BOOM! The thunderous sound vibrates the house with its loudness, and my head whips to the doorway. She came in a cab. She’d have to wait for one to come for her. Not delaying a second I take off for the stairs, nearly falling down them as I make haste to the front door, swinging it open too fast. It hits the wall behind it, and I run onto the front porch, the wind gushing and blowing pelting me with rain. My hand moves above my eyes, trying to shield them, so I can see, and as I look around the vast darkness of night, visibility worsening with the storm, I don’t see her anywhere. My body turns quickly to the sound of someone approaching behind me, hoping to see Riley the disappointment in my heart floods me when I see Taylor.
“Parker, come inside!” he shouts. “You’ll drown.”
Looking around one more time, I’m saddened and afraid when I don’t see her. I jog back inside the house, Taylor quickly shutting the door and I turn to him. “She’s gone. I must find her. She couldn’t have gotten a cab here that quickly. I’m taking the car.” His hand grabs my shoulder as I turn to go to the garage, stopping me.
“Sir. The paramedics will be bringing Mrs. Wright’s body down in a few minutes. Shouldn’t you stay?”
My breathing is heavy, my fear intense as I cover his hand with mine. “Trisha’s already gone, my friend. It’s time to do what she asked of me. It’s time to be happy again and the only way I can do that is to find Riley.” I give him a small smile as he nods, and I run to the garage.
~*~*~*~
It’s free-eezing. The rain is making it hard to see anything. Here I am being stupid again, thinking I could just flee, but I couldn’t take the chance of him stopping me. The guilt was overwhelming looking at sweet Trisha’s lifeless body. I should have been there. We should have been there, but we were selfish, only thinking of us. I’ll never forgive myself. Never. I’ve been on the long road leading out of the estate for what seems like forever when I finally see the main road ahead. Thank goodness. My suitcase feels heavier as the winds push against me. A few minutes later I’m walking on the shoulder of the road, confused in trying to remember how far it is back to town when I stop, hearing a car approaching behind me. I turn to look, the hood of my jacket not helping much with the rain assaulting me, but finally, I see the ambulance that’s carrying Trisha’s body. Watching as it passes, my eyes squinting with the rain pelts, it finally leaves my sight, and I continue my long walk.
This has to be my most stupid idea yet, but all I could think about was getting out, the guilt eating me alive. I feel like I’ve been walking endlessly when my foot hits something in the road, my body jolts and I lose my balance, dropping my suitcase my belongings flying everywhere as I begin falling. I roll down a hill, hitting everything in the rocky landscape until I’m stopped by a tree trunk. I yell out in pain from the impact, my heart racing from the adrenaline rushing through me, and I lay still in the shock. My eyes look around, but I can’t see much in the darkness and the storm. I try to move, but cry out again and pain sears throughout me. My left arm feels broken, my legs sore and I think they might be cut up, my side hurting from hitting the trunk of the tree. Damn, another fine mess you’ve gotten yourself into. Laying on my right side, I try moving so I can get to my jacket pocket to get my phone, which is probably as soaked as I am but when I move the pain envelopes me and dots form in my eyes as I cry out, feeling dizzy and nauseated. Shit! How am I going to get my phone?
Lying there panting in pain and the rain coming down even heavier, I try to figure out how to get to my phone when thunder roars. The lightning cracking loudly when the sky lights up over to my right as a bolt hits several yards away. I scream, hold my breath and reach over and jam my hand into my pocket grabbing my phone. My eyes close as I wince with the pain driving through me, and now I feel stuck trying to get my hand out. Dammit! My teeth are chattering, my chin quivering, and I feel flush, feeling like I could lose consciousness, but I must fight to stay awake. My life depends on it. Finally, I grit my teeth and pull my hand free, squinting with the rain hitting against my eyes and swipe the front with my thumb. I’m relieved to find it’s still working but not sure for how long. Lifting my head, I scroll through my contacts, finding the one I want and push dial.
“Hello, Rile?” I lay my head back down. My teeth begin chattering again, and my eyes close as I hold my breath, trying to get through the pain. “Riley? Riley, what is it? Can you hear me?” Marty’s voice gets louder.
