“Please tell me he’s okay!” I looked up at Melanie and saw tears start to run down her face.
21
Preston
Earlier that day
I was slightly relieved when I checked in with Hudson and he said that he didn’t think he would need my help. Being able to help with his campaign was nice, but it was hard for me to spend time with Eliza without constantly feeling the sting of my regrets. Every time I saw her smile—every time I heard her laugh—every time her hand brushed against Hudson. They were reminders of my lies and it cut into me like a knife. What we had was incredible and I threw it away. I couldn’t get that thought out of my head. I still loved her, and nothing could change the way I felt. Spending time with her just made it harder to swallow those constant reminders. It was easier when she was away—even when I had to tell Hudson the truth. There was pain, regret, heartbreak, and then life became a semblance of life after Eliza. Hudson and I might have found something on the other side of that if she had never come back, but her return had permanently erased that possibility for me. I was going to be alone without her. In some ways, that was better than finding something fake in another woman’s arms.
My ultimate penance isn’t just to carry that agony inside me. I have to watch the happiness that could have been mine unfold in front of my eyes.
I sat down in my living room and stared at my coffee cup. There was a time when my morning coffee would have been spiked with whiskey. I managed to overcome it when the bottle was sitting in front of me, but after the previous day, the call was even stronger. The despair was my burden, an albatross around my neck, but knowing that didn’t make it easier. I wasn’t sure I would ever get through a whole day, especially one where I saw Eliza, without wishing there was a way to numb the pain. I wanted to be strong enough to hold onto my pain and let it be the price I paid, but my strength felt sapped. Eliza was a drain on my emotions and that was harder than I ever expected. I aimlessly reached over and picked up my truck keys. Was that the answer? I could leave. I could start over somewhere else. Eliza did that—she learned to hate Andalusia—she learned to hate me.
Maybe I’m better as a memory than the man all of my lies has turned me into.
I tossed my car keys on the table and stretched out on the couch. I couldn’t abandon Hudson, no matter how much turmoil I had inside me. He was going to war with the most powerful man in Andalusia. Abandoning him when he needed me most would be another act of betrayal, and I had already secured my spot in hell for what I did. There was no reason to go for a luxury suite in the lake of fire. My eyes started to close, and I decided to just give in to sleep. I hadn’t drunk enough coffee to fully wake up and it had been a restless night. If I could catch an hour or two on the couch, it would be somewhat of a blessing. I don’t know how long I was out for, but I was woken up by the sound of my phone buzzing against the coffee table. I picked it up and rubbed my eyes as I saw Dad’s number.
“Hey.” I lifted the phone to my ear.
“Preston—there’s been an accident. I’m on the way to the hospital. Can you meet me there?” My father’s voice snapped every bit of sleep out of my eyes.
“An accident? Are you okay? Jenny?” I jumped to my feet as I tried to figure out who he was talking about.
“It’s Hudson.” I heard him exhale sharply. “He flipped his truck.”
“What!? Oh shit. Okay, I’m on my way.” I slid my finger across the screen and grabbed my keys before I bolted towards the door.
I instantaneously forgot about everything else in the world except for my brother. I ran to my truck as fast as I could and ignored every stop sign on the way across town. My brother was one of the safest drivers I knew—even when he was behind the wheel of the fire truck responding to an emergency call. I couldn’t believe he had flipped his truck. In the back of my mind, something didn’t sound right about that, but I couldn’t focus on it. I didn’t think I had a very good relationship with the man upstairs, but I still said a prayer as I drove. All of my regrets cascaded in my thoughts as I pulled into the parking lot. Hudson couldn’t die—not when he finally had what he waited so long for. I slammed my car in park as soon as I got to a parking space and ran as fast as I could towards the emergency room door. Dad met me at the door and grabbed me in a tight embrace.
“What happened?!” I pushed back from the hug. “Is he okay?”
“He’s in surgery.” Dad’s already red eyes tensed up and I saw tears forming. “It was a really bad accident.”
“How? Where?” I felt my head spinning as I spoke.
“I don’t know everything. Chief Traywick called me as soon as he realized it was Hudson’s truck. Someone saw it on the side of the road and called 911.” Dad exhaled sharply and let go of me to grab a chair for support. “I just—I don’t know.”
“Fuck…” I put my hand on my father’s shoulder. “I need to call Eliza.”
“Eliza?” He turned his head towards me.
“I’ll explain later—but shit, I don’t have her number.” I scrolled through my phone. “I’ll be right back.”
My father sat down, and I ran over to the nurse’s station. I was able to get a number for the construction business that Dave’s dad ran, and they were able to get me in touch with Dave. He didn’t want to call Melanie with the news but said he would pick her up and come to the hospital as soon as they got in touch with Eliza. That was all I could do, so I returned to my father’s side. He was visibly distraught, and I felt the sinking reality sweep through me. Hudson was in real danger. There wasn’t enough information to know how bad it truly was, but he told me that the doctor said there was a chance he could die on the operating table. I felt like I was trapped in a nightmare. I had just seen Hudson the day before. He was fine—he was so happy. I was trying to rationalize the impossible, but my mind immediately went to dark place when I started thinking about what Hudson and I were working on when we were together the day before.
