The Touch Series Box Set

by t. h. snyder

  Teresa and I look at one another and shake our heads. I want to talk to him, but I know I shouldn’t wake him up.

  I pull over two chairs next to his bed so that Teresa and I can sit. After a few moments a nurse comes in to check his vitals and he begins to wake up. I stand up next to him and grab his hand.

  “Emma,” he mumbles.

  “Hey Riley, don’t try to move or talk. Just take it easy.”

  He begins to shake his head.

  “Where’s Char? Where’s my girl?” he asks, trying to sit up.

  “Riley, don’t. You need to lie back and rest,” I tell him while trying to push him back down onto his pillows.

  “This is all my fault. I should’ve been able to help her. I need to see her.”

  “Riley, none of this is your fault. There was nothing you could’ve done to prevent this accident. We need you to chill and lay back down. If you’re not well enough they won’t release you. What good will you be to Char if you can’t help her get better?”

  The nurse finishes up his vitals and changes his IV bag. She tells us that they’re going to take him up for a CT scan and he should be back in about an hour.

  I lean into my brother and give him a half hug and a kiss on the forehead.

  “You had me worried, little brother. Listen to the nurses and doctors and I’ll be back in to see you in a bit,” I say as the tears fall from my face.

  He lays back down on the pillows and gives me a smirk.

  “Come back with some good news about Char. I want to see her and tell her I love her.”

  I give him a smile and turn to follow Teresa out of the room.

  As we walk back out to the waiting room, Bryce and Derrick stand and walk toward us.

  “How is he?” Derrick asks.

  “He looks like shit and it seems like he’s in a lot of pain,” I reply.

  “He’s really beating himself up over this, Derrick. You need to go in there and tell him this isn’t his fault. He was knocked out with the impact and feels he should’ve been able to protect Char,” Teresa says as the tears fall from her cheeks.

  I pull Derrick to the side while Bryce comforts Teresa.

  “Derrick, I know you and Riley are close, but I know him better. Teresa wasn’t joking when she said he’s taking this hard. Char is his whole world. I’ve never seen him care about anyone as much as he does her. We need to keep him focused on getting himself better and not about her. I know it’s a lot to ask, but can you do that for him? Help him not think about her?”

  “Emma, do you realize what you’re asking me to do? Those two have been attached at the hip since the moment they met. They have a magnetic pull, and without each other, they are a fucking mess. How do you suppose I help him not think about her?”

  “I don’t know, Derrick, but I do know my brother. If he has his way he’ll unhook every cord attached to him and march his way up to the ICU.”

  “I can’t promise you anything, Emma, but I’ll stay by his side. Are you going to go stick around and go back in with me later?”

  “No, I’m going to run home. I need to shower and change. Do you want me to bring you anything?”

  “Nah, I’m good. Thanks, Emma. My parents just left to go get something to eat. I’ll see you guys when you get back.”

  I walk back over to the chairs and pick up my things. Before I leave I give a hug to both Bryce and Teresa. While walking toward the doors I pass Derrick, pat him on the shoulder and mouth, thank you.

  I hop into Derrick’s car and make my way back to the house.

  I can’t be thankful enough to know that my brother is okay. I don’t know what I would’ve done if something were to ever happen to him. He’s the only family I have left and I can’t lose that—I can’t lose him.

  As I pull onto our street I decide to drive up to Riley and Char’s house to check on the pooch.

  Poor Manny has been stuck inside all day. I let him outside to run around for a few minutes while I fill his food and water bowls and make sure the doggy door is open. At least this way he can let himself in and out until I come back later tonight.

  I whistle for Manny to come back inside. Once he starts to eat, I walk out the front door and make my way back down to Derrick’s house.

  I don’t want to stay away from the hospital for too long so I quickly jump into the shower, change and grab some things for us all to eat before heading back.

  My nerves are a wreck and I’m tired as hell.

