“Fine.” I didn't like being told what to do. I understood her concern but it was my life. Besides, it wasn't as though Sydney had given a better suggestion for what Hazel and I could have done earlier that day. She just chided me like a child and I didn't appreciate it.
Sydney worked to remove the monitors I had been connected to. “Hold still,” she told me, finally letting me go. “Joshua will be here in a few minutes, if you can manage to wait.”
I didn't try and get up from the bed. My hands gripped the edges as I glanced over at Hazel across the room. “How are you doing, Hazel?” I asked, seeing her lying quietly.
“Okay,” she answered hoarsely. She sounded worse than I did. “I'm sorry, Olivia. I hadn't meant for any of this to happen.”
Grimacing, I pushed myself off the cot, walking over towards Hazel's bedside. “Don't listen to what anyone says.” I stared at her. “You did the right thing. You probably saved everyone's life in this town. They owe you,” I told her proudly.
Hazel reached for her cup, taking a sip of water. “I wish everyone agreed with you.” I patted her hand softly.
“It'll be okay,” I assured her. “We're safe now. The drones are gone. Nothing can touch us.” I wasn't going to let the government do what it had to Haven. Not ever again.
CHAPTER 5
“Olivia, what are you doing out of bed?” I heard Joshua's voice and turned around, glancing at the door.
“I'm fine. Sydney said I could go.” I glanced back in Sydney's direction as she tended to another patient, ignoring us. I didn't mind it. “Come on, take me home, Josh. Please.” I knew home wasn't going to be the place we'd spent the past several months making our own.
“Are you sure you're okay to walk? You're not dizzy?” Joshua asked.
“I'll be fine.” I didn't dwell on it. “So where to?” I asked, knowing we'd be in temporary housing for a while. I just hoped it didn't mean being put back into the recruit center.
Joshua led me out of the medical center and into the cold winter air. I wrapped my arms around myself and Joshua held an arm around me. I didn't complain: I was grateful for the additional body heat. “We have nicer accommodations,” he informed me as we walked down the road.
“Nicer?” I gave him a peculiar look, confused. What we had was already a step up from when we first came to Shadow.
“I spoke with the Chancellor,” Joshua explained. “He wants to make sure you're comfortable and that what happened, never happens again.” He held me close as I shivered from the breeze. “Cold?”
“No, I just like to freeze to death,” I smirked. “Where are you taking me?”
Joshua couldn't resist laughing. “You're freezing? You were going outside the other day without shoes on. You amaze me.” He leaned closer, dropping a kiss to the top of my head. We rounded the corner to another street, south of where we lived. I hadn't traveled much to this block of town. Mostly because it was housing for the recruits and a few other members of Shadow. Our house had been situated west of the main road. The council members all lived on the south side of Shadow. I never asked why. It hadn't crossed my mind. I had just been glad we had someplace to live. He pulled out a key from his pocket and led me to the front door of a two-story cottage. “This is home.”
“For a few weeks?” I guessed. “Until the house is fixed up?”
“No,” Joshua shook his head. “The Chancellor was serious, as am I. We're going to live here now, where it's safer.”
“How is this any safer?” It wasn't as though I didn't like our little home near the infirmary and the center of town. I just didn't see how moving a block south would protect us.
“Well for starters, our home is heated without the use of a wood-burning stove,” he informed me. “No chance of smoke inhalation, at least from that. I can't promise what'll happen if you get behind the stove and cook,” Joshua teased as he unlocked the front door, leading me inside.
I stepped in first, glancing around, surprised by the size of the home. “Wow,” I breathed, turning around to face Joshua. “We don't need anything this big.”
“Maybe not,” he shrugged. “But it's ours. Remember how Jaxon kept telling us if we passed the tests it was a lucrative job?” He leaned in and kissed me softly.
“Then why did they put us up in the other house if this is where the recruits live?” I didn't understand.
Joshua grimaced. “I suppose it's my fault. I told them I wanted the simplest place for us. That we didn't need anything except each other,” he confessed. “I missed Genesis and a part of me hoped that if we lived in simplicity it would remind me of that.” I stared at him, seeing something else flash across his eyes. “I'm sorry,” he breathed and I understood why. If we'd come here first, I never would have ended up in the infirmary.
I wrapped my arms around his neck. “I'm not mad at you,” I told him. “How could I be?” I mused, kissing his cheek before letting go. I took his hand, guiding him with me through the home for our own private tour. “This place, wow.” I shook my head in wonder, amazed that the home was furnished and stocked with food.
“I know.” he nodded as we walked from one room to the next. It was ours and the fact that we didn't have to share it with the other recruits made it even better. Together we walked upstairs, finding three bedrooms.
“Why so many rooms?” A part of me knew the answer and another part still felt compelled to ask. Joshua tugged my hand, pulling me into his embrace as he stared at me for a long moment.
“One day, we may want to start a family together.” He breathed against my skin. I leaned forward, resting my forehead against his. I wasn't ready yet and I didn't think Joshua was either, but just the fact we could have a family and could have two children of our own was something to be grateful for. I let out a nervous breath, pulling back as my hand stayed tight in his.
“Time to see our bedroom.” I smiled, pulling him with me. My eyes glanced over the room, still not believing this place was ours. Walking further in, my fingers brushed over the powder blue bedspread. I shifted to sit down, only now realizing how warm and toasty our home was. “How does the heat in this place work?” I asked, lying back on the mattress, staring up at the ceiling with a smile.
“Solar energy. There are panels on the roof actively working to produce solar heat or air in the summer,” Joshua explained. “It's part of the newer technology that Shadow uses. As is this,” he told me, walking over and pushing a button on the wall. The blinds slowly shut. “Vertical blinds.” He smiled. “They have complete black-out properties to ensure no drones or soldiers can see the lights on from outside. They automatically close at sundown unless we adjust the settings,” he assured me. “We'll finally have electricity at night again.”
“Wow.” I didn't know what to say. I pushed myself off the bed and glanced from room to room upstairs before heading back down to the main floor.
“I have a surprise for you,” he told me as we reached the bottom stair by the foyer. “Close your eyes,” he told me. I shut them and he grabbed my hand, leading me further into the house. “No peeking,” he insisted as we walked several feet before stopping. “You can open them.”
My eyes opened and, though the vertical blinds were still shut, Joshua had turned the lights on in the house. My eyes moved over the warm yellow painted walls towards the bookshelf.
“Like it?” I felt Joshua's breath at my neck.
“It's amazing,” I whispered, turning in every direction, seeing books lining the shelves and a plush red sofa to sit on. Joshua knew about my love of reading but I hadn't been spoiled with books before, never like this. “How did you manage it?” I asked, turning in his grasp, wrapping my arms around his neck. I knew it must have cost a fortune, considering how rare books were in Shadow.