“Help,” my voice cracks.
“Oh, my God! Riley! Riley, where are you? Tell me,” he screams in my ear.
Clearing my throat, my teeth clanging together so badly my jaw hurts. “Maaa…. Marty. Fell off the siiii…. Side of the roooo-ad. Help me.”
“Riley, where? What road?” Thunder booms and another intense crack of lightning hits, brightening the sky briefly. “Is that thunder?”
Through my aching jaw, my teeth gritting, I manage to give him an approximate idea of where I thought I was right before my soggy phone dies. It drops from my hand, wincing from the pain as my arm lays over my stomach. My eyes close to keep out the beating rain, and I lay there praying I make it through this nightmare.
Time passes, not sure how long, as my mind moves in and out of consciousness, my thoughts of Trisha, her smile and warmth, Parker’s smile and his muscular body holding me after we made love. Love. I feel the fullness in my heart when I think of Parker. Is it so wrong to have fallen in love with not only a married man, but one that just lost his wife? I know Trisha told me she wanted him to live the rest of his life with love and happiness, and it seems she approved of him and me together but then why does it feel so wrong? Marty. He’s gonna hate me for falling in love with whom he thinks is the wrong man for me.
My body’s numb. I can barely feel anything anymore. I don’t want to die. I open my eyes enough to try to look around seeing nothing but darkness. However, at least the rain has let up some. I scream out when trying to roll over. If I can get on my stomach, maybe I can try to push myself along the ground. It takes several tries and an extreme amount of pain and yelling, but I finally manage to get onto my stomach. Determination takes over and I begin grabbing rocks, fisting the grass as I drag myself but barely moving. I feel like I’ve moved several feet, but it’s taking forever in my slow pace, my body hurting all over and I can feel blood dripping down my hand from grasping the jagged rocks. Managing to move up the hill a little more my eyes begin to blur as the pain shoots through me, and I stop, laying my head down on the cold and wet grass when I hear shouts.
“RILEY! RILEY, WHERE ARE YOU?” Parker. It’s Parker. Thank God!
My head lifts a little, and I look from where I think his voice is coming from, but I can’t see anything. “Uhhhhh,” I moan as pain flows through me.
“RILEY?” My eyes start to close when I hear footsteps coming closer, the brightness of a light hitting my face. “Oh, thank God. Riley! Over here men! Quick!” Sounds of running invade my ears, then a body hitting the ground next to me. I groan when a hand lays on my sore and aching body. “Riley, can you hear me?” Opening my eyes, I look into the worried ones of Parker’s and nod a little, another groan escaping my mouth. Looking up, I can see a little clearer as he holds an umbrella over my head. “Ok, sweetheart. Just lay still. Don’t move.” I hear the rustling of more feet and other bodies dropping down next to me.
“Miss? I’m Patrick, a paramedic. Can you tell me everywhere you’re hurt?” My eyes are growing heavy as I try to keep them open, blinking slowly.
“Left arm, I th…. Think it’s brooo….ken. Legs sc….scraped. Hand, my stooo….mach, ribs. Dunno.” My eyes close, the pain becoming overwhelming. I feel fingers brushing back the wet hair from my face.
“We’ve got you, sweetheart. It’s all okay now.” Parker’s soothing voice helps to calm me until pain shoots through me again, and as I fade into total darkness, the voices all leave.
Chapter Six
I’m pushed aside from Riley’s unconscious body by another paramedic as m
y phone starts ringing in my pocket. Switching the umbrella into my other hand, I pull the phone out, look at the number and hit accept. “We found her, she’s ok. Well, she’s hurt and the paramedics are tending to her now but I think she’ll be ok.” Thank God she was able to call her brother and he somehow got my number and called me.
“Thank God! Where is she? I’m on my way there now?” His voice determined and is full of concern.
“They’ll be taking her to the hospital located about ten miles from our location. I’ll text you the address as soon as we’re off the phone. What’s your ETA?”
