Sorry for the late chapter. Work teamed up with the dentist to make my life a pain. Hope you enjoy the new chapter.
Reyna winced as she carefully pulled her jacket on. The pain medicine had yet to kick in, but she was not going to spend another second in the hospital. It had been long enough, and she was ready to go home. Reyna glanced at the clock. Nico said he would be there five minutes ago, so where the hell was he?
There was a knock on the door, and Reyna spoke as she turned, "You take for... Lupa?"
"Reyna," Lupa greeted with a gentle smile on her face. Reyna smiled as well. "I told Nico that I would pick you up. I'm sorry that I didn't visit much."
"You have a gym to run, and you did visit for a little," Reyna replied. She carefully tried to zip up her jacket but had issues with it not wanting to go up. Lupa walked towards her and gently helped her zip up her jacket. "You didn't have to pick me up, though."
"I wanted to," Lupa said gently. Reyna smiled. "Are you ready?"
"Beyond ready," Reyna answered. She followed Lupa carefully. Lupa fell in pace with her and kept a hand out in case Reyna stumbled. While Reyna didn't think she would stumble, she still found it difficult to move. Her body was still sore and would probably be like that for a week.
"Nico told me that he tried to replace your phone, but you have to be there," Lupa said. Reyna nodded and sighed. She wished she had her phone solely so she could text Thalia. Was it so wrong that Reyna expected her girlfriend to visit her in the hospital? And if something had come up, why didn't she just tell Reyna that? It wasn't like Thalia didn't have anyone that she could tell.
"Are you okay?" Lupa asked softly. Reyna looked at her mentor and sighed.
"No," Reyna muttered. "Everything hurts. I have a headache. It hurts to breathe. I can't do anything because my wrist is all screwed up, and Thalia hasn't visited me. I just... what did I do wrong?"
"I don't think you did anything wrong," Lupa answered. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. "Would you like to call her?"
Reyna stared at the phone. Then, her shoulders drooped. She shook her head, "I don't think it's a good idea. Not right now. I'm exhausted, and I'm sure that I'll say something that I will regret."
"It's very wise to realize that," Lupa commented. "Have you eaten yet?"
"Just some egg whites. It tasted like nothing," Reyna answered. They stepped outside, and Reyna winced as the sun hit her in the eyes. Lupa led her towards her car that was parked out front. Reyna slowly opened the car door and sat inside.
A groan left her as she slowly grabbed the seat belt and put it on. Lupa sat in the driver's seat and gave her a sympathetic look. Reyna slowly rested her head against the seat. Lupa started to drive, "I'll get you breakfast."
"I think I just want to sleep," Reyna began. She closed her eyes.
"I'm glad the crash wasn't more serious," Lupa began in a gentle voice. Her hand rested on Reyna's forearm, and a soft squeeze was given. "I was worried, Reyna."
"I'm sorry," Reyna said. She hated how much everyone worried about her because she knew it was her fault. Reyna forced her eyes open and looked at Lupa. "I didn't mean to scare everyone."
Lupa nodded and then put both hands on the wheel as she drove. It looked like she was lost in thought. Reyna spoke, "I promise I'll be more careful when I drive again."
"You are going to stay home for the rest of this week. And, I want you to rest," Lupa lectured. Reyna nodded. "Next week, you are welcome to come back to the gym, but I do not want you to train with the others. Not until the doctor clears your wrist."
"Am I just going to advise them?" Reyna asked.
"No. I want you to learn how to run the gym," Lupa answered. Reyna blinked in surprise and slowly looked at Lupa. "If you want to, of course. You already know some things, but I want you to know everything that you possibly can."
"You're not retiring, are you?" Reyna questioned. Lupa chuckled.
"No. Nothing like that," Lupa replied. She smiled at Reyna. "Not for a while at least. But, I just want... to pass something on. What are your plans after you stop fighting?"
"I don't know," Reyna admitted. "I haven't thought about it really."
"I didn't either," Lupa said. "Not until the end of my career smacked me in the face. Building the gym and running it has given me a purpose. I've seen the things you have done, and while I know your career has only begun, I know how quickly it can end. I just want you to have a backup plan. And, I know how much the gym means to you."
"It does mean a lot," Reyna confirmed. She laid her head back. "Are you sure you're not like dying or anything?"
