The Edge of Us (Crash and Burn Book 2)

by Jamie McGuire

  “Zeke?” I said, trying not to panic as I shook him, then slapped him. Nothing.

  He was pale, but warm. I lowered my ear to his nose. He was breathing. I held my fingers against his neck. His pulse was weak.

  “Fuck! Zeke, wake up!” I grabbed my phone, dialing 9-1-1. The rest was a blur. She asked me questions, I answered, and then after what seemed like an eternity, we were in an ambulance, racing toward the hospital.

  I walked with him into the ER, the walls, doors, and desks decorated in red and green. It only made me feel worse that we should be sitting next to the tree trading gifts instead of in the hospital. The paramedics wheeled Zeke straight back. No one asked me who I was or told me I couldn’t stay with him, so I followed them into an empty room.

  Two nurses immediately went into action.

  “I’m Steph,” a nurse with Christmas print scrubs said, removing her stethoscope from around her neck. She took his vitals while another nurse, her name badge reading Candy, started an IV. They worked quickly, calling Zeke’s name every few minutes, trying to calmly coax him awake.

  Once Steph was finished with Zeke’s stats, she placed small round adhesive patches to his chest, then buttoned wires to him.

  “Leads on,” Steph said.

  “What’s your relationship to the patient?” Candy asked.

  “Girlfriend,” I said, staring at Zeke. Every minute that he didn’t open his eyes just worried me more.

  “Is Zeke on any prescription or non-prescription drugs? Was he drinking heavily last night? Any history of drug or alcohol abuse?” Steph asked.

  I shook my head no.

  Another nurse walked in, this one was short and squat. “Merry Christmas,” she said. “I’m Susan. What do we have here?”

  “Girlfriend found him unresponsive half an hour ago. She says no history of drug abuse,” Steph said quickly, still working.

  “I didn’t find him like this,” I said. “We were still in bed. I tried to wake him. He wouldn’t wake up,” I said.

  “Has he been ill? Complained of chest pains?” Susan asked.

  “No … uh … oh, actually yes. He’s told me a few times the past few months he didn’t feel well, but nothing serious. He said he got blood work a while ago.”

  “Did he make you aware of his results?” Candy asked.

  “No,” I said.

  The nurses traded glances.

  “Do you know which doctor he saw?” Susan asked.

  “I don’t,” I said, suddenly feeling completely inadequate for someone so close to him.

  “It’s okay, we can figure it out,” Susan said. “We’re going to do another full panel anyway. Is there a next of kin we can call?”

  “Um … his uh … his mother called him this morning. That’s why I tried to wake him. She’ll be the last incoming call on his cell.”

  “Her name?”

  “Um…” I thought for a moment, feeling next to tears. “Her name is … her name is Jenn.”

  “Lund?”

  “I don’t think so. She was his foster mom.”

  The nurse eyed me. “We’ll need that number off of his phone, and we’ll need you to step out.”

  “I said be careful!” Trex yelled from the hall.

  I pushed out the exam room door to see Trex following a gurney into the room next door.

  “Trex?” I said, stopping when I saw his little sister Hailey crying and bleeding from her head, soaking parts of her long, beautiful blonde hair. “What happened?”

  “Car accident. What are you doing here?” he asked, red faced. “You’re supposed to be at the hotel.”

  I pointed to the wall. “Zeke is next door.”

  “Zeke? Is he okay?”

  I shook my head, feeling tears burn my eyes. “I don’t know. He wouldn’t wake up this morning.”

  Trex looked behind me then hugged me. “I’ll get one of the guys to get Darby.”

  “No, I’ll go,” I said, grateful for something to do. “Give me your keys. I rode here in the ambulance.”

  “Nomes…”

  “I can’t do anything for him right now anyway. They’re running tests.”

  “You sure?”

  I nodded, looking at Hailey. “They kicked me out because I’m just the girlfriend who is embarrassingly ignorant of his personal details. I’ll go now to get Darby. Keep an eye on Zeke for me.”

  Trex nodded, and I left Trex and Hailey for Zeke’s room. Candy stopped me. “I’m sorry, ma’am. You’ll have to go to the waiting area.”

