by Ava Danielle
Driving to the hospital a million questions fill my mind. What happened to Noah? Will he be all right? How will I feel when I see him? What happened to Bennett? Is he really at an emergency? Did he make it to the bank before the robbery or after the robbery? Is he among the injured? They said casualties were involved, is he dead? What do I do with all these questions?
Tears streaming down my face and my heart racing about a mile a minute, I’m anxious to see what awaits me at the hospital. I shouldn’t care about the fate of Noah’s life, or how much pain he might be in. I shouldn’t care enough to come to the hospital, but somehow, I am here. Entering the hospital unsure of what I’m searching for, I ask at every nurses’ station where to find someone I’m no longer interested in, yet somehow worried about.
“Mrs. Greene,” someone in a white coat wearing a mask approaches me.
“Yes?” I stop and stare at him ready to hear the unthinkable. AGAIN.
“He’s still in surgery, there have been some complications, but I think he’ll pull through,” the words the doctor says somehow shock me. I couldn’t even tell you exactly how I’m feeling. Relieved? Sad? Upset? Ready to laugh? All this seems bizarre in the most fucked up way. Miles away in thought I stand watching the doctor go back to the operating room as I sit in the waiting room wondering what to do.
“Chief Towers,” I look across the room shocked to see Bennett’s fire chief.
“Jenna, right?” he asks knowing we just met a little over a month ago.
“Yes, is everything okay?”
He looks confused, “you haven’t been informed?”
Perplexed, “About?” I sit closer to him.
“Bennett was witness to a robbery and got caught in the crossfire.”
Traumatized I fall back into the chair and can’t believe what I just heard.
“Jenna?” my best friend shakes me, “Jenna! Answer me.”
Blank stares. Uncertainty. Heartbreak.
Freezing rain pours down and trickles against the main door of the hospital. I’ve been pacing the halls, watching other patient’s wheel past me, mothers crying, husbands weeping, and grandparents worrying. Uncertain about Noah and Bennett I wait for any kind of update. Hours have passed. I haven’t eaten. I’m tired. And my eyes are swollen from all the tears I’ve shed. I wish to curl into a ball of nonexistence and wish my life away. The year is ending the way it began.
“Jenna, the doctor is here to talk to you,” Cassie approaches me slowly.
I’m prepared to hear the worst about either man I’m here for, but the doctors won’t give me information on Bennett, since I’m not family, I rely on Chief Towers.
Information about Noah’s condition is flooding my mind. He’s alive. He’s somewhat well, and he wants to see me. But do I want to see him? Waiting for the doctor to finish with Chief Towers, I ask the latest on Bennett’s condition.
“He lost a viable organ, he’ll need a transplant,” Chief Towers is only able to use those words, and they are the ones to get me the most.
“Can I see him?”
He shakes his head no.
Quietly I knock at Noah’s door. I crack it open and take a peek in wondering if it’s a good idea to proceed. The moment our eyes lock I’m suddenly nervous and ready to break out into more tears. He’s hooked up to machines, bandaged up, but his face is perfectly fine. There’s a small smile on his face, though it feels like a bit of a smirk, “I wasn’t expecting to see you here,” he utters.
“I was called, apparently they found my name and number in your wallet along with pictures,” I pull a chair and sit next to his bed.
“Oh,” he mumbles, “So, what can I do for you?” it seems he’s a little surprised to see me.
Granted, I understand, but the bit of an undertone does get to me, “Honestly, I’m not even sure why I’m here. What happened?” I ask wondering if he remembers anything.
“Well, I went to the bank to deposit some money when a crew of mask covered morons walked in screaming demanding money. Screams from scared customers filled the room, shots were fired, and I don’t know what else happened,” he shrugs.
“Did you know Bennett was there?” I’m curious.
“I saw him in the corner.”
His cold demeanor scares me. “He was shot too, but worse,” I tell him.
“He was in the line of fire more than I was.”
I sigh as I feel his fingers rub mine, “Please don’t,” I pull away, “he’s going to need a transplant. They won’t tell me exactly what or why.” Before I start to break out in tears, I swallow,
“Serves him right, he tried to be a hero and talk them down, stupid move if you ask me.”
Offended by his words I slide away and get up from the chair, “I can’t believe you just said that.” I want to smack him, I want to punch him, but looking at him I feel defenseless.
“Well it’s fucking true. I’m sorry you’re upset, but if he hadn’t gotten up when they told him to stay down, he wouldn’t be in the hospital. If everyone would’ve allowed them to take the money and leave, no one would be in the hospital, there wouldn’t be any casualties.” In a way he’s probably right, but what’s been done is done.
