by Beth Rinyu
Drowning in Love
Beth Rinyu
Hugs and Kisses to……
My Mom, Joanne Kruplo and Sarah Guernsey for pre-reading and giving me great feedback. Janet Halasz for looking over my manuscript one last time, making sure that it’s in the best possible shape for you guys to read. Stephanie Lane for allowing me to tell her the plot of each story as I’m writing it even though she wants to be surprised - she knows I can’t keep a secret. Sandi Lynn for always being there to listen to me vent, while offering great advice. Katrina Tingle for finding all of those great character inspiration photos. If anyone from Hollywood is reading this, she’s your girl for a casting director! To all of the awesome book bloggers who spread the word about my books. And my readers who have read and enjoyed my first two books and have taken this journey with me from start to finish of this book. I know that Travis & Mia will be in good hands with you guys. As long as I know there is at least one person getting enjoyment from my books, I will keep writing…. you guys are the best!
And as always….my husband and kids for allowing me to ignore them while I wrote this story; for some reason I don’t think that they minded.
Dedication….
This book is dedicated to my Grandmom Marion. Mia is a lot like she was….caring, kind and always allowing everyone into her huge heart.
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Chapter 67
Chapter 68
Epilogue
Prologue
Mia…
What defines the perfect life? Well, I wasn’t quite sure, but I was fairly certain that mine was pretty close to it. I was marrying my high school sweetheart in just a few short months. Together, we had pursued our dream of living in New York City in our tiny Greenwich Village apartment. But to me, it didn’t matter where we lived – as long as I was with Eric Callahan, I was happy. I first met Eric in the fifth grade. I was the new girl and couldn’t help but notice the cute boy with the big brown doe eyes who sat in the front of the class because of his constant chattering. I was told to stay away from him because he belonged to Tiffany Bennet, the most popular and mean-spirited girl in the fifth grade. All of the boys liked her, probably because she had something that most ten-year-old girls lack: boobs. So, being the new girl and wanting to fit in, I kept my distance. All throughout middle school, I crushed on him from afar, and even though Tiffany had long since moved on to someone new, I still never had the guts to tell him how I felt. It wasn’t until Mrs. McVay’s tenth grade biology class that I finally got the nerve to talk to him. Eric and I were partnered up during the frog dissection unit. Since I was totally grossed out by the whole thing, Eric just took charge and did everything. Ever since that day, that’s how it’s been. Eric was my best friend, my finder of lost things, my foot warmer on a cold winter night, keeper of my heart, and my soul mate. He was a New York City Police officer, and I had followed my love of cosmetology and was working at a very upscale New York City Salon. I had never been happier. But sometimes happiness can be taken away in the blink of an eye, leaving you scared, alone, and wondering how you will ever pick up the pieces of what was once a fairy tale life.
I stepped out of the shower into the tiny steam-ridden bathroom, while Eric stood at the bathroom sink, shaving and wiping the condensation from the mirror.
“Sorry,” I said as I wrapped myself in the towel and hugged him from behind.
He turned around with his half shaven face and hugged me back. “That’s okay, but only because you’re so cute.”
“Can you believe that in a little less than three months, I will no longer be Mia Taylor?”
He kissed me on the forehead. “I can’t wait. All of these overtime shifts will have paid off when I’m sitting on a beach in Aruba with Mrs. Mia Callahan.”
I smiled, just thinking about our honeymoon. “I wish we could both call out today and stay in bed and practice for that honeymoon.” My towel fell off when I lifted my arms and wrapped them around his neck.
He looked down at my naked body. “You’re killing me, Mia.” He glanced at his watch. “Ten minutes?”
“I’ll take it!” I grabbed his hand and led him into the bedroom.
***
I got through the workday with ease and stopped off at the store. I called Eric once I was home. It was six o’clock and he was working until seven. “I’m cooking your favorite tonight, eggplant parm, so don’t eat anything.”
“Okay.”
“You will be home on time, right?”
“Yup, and you know I want to pick up where we left off this morning.”
I giggled. “Eric….is Ian right there with you?” Ian was Eric’s partner.
“Yeah. He doesn’t pay attention to anything, though.” He was silent for a moment as I heard a call coming over the radio. “Aww, damn. I may be just a little late.”
“Ugh….Okay, I’ll keep it warm for you. I love you and be careful.”
“Always, and I love you too.”
I hated his crazy schedule. He had been working so hard, picking up every overtime shift that he could get to pay for our wedding and honeymoon. We just had to get through the next three days and then we were on vacation for a whole week. We didn’t have any plans other than finalizing the wedding details and just taking time to slow down and relax. After two hours of slicing, breading, frying, and baking, I was finally taking the eggplant from the oven when I heard a knock on my door. Eric must have forgotten his key again. His timing was perfect. I opened the door and instead of seeing Eric on the other side, it was two police officers I didn’t know.
