by T. Thomas
But the look that entered his eyes, flashed across his face when he landed his eyes on his girlfriend?
It gutted me.
Horror took over his face before it turned pained, tears glistening in his eyes. “Meredith?” he croaked, rushing forward. “Explain to me what’s going on,” he snapped at the paramedic.
“Suffocation,” Jean told him. “She’s alive but barely. We need to get her to the hospital. You coming or what?”
Numbly, my best friend nodded his head and followed them down the stairs, waving off a couple of his officers when they tried to get him to get checked out.
I knew nothing was going to tear Chase away from Meredith right then.
I called Farrah. “Grayson?” she cried.
My heart broke in my chest. I hated hearing her cry. It tore at my soul.
“You okay, girly?” I roughly asked her, shoving my hand through my hair.
“No,” she whimpered. “I found Chase on the side of the road. His truck was on fire. There was glass and twisted metal—” she broke off, a sob tearing from her throat. “I thought he was dead, but he was pulling himself out of the truck right as I pulled over.”
“Brave girl,” I murmured, knowing it would soothe her. She sniffled. “Meredith is on her way to the hospital. Chase is with her.”
“What happened?” she gasped.
I moved down the stairs, nodding at a couple of the guys as they called out to me. I headed back towards my truck. “Gerald got into her apartment. He was suffocating her.” Crap, the dog.
I rushed back up the stairs. Max was waking up, and he howled as he began to search for Meredith. Farrah stayed silent as I coaxed him to me, promising him we were going to her.
“I might need your help with him,” I told Farrah in all honesty. I didn’t know crap about service dogs.
“Stay there,” she croaked. “I’m coming up.”
A minute later, Farrah emerged, her blue eyes bloodshot and glassy with tears. Her face was pale. I drew her into a hug, holding her long enough for her to get herself together before I released her, allowing her to tend to Max.
After getting him calm, we rode together in my truck to the hospital.
Farrah kept her hand on Max when we got there. We were quickly led to Meredith’s hospital room, and just as I’d thought he would be, Chase was sitting in a chair by her bed, her hand in his, his broken eyes on her face.
“I’m so sorry, sweetheart,” he whispered. His tone was broken, conveying every bit of guilt and pain he felt. Farrah clamped her hand to her mouth, a whimper muffled by her palm. I drew her into my arms as she let Max go, allowing him to go to her. Chase said something softly to the dog, soothing him as he nudged Meredith’s hand.
“They’ll be okay, right?” Farrah whispered, her voice breaking.
I rested my chin on the top of her head. “They have to be, girly,” I whispered. “They have to be.”
Because if everyone thought Chase was screwed up when he came home from the military? They would think he had been normal if he lost Meredith.
His mental health wouldn’t survive losing her.
CHASE
I looked up at the sound of the door softly closing. Meredith had been in the hospital for hours now, and sunlight was streaming into her hospital room from outside. I figured it was somewhere between eight or nine in the morning judging by the position and brightness of the sun, but I’d had everyone make sure I wasn’t called for work.
I was in no shape or condition to still be working. My entire body ached from my accident, and my head was throbbing.
And the woman I’d sworn to protect was now lying in a hospital bed.
Bruises littered her pale skin. The color had returned back to her face. Her brain scans came back normal, so the doctors were almost completely positive she would be okay once she woke.
But I knew she wouldn’t.
After this, she’d never be the same again.
Gerald Lawson had almost succeeded in killing her. Had Grayson not shown up in time, he would have.
I owed my best friend my life.
Grayson handed me a cup of coffee. “Thought you might need this,” he gruffly told me. “How is she?”
I shrugged. “Better, but the same,” I quietly informed him, knowing he would understand what I meant. “Doc says the pain medication is keeping her under.” I drew in a deep breath. “This is why she asked us not to make that promise to keep her safe.” I shook my head. “She knew we couldn’t keep it.”
Grayson’s hand settled over my shoulder. “She’s not going to blame you for this, Chase.”
I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter,” I gruffly told him. “Because I’m going to blame myself for this. She doesn’t have to because I already am. I failed her.” I looked up at him. “The same vehicle that was parked downstairs at her bookstore?” Grayson nodded, following what I was saying. “I don’t know if you saw it or not, but it’s the same one that caused my accident. He had to have known who I was to her. Guys say because I never made it to the scene of the fire, Mr. Hallow lost an entire field of crops because of those kids.” I scrubbed my hands down my face.
“Mr. Hallow isn’t going to blame you for that,” Grayson assured me.
I laughed, but it held no humor. “I know, man. He’s already heard the news and come by to see me and Meredith. I feel like the whole town has tried to come by and see her. I ordered no visitors unless it was you or Farrah until she woke up.” I looked up at Grayson. “How is Farrah?” I asked him. “She was pretty torn up over seeing me in my accident.”