  I haven’t spoken to Emma, except through text message, and I want so badly to be by her side at the hospital. I want to help this family that’s such a huge part of my life.

  After texting with Derrick, the only thing I knew I could to do to be of any help was to pick up Chloe from the airport.

  Bryce had kept me, Chris and Tony up to date with any news throughout the day. Now that we’re about to get Chloe and head to the hospital, I just want to comfort my girl and let her know how much I really do care about her.

  Times like this really put things into perspective for a person. Emma means the world to me and in a short time she has shown me what it means to truly love another person.

  An accident took her parents away from her over a year ago and I can only imagine the pain and grief she’s feeling right now.

  I park the truck in short term parking and the three of us walk into the airport to find Chloe.

  As we stand at the gate, I watch as all the passengers are greeted by their loved ones. Once Chloe comes out I don’t know what kind of reaction she’ll have. She just flew cross country to be with her sister, who we still don’t know will be alright or not.

  She exits the tunnel and my eyes immediately find hers as I start to walk her way.

  I pull her into my side, no words said, but the emotions are evident.

  We insist that she sit up front and Chris takes her suitcase, tossing it into the back of the truck, while Tony opens the passenger side door for her.

  The ride to the hospital is made in complete silence; no one is willing to utter a word.

  I watch Chloe through the corner of my eye and can see that she’s tensing up the closer we get to the hospital. I look over in her direction and grab onto her hand to show my support. I want to reassure her that everything will be okay. I want to make it okay. I don’t know how, but I’ll do whatever I can to help her.

  She looks over in my direction and gives me a slight smile.

  We pull into Massachusetts General Hospital’s parking lot and I release a heavy sigh.

  I turn off the truck and look over to Chloe. She looks scared, anxious and like she’s about to be sick.

  “Chloe, are you okay to get out and walk to the door? You look like you’re about to pass out,” I ask.

  I can see that her entire body is trembling.

  The guys and I get out of the truck, open her door and stand outside until she’s ready.

  “We’ll walk right in with you, sugar,” Tony says.

  “Yeah, I’ll even hold your hand if it’ll make you feel better,” Chris tells her.

  I watch as she reaches for Chris’s hand and steps down out of the truck. I wait until she moves away to close the door and then grab onto her left hand.

  As soon as we enter the hospital, Tony heads over to the information desk to find out where we need to go. Chris and I still have a hold of Chloe’s hands. I don’t want to let her go until I know she’s good and ready to do this on her own.

  Tony comes walking back over to us and glances down at our hands connected to hers.

  “You would think these two douche bags were your only life line, Chloe,” Tony says with a smirk.

  “Well, if this is the lifeline I need to survive, I think I’ll just deal,” she tells him while looking back in forth between me and Chris.

  I look down into her big brown eyes as I squeeze her hand, “You ready to do this, doll?”

  “As much as I would like to say no, I think we better get up there. Lead the way, Ton
y,” she says, lifting her arms to get me and Chris moving.

  The four of us walk into the elevator and Chris hits the button to the fourth floor.

  As the doors open we can see the visitors’ waiting area off to the right. We walk off the elevator, around the corner and through a set of wooden doors. My eyes immediately fall on Emma’s and my heart falls to my stomach.

  I can see the pain in her eyes and I want to rush over to her and erase the pain she’s going through.

  She’s sitting next to Derrick and surrounded by the rest of their families.

  I glance down at Chloe; she’s breathing a bit heavier than she was before and looks white as a ghost. I don’t know if the fact that Char was in an accident just hit her or if it’s that she just locked eyes with Derrick, but she’s about to freak out.

  “Hey, you okay Chloe?” I ask.

  She shakes her head no and I feel like I need to help her calm down. I lead her back out of the waiting area and toward the restrooms down the hall. I open the door, nod my head for her to go in and follow right behind her. Walking over to the sinks, I grab for a paper towel and splash some water onto it.