I’m interrupted when Riley groans loudly as they turn her over. My head turns, my brows creasing watching her in pain. One of the paramedics pushes a needle into the inside of her left arm, then proceeds to set up an IV while the other puts her right arm into a splint. Her hand is covered in cuts and blood. I’m panicked when her eyes close, her face growing paler.
One of the paramedics looks up at me and nods. “She’s ok. I gave her something for the pain and have sedated her. It’s best she’s not awake when we try to move her.” I nod back and feel a little relief.
Returning to the phone call, I hear her brother saying, “Hour, maybe forty five minutes. I’m driving pretty much like a bat outta hell. I left as soon as she called me.”
“Good. Good. I’ll see you there. Drive safe.” Hanging up I quickly text the address to Riley’s brother and return my phone to my pocket. I cross my arms impatiently waiting as they work on her and turn around towards the road when I hear more people running this way to see two more paramedics carrying a flat board and a police officer. The paramedics move past me and as I watch them carefully move her onto the board while the officer speaks on my right.
“Mr. Wright, do you know what happened? I need to get a statement for our records. I’ll get a list of her injuries from the hospital.” I look over at him. He’s a short man, about average build, holding an umbrella with the pole under his arm as he holds a small notebook in his hand, the other has a pen raised over the pad.
“Not now.” I turn and follow the paramedics carrying my Riley and hope to God they are not stupid enough to deny me riding in the ambulance with her.
Luckily, they weren’t stupid and as I sit there I watch them continue their examination. The cuts and bruises on her face stand out more in her paleness. When they lift up her shirt, I see the same all over her soft skin and am sure her legs will be the same under her jeans. I just pray there isn’t any permanent damage to anything internal.
I’m now sitting in the waiting room trying to fill out paperwork on Riley and am frowning on how little I know about her. “Has the patient had mumps, measles, chicken pox?” I read quietly out loud. “Broken bones, surgery? Hell, I don’t know any of this.”
“She had chicken pox when she was three, mumps at five. She broke her left arm, at the age of six, trying to learn how to ride her bike, while being stubborn and not letting anyone help her. No surgeries, yet.” My eyes look up quickly and find a young man standing in front of me. Spitting image of Riley, but his body is muscular. His eyes a lighter shade of brown, but same Auburn hair. Setting the clipboard down on the seat beside me, I rise and reach out my hand to shake his. He looks down at it, then back up at me, and a small grin graces his face as he extends his hand and grasps mine. A feeling of relief comes over me as we shake hands, then releasing his I sit back down, patting the chair on the other side of me.
“Martin Morris. I need coffee. I’m afraid my nerves are a little shot from the excitement and then the drive here. Would you like some?”
My head gives him a nod. “Parker Wright. Black, please.” He smiles then turns and walks towards the cafeteria as I pick up the clipboard and try to fill out the rest. A few minutes later he returns, a coffee cup in each hand, sits and hands one to me.
“You’re married.” It’s a statement, not a question. I look over and watch him stir his coffee, then take a drink. His eyes shift to me, and I nod. “She loves you, you know.” He looks back down at his coffee and chuckles. “Stubborn. She’s always been stubborn.” His head turns my way as he shifts in his seat. “That’s about the only way we’re different, her stubbornness.” I can’t help but let out a small laugh myself and smile. “But when she knows what she wants nothing stops her. Sometimes what she wants isn’t always what’s best for her.”
Now it’s my turn to shift in my seat, facing him more. “I’m what’s best for her. Don’t you think I know it’s wrong to be married and fall in love, with a young woman at that? Listen, my wife’s….” Looking down I take a deep breath. “My wife’s, God rest her soul, last wish was for me to find someone to fall in love with, be happy with. She only wanted me to be happy for the rest of my life. The day I saw Riley at the hospital I never expected or planned for it to be her but as my wife has always said, sometimes fate does step in, and sometimes fate helps make our dreams come true.”
He takes a sip of his coffee and lets out a laugh, then looks back at me, raising an eyebrow. “Smart woman your wife.” My smile grows wider as I begin to bring my cup to my lips.