  “I have to go pick up a friend. Let me tell him.”

  Candy stepped aside, watching me closely as I leaned in as close as I could. In the ten minutes since we’d arrived, his blood had been drawn, he was hooked up to IV tubes, oxygen, and he looked completely vulnerable.

  “Zeke? Can you hear me? I have to go get Darby,” I whispered. “I’m so sorry to have to leave you here alone. I’ll be right back. Hang in there, okay? You promised you would.”

  “He’s stable,” Steph said. “Leave your number. If he wakes up while you’re gone, we’ll let him know you’ll be right back. If he gives us permission, we can call you.”

  I scribbled the digits on a piece of paper lying on the counter then ran out. Concentrating on driving was difficult, and by the time I reached the hotel, I’d been so lost in thought I was surprised I’d made it unscathed.

  Darby was already gone when I arrived. Another girl had already taken over and said Darby had taken a cab home. I raced to Trex’s house, but she wasn’t there either.

  I went back to the hospital, dreading telling Trex that Darby wasn’t home, but hoping to see Zeke with his eyes open. A woman at the front desk with fluffy blonde hair and square glasses attempted to stop me, but just as I tried to explain to her who I was, the nurse came out.

  “Naomi?” Steph called.

  I turned. “Yes?”

  No one had contacted me, so I tried not to get my hopes up, and I also tried not to panic at the solemn expression on Steph’s face. “He’s awake. He’s been asking for you.”

  Once she opened the doors, I rushed in ahead of her, smiling when I saw the relief on Zeke’s face.

  “Whoa, what happened?” he asked. “They said I wouldn’t wake up?”

  “You scared the hell out of me,” I said, taking his hand in both of mine, careful not to disturb the tubing.

  “I imagine it did. I’m so sorry,” he said, his voice scratchy.

  I frowned with my eyebrows and smiled with my mouth. “Don’t apologize, dummy. We just need to figure out what’s going on.”

  He grinned. “Merry Christmas.” He looked at Steph. “I signed that paper, so can you tell her what you told me?”

  “As soon as Dr. Steers returns—” Susan began.

  “Hello,” the doctor said with a stiff smile. His round glasses sat high on his nose, and he looked over his tablet. He then gave me a once over. “This is…”

  “Naomi, my girlfriend,” Zeke said.

  “Ah! Nice to meet you, Naomi. Due to some arrhythmic behavior from his heart, I ordered an ECG. We’re still waiting on the results, but I suspect hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, more commonly referred to as HCM. Has anyone mentioned enlargement of the heart, inherited cardiac muscle disorder disease, or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy to you, Mr. Lund?”

  Zeke stared at him, confused. “Uh … no?”

  Dr. Steers continued, unfazed “Do you have any family history of premature sudden death?”

  “I don’t know,” Zeke said. “I grew up in foster homes.”

  “You’re scaring the shit out of me,” I said, frowning.

  The doctor tapped something out on his tablet, ignoring my comment. “I ask because it’s usually caught during puberty.”

  “What is?” I asked, frustrated.

  He looked up from his notes. “HCM. It’s a condition associated with the abnormal thickening of a portion or the entire heart
muscle. I want to do a few more tests.” He looked at me. “Meaning Zeke will be here a bit longer. We’ll also need to do a few more tests in an outpatient setting as well. He had an impressive episode while you were gone, and we did have to conduct a procedure to return his heart to normal sinus rhythm.”

  “What procedure?” I asked.

  “They shocked the shit out of me,” Zeke said, adjusting in his bed. “Twice.”

  “What?” I said, the image leaving me shaken.

  “It hurt like a bitch,” Zeke said.

  “I should’ve been there, Zeke,” I choked out. “I should’ve been there with you.”

  “To watch that? No.” He shook his head. “Nobody needs to see that. Especially not…” he trailed off, glancing at me to see if I’d noticed.

  “Especially not me? The widow? Stop acting like I can’t handle this.”

  “That’s not what I meant.”

  “Don’t lie.”

  “I…” He sighed.

