Aiden…bus…unconscious…critical condition.
My spoon clattered to the counter. I jumped off the stool and ran for my phone on the living room table. I tried Delilah but her phone went straight to voicemail. I tried Aunt Kat, Uncle Joey, and Roxy. Roxy picked up right before her line went to voicemail. From the weary and worrisome tone of her voice, not only had she been fielding calls but she couldn’t have anything good to report.
“Sunny, it’s not good, baby,” she said as soon as I said hello. “You need to get down here as soon as you can.”
“Of course,” I replied. I was trying so hard not to cry but the forlorn delivery of Roxy’s bad news was making it so difficult.
“Is he going to be okay, Roxy? I can’t get on a plane not knowing if Aiden’s going to make it or not.”
“I don’t know what to tell you, baby,” Roxy said. I heard her tears and my heart fell right to my feet. “It’s really bad, Sunny. He and Delilah were going to Smith’s for his show. I got to the scene about fifteen minutes after he got hit and they were still trying to get him out of the car. They had to get him out with the Jaws of Life. All I saw was blood and his body. He wasn’t moving when they put him in the ambulance. Sunny, everybody’s on their way here. Just get here, please. I have to go. Kat’s here and I can’t get his parents on the phone. They’re not answering their cells and I don’t have the house number.”
Roxy sounded so distressed that I promised I’d get in touch with Aiden’s parents for her. I hung up then remembered I didn’t ask about Delilah. Not wanting to call her right back, I sent Roxy a text. She quickly replied that Delilah was okay. She had a broken arm and some cuts and bruises but she was going to be fine. On the way upstairs to grab my Go bag that stays packed for emergencies, I dialed the Tyler house in Mt. Vernon.
“Hello?” Dina answered. She must have been asleep because her voice was scratchy.
“Dina, it’s Sunny.”
“Sunny? It’s after midnight. What’s wrong, dear?”
“It’s Aiden and Delilah. They were in a car accident in Atlanta. I don’t know all the details but Roxy needs you to get to Atlanta ASAP.”
“Doug! Doug!” Dina screamed. “Wake up! Aiden and Delilah were in a car accident!”
I heard Doug shout at Dina but she had even less information than I did. I could only imagine what they were feeling. Their only son and baby girl…
“Dina!” I shouted to get her attention. “Roxy has all the details. I just sent her number to your phone. Call her and I’ll see you in Atlanta, okay?”
“Okay, Sunny.”
I could tell she was already a mess so I just hung up the phone.
I didn’t care one bit about Xavier’s light problem as I threw open the bedroom door and flicked on the overhead lights. I ran into my closet and grabbed the first pair of jeans, sneakers, and bra that my hands touched.
“What the hell, baby?” Xavier stood in the doorway rubbing his eyes. “What are you doing?”
“I have to go to Atlanta. Aiden and Delilah were in a car accident.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yes. They don’t know if he’s gonna make it.”
Xavier shook his head. “That’s not what I meant. It’s after midnight. You think you’re getting a flight out of JFK or La Guardia now? Just calm down and come back to bed. You can fly out in the morning.”
I finished snapping on my bra and slid my jeans on. “Did you not hear what I said? They don’t know if he’s going to make it, Xavier. I’m not getting back in the bed. I’m going to Atlanta.”
I looked around for the LV rolling duffle that I kept packed in case I had to leave the apartment in a hurry. Xavier was on the road so often that it was impossible for me to travel with him. However, if he got injured during a game or something, I had to be able to leave at a moment’s notice. I wouldn’t have time to worry about packing. The bag was propped against the wall in the corner. I grabbed the handle and rolled it past Xavier.
“Can you just throw something on and take me to the airport. You’re not going to make me get a cab at this time of night, are you?”
Xavier gently lifted my hand from the handle of the carry-on and wrapped his arms around my waist. He began to rub my back. The dam that had been holding back my tears crumbled.
“X, he’s gotta make it. He’s my best friend.” I wept against my fiancé’s chest. “I have to go down there.”