“You don’t think Mayor Stevenson could have anything to do with this do you?” I looked over at my father.
“That’s the first thing I thought of as well.” His jaw clenched. “I—I’ve never heard of him hurting anyone before. It’s all threats and intimidation—I don’t want to believe he could resort to something like this.”
“Hudson hasn’t even started campaigning yet. He was supposed to be making rounds today—just talking to people.” I shook my head angrily. “If Mayor Stevenson had anything to do with this…”
“Preston!” I heard Melanie’s voice and turned to see her running into the emergency room.
“Were you able to get in touch with Eliza?” I hopped to my feet.
“No. I’ve called her like five times, but she’s not picking up.” She shook her head back and forth.
“We’re going to drive by her foster family’s house, but we wanted to stop by and see what was going on first.” Dave walked up beside Melanie.
“It’s bad…” My head dropped. “It’s really bad.”
I passed on the limited information I had, and Melanie tried to call Eliza a few more times. My heart felt like it was going to burst through my chest and the adrenaline still hadn’t stopped coursing through my veins. I felt angry, distraught, and wanted to fall down in a heap on the floor. I couldn’t do that though. I needed to be strong for my Dad. He was trembling as it was. I was relieved when his girlfriend, Jenny, walked into the emergency room. She rushed to his side and held his hand as he told her what happened. As soon as he finished, the door opened, and the doctor stepped out. I felt like the oxygen was sucked out of my lungs as soon as I saw the look on his face. He didn’t look like a man who was about to deliver good news—and I wasn’t prepared to hear anything other than a lie if he was going to tell me that my brother didn’t make it. My father stood, and I had to catch his arm before his knees went out from under him. I helped him back into his chair and squeezed his shoulder hard enough to feel my nails digging into his skin as I prayed I wasn’t
about to hear the worst news of my life.
“He had a subdural hematoma. We had to do a craniotomy in order to relieve the pressure.” The doctor lifted his head and pointed at the edge of his hairline. “We’re going to observe him throughout the night and make sure the swelling goes down.”
“Oh my god.” My hand went to my mouth.
“I need to see him.” Dad pushed himself up to a standing position. “Please…”
“It will be a couple of hours before he’s in ICU, but I should be able to let you back there for a few minutes.” The doctor nodded. “He’s not out of danger yet, and we don’t know how bad this will really be.”
“Does he have—brain damage?” Dad swallowed hard.
“It’s hard to say until he wakes up. The best-case scenario is that the last thing he remembers is hitting his head—but you need to be prepared for the possibility of brain damage, memory loss, maybe even amnesia.”
I was stunned when the doctor left. I didn’t even know what to say. Until the doctor walked through the door, I wanted to believe it was just a bad dream. That wasn’t possible anymore. I might never see my brother again—not the one I knew. I understood how dangerous a subdural hematoma was, especially if it caused his brain to swell. Brain damage was a very real possibility. He could forget things he had known his whole life, and possibly have to relearn things everyone else took for granted. There were cases where people woke up and didn’t even know how to speak. I didn’t want to think about the worst case scenarios. Jenny helped my father back to his seat and I sat down beside him. I took his hand and held it as I listened to him pray. It had been a long time since I had heard him pray, but I closed my eyes to join in. A few seconds later, Melanie’s phone started buzzing and she hopped up.
“It’s Eliza.” She stared at her phone for a second.
“Don’t tell her what happened. Just tell her there was an accident and ask her to come to the hospital.” I looked up at Melanie and she nodded.
“I’m going to go make a pot of coffee.” Jenny sighed and stood to her feet. “I think we’re going to be here a long time.”
I’m not going anywhere until Hudson wakes up, that’s for damn sure.
22
Eliza
I stood in stunned silence as Melanie told me what happened, Preston told me what the doctor said, and a cup of coffee was pushed into my hand by a woman that I didn’t recognize. I sat down and held it, trying to process what they said. I had never felt so powerless in my life. The entire situation felt surreal. I had woken up in Hudson’s bed and had coffee with him earlier that day. I never imagined that the next time I saw the man I loved, I would be seeing him in a hospital bed. Time passed, but I was completely numb. The coffee got cold in my hand and eventually someone took it from me. Melanie sat next to me and tried to hold my hand, but while I knew I was completely unresponsive, I couldn’t figure out how to do anything but sit there. I heard Preston telling his father who I was, and why I was so upset, but he didn’t tell the real story—not the one that involved the three of us. I eventually felt the numbness fade and the tears started to flow. I was full-on sobbing when the doctor walked back into the emergency room.
“I can bring you back one at a time.” The doctor’s face was solemn as he spoke. “There have been no improvements yet, so it would be best if your visit is brief.”
“Dad, you go first.” Preston put his hand on his father’s shoulder.
