Waiting Fate

by Kinnette, W. B.

  Archer sighed. He did miss his best friend. It might be good for him. “Fine. I’ll just shower and be on my way.”

  ****

  The second he walked in the door, he could feel the tension. Jay and Gunner were on their feet when he came around the corner into the living room. Austin, who’d opened the door for Archer and followed him back, paused. “What’s going on?” he asked.

  Archer’s hands instinctively clenched into fists. “Nice of you to show up, Archer. You got another girl you’re hiding from us, or is it just the one we agreed none of us would go near?” Gunner snapped. He was usually laid-back. But his shoulders were tight and his face was red. Archer couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen him so angry.

  “What are you talking about?” Archer growled.

  “We know about you and Ivy.” Jay crossed his arms over his chest.

  “Are you serious with this?” Austin asked, edging between Archer and the other two. “He and Ivy aren’t together. They aren’t even on speaking terms.”

  “What business is it of yours whether I’m with Ivy or not?” Archer exploded. He’d been hurting for several weeks now, with nothing but electrical wires and tools to take it out on. It felt good to yell.

  “We made a pact! Remember Max? No? That’s because he did the same thing you just did, and we left him behind.” Gunner yelled back.

  Jay seemed content to stand like a hired thug behind Gunner, glaring, but letting Gunner do the talking.

  “We made a pact in high school. Seven years ago,” Archer said through gritted teeth.

  “I don’t recall putting an expiration date on that pact,” Gunner said. Sarcasm wasn’t something that came naturally to him, and it sounded awkward coming off his lips. The fact that they were fighting over Ivy when she wanted nothing to do with him was not lost on Archer, but he wanted a fight. He wanted something to throw his pain at.

  “She’s a grown woman, Gunner. She’s going to choose who she wants to be with,” Austin cut in. “Look. Gunner, we know how you feel about her. Everyone knows how you feel about her. And Jay, what were you thinking, man? Seriously telling her to go back to her husband—”

  “You did what?” Archer bellowed, lunging, but Austin caught him and pushed him back, continuing as if Archer hadn’t moved. “We know you like her more than you should. But come on, Ivy’s been through enough. If you both love her as much as you think you do, shouldn’t you want her to be with the one who will make her happy?”

  Gunner and Jay just glared silently at him, and Archer’s shoulders fell, defeated. He wasn’t the one who could make her happy. He’d lost her before he’d ever had the chance to make her happy. “She doesn’t want anything to do with me.”

  Jay opened his mouth to say something, but his phone rang. “Hello. Hey, Gigi. What’s up?” His thick eyebrows shot up, and he turned to face the rest of them, holding his phone away from his mouth. “Ivy was in a car accident.”

  Archer felt like someone had hit him in the head with an iceberg. “What?” he gasped.

  Jay clicked his phone onto speaker. “She’s in the hospital.” Gigi sounded more morose than usual, all the light and bounciness gone from her voice.

  “Are you up there now?” Austin asked.

  “No, I’m at a swim meet. I called her house because she wasn’t answering her phone and her dad told me.”

  “Was Desee in the car with her?” Archer’s voice sounded strangled and unfamiliar, even to his own ears.

  “I don’t think so, because I could hear her in the background when I was talking to Jack,” Gigi said.

  Without another word, Archer spun on his heel and ran to his truck.

  ****

  “Ivy Bleu… er… Walken? Please?” he asked the nurse at the front desk, sounding more like a desperate and afraid child than he had ever sounded when he had been an actual child.

  The woman was probably a volunteer, older with white hair and a wrinkled face. She clicked away at her computer before turning to smile at him, her age melting away as she did. “Room 327.” She motioned in the direction of the elevators, and Archer raced toward them, slipping into one just as the doors shut.

  The entire drive up to the hospital, Ivy’s name had been the only thing he could think, over and over, like a song stuck on repeat. Austin had called to tell him the details that Gigi had gotten from Ivy’s parents, but they were all going to wait until she was home to visit. Except Jay, who wanted nothing to do with her.