“I know, ma cherie. And you will. Aiden will be alright. Let the doctors take care of him tonight and I’ll take care of you. We’ll get you on a plane in the morning. I promise, baby.”
I allowed Xavier to lead me over to the bed, but even lying beside him, I couldn’t think about anything except Aiden and Delilah. In the pitch-black room, I closed my eyes and prayed as tears rolled down my cheeks.
Please Lord, let him be okay. I can’t imagine living without Aiden. I can’t fathom a world without him in it.
***
With a kiss and a hug, Xavier dropped me off at JFK at six in the morning. I tried every single airline but fate was being a royal bitch. There were plenty of flights but all the flights to Atlanta were full. Even the flights out of La Guardia were full. I ended up buying a stand-by ticket and camping out in the airport. I sat at the Delta gate for hours clutching my phone waiting for any type of update. I kept imagining the worst because there was no way Roxy or one of the Tylers wouldn’t call me unless it was something they just couldn’t say over the phone. My friends and family were texting to see how I was doing but even the ones in Atlanta didn’t have any news to give me. I only answered the phone for Erica.
“Sunny, are you on your way to Atlanta?”
“Yeah, I’m flying stand-by. All the flights out of NYC are full.”
“Same here. What the hell is going on in Atlanta?”
“According to Mama, there are about six or seven festivals and some Sci-Fi convention this weekend.”
“Should have known the comic book nerds were in town. That’s the only time you can’t get a flight to ATL. Have you heard anything from anyone since last night?”
“Nothing except what’s on the news. They’re saying he’s in a coma. A medically induced coma. What the hell does that mean?”
“The hell if I know.”
“I just gotta get there, E. What if-”
“Don’t even say it, Sunny Rain! We’re not putting that shit in the atmosphere, okay?”
“Yeah, okay.”
“Look, if you get there before me, call and let me know how he is. Give him a hug and a kiss for me too. He’s going to make it, Sunny,” Erica added before we hung up.
Hang in there, A.T. Your girls are coming.
***
Six hours later, I was running up the stairs to the sixth floor of Emory University Hospital to the ICU. The first person I saw in the private hall near Aiden’s room was Roxy. Her business casual pants suit was wrinkled and her always put together hair was disheveled. Last night’s makeup was practically gone.
“Roxy!” I called and ran down the hall.
“Sunny! Thank God!”
In an unusual gesture, Roxy threw her arms around me and squeezed me in a suffocating hug.
“Roxx, is he okay? Is Delilah okay? What happened? They’re saying he’s in a coma.”
“He’s not in a coma.” Roxy sighed. “Fucking media. I released the damn statement for a reason.”
“Please, Roxy, what happened? You gotta tell me something.”
“He and Delilah were on their way to his show. He was driving through the intersection and the bus hit him. The Transit Authority is claiming a brake malfunction. The car is totaled.”
“I don’t care about the damn car. Is he going to live?”
“Yes, but it’s bad, Sunny.” She glanced at the closed private room door. “All the windows shattered. He’s got cuts all over his body, especially his head, from the glass. Three broken ribs, left arm broken, left leg broke in two places. He threw himself ove
r his sister and by doing so,” she choked up and managed to get out, “his back,” before she broke down in tears.
“What about his back?” I feared the worst. “Are you saying that Aiden broke his back? That he can’t walk?”
“His doctors don’t know yet. He came through the surgery this morning but there’s still so much swelling and nerve damage. They have to wait and see.”
I moved past her and started to open the door. This is the worst thing that could happen to my friend. Aiden would rather be dead than to not be able to walk and hop around on stage every night. This news is going to kill him.
“Wait, Sunny!” Roxy stopped me. “He’s got a concussion and there are bruises and cuts. I just want to prepare you for what he looks like.”
“I don’t care what he looks like. I need to see him. Where’s Delilah? Is she okay?”
“She’s fine.” Roxy nodded. “The driver’s side took most of the impact. Her arm is broken and she’s pretty banged up but she’s up and talking. She’s in there with the rest of the family. I told the nurses that you’re family so you can go in and sit with him. Sunny, you need to know that he hasn’t regained consciousness.”