  “Here, take this and wipe your face. You need to calm your breathing down before you have a panic attack. And believe me, I’ve been on drugs for years for those fuckers.”

  She looks at me with a blank expression and takes the towel from my hand.

  “I know you’re freaked out about Char, but she’ll be fine. You two girls are the biggest fighters in Boston; you can get through anything,” I tell her, giving her a smile.

  “Pete, it’s not that. I mean, it’s not Char. Well, yeah I’m a nut case with everything that happened today, but seeing Derrick here with his girlfriend. Damn it, why did he have to bring her here. Was she close with Char? Is that why she’s here?”

  I give her a look. What the fuck is she talking about? Derrick doesn’t have a girlfriend.

  “Chloe, what the hell are you talking about? Of all people, I should know if Derrick has a girlfriend, and he doesn’t. Who are you talking about? The only girls out there are your mom, his mom and Emma. And she sure as hell isn’t Derrick’s.”

  She looks down at the floor, back up at me and then back to the floor.

  “I’ve been so consumed about Char that I totally forgot about Riley. Emma is Riley’s sister and I…I thought she was with Derrick. I mean, when we walked in there, I saw…well, they were holding hands and…ugh, I’m a stupid idiot.”

  I grab the shredded paper towel from her hands and toss it into the trash. I need to get her attention. I lift her chin with my fingers, forcing her to look straight into my eyes.

  “Look, Chloe, I’ve known Derrick as long as I’ve known you. The two of you are perfect for one another. Just get your shit worked out, because honestly, I’m sick of hearing him bitch like a girl about you. He loves you and you love him. Deal with it and make it work. Capiche?”

  She laughs and nods her head up and down.

  “Capiche,” she responds.

  “Okay then, get yourself cleaned up and meet us back out in the waiting room.”

  I walk out of the ladies’ restroom and back to the waiting area to find my girl.

  My eyes light up as I see Pete walk back into the room. He comes down to sit next to me and I lean into him as he grabs for my hand. At this point, I could care less if they all figure out we’re together. It’s going to come out sooner or later and right now I need him the most.

  “You doing okay, Belle?”

  I look at him and stare into his blue eyes.

  “I’m just so glad you’re here now.”

  “Me, too. I wish I could’ve been here the whole time with you. I’m so sorry; I can’t imagine how you must’ve been feeling,”

  “It’s okay. You got Chloe here and that’s what we needed. Thank you.”

  “Have you guys heard anything new about Riley and Char?” he asks.

  I shake my head, “No, nothing new. We’re just waiting to see what happens with Char and hopefully Riley will be released soon. He’s really beating himself up over the accident. I tried to tell him that it wasn’t his fault, but he’s so protective of Char.”

  “I know, I’d feel the same way if it were you,” he says, leaning in to kiss my forehead.

  “Really?”

  “Really,” he says. “I don’t know what I’d do if anything ever happened to you.”

  I give him a smile and rest my head on his arm.

  I watch and listen to the conversations surrounding us. There is so much tension and anxiety flowing through this room it’s almost too much to bear.

  “Hey, you wanna go for a walk? I need to get outta here for a little bit.”

  “Yeah, sure.”

  “Okay, let me text Derrick and see if he wants to get away for a bit with Chloe. I think those two need some time alone to talk; they’re beginning to make me antsy.”

  Pete laughs and nods his head.

  I pull out my phone and send a text to Derrick.

  Emma – Let’s go for a walk and grab some coffee….oh yeah, and bring that cute brunette before Pete snags her ;)

  I watch as Derrick digs into his pocket for his phone. He looks up at me, shakes his head and gives me a smile.

  Pete stands from his chair and moves in front of me. We walk over to Derrick and wait for him to ask Chloe to come with us. I watch as he extends his hand to her and she accepts. I almost feel giddy for these two.

  It’s not hard to see that they still have strong feelings for one another. I’ve never even met the girl and I can tell that she’s still madly in love with him. A little time alone for these two and I guarantee they’ll work things out.