  But Archer didn’t care about any of that. As the doors opened to the third floor, he burst out like a match set to gasoline, and then had to force himself not to sprint through the hallways. Her door was open a crack and the doctor was just coming out. “Is this Ivy Bleu’s — I — I mean Ivy Walken’s room?” Archer asked, hating the way his voice sounded strangled and weak.

  “Yes, go on in. She hasn’t had many visitors.” Archer pushed the door open, but after all his racing to get here, he hesitated. What if she didn’t want to see him?

  And then her voice, hoarse and barely audible, mumbled, “Archer?”

  “Hey. How are you?” He came the rest of the way into the room, where he could see her more clearly. She was a mess, except her face. Her face didn’t have a scratch on it — she was just as beautiful as ever.

  She smiled, slowly, painfully, and he could see that he was wrong; her lip was split on the right side, but not bad enough to need stitches. “I’ve been better.”

  He pulled a chair to the side of her bed and took her hand, waiting for her to pull away. When she did, he felt, for the second time that night, that he’d been stabbed with an ice pick.

  “Broken thumb,” she gasped.

  “Oh. Oh, I’m so sorry!”

  She shook her head, holding up her other hand. “This one’s okay though.”

  Archer took it. The hand was okay but the arm wasn’t. It was covered in mottled red and black bruises. “Can I do anything? Or get you anything?”

  Her eyes lit up, hopeful. “Soda? Do you think you could sneak me in soda?”

  Archer closed his eyes, chuckling. Of course she wants soda. “I’ll see what I can do.” He was gone for a few minutes, and by the time he came back, her eyes were drooping.

  “Visiting hours are over in fifteen minutes,” the nurse said as she slipped in behind him. Ivy’s eyes shot open and he could see the panic there. He knew how frightening hospitals must be for her, given the many times she must have been in them because of Vick.

  “Can I stay here overnight with her?” Archer asked on a whim, but when he glanced at Ivy she had that you’re-my-hero-smile he loved so much.

  “Are you family?”

  “He’s my brother.” Ivy’s voice sounded horrible, and she had massive seatbelt burns, appearing from under her neck brace and across the whole left side of her collarbone, and disappearing under her gown.

  The nurse smiled. “The couch pulls out into a bed. I’ll find you some blankets.”

  “Can we get some more for her, too? She’s shivering.”

  The nurse nodded. “It’s shock. We’re treating her but it takes time.”

  Well, she’s alone in a hospital. Of course she’s having a hard time fighting off shock, Archer thought. The nurse left and he turned back to Ivy, handing her the cup.

  “Thank you,” she rasped. “You don’t have to stay. Those couches are massively uncomfortable.”

  He winked at her. “I don’t mind.”

  She motioned to the TV mounted on the wall. “They don’t have any cartoon channels.” Archer chuckled as he settled himself on the chair next to her and took her good hand, rubbing his thumb back and forth across the smooth skin. Her eyes drifted, the cup in her hand tipping precariously. He saved it just in time, setting it on the bedside table. “Archer?”

  “Hmm?”

  “Will you hold my hand until I go to sleep? I’m scared,” she whispered.

  “Of course. I’ll be here all night.” Not even a minute passed and he
r shaking stopped. Her breathing leveled out.

  The nurse came in with the blankets, smiling when she saw Ivy. “Well, you work wonders. We should have brought you in hours ago.”

  “She doesn’t like hospitals,” Archer said.

  “Yes, we could kind of see that. She’s a tough little thing.” The nurse handed him the blankets and left, assuring him she’d be back once an hour until her shift was over. Archer turned the TV low and made himself as comfortable as he could in the chair, watching some random Christmas special until he fell asleep, still holding her hand.

  He stayed until her parents took her home the next morning, promising before he left that he would check in on her soon. He wasn’t sure where they stood now, and he didn’t want to add pressure by forcing his presence on her before she was ready. He didn’t want to make her feel worse. If it hadn’t been for that worry, they wouldn’t have been able to tear him away from her side. Instead, he stopped by that night, but she was asleep, so he didn’t bother her.

  The next morning she sent him a text. Thank you so much, Archer. You have no idea how you saved me by coming to the hospital.