“No,” I whispered. “Not once?”
Roxy shook her head then stepped aside so I could enter Aiden’s room. The curtains were drawn so the room was pretty dark. Doug and Dina stood when I walked in. Both of his parents looked worse for wear. Dina’s eyes were red and teary.
“Thank you for coming,” Dina said. “He’d want you here.”
“I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”
I nodded at Doug then walked over to Sara and Delilah. I couldn’t bring my eyes to look at Aiden just yet. Delilah’s straight blonde hair was pulled back into a long ponytail. Her right arm was encased in a fuchsia cast. This was one of the few times I’ve seen the youngest Tyler sibling without a smile on her face. I leaned down and kissed the top of her head.
“Don’t get up,” I told her.
“I’m so glad you’re here, Sunny,” she cried. “I thought he was dead! It all happened so fast and that bus came out of nowhere and they couldn’t get him out. It was so horrible!”
Sara wrapped her near hysterical little sister in her arms while Delilah wept loudly.
“She’s not going to be okay until he opens his eyes,” Sara said. “None of us are. He’s breathing on his own but he hasn’t woke up.”
It was then that I took a chance and looked at the unconscious figure covered by hospital blankets. Barely three hours out of surgery, Aiden was propped up on his side by a mountain of pillows.
“Mom, Dad, let’s give Sunny a minute,” Sara suggested. “Sunny, we’ll be getting coffee. Text me if he wakes up.”
I nodded as my eyes flooded with tears. I could literally feel my heart breaking. I touched Aiden’s hair first then ran my fingers over a large bandage on his cheek. Taking his hand in mine, I sat down in the chair at the head of the bed.
“Aiden,” I spoke quietly. “I’m here and I’m not leaving until you’re up and walking around. I promise. You are my heart, Aiden. I’m sorry for all of the BS we’ve been through. When you make it through this, I promise things are going to be different.”
I scooted the chair as close to the bed as could get and rested my head on the pillow next to his.
“I love you, Aiden. Please don’t leave me.”
Chapter 3: Beast of Burden
Tenacious. Stubborn. Willful. Survivor.
Any reservations I had about Aiden’s recovery went out the window by the second week of his hospital stay. His neurosurgeon was pleased with how well he was healing; in fact, we all were. Still, his left leg and arm were still broken and he is confined to a wheelchair. Plus, he can’t go back to Los Angeles. Truthfully, I got the impression that he doesn’t even want to.
His wife arrived four days after the accident. She wasn’t happy to see me but did she think that I wasn’t going to be there doing her job?
Aiden was released from the hospital after three weeks when he regained movement in his right leg. He’s going to walk again. More importantly, he’s going to be onstage again.
After he was settled back into his apartment, his mom and Dad returned to Mt. Vernon and his band returned to Los Angeles. We all needed to get back to work. Thankfully, I could work from anywhere and Xavier surprisingly understood when I explained that I wanted to stay in Atlanta for a while to help his sister. Despite the positive prognosis, Aiden was still in a lot of pain and basically an invalid. There wasn’t much he could do for himself and Delilah, no matter how much she loved him, should not have to take care of him alone. Ramey’s lazy ass wouldn’t bust a grape if her husband asked her to. Dina flies down on the weekends to help since Aiden doesn’t want to pay a nurse. Why would he? He has a team of women at his beck and call for free.
Between me, Delilah, Kat, Roxy, Tracy, and Sara and Dina on the weekends, every need Aiden has is taken care of. We cook, we clean, and we make sure he isn’t getting pressure sores or skin rashes from lying in bed or sitting in his wheelchair all day. We drive him to the doctor and listen to him complain all the time.
Occasionally, I take him to the studio just so he won’t forget that people, no matter his condition, still want to hear his music and he has an album to finish. Now I have something else in mind, a surprise that Aiden really needs to shake him out of his funk. But I need help, which is why I’m back in New York for the first time in a month.