"Of course not," Lupa promised as a small chuckle left her. A smile came to her face. "I do not plan on going anywhere for a long time, but a vacation or two does sound nice. You watched the gym for me before, and I would like for you to do more."
Reyna remained silent as she stared out the window. She didn't have a problem with running the gym. It was just shocking that Lupa would offer that to her. It seemed like something that Octavian would be given. He was the one with the degree and the experience.
"Unless you don't want to," Lupa began.
"I do," Reyna said quickly. She did her best to look at Lupa and ignore the pain in her body. "I'm just shocked."
Lupa smiled at her and spoke, "You are an important part of this gym, Reyna. That is why I want you to take more responsibility for it. And, I can see that fighting will always be part of your life in one way or another. Training others to fight and running a place like this is something that I think will suit you well."
"I... thank you," Reyna said. She smiled. "It really means a lot, Lupa. I'll do my best to learn."
Lupa nodded and continued, "Make sure to bring a notebook and pen to write with. I'm going to show you a lot of things. Do you have a laptop?"
"I just use Nico's," Reyna began.
"I'll buy you one," Lupa said. Reyna tried to protest, but Lupa held up her hand. "It will be a work laptop. I also don't want your new responsibilities to distract you from your career. This is more of a side project than anything. In between your fights, we will focus on the gym."
"Of course. Thank you again," Reyna said. Lupa gently squeezed her arm, and a comfortable silence settled over them. Reyna laid her head back and had a content smile on her face. She relaxed as she focused on the radio.
It wasn't until they were almost at Reyna's place that Lupa spoke again, "Your birthday is coming up in a month, isn't it?"
"It is," Reyna confirmed. She turned her head and winced. "You don't have to get me anything. What you got last year was more than enough."
"You're like a daughter to me," Lupa stated. Reyna felt her face heat up, and she looked away. "I have to get gifts for you."
"You really don't," Reyna promised.
"One of them doesn't cost anything," Lupa assured. Reyna slowly looked back at her. "And, I think you will enjoy it greatly. The second one I haven't figured out yet. I'm bad with gifts."
A small smile came to Reyna's face. The year before Lupa had gotten her a watch that she wore almost every moment of the day. It was a rather fancy watch that showed the time, weather, her heart rate, and a few other things. It was also waterproof, which she learned when she had gotten caught in the rain.
Lupa parked outside of Reyna's apartment. She got out of the car and opened the passenger's door. Reyna slowly got out with some help from Lupa. The two of them walked towards the front door. As they made it, Reyna looked at her mentor.
"Get some rest," Lupa ordered gently. She pulled Reyna into a gentle hug. Reyna did her best to hug her back. "Do you need help laying in bed?"
"I can manage it," Reyna began as she opened the door. Lupa remained silent but followed her into the apartment. Out of the corner of her eye, Reyna saw her two dogs rushing to her side.
"Sit," Lupa ordered in a stern voice. Aurum and Argentum came to a halt and sat down. Reyna walked towards them and gently used her free hand to pet Aurum and then Argentum. The two licked her hand gently, and if dogs could look worried, these two did.
"I'm just going to lay on the couch," Reyna said. Lupa gave her a stern look. "It's closer."
"You need to rest in a bed," Lupa insisted. She led Reyna towards her room. A sigh left Reyna as she followed behind. As they made it to her room, it took her a few moments to lay on her bed even with the help of Lupa.
Lupa gently pulled a blanket up to Reyna's chest. A blush came to Reyna's face. She felt like a kid, but at the same time, it was almost comforting. A warmness started in Reyna's chest. Lupa gently brushed some hair out of her face.
"I'm going to get you some water and lay out your pain medicine. I'll make sure that you have food," Lupa promised. Her gaze moved to Reyna's dresser. Reyna looked at it as well and studied the two pictures on the dresser. One was of Nico and Reyna outside of an arcade that they spent the entire day at.
The second picture was one of Reyna and Lupa. It was from Reyna's first win. There was a huge grin on her face as she looked at the camera, still high on adrenaline. Lupa stood next to her looking so proud. A sigh left Lupa, and she looked back at Reyna, brushing more hair out of her face.
"Get some sleep," Lupa whispered.