“Riley Morris family?” A woman shouts in the room. We both stand quickly, depositing our unfinished drinks into the nearest trashcan and walk to the nurse. “She’s in a room. Follow me.” She leads us to the elevators, the ride up silent, then we follow her down a corridor, and she stops in front of the last door on the right, her hand on the door handle and turns to us. “She’s sedated right now to keep her comfortable but after all the test results are in we should be able to let her wake up on her own.” She pushes the door open, and we stay close behind her. “I’ll give you all a few minutes before I check on her again.”
We walk towards the bed, and I hear Martin gasp softly. He stops, but I continue on until I’ve reached the side of Riley’s bed. She looks so small even in this single bed. Her face has a little more color, her lips not so blue, but the cuts and bruises are more prominent. Turning a little, I find a chair and pulling it up as close to the bed as I can get it, taking her bandaged left hand in mine and rubbing her delicate skin gently on her wrist. Her right arm is laying on a pillow, casted from her hand up to where her elbow bends. I hear Martin pulling up a chair on the other side of her, but I can’t take my eyes off her. A lone tear escapes my eye, but I don’t brush it away. The door suddenly opens, and I look over to see a doctor walking in, a chart in his hands.
“Ah. Riley Morris’ family.” I don’t stand when he walks over to shake my hand, and I don’t let go of hers. He smiles, then walks over and shakes Martin’s hand, looks at Riley and then the chart again. “Good news. Nothing internal was injured. Of course, the cuts, bruises and her broken arm will heal but I feel she should stay overnight and continue to receive the antibiotics and pain relief we have in her IV as well as some fluids to help avoid hypothermia. I expect if everything looks okay in the morning we can release her but she’ll need plenty of rest and care at home.”
Finally, I remove my eyes from her and look up at the doctor. “She’ll get the best care.” I look back at her sweet face. “Make no doubt about that.”
~*~*~*~
My eyes feel so heavy, but the sound of someone crying makes me struggle to open them. They blink a few times adjusting to the dim light and follow around the walls of what appears to be a hospital room until they find the source of the sound. Parker’s head is down, his forehead lying on his arms, and he’s sobbing quietly. What’s going on? I move my hand to him, my fingers brushing some of his hair from his forehead. “Parker,” I choke out, my throat dry. His head snaps up, his tears all over his gorgeous face, but I see such worry in his eyes. “Are you okay? Is someone hurt?”
He takes my hand in his and leans up to me, kissing my cheek softly, tenderly. “You don’t remember, sweetheart? The storm, you walking on the road and falling?” I look at him in confusion, my mind foggy and fuzzy, but I try to concentrate as little bits and pieces coming drifting in. Rocks. Wet Grass. Lightning
. The tree trunk. It’s becoming clearer as I look into his eyes. “Trisha’s gone.” He nods. His beautiful lips turn up into a small smile.
“After what you’ve been through and your first thought is of Trisha. God, you’re something special, so special.” I swallow and cough a little, and he releases my hand, turns away and brings a straw up to my lips. “Drink now. Try not to speak too much. There’s plenty of time, my darling.” I swallow a few sips, greedily. Stop for a breath and drink a little more. I guess I didn’t realize how thirsty I was. “There, sweetheart, don’t drink too fast.” My eyes move to his and see such love filling them. He sets the cup down and sits back down, taking back my hand. “After…. You left.” He didn’t need to fill in the gaps. I understand. I look down at our hands. A tear drips from my eyes that I hadn’t known was there. His other hand reaches up and wipes away more from my face.
I look back at him, my chin quivering. “She died. I stood there and watched you fall apart and I…. My heart broke for you. Then it hit me. What we did right before….” I look away quickly, my heart beating wildly with all the guilt returning in an instant. “I’m ashamed.” I feel the warmth of his hand touch my chin and slowly move my face until I am looking at him again. “I don’t regret what we did. I regret that while we were in our own world she lay there alone, without you by her side, the last moments of her life.” My sniffs grow louder, my tears streaming now. He frowns, reaches over to the table beside the bed and retrieves a few Kleenex’s and puts them in my hand. I half smile, my chin still shaking and blow my nose.
Forbidden Fruit Vol 2 Page 18