“She stayed at my place last night,” Grayson quietly informed me. I was too tired and torn up inside to be angry at them sleeping in the same house, especially when I knew Grayson harbored feelings for Farrah. “She was pretty torn up, but I finally got her to get some sleep. She was still sleeping when I left this morning.”
“Separate rooms?” I asked him.
Grayson softly laughed. “Recliner,” he corrected. “Had to rock your little sister to sleep. I put her in my room this morning so she could continue sleeping.”
I nodded, not bothering to say anything else because honestly, if my sister ended up with him, at least I knew Grayson was a good guy and would take care of her.
“Has your mom and dad been by?” Grayson questioned.
I nodded. “Mom was a sobbing mess, and I couldn’t deal with it, so Dad took her back home.”
Grayson’s lips twitched in amusement. “She was always very emotional about anything that happened to you after that concussion you received.”
I shrugged.
Meredith released a soft groan at that moment. Grayson took his leave without a word as I jumped from my chair, hovering over her, desperate to finally see her awake again.
“Meredith?” I softly asked. “Sweetheart, can you open your eyes for me?”
She slowly ripped her eyes open, staring up at me. “It hurts,” she mumbled.
I brushed my hand over her blonde hair. “I know, sweetheart. The doc has you on some pain medication, though,” I assured her. “It’s probably time for another dose.”
Her hand fluttered to the oxygen tubes in her nose, but I stopped her. “Don’t pull at them,” I told her. “You almost died, sweetheart.” I swallowed thickly. Fear flashed through her eyes, ripping my soul apart. “Your organs still need the oxygen.”
“He—”
“He is on his way back to prison,” I told her. Relief flooded her features. I paused for a moment, trying to figure out the best way to word what I needed to say next. I didn’t want her facing him in a courtroom again. I would already have to testify and so would Grayson since he’d saved her.
But I wanted to prevent her from reliving that horrible night as much as possible.
“If I can get pictures of your body and if you allow me access to your medical records for your court case, you won’t have to face him in court,” I told her.
She licked her dry lips and
nodded. “Okay,” she whispered. “Do whatever you need to.” She glanced away from me for a moment, seemingly trying to bring herself back together before she looked at me again. Tears glistened in her pretty eyes, breaking my heart. “I don’t want to see him again,” she croaked.
I leaned down and gently smoothed my lips over hers, reaching up to gently cup her pretty, bruised face. “Then you won’t have to,” I assured her.
Then, she burst into tears.
MEREDITH
It was a struggle to get Chase to leave my side, but a couple of days later, after being informed I would be released, I got him to go to my apartment and get me some things. I couldn’t stay at my own place right now with it being part of a crime scene. Chase assured me it all should be wrapped up by the end of the week, but in all honesty, I had no urge to go back to that apartment anytime soon.
It was already going to be hard enough to return on Monday to open my bookstore again.
Chase stepped into the room and shot a warm smile at me. He was healing nicely, his cuts scabbed over, what little bruises he had already beginning to fade despite only a little bit of time having passed.
Me? I looked like I’d been in a sparring ring.
My entire body was battered and bruised.
I eased into a sitting position and rummaged through my bag, grabbing some toiletries and clothes so I could take a shower and get dressed.
“You sure I don’t need to get you a nurse?” Chase asked me.
I shook my head. “I’ll be fine,” I promised him. “You mind calling your Nana and getting us some food to go?”
He flashed me a grin. “Not a problem, sweetheart.”
After showering and getting dressed in the sweatpants and large, long-sleeved shirt Chase had grabbed for me, I slid on the bedroom shoes on the floor by my bed so we could go. I was beyond ready to be out of the hospital.
I stayed in my car while Chase went in to get our food. I didn’t feel like walking, and I definitely wasn’t ready for all of the questions and stares.
Max pushed very gently against my arm. I turned my head to look at him. “I know, boy,” I said softly. “We’ll be at Chase’s soon, okay?”
I knew Max was getting antsy. I normally took him for long walks in the morning, and he was used to running around with me all day, stuck to my side like glue as I worked. For the past couple of days, he’d been confined to the hospital room for me except when Chase took him out to use the bathroom, so Max was desperate to move around and get some of his energy out.
Chase popped back into the car a minute later. “Nana is worried about you,” he told me.
I sighed. “Sorry, I just—”
He cupped the side of my neck and pressed a soft, gentle kiss to my lips. “Easy, sweetheart. I know, and I get it.” He laid his hand on my knee, giving it a very small squeeze. “Let’s go home, eat some of this greasy food, and then we’ll cuddle on my bed and watch a movie. Sound good?”