“Mia Taylor?”
“Yes?” I felt my heart drop to my knees. Somehow, I knew; they didn’t need to say anything – I just knew.
“Mia, there’s been a shooting…..” Those were the last words I heard before I totally blacked out.
I was sitting on my couch; I didn’t even know how I got there. The female police officer handed me a glass of water as she held a cold rag on my hea
d. “Are you okay?” I couldn’t answer. I was in shock. She took my hand and rubbed it gently.
“I need to go see him.” My voice was shaking.
“Okay, are you sure you’re okay? Do you need us to call you an ambulance to have you checked out?” the male police officer asked.
“No, I just need to see Eric; he needs me.” I began to cry.
The female police officer placed her hand on my shoulder. “We’ll take you to the hospital, Mia.”
“Has anyone notified his parents?” I asked.
“Yes, they’re on their way.”
I threw on my flip-flops and followed them out the door.
When we arrived at the hospital, the male police officer checked in with the nurse. Eric was still in surgery. I took a seat in the waiting area. The female police officer, who had finally introduced herself as Judy, took a seat next to me.
“Mia, is there anyone that you would like me to call, to be here with you?” I knew that I had to break the news to my mother. Since I probably wouldn’t even be able to get the words out without breaking down, I gave Judy her phone number so she could handle it.
I pulled my legs up onto the chair and wrapped my arms around them. I rested my head on my knees and thought back to this morning. We were talking about our wedding, our honeymoon, our life together as husband and wife. Never in a million years did I imagine that I’d be sitting in a hospital while he was fighting to make that life happen.
“Is Ian okay?” I asked, finally lifting my head from my knees.
“He’s okay. He’s in a state of shock. He’s not handling this too well,” Judy said.
Of course, he wasn’t handling this well. He and Eric were super close. They had been partners since Eric had joined the force. He thought of Eric as a younger brother.
My tears began to fall once again when I saw Eric’s parents. His mother’s eyes were swollen and I could tell that she was feeling the same way that I was.
“Mia!” The tears rolled down her face. She wrapped her arms around me and we both broke down together. Eric’s mom and dad were like a second set of parents to me. Eric’s father was always such a big strong-looking man, but tonight he seemed as fragile as glass as he hugged me tightly.
We sat together in silence, waiting for Eric’s doctor to appear and tell us that everything was going to be okay. Unfortunately, the news that he had to deliver was the opposite of what we wanted to hear. Eric was shot in the jaw. The bullet had lodged in his shoulder and torn through two main arteries in his neck, which had severely affected his blood flow. His brain was greatly affected by the lack of oxygen. There were a few more tests they wanted to do, but right now, the prognosis seemed grim.
My mother and stepfather appeared right when I needed them most. “Mom!” I cried.
“Oh, Mia!” She hugged me tightly. I felt like a little kid again as I curled up in her arms. My stepfather took the empty seat on the other side of me and gently rubbed my back. Once I felt calm enough to speak, I gave them an update on Eric.
“But it’s okay; he’s going to pull through this and everything is going to be okay, I just know it,” I said.
“Mia, they have him in a room. Would you like to go see him?” Eric’s father asked.
I nodded and stood up on my shaky legs. I followed Eric’s father down the hallway and into Eric’s room. He led me in and then immediately walked out to give me some privacy.
Eric was hooked up to every machine imaginable with a tube down his throat. It pained me just to look at him. I took his hand in mine as the tears rolled down my face.
“This wasn’t supposed to happen, Eric. You can’t leave me. I won’t be able to live in a world without you.” The haunting rhythm of the beeping machines was a painful reminder that this was the only thing keeping him alive. “I can’t say goodbye to you, I just can’t. You have to pull through this. We have so many things that we have planned in life and if you think I’m going to let you back out of them because of this, you’re wrong. Please, Eric . . . please.” I buried my face into his chest and began to sob.
I still had my head buried in his chest and was clutching his hand tightly when his father walked back in the room.
“Mia.” His tone was gentle.
I lifted my head and smiled through my tear-filled eyes. “He’s going to be okay; you don’t have to worry,” I said.
He closed his eyes as if my words pained him. He took my hand and helped me up, leading me back into the waiting area to my parents.
“Mia, why don’t you let us take you home to get some sleep and we’ll come back first thing in the morning?” my stepfather gently asked.
“No. If he wakes up, I need to be here.”
“Mia, sweetie, it’s after midnight. You need to go home and get some rest,” my mother said.