  “So now what?” I asked.

  “Some people who have HCM have no signs or symptoms, with no affect to their lives. Others have severe symptoms and complications. You may have shortness of breath, serious arrhythmias or an inability to exercise. It’s rare, but some with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy can have sudden cardiac arrest during very vigorous physical activity.”

  “How did I…” Zeke trailed off for a moment then snapped back. “How did this happen? Did I eat a bad shrimp or is it from the smoke or…?”

  Dr. Steers patted Zeke gently on the shoulder. “Your blood pressure and thyroid are normal, and you’re not diabetic, so it’s likely inherited.”

  “Well that’s just fucking great,” he said, relaxing back. “The only thing my parents gave me was heart disease.”

  “So he’ll be okay?” I asked.

  “The disease is still in early stages. There is quite a lot we can do for complication prevention and treatment.”

  “I’m a wildfire fighter out of Estes Park,” Zeke said.

  Dr. Steers offered an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry. I can’t recommend you continue in that line of work. Even competitive sports put you at high risk for cardiac arrest.”

  “Are you fucking kidding me?” Zeke said.

  “Low intensity sports should be fine as long as you listen to your body,” the doctor said, tapping out more notes.

  Dr. Steers smiled and gestured goodbye, moving on to the next patient.

  I squeezed Zeke’s hand, and he stared at his knees, processing what the doctor had said.

  Trex poked his head in then came inside the room.

  “Hey, man,” Zeke said, surprised.

  Trex pointed toward his sister’s room. “My sister was in an accident.” He looked at me. “She’s banged up but will be fine.” He looked around, expectant. “Do you have Darby?”

  I shook my head and looked at Zeke, nervous to explain.

  “Why would you have Darby? What’s going on?” Zeke asked.

  I said, hesitant to give him more bad news. “I spoke to Trex earlier, and hasn’t heard from her. She didn’t come home.”

  “What?” Zeke asked, trying to sit up. “That’s not like her. She’s getting close to her due date, Naomi. We’ve got to find her.”

  “I know. I’ll get an update from Trex and figure it out.” I kissed his cheek. “Rest. I’ll take care of it, I promise.”

  Zeke nodded, and I stood, ushering Trex outside into the hall.

  “Is Zeke going to be okay?” Trex asked.

  I looked toward the door. “I think so. I…” my brows pulled together. “I want to help you, but I need to stay here.”

  Trex nodded, but I could tell the reassurance in his voice was forced. “You should stay.”

  I returned to Zeke. He was holding his hand out to me, and I took it. He was still disoriented, but he was awake and talking, answering questions—all good signs. But he was still pale and weak.

  “Silver lining,” he said, “We’ll have a good story to tell about our first Christmas together.”

  I breathed out a laugh. “True.” My smile crumbled.

  “What? Is it Darby?”

  “Trex has the rest of the team. They’ll be fine. I’m staying.”

  “What are you not telling me?”

  I cringed.

  “Naomi…” he insisted.

  “It appears her ex is in town.”

  “He was here?” His eyebrows shot up. “Darby, she’s scared of him. He’s bad news.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Go,” he said without hesitation.

  “I can’t leave you. I won’t.”

  He waved me away, dismissive. “I can get Watts to babysit me. They need you.”

  I shook my head.

  “Naomi, if something happened and you weren’t there to stop it, you’d never forgive yourself.”

  “And if you get sick while I’m gone?”

  “I won’t. But Watts can do exactly what you could if you were here. No one can do what you do out there. They need you.”

  I shook my head.

  “Naomi,” he said, squeezing my hand. “Please.”

  “You’re sure?” I asked again, my heart tugging in both directions.

  He frowned. “Go find her, Naomi, then come back to me.”

  ”Okay. Okay, I’ll go. I’m calling Watts first.”

  “Yes, boss.” He nodded then relaxed against the bed.

  I dialed Watts’ number and made sure he could come to the hospital. When he assured me he was on his way, I finally felt at ease. Zeke rested with his hand in mine as Steph kept a close eye on his heartbeat. I leaned over, listening to each one thump in my ear, memorizing the sound, the rhythm, his breath, his smell.