  Chloe lets her parents know that we’re going for a walk and to let one of us know if they hear anything. We walk out of the waiting area and out toward the elevator.

  “So, where we going?” Chloe asks.

  “Well, Pete and I are going for a walk outside to get some fresh air,” I say. “And we both agreed that you and Derrick need a chance to talk. The sexual tension is thick enough to get your parents in the mood for a little wam-bam-thank-ya-ma’am up there.”

  “Fuck, Emma, that’s just gross,” Derrick says. “But I do agree that we should talk. You wanna go to the cafeteria and grab some coffee?”

  “Yeah,” Chloe replies.

  The four of us get onto the elevator, but Pete and I stay on while Derrick and Chloe get off on the second floor.

  “You think those two will be okay?” Pete asks.

  “Yeah, they need time to talk and there’s no way they can do that with both of their parents sitting in the same room.”

  “I agree. Good thinking, Belle.”

  “Thanks. Seeing them together, I can tell that they still love each other. They just need to talk some things through and see if their love is strong enough to make it work again.”

  The elevator doors open to the first floor and Pete leads me out of the lobby and to the front of the hospital.

  There’s a concrete wall off to the side that he leads us to. He hops onto the wall and pulls me in between his legs.

  It’s already gotten dark outside and there’s a warm breeze flowing through the air.

  My hair whips across my face and Pete pulls it away, tucking it behind my ear.

  I wrap my arms around his waist and rest my head on his chest.

  “You know, I really missed you the past few days. It’s the first time we’ve been apart since you moved up here,” he says.

  I pull away from him just enough that I can look up into his eyes.

  “I missed you, too. I mean, it was nice to talk to you on the phone, but it wasn’t the same as you being here with me.”

  “I told Kar the next time I come for a visit I want you to come with me.”

  “Really? You’d want me to meet your family?”

  He lets out a laugh and gives me a smirk.

  “Yeah, why wouldn’t I want to you meet them?”
>
  “I don’t know. We’ve kept us a secret from everyone all this time. It’s just….I don’t know. I guess it just means a lot for you to want me to meet them.”

  “Belle, you’re a part of my life now and I want everyone to know it. Today really put a lot of things into perspective for me and I know now more than ever that I don’t want to lose you. I don’t know what I’d do if anything ever happened to you, Emma. You’ve captured my heart and I’ll never let you go.”

  We’ve never said ‘I love you’ to each other, but that sure as hell felt like it to me.

  “I feel the same way about you, Pete. You came into my life when I needed a friend. You were there for me to fight through one of the biggest struggles of my life. You’re a part of my life that I’ll never let go.”

  I stand up on my tip toes and press my lips to his.

  A shock runs through my body, but nothing like it used to. Pete’s tongue licks my bottom lip and I open my mouth for him to explore mine. Kissing him is like nothing I’ve ever experienced. He’s gentle, loving and passionate. He pulls me in closer to him and I realize that I’ve fallen in love with him. Not a day goes by that I regret the decision to move here. If I hadn’t, I never would’ve met the man that I know will give me my happily ever after.

  Slowly, we pull away from one another and he kisses me on my lips, my nose and my forehead.

  “As much as I’d love to stay out here and kiss you all night, we should go back in and see how the love birds are doing.”

  “Sounds good, Belle.”

  He hops down off the wall and wraps his arm around me, pulling me close to him.

  We make our way back into the hospital and head up to the cafeteria.

  When we walk inside, I see Derrick and Chloe kissing and a smile comes across my face. I look up at Pete and he’s smiling, too.

  “So, did you guys talk or just make out the whole time?” Pete asks.

  “Shut up, asshole! Chloe just gave me some incredible news. She’s coming back to Boston to work strictly with the Red Sox. She’s going to be the Senior Analyst for the team. Isn’t that incredible?”