  I’m glad I could help then. How are you feeling?

  It took her almost an hour to write him back. Sorry, fell asleep. Good. Drugged

  Archer chuckled. Clearly. When you’re up to visitors, let me know. I’ve got some flowers here with your name on them.

  You are so sweet. I want to talk to you. I made mistakes. But not until I can stay awake for the whole conversation.

  His heart started to pound. Did she mean what he thought she meant? Or did she mean the opposite of what he though she meant, which meant that he was in for a whole lot more hurt? Mistakes could mean anything — she made mistakes telling him she couldn’t see him anymore, or she made mistakes ever kissing him in the first place? Everything hung on what that one word meant.

  But what could he do? It wasn’t like he could press her for details now. So he just wrote back, Whenever you’re ready, let me know. Feel better, Ivy.

  Two hours later she wrote him back. Thanks, Archer.

  She texted him on and off for the next few days, but it sounded like she was still pretty drugged and out of it and sleeping as much as possible. He stopped by once, while she was asleep, because he was afraid her flowers were going to die, and Bev told him she was having horrible headaches when she was awake. “They have her on some strong pain pills and an anti-inflammatory. And something to help her sleep.” Bev took a deep breath.

  “She’s struggling, but she’ll be okay. She’s tough, our little Ivy,” Jack said, clearing his throat twice before continuing. “Just give her a few more days.”

  Bev patted his shoulder. “We’ll let her know you stopped by. She’ll be sad that she missed you.”

  ****

  “I can’t go to Wyoming now,” Archer said desperately.

  “One of our grocery stores is way behind deadline and just ran into a major problem. We need you there. It will be for a few days — a week at the most.” His boss said.

  “You have no idea how important it is that I be here right now. Can’t you send someone else?”

  “What’s so important, Archer? It’s just a couple of days if we send you. If we have to send someone else it will end up being weeks.”

  Archer wanted to argue with him, but what could he say? My not-girlfriend is coming out of a drug-induced stupor and I need to be here to find out if she wants me or not. Yeah, that’d go over well. In the end, he gave in and packed his bags.

  Going to Wyoming for the week. I’ll be back before Christmas. Can we have our talk then?

  She sent him back a smiley face.

  Seconds later, another one, Of course. Be careful.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Desee thought Ivy’s boot was cool. She made a fake one for herself with Ivy’s big snow boot, waddling around after her mama with a delighted grin. “If I wasn’t done with her Christmas shopping already, I would have gotten her a cast for Christmas.” Ivy snickered while she watched Desee attempt to chase Sadi with the boot on. She didn’t get far before she toppled over, giggling. Luckily for her, Sadi wouldn’t leave Ivy’s side for longer than the few minutes it took her to go outside and do her dog business, so Desee had plenty of chances to get up and go after her again. Ivy was highly entertained.

  “Well, it’s lucky you got done shopping early. It would have been a lot of fun with that big boot on and all those crazy last minute shoppers,” Bev said as she pulled her shoes on. “We’re going to lunch. Are you going to be okay?”

  “Yep. I’ll be fine,” Ivy said. In truth she was still fighting the headaches, but the doctor told her that was normal.

  “Desee go.” Boot abandoned, Desee threw her arms up toward her grandma, big hazel eyes pleading.

  Ivy opened her mouth to object but Bev beat her to it. “Of course, Desee go. Let’s find your shoes.”

  “Mom, she can stay with me. We’ll be fine.”

  Bev shook her head as she plopped Desee on the counter to put on her shoes. “The waitresses will be mad at us if we come without Desee.”

  “They might spit in my coffee,” Jack said as he came around the corner.

  Ivy smirked.

  “Sadi wants to go out. Will you be okay to let her back in?” Bev called from the back door.

  “Yep.” Ivy smiled. She would always be her mom’s baby, no matter how old she got. She pushed herself away from the kitchen table and hobbled into the living room. Her head was killing her, and if Desee was going to lunch, Ivy was going to take a nap. She was just settling on the couch when she heard the most horrible noise. “What in the world…?” Ivy wondered aloud as she sat up, listening hard.