  I kissed Zeke’s cheek just before he fell asleep again, just seconds before a confused nurse told Steph the other patient was waiting for me in the hall.

  I gathered my things and stood next to Trex, holding Hailey’s other hand. “Hey, kiddo.” I looked at Trex. “I’m in.”

  He sighed and Hailey smiled, the splash of faint freckles over her nose moving infinitesimally.

  “How’ve you been?” she asked.

  “Better than you,” I teased.

  I helped Trex walk her to his truck.

  “The rest of the team will meet us there,” Trex said as he helped Hailey into the seat.

  “I’ll text Kitsch to see if he can stop by my place and bring me some gear, just in case,” I said. I didn’t want to go on a manhunt in my pajamas. “I was in a hurry, so I didn’t lock up. Not on purpose, but I guess everything happens for a reason.”

  “I hate it when you—”

  “Say that,” I finished for him. “I know.”

  I sat in the back and waited for him to jog around and settle into his seat before speaking again. “Do you have a plan?”

  “Sort of,” he said.

  chapter twenty-nine

  going home

  Naomi

  T

  rex died.

  Twice.

  “It’s okay,” Darby said from her hospital bed when her newborn stretched in my arms.

  “I don’t really know how to do this.” Maddie was warm and had the softest skin I’d ever felt, but holding her made my arms feel awkward and stiff.

  Darby didn’t seem nervous about me cradling her baby at all. “You’re doing great.”

  Shawn had taken Darby all the way to Texas before we’d caught up with them, but neither he nor his two thug friends were a match for Trex and his team, even after Shawn impaled Trex with a hunting knife. The stress had thrown Darby into labor, and we barely got her or Trex to the hospital in time, but there Darby was, cooing to her newborn in my arms, and Trex was due out of surgery at any moment.

  “Hi, Maddie,” I said. They’d named her Madison, after Matt, and I couldn’t be more proud.

  “She is a pretty little thing,” Kitsch said.r />
  “She’s beautiful,” I said, smiling down at my husband’s namesake. I froze while she reached and found my finger, her tiny fingers and even tinier fingernails encompassed my pinky.

  “She likes you,” Martinez said.

  The air was sucked out of the room once the surgeon stepped in.

  “He’s in recovery and doing well,” Dr. Stevens said. “Once we got him stable, he hung in there like a champ.”

  Darby covered her face with both hands, her body shaking as she cried. Kitsch stood next to her and pulled her gently to his side.

  “He’ll be okay?” Darby asked, wiping her cheeks.

  Dr. Stevens nodded. “He’ll need to take it easy for a while. The knife did some damage, but he’ll live.”

  “When can we see him?” she asked.

  “In an hour or so when he’s moved to a room from recovery. He’s in and out of consciousness now.”

  I handed the baby to Darby. “He’s probably confused. Occupational hazard.”

  “Yes, someone should be with him,” she said. She looked at Dr. Stevens. “Thank you.”

  Dr. Stevens frowned, scanning the room. Martinez was covered in blood, Kitsch in dirt, and Trex had come in with stab wounds. We’d had a rough night, driving all the way to Texas to take Darby back from her ex. We’d found her just in time for her not to have her baby in the back seat of his car.

  “The police are outside,” the doctor said. “They’ll be wanting to speak to all of you. Not sure what happened out there, but I’m glad you’re all okay.”

  “We’ve been through worse,” I said.

  I traveled up one floor with Steph. She showed me the way to recovery, side stepping as she spoke to me. “Normally, we would have flown Trex out, but Dr. Stevens moved back here from Boston to care for his mother. You picked the best hospital.”

  “Good to know,” I said as she pushed back a curtain.

  Trex looked like Zeke the last time I saw him, hooked to oxygen, heart monitors, and IV tubing.

  “Hey,” I said, holding his hand.

  He was still groggy, but he smiled.

  “Do you know what’s going on?”

  “Where’s Darby?” he asked.

  “She has her own room in the maternity ward. She and Maddie are doing great. Maddie is beautiful.”