Dillen interrupts my thoughts. “Noah? We got you coffee and a sandwich.”
I feel like all of my energy has been drained. It takes too much effort to look up toward the two of them. “Thank you, both of you.”
I can hear Dillen tear up again and to avoid the overwhelming emotions, I look back down at Heather. My world has collapsed. I push the sandwich aside and take a sip of the steaming black liquid.
“Man, do you need anything else? We can stay or go, just let us know what you’d like us to do.”
“Shit, I don’t know. Could you bring a change of clothes? Or even my toothbrush?”
“I can get that for you. I can run out right now,” Dillen says kindly, but I shake my head.
“No, it’s okay. You two go and get some sleep. I’m going to stay here tonight.”
“All right, man. We’ll just be a phone call away,” Coen says when he gets up and rubs his hand down Dillen’s back. I’m happy for the two of them; I don’t know if they are exclusive or not, but it’s more than Coen has had before.
“Thanks, have a good night.”
“Bye, Noah,” he says as they walk out.
I get up and close the door quietly in order to shut out some of the overbearing noise leaking through the hospital hallway.
NOAH
I’ve had maybe two hours of sleep in the last twenty-four hours. I feel like death, but it’s not because I’m worn out. Heather won’t budge, not even an inch; her fingers won’t move, her eyelids won’t flutter, and I’m begging her to do anything for me. I stretch and look behind me, spotting her duffel bag. I get up and grab it, before sitting back down in my chair next to her bed. Unzipping the duffel, I look inside and see all her possessions. I’ve never searched through a woman’s belongings before because it’s simply not my place, but right now, I need to know more about her. I need to be able to answer these questions in order to do my part. I grab her oversized purse out of the duffel before setting it down at my feet.
Opening her purse, I peer down into it and smile immediately. The first thing I see is a small bag of Swedish Fish. Dammit Heather, my little candy fiend. Of course she would have candy in her purse; it really should not surprise me. I move the bag of candy onto my thigh and look farther in, where I see things that I would suspect most women carry around in their purses: lipstick, those little hair things they wear on their wrists, and a small bottle of perfume. All of these things are normally meaningless, but they mean a fuck-ton to me right now. Grabbing her wallet, I open it up and find her license.
She’s smiling in her picture, my beautiful baby. I read over the small print on the plastic card: her full name is Heather Adalyn Lane, and she was born on October twenty-second, 1990. How the fuck did I not know her birthday?
I commit her birthday to memory, making damn sure I won’t forget it.
Damn, I didn’t even know she was five years younger than I am. I was expecting a year or two, but shit, I was way off. I glance up at her still-too pallid body. “You’re still flawless, baby.”
I’m about to put her license back in its place when I see a small photo tucked away. I pull on the corner of it, revealing an infant lying in its mother’s arms. I run my thumb over the image, assuming it’s a photo of Heather with her mother on the day she was born.
I put her license back along with the photo and search for her insurance card, and for whatever reason it’s not in her wallet. Fuck, I feel like I’m an intruder, searching through her things like this. I unzip a side pocket of her purse and reach in, pulling out her insurance card and a piece of . . . card stock? What in the hell is this? I turn it over in my hands and catch a familiar scent. It’s my cologne, with the name of it written in her elegant handwriting along the white strip.
She’s got my cologne sprayed on this small strip of paper. Fuck, I love this woman. I put her bag down and move closer to her, leaning onto her bed to whisper in her ear.
“I love you, baby. Please wake up for me?” I kiss her ear and nuzzle her, hoping like hell it’ll wake her. “I’m not leaving you for a second, Heather Adalyn Lane.” I exhale and run my fingers through her hair, dwelling on her current situation. “You’ve got a beautiful name, and it fits you perfectly.”
The door opens behind me and my conversation with Heather is cut short. I turn around to look and see another nurse come in. She moves to the bedside and starts checking Heather’s fluids and vitals.
“She’s looking much better today,” the woman says to me, but I know she’s lying through her teeth.
She doesn’t look any better; in fact, she looks worse. Her leg is swollen and bruised from what I can see under her bandage, and her head is wrapped tightly. There’s a bruise on the side of her face and staples in the back of her head. Lord only knows what she feels like internally. I remain quiet instead of offering her my hoarse voice. I watch her closely as she writes down a few things before departing from the room, leaving me alone with Heather once again.
I lean back down and drape my arm across her stomach gently. I need to wrap her in my arms, but I can’t. I’ll break this fragile girl lying before me if I do. I start whispering things to her, but once again I’m interrupted by the door opening behind me. For fuck’s sake, lady, you were just in here. I scowl and turn to look when my eyes land on hers.
Alexis.
She stands in the doorway and raises her eyebrows. “I didn’t think you’d be in here, Noah. How’s your face?”
I abruptly stand up, deepening my scowl. “Get the fuck out.”
“Oh, don’t be an asshole. I came to give my condolences.”
I stare at this insane woman for a long minute before I can actually say anything. “She’s not dead, Alexis. Now get the fuck out of here before I call for security.”
“Oh, I like you bossy and emotional. Maybe I should have shoved the little bitch off of the stage ages ago.”
I storm across the small room in mere seconds and stare her down, towering over her as my body vibrates with fury. “What the fuck is wrong with you? You’re psychotic, Alexis. You could have killed her.”
“I couldn’t care less. You’re lucky she’s still breathing. I basically threw myself at you and you denied me each time. Payback’s a bitch, just like her spoiled ass. It’s a good thing you were here . . . I could have done much worse.”
I can’t fucking believe how crazy this girl is. I’m stunned. My voice is menacing when I finally speak. “You think I would ever touch you after what you did to her? You are unquestionably nothing compared to Heather. You’re going to pay for this, Alexis.”
“Oh please,” she scoffs and rolls her eyes. “I already got in trouble with Mr. Norwich.”
My blood boils when she air quotes the word trouble.
“I told him it was merely an accident, shed a few crocodile tears, and bam, I’m back on top.”
“Get your crazy ass out of this room.”
I reach for the phone on the wall to call security when I feel her lips on my cheek. It takes all of my self-will not to shove her out into the hallway. I move back and call out, “I need security in here.”
“Ugh, you’re so dramatic, Noah. Fine, I’m leaving.”
“Fuck you, Alexis.”
She steps back through the doorframe, and I slam the door shut in her face. I stand there, breathing harshly.
I haven’t showered or shaved in a couple of days. I look like shit, but I’m not moving from this spot. Coen and Dillen keep trying to force me to leave for a little while, or at least shower, but what if she wakes up? No fucking way in hell am I leaving.
Something must be wrong. She hasn’t responded to anything. Not one damn thing. There are a couple of doctors who keep coming in and checking on her. They talk in hushed voices and write shit down. They keep telling me to wait patiently, but I’ve got zero patience left.
I want answers.
I have nothing left inside of me. I get up and check her body over: I know every bruise, every cut, and every stitch
on her body. The bruises are fading to a greenish-yellow color now. The nurse says it’s a good sign because her body is healing.
I’m sitting here holding her hand, inspecting her nails. Shit, she’s going to be mad when she sees how