I smiled at him, relaxing again. It was so easy being with Chase like this.
“Sounds perfect,” I told him.
The next day was kind of chaotic.
In a town like this where everyone knew everyone else, you were bound to get visitors. Even I knew that.
But I was used to the visitors being confined to my bookstore, not in the safe place I was calling home for a moment.
“Sis, seriously, I specifically asked you to give us some space,” I heard Chase grumble from the kitchen as he opened the front door.
“And I wanted to see my new friend and check on her,” Farrah retorted. “And I brought her some books to occupy her mind.”
I relaxed, turning slightly on the couch to smile at her. She beamed at me, not even flinching at the bruises on my face. “Hey!” she cheerily greeted. “I don’t know if you read erotica and smutty books, but I have a ton here for you to binge on while you’re slumming it at my brother’s,” she teased.
I laughed, unable to help myself. She was so cheery; it was contagious.
“Thanks,” I told her, my cheeks burning red at the very first book on the pile she placed on the table. The man’s arms were wrapped around a very naked woman, her legs crossed, his hands covering her breasts. “Um, this is very . . .” my voice trailed off. “Thanks?” I choked out.
She burst out laughing. “Chase won’t flinch at what you choose to read,” she assured me. “He’s so used to it by now.”
Chase grumbled something in the kitchen I didn’t catch, but apparently, Farrah did because she shot him a dark look before aiming her smile back at me. “I’m not staying long,” she told me. “I just wanted to check on you and bring you these to read. If you need girl time, though, holler, yeah?”
I nodded, smiling at her. “I will,” I told her. “Thanks, Farrah.”
She waved at me before kicking her brother in the back of the leg and darting out of the house. He glared after her in annoyance.
“I think she was adopted,” he finally grumbled.
I giggled.
The rest of the day followed much the same.
People brought flowers, casseroles, cakes, brownies – you name it, we probably had it sitting somewhere in the kitchen.
Chase was looking a bit alarmed at the amount of food we’d managed to collect. And to say that I was a bit overwhelmed was an understatement.
“All this food,” Chase grumbled, “all of these people that have come by today, and not a single soul brought coffee,” he muttered.
I laughed at him, his annoyance somehow easing my nerves. He flashed me a crooked grin. “Sorry, sweetheart. Everyone in town knows I hate unexpected visitors, but I guess the boundaries I set go out the window when you’re here,” he teased. “Someone could have at least brought coffee, though.”
“Did I hear someone say coffee?”
Chase spun around, his eyes brightening. “Mom!” He laughed and leaned down to hug her, pressing a kiss to her cheek. “I didn’t expect you to come by.”
She handed him a grocery bag as well as a steaming cup of coffee. “I knew everyone in town would be stopping by with Meredith being here, and I knew none of them would remember you like coffee.” She smiled at me before striding over to where I was sitting. “How are you feeling, hun?” she asked me, taking a seat on the couch next to me.
I vaguely remembered meeting her while I was in the hospital, but I was pretty sure I was still doped up on quite a bit of medication.
“Tired,” I told her honestly. “Coffee was a godsend. Thank you.”
She laughed. “Chase can’t survive without it. That boy of mine has been a coffee addict for years. And he hates unexpected visitors.”
“You’re an exception,” Chase called out from the kitchen where he was starting a pot of coffee. “Where’s Dad?”
“Helping your sister,” she told him.
Chase grunted in response. I smiled. “He grunts a lot,” I noted.
His mother laughed. “That he does.” She gently squeezed my knee before standing. “You make sure my boy of mine takes good care of you, you hear? And if he doesn’t, you give me a phone call. I’ll straighten him out right quick.”
I smiled at her. “I will,” I assured her.
She hugged Chase bye before leaving. Chase sighed once the door shut behind her. “I hope that is the last person we have to see today,” he grumbled.
“You’re so moody,” I teased.
He rolled his eyes. “I wanted a quiet day.”
“Impossible in this town,” I told him. “Even if I don’t have a single book sale at the bookstore during the day, I can always count on a coffee sale or a pastry sale because someone is going to need to be in someone’s business,” I told him.
Chase laughed before sitting beside me with an open bag of Cheetos. “So’s the way of life,” he hummed. “Cheeto?”
I smiled at him, leaning forward to press a quick kiss to his lips. “Thought you’d never ask.”
Chase leaned over the couch, his han
ds braced on the back of it, caging me in as he leaned down to press a soft kiss to my lips. “I’m running to the store because we’re out of sugar, and you know I need sugar with my coffee,” he told me.
I smiled. “Make sure you stop by the diner and grab you a cup before you wander into the grocery store,” I told him. “It might save someone’s life.”
He laughed and kissed me again. “Yeah, you’re right. Call me if you need me, yeah?”