  It was squealing tires and… an inhuman scream. But there was no other sound, so Ivy settled back against the pillows, rubbing the bridge of her nose with her good hand. The drugs were starting to kick in, and she was dozing off when there was a knock at the back door. She ignored it at first, but when it came again, more insistent this time, she struggled off the couch and worked her way slowly to the door.

  “Ivy…” It was the neighbor from across the street. She’d never met him but her parents loved him. “I have some bad news.” Ivy’s heart froze and she looked for Sadi. “Your dog… she got hit. She tried to crawl under my truck, I think she was trying to get to me, but I didn’t see her until it was too late… She’s dead.”

  Ivy stared at him, unable to think or feel for several seconds. “No,” she finally murmured. “No, we just let her out a few minutes ago. She can’t be dead.”

  He shook his head. “I’m so sorry. Would you like me to bring her back here?” But Ivy wasn’t listening. She brushed past him, hobbling as fast as she could go, cursing the fact that her parents had an extremely long driveway. It seemed like, bit by bit, her heart shattered as Sadi’s still form took shape under the gray truck across the street. Ivy started to sob, wishing she could run.

  The neighbor — why didn’t she know his name? — laid a hand on her arm. “I’ll bring her to you. Just let me get my wheelbarrow.” Ivy sank to the ground as she watched him walk away, burrowing her face in her hands, unable to stop her cries.

  Sadi. Her best friend in the entire world. The one who had been through everything with her. She couldn’t be gone. Ivy needed her. Desee needed her. “Please. Please, heaven, don’t take my Sadi,” she whispered.

  But when the man came back, Sadi lay awkwardly in his wheelbarrow, blood spilling from her mouth and nose, her eyes rolled back. If not for that, she could have been sleeping. Ivy could see no other marks on her.

  She tried to crawl under my truck.

  Meaning she had suffered. The man left her body on the snow-covered grass by the barn. Ivy thanked him, told him she would be fine, and sank onto the frozen ground next to Sadi’s body. When Bev and Jack came home, she was still there, staring silently, unwilling to let Sadi go.

  The neighbor, whose name she learned was Shawn, told her par
ents it was a small white truck that had killed her dog. None of the other neighbors in the area had similar vehicles, so it must have just been a random visitor. Ivy was haunted by the image of Sadi trying to crawl for help every time she closed her eyes. Every time Desee asked for Sadi, Ivy felt like her heart was being smashed with a hammer. How am I supposed to do this without her?

  ****

  Life, apparently, didn’t care that Ivy couldn’t imagine going on without her faithful pet, and it just kept coming at her. The sun kept rising, it kept setting. Things kept happening.

  “Ivy, you have visitors. Can you limp yourself down here?” Jack called up the stairs.

  “Coming!” Ivy yelled back.

  “Who’s here to see us, do you think?” she asked Desee.

  “Archie.”

  “No, not Archie. He’s far away. Someone else.” Ivy held Desee’s hand as they walked down the stairs, which was no easy feat with a big boot and a broken thumb. Desee deserted her as soon as they reached the last step, racing around the corner into the living room and skidding to a stop, eyes wide. Silent. Ivy smiled; judging by her reaction, it wasn’t Archer.

  “Hi, Desee.” Ivy’s heart lightened. It was Austin. She wondered if any of her friends would come see her… although Austin was about the only one left. Gigi had sent her a text to see if she was okay, but that was it. Ivy limped around the corner, unable to stop the grin from splitting her face.

  “Hey, gimp,” Gunner said, rising to his feet from where he and Austin sat on the couch. They were holding pictures of her ruined car — Jack liked to show them off to anyone who would look. Ivy tried her best not to see them.

  “You came,” Ivy squealed.

  “Of course we came. We woulda come sooner but you’ve been pretty out of it.” Austin raised an eyebrow at her, as if insulted that she had doubted them. In truth, she had guessed that Austin would show up sooner or later, but she thought she’d seen the last of Gunner. She thought he hated her. She thought — but she wasn’t going to say any of that. She was just so happy to see them both.