Finding Destiny by Christa Simpson Page B

scribbled
her name and number onto the next sheet and left the pad in the
middle of the table.
    Destiny was
escorted to the hospital, and visited with her friends. Natalie had
already been released, with minor scratches, but Felicia was
admitted with a broken foot. After satisfying herself that Felicia
would be okay, Destiny decided to figure out what she would do
next. Her options were limited.
    She could take
a taxi back to her lonely apartment and cry herself into oblivion.
She could call her mother to come drive her home and rant it out.
Or she could locate the man that had changed her life in one short
weekend and tell him that she’s willing to take whatever he has to
offer her.
    Realizing that
the chances of actually finding him were slim, she broke out her
phone and scanned over the list of hospitals within a three hour
radius from there. As the taxi delivered her to her apartment, she
called each and every one of them, asking for a random variation of
names. The first two ladies on the switchboard seemed to think
Matty was a nickname, so she switched it up, crossed her fingers
and hoped that Matthew Knight would hit the jackpot.
    Destiny paid
the taxi driver and lugged her things up the stairs to her
apartment on the second floor. She punched the last phone number
into her cell, only hoping she could locate Matty. If this last
number did not pan out, she was certain she would never see Skylar
again. And maybe that’s how he had wanted it.

CHAPTER
TWELVE
    Skylar buried his face in
his hands. It felt like his life was in shambles. His youngest
brother was dying and the doctors didn’t even have the decency to
give him an update. The surgeon had told them it would take
approximately six hours to perform the procedures to put Matty back
together. They had explained that there was a very good chance that
he wouldn’t make it, and even if he did, he’d have a hell of a time
in rehab.
    A good seven
hours had already passed and he hadn’t heard a single word. If
Matty had died on the table, he only wished they would tell him so
he could grieve properly. It was the not knowing that knotted in
his stomach and took away his appetite. Despite the terrible
feeling that something was wrong, Skylar had to step out. He
couldn’t sit there another minute, waiting.
    “I’ll be
back,” he said to his mother.
    “Do you want
me to come with you?” she asked, almost begging for the
distraction.
    “No.” He
wanted to be alone.
    Skylar swiftly
exited the trauma centre and grabbed himself a coffee. Not that he
needed the caffeine. He was already trembling uncontrollably. After
a few sips, he decided to walk. He couldn’t just sit there,
watching the medical staff bustling around the halls and the
distraught families congregating in the cafeteria. He was starting
to think too much. He couldn’t lose his brother and his first love
on the same day.
    He left the
small metallic table and moseyed toward the gift shop. Pink hearts,
chocolates and teddy bears were scattered all over a sales table.
He tilted his head and swiped his hand over his face. Was he
really that oblivious?
    A man, wearing
dirty blue jeans and a torn t-shirt, was standing nearby. He had an
old leather jacket tucked under his arm, and it didn’t look like he
was going anywhere any time soon.
    “What’s the
date today?” Skylar asked, forgetting about his manners.
    The man raised
his brows, proving that Skylar was worse off than him. “You haven’t
noticed the pink decorations and heart-shaped balloons everywhere?
It’s February 14 th , son.” And the way he answered made
Skylar feel like he had lost his mind.
    He had lost
all time since spending those days with Destiny, and he hadn’t even
realized that it was Valentine’s Day. Destiny hadn’t said anything
about it to him this weekend. What kind of woman ignored
Valentine’s Day?
    His kind.
    A young woman
stood behind the long rectangular table selling the dream. The fact
that she looked so pleased