The waiting room was silent again once Mr. Anderson went back to see Hudson. I was torn between wanting to see him and scared of what I would actually see when my turn came. I tried to regain my composure. I didn’t want to be a sobbing mess when Mr. Anderson returned, but I was pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to hold back tears when I finally got to see Hudson. That was going to be one of the hardest experiences of my life. Mr. Anderson didn’t stay long, and he was crying when he walked back through the door. I didn’t wait for them to decide who would go back next. I stood to my feet and started walking towards the door, summoning every bit of courage that I could muster as I followed the doctor.
“Have you been dating very long?” The doctor looked over his shoulder at me.
“No, but we’ve known each other since high school…” My words trailed off as I saw Hudson through the window. “Oh my god…”
“I wish I could let you go back there, but it’ll be a few days before I can do that.” The doctor sighed.
Hudson’s eyes were closed and there was a tube in his mouth. His head was wrapped, but I could see blood on the top of the bandages. If there was any part of my heart that hadn’t been shattered when I heard what happened, seeing him broke what was left. My knees got weak, so I put my hand on the window to support myself. I wanted to hold his hand, even if he didn’t know I was there. I wanted to scream at him to wake up, just so I could see life in his eyes if they opened. All I could do was walk away with tears in my eyes. Melanie helped me back to my seat once I was in the waiting room. Preston walked back and was gone for a few minutes. When he returned, he had tears in his eyes as well. We sat in silence for a while, but my thoughts were spinning out of control. I needed answers and I was pretty sure we were all thinking the same thing, even if nobody had said it yet. I finally found the courage to speak after I had been sitting there in silence for nearly an hour after seeing Hudson.
“This has to be Mayor Stevenson, right?” I looked around the room. “There’s no way this was an accident.”
“We talked about that before you go here.” Preston lifted his head. “There’s no way to know for sure until Hudson wakes up.”
“I’ve known Mayor Stevenson for a long time.” Mr. Anderson looked over at me. “He’s never hurt anyone like this…”
“Not physically.” The woman who had been introduced as Mr. Anderson’s girlfriend, Jenny, shook her head. “He is a cruel and vicious man, but I can’t see him doing something like this.”
The emergency room doors opened and an older man I didn’t recognize walked in. After listening to Preston and Mr. Anderson talk to him, I realized he was Hudson’s old boss, Chief Traywick. A few other guys came in after him that I assumed were firefighters that they worked with. They spoke in a hushed tone and I couldn’t hear everything, but I heard enough to know that it wasn’t a pleasant conversation. Preston and Mr. Anderson seemed rather upset by what they heard—if it was even possible to be more upset at that point. The visit was brief, but Preston and Mr. Anderson continued to talk for a couple of minutes away from the group. I studied their expressions and tried to figure out what they were saying, but I was never very good at reading lips. Mr. Anderson started walking towards the door, and Preston tried to stop him, but he was not successful. Preston sighed and stared at the closed door for a couple of seconds before returning to where we were sitting.
“What was that about?” I leaned forward in my chair.
“Chief Traywick came to let us know that Sheriff Tate has already filed a report about the accident. They’re calling a loss of control—no evidence that Hudson’s truck made contact with another vehicle or had any sort of mechanical issue.” Preston sat down with a thud.
“Wow, I guess Sheriff Tate moves fast when he wants to.” Melanie raised her eyebrows in surprise.
“Too fast.” Preston growled under his breath. “Way too fucking fast.”
“Melanie, we should probably get back to your house. I’m sure your parents are worried…” Dave leaned forward and squeezed Melanie’s hand.
“I’m staying with Eliza.” Melanie shook her head back and forth quickly.
“I’ll be okay.” I turned towards Eliza and forced a smile. “If you don’t get back soon, your Mom will have a whole new wedding planned for you.”
“Okay.” Melanie sighed and took my hand. “Please call me if you need anything. I’ll have my phone on.”
“Thank you.” I squeezed her hand and watched as Dave escorted her towards the exit.
I decided to stretch my legs a little
bit, and all of the crying had left me exhausted, so I walked into the break room to fix a cup of coffee. When I turned around, Preston was standing at the doorway. We didn’t say anything to each other, but I walked up and hugged him. No matter how much anger I had towards him for what he had done, we both loved Hudson. We were both hurting. I think he needed the hug more than I did at that point. I stayed in his embrace for nearly a full minute before pulling away and walking towards the waiting room while he went to make himself a cup of coffee. I saw Mr. Anderson standing outside the hospital smoking. I definitely needed one after feeling like my heart had been ripped out of my chest, so I walked outside.
“Can I get one of those?” I motioned to the pack in his hand.
“Sure.” He tapped one out and lit it once I pressed it between my lips.
“Do you think it was really just a horrible accident?” I exhaled a stream of smoke and looked over at him.
“I—I don’t know.” He swallowed hard and shook his head. “I want to believe that Mayor Stevenson would never do something like this, but it feels too convenient—especially if Sheriff Tate has already closed the case.”
“Preston told me what happened between you and Mayor Stevenson.” I sighed and took another drag. “Sheriff Tate was involved in that too, wasn’t he?”
Sizzle & Share: A MFM Firefighter Romance (Surrender to Them Book 9) Page 14