"I will," Reyna promised. She heard the nails of her dogs on the floor. They circled near the bed as if wondering if they could get up. Reyna gently tapped the bed, and Aurum jumped up first. He nestled near her leg, and Argentum stayed near her arm.
Reyna laid her head back and closed her eyes. She figured that she would shut her eyes for a few moments and then thank Lupa for helping her. It wasn't until she opened her eyes that she smelled something delicious. Her eyes snapped open, and she realized she had fallen asleep.
A glance at her watch showed she had been asleep for a few hours, and her body was starting to ache again. Reyna tried to sit up and saw that her dogs were both eating treats. A knock on the door caused her to turn her head. She looked at Nico and smiled.
"You look so cute in that," Reyna said. Nico looked down at the apron that he always wore when he cooked. It was covered in stains and a few cuts. Reyna knew it had belonged to Nico's mother, and he would never throw it away. Whenever he did laundry, he took extreme care of the apron.
"Shut up," Nico ordered. A small blush came to his face. The blush deepened as he looked at Reyna. "I know that you're not feeling the best, but I did invite Will over for dinner. And to officially meet you. If you're feeling up to it."
"Of course I am," Reyna promised. She slowly got to her feet. Nico quickly moved to help her. "Are you making him a homemade meal?"
"My mom's fettuccine," Nico answered. Reyna whistled.
"Bringing out the fettuccine already? You must make him want to fall in love. That's why I fell in love with you," Reyna remarked.
"You fall in love with anyone who gives you food," Nico retorted. Reyna smirked. She winced and placed a hand to her chest. "Take your medicine. I have some bread for you to nibble on. It's soft bread."
"Thank you, Nico," Reyna said. She slowly grabbed her medicine and took it with some water. Then, she slowly changed and made her way to the kitchen. Nico was leaning on the counter next to the stove. Reyna grabbed a piece of bread and ate it.
"How do you feel?" Nico questioned.
"Like hell," Reyna admitted. She looked down at her broken wrist and sighed to herself. A ringtone broke her out of her thoughts, and she looked at Nico. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and frowned.
"Hello?" Nico asked as he answered it. Then, he handed his phone off to Reyna. She grabbed it and placed it to her ear.
"Hello," Reyna said as she studied Nico. He turned to work on the salad that he was making.
"Hey," Thalia said. Reyna felt her heart clench. "I heard you were out of the hospital."
"Yeah. I got out today," Reyna muttered. She couldn't keep the bitterness out of her tone.
"Look, I know I didn't visit," Thalia began. "I've just had a lot on my plate. And, Zoë is back in town."
Reyna froze. She had only heard a few stories about Zoë Nightshade. While Thalia was Reyna's first true relationship, the same was true for Zoë and Thalia. Reyna didn't know why the two had broken up, but she knew they stayed in touch.
"I've been busy helping her," Thalia continued as if she didn't just admit that she had been with her ex instead of her girlfriend. "I would also have visited you in the hospital, but it's clear that Nico doesn't like me. I didn't want to bother him."
"Maybe there is a reason he doesn't like you," Reyna stabbed. The other end fell deathly quiet. Then, the phone hung up. Reyna lowered it and handed it back to Nico without another word.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Nico asked quietly.
"No," Reyna said. She closed her eyes. "I'm going to enjoy dinner with you and Will. Thalia can spend time with her ex."
When Reyna opened her eyes, she saw Nico was staring at her in concern. He finally reached out and pulled her into a gentle hug. Reyna winced but hugged him back. Nico spoke in her ear, "You can help me cook."
"Are you sure?" Reyna asked as she carefully pulled away. Her hand moved to her side.
"You're not touching the fettuccine," Nico warned. He motioned to the salad. "You can finish that up. Just try not to burn it."
"I'm not going to burn a salad," Reyna retorted. Nico looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "It was one time!"
Nico laughed and peeked inside the oven. He went back to making the dressing as Reyna carefully cut up some tomatoes and cucumbers for the salad. They worked in a quiet silence until Reyna spoke, "Thank you, Nico. For being there for me."
"Anytime," Nico promised. Reyna smiled and lowered the knife. She turned and pulled him into a gentle hug. Nico hugged her back, and Reyna allowed herself to relax. It had taken too long for her to realize that no matter what happened, Nico would be by her side. And she would be forever grateful for that.