It took a few more minute, but Nina was able to calm herself, return to herself and draw on the internal strength. Everything in her world was falling down, but she would not crumble with it. She would keep moving; keep surviving, just like she’d done after her mother passed away.

Slowly Nina forced her body up, her knees shaking badly as she stood, but still she forced herself to walk to the bed, ignoring the pain in her stomach. She had to face this and overcome it. No matter what the future held, she had to face it.

“I’m just hungry, Uri. It happens to humans,” Nina lied, trying to assuage his worry.

“I know when humans are hungry, and they don’t act like you just did!” Uri said vehemently, turning his back as Nina slipped on her clothes.

“Uri?” Nina asked when she had finished dressing.

“Yeah?” He didn’t turn around.

“Will you take a walk with me?” she asked suddenly, surprising herself and Uri.

Slowly he turned around and then nodded his head, as if he thought it was some kind of trap. Smiling, Nina packed a small bag with some essential stuff like her wallet, computer, passport and driver’s license. In the back of her mind she knew that, no matter what, she wasn’t coming back here.

Grim had told her that no one could outrun their death, and that it was inevitable.
But I’ll be damned if I die in this Godforsaken place.
Nina thought vehemently, a practiced smile still in place as she cautiously walked down the stairs and slipped on a pair of tennis shoes. She opened the door and let Uri out first before exiting and turning to lock the door out of habit.

***

Slowly they began to walk together, side by side with unspoken questions floating in the air between them. “Where are we going?” Uri asked finally breaking the silence.

“The chapel,” Nina answered immediately, adjusting her back pack.

“Why? Isn’t it sectioned off because of the murder?” Uri asked, surprising Nina.
He knows where the chapel is and that there was a murder. He’s not surprised at all. Curious.

“To make sure it’s the same smell,” Nina answered vaguely, turning up the street that led to the chapel.