I can’t lose Bennett. I can’t go on in life losing the best thing that’s ever happened to me. The craziest thing is. I’m sitting next to the bed of the man I once loved, then hated, now worried about, and feel angry towards. I’m sitting here crying for my boyfriend while sitting next to my ex-once dead-boyfriend.
A knock at the door interrupts us as a swarm of doctors and nurses enters. “Excuse us,” the nurse politely asks me to leave and once I’m out of the room, I break down.
Sliding my back down the wall next to Noah’s door I try to gather a plan to sneak into Bennett’s room. As I get off the floor, the doctors leave Noah’s room, my curiosity of what has been said sets in, and I find myself back in his room.
There’s a small grin on his face, “Look who’s back,” he utters and I’m debating on leaving again, “You wanna hear the craziest thing about all of this?” he points at the chair for me to sit back down,
“What?” I whisper.
“Your boy Bennett isn’t doing so well,” tears form inside of my eyes, “after some tests it came out I’m a match for his kidney.”
This is the first I’ve heard of anything pertaining to Bennett’s health. “You’re what?” I need him to say the words again.
“Yeah, I’m a match for a kidney, blah blah blah. If he doesn’t get one, well then, his chances of survival are slim. I thought you were dating him, shouldn’t you know all of this?” I shrug and feel like the rug is being pulled from under my feet. I’m staring out of the window of the hospital room overlooking the city waiting to wake up from this horrible dream.
“Jenna? There’s only one way I’d help.”
I turn my head to look at him. “What?”
“I love you. I’ve always loved you. I never stopped loving you. Sure, I’ve made the biggest mistake by lying to you, by doing something so horrible behind your back, making you think I died. Through that stupidity, I lost you. As fate has it, I get another chance. I want you back. I’ve always wanted you back. It has hurt me to watch you with Bennett, to live your life with him. I want that back with you. I want you.” I nod my head waiting for the bomb to drop, “I’ll give Bennett the one thing he needs in return for you.”
“What?”
“If you want me to save him, you’ll promise to be back with me.”
“Be back with you? As in break up with Bennett to be with you?”
“Yes!”
“Wait. In order for you to save Bennett’s life, you want me to break up with him to be with you?”
“Exactly!!”
BENNETT
Balancing on the string of life, my one and only concern is and always will be Jenna. I don’t want to leave her behind. I’m not even ready to leave this world without having her by my side. If I do not see tomorrow, I hope to have tod
ay with her. I can’t wait to get out of this hospital bed, into Jenna’s bed, and heal with her by my side. I can’t wait to finally forget all of this happened. Sometimes it’s not worth being the hero. It could mess you up in the long run. I almost lost the one thing that means most to me in this world due to my recklessness. Trying to be there for everyone else forgetting completely about me. But all that is going to change. I’m going to propose to Jenna and we’re going to settle down. If anything, this accident has shown me the most importance in life.
NOAH
Wrong on so many levels to make her choose. Wrong on so many levels to think this is a way for her to love me. I can’t do anything else though. This is my only way to win her heart back. I will fight every step of the way to prove to her everything I’ve done was to protect her and to keep her safe. Perhaps, I should’ve been honest with her. Perhaps, I shouldn’t have gone so long letting her believe I was dead. There are so many regrets on my part, but this is the perfect opportunity to make sure she’ll be mine. She’ll have to choose me. Either way I win. If I’m the key to her happiness with Bennett, and she doesn’t choose me, she’d still lose him and crawl back to me in the end. This just stops the process. And the satisfaction of her being with me and him standing by watching her in love with me while he gets left behind. This is the perfect ultimatum. This is the perfect ending to our love story.
Coming Soon
Thank you to the exceptional Jenny Wootton for being there for me while writing this story, for giving it the first look over, for your friendship and being the best person out there this reader’s world deserves.
Thank you to Dianela Evarts for yet again another amazing blurb. And of course your friendship and love.
Thank you to all romance authors for never giving up and supporting each other. We really need to count on one another and believing we can all achieve the same goal together with pride.
Thank you to all readers for taking a story for what it is and imagining it the way you desire. These characters can be envisioned any way you’d like. Let your imagination take you away!
Thank you to my family for giving me the time to create the stories that float through my head. When you see something, write it down. Let your thoughts take you to unknown places. Let your mind wander. Create. Dream. Hope.
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