“Mom, he is going to wake up. You know that, right? He would never leave me.” I could feel the hysteria in my voice as I tried not only to convince my mother but also myself of that fact.
Her eyes filled up with tears. She didn’t respond. She just pulled me to her and kissed me on the head.
I said my goodbyes to Eric’s parents. They were sticking around for a little while longer and then staying at Eric’s aunt’s apartment in the city.
“Promise me that you will call me if anything happens?” I asked.
“I promise,” Eric’s mother answered
I hugged her tightly. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” I said. It was now just a waiting game – the longest wait of my life.
***
Three days passed and the test results were not what anyone had hoped for. Eric had no brain activity whatsoever. But I was still holding out hope. Eric was still here physically and that was all that mattered. I could still feel the warmth of his skin and kiss his lips, so to me he was still alive. I had hunkered down in his room for the past seventy-two hours, only leaving when the nurses would come in and tell me that visiting hours were over. I would talk to him just as if he were there listening to me. I talked about our wedding, our honeymoon, and what our life together would be like after we were married.
I was in my usual spot, sitting in the chair right along Eric’s bedside with his hand in mine, when his dad walked into the room.
“I was just telling Eric that once we have kids we really need to move back home, away from the city. That would be better for you guys too, because then you would get to see your grandkids all the time,” I said.
Eric’s dad looked at me sympathetically. “Mia, we’ve made the decision. Eric wouldn’t want to be kept alive this way.”
I shook my head in disbelief. “No, no, no!” I shouted. “Please, don’t! He’s alive, he’s breathing. Please don’t take him away from me. I will die right along with him. Eric is strong. He’s going to wake up; I know it.” I was trying to catch my breath. Eric’s father looked at me with tear-filled eyes as the nurse came running in, hearing my screams.
“Is everything okay?” she asked.
I bent down and hugged Eric. “Please don’t let them do this….please. He loves me and I love him. We’re going to get married and have kids. Please, I’m begging you.”
Eric’s father had tears rolling down his face as he looked at me. “I’m sorry, Mia.” He put his head down and walked out the door.
I buried my head into Eric’s chest and began to sob. “Eric, please wake up, baby. Don’t let them do this to you.”
The nurse came over and tried to pry me gently away from him, but it was useless. I wasn’t budging. She finally gave up and walked out the door, leaving me alone one last time with Eric. I kissed him over and over again. I wanted to taste him on my lips for the rest of my life. I took a deep breath, memorizing every inch of his familiar face. I rested my head on his shoulder and whispered in his ear, “I will love you forever, Eric….”
Chapter 1
Mia…
The steam from my hazelnut coffee rose from my cup and flooded my senses. As I looked out my bedroom window, t
he gray clouds were now overpowering the bright morning sunshine that was streaming through just an hour ago. It was so reflective of my life. I had never been happier. Until that day it had all changed, one year ago, and the sunny world that I had been living in became filled with clouds. In the blink of an eye, my past, present, and future were taken away. After Eric’s death, I hid in my apartment for three long weeks, not wanting to talk to anyone. I was numb. I would wrap myself in his clothes and pretend that he was still there with me. I was living in a fantasy world, but that was the only thing that kept me from going completely insane. My mother and sister did their best to coax me from my depression, but it was of no use. Eventually, I was forced to join the land of the living once again, not by choice, but by duty. I had bills to pay and without Eric around to help with supplementing the income, I was falling behind – big time.
I was a totally different girl than I had been a year ago. The old Mia Taylor was always smiling and carefree. She would spend the majority of her day laughing and just reveling in her perfect life. The new Mia was the complete opposite – an empty shell. Time didn’t seem to be healing the wounds; it was just a band aid that could be ripped off at any time and begin to bleed uncontrollably. I took one last sip of my coffee and finished getting dressed. I took a deep breath and kissed the picture of Eric that I had sitting on my nightstand, like I did every day before facing the world and heading out the door.
I dragged myself into Salon JR, putting on my happy face. I had a full schedule today, which meant I would be keeping my mind occupied. I was hoping that this would aid me in forgetting that today was the one-year anniversary of the day that Eric was shot. Although it wasn't the day he died, it was the day I had lost him forever.
I walked in to find Juan, another stylist and part owner of the salon, standing behind the desk. Juan and I had hit it off right away, but over the past year, he had become my rock. He had been the only one that I felt comfortable talking to about Eric. I wasn't afraid to express my feelings to him. He made me laugh – something that didn't come easily these days. I never tired of listening to his countless stories of the arguments that he would get into with his boyfriend Brian, the other owner of the salon. They were perfect for each other; even though they were both in their thirties, they would still bicker like an old married couple.