When I walked into my apartment, Xavier wasn’t home. I was kind of surprised not to see him because he knew that I was coming home for a few days. However, I couldn’t worry too much about that because I assembled my dream team of Daniela, my cousins Jordan and Mikayla, Roxy, and Tracy to help me put together a Get Well concert for Aiden. It’s going to be the first time that he’s graced the stage since his accident and I want to show him that his fans will still fill a venue to support him whether he’s in a wheelchair or not.
I ordered some Thai and sushi and put a couple bottles of wine in the chiller then waited for the remainder of my squad to arrive since Jordan and Mikayla flew up here with me.
“Damn, Sunny! Y’all livin’ it up in here!” Jordan shouted as she walked through my apartment. “I’mma stop dating these college types and get me a baller!”
“You could not handle being a baller’s girl. Ask Leilani.”
“Girl!” Mikayla consigned. “I feel so bad for my friend. She’s planning this extravagant wedding and trying to finish school. She ain’t handlin’ it well.”
Mikayla and Leilani are good friends, which is how I know Leilani and her family so well. Leilani has been with Damon longer than I’ve been with Xavier though. They started dating when she was a junior in high school and he was freshmen at Georgia Tech. I thought she’d be the one giving me advice about being in this league but the situation is completely reversed. The one thing about Leilani that I admire is that she doesn’t give a damn about these wives, a hierarchy, or what her role is supposed to be.
Not surprisingly, Daniela and the food arrived at the same time; Roxy and Tracy showed up shortly after. Usually Roxy and Tracy work out of Atlanta and LA but they were in Manhattan on business so this is perfect. Planning a surprise event for Aiden without his sister is crucial because Delilah can’t keep a secret so meeting up on Atlanta was definitely a no-no.
“Hey beautiful ladies!” Daniela announced her arrival. “It’s so good to see the twins again! I’m so glad you thought to get food. I’m starving and I know you don’t cook!”
“Daniela,” Jordan teased, “I’mma need you to tone down the exclamation points, diva.”
“You know you love me!” Daniela winked at my cousin then dug right into the platters of sushi.
We followed her lead then took up our usual spots in the living room, some of us on the floor, the others on the chairs and sofa. I think that’s why I love this group of women so much. We can be Hollywood when we need to be, but really, we’re just plain ol�
�� round the way girls who are just as comfortable stretched out on the floor eating food out of the container or Styrofoam plates as we are in five-star restaurants using the proper fork for each course.
“So,” Jordan spoke up, “are we waiting for someone else or are you gonna share with the class, cousin?”
“I asked all of you to come here because I need your help with something. I want to do a Get Well Soon concert for Aiden but I want it to be a surprise. Y’all know that’s why Erica and Delilah aren’t here.”
“Oh yes,” Daniela cooed. “He really needs that. We could have people perform his hits, invite some of his biggest fans…yes, Sunny. This is a great idea. What do you need me to do?”
“Use your connections to get as much free stuff as you can. Since this isn’t a CMG event, there’s no money coming from the label. I’m going to pay for the venue out of pocket. But you know how X is with the cash. He won’t appreciate me taking thousands of dollars out of the account to pay for anything for Aiden.”
“Well, I can get a liquor sponsor for sure,” Daniela bragged. “Since I have my own champagne and everything.”
“You mean that snake juice?” Mikayla laughed. “Girl, that’s not champagne. I’ve never gotten drunk off champagne but I was tore up after drinking your stuff. Whatever they’re putting in that bottle with your name on it is of the devil!
Daniela turned her mouth up into a silly pout. “It’s champagne and it’s good.”
“Didn’t say it wasn’t good.” Mikayla smiled. “It’s just not champagne.”
“Well, we definitely need a lot of that on deck,” Roxy broke in. “If you are wanting food, as much as it pains me to say, we should probably bring Kat in on this. As soon as you mention that you’re doing this for her baby boy, she’ll have every cook at Rabbit’s signed up to cater this thing.”
I nodded. “Good idea.”
I looked at Tracy. She just smiled and nodded.
“I know. I’ll start working the phones. I’ll fill the venue with celebrities. That’s what I do.”
Sunny's Song (Friends Lovers or Nothing Book 2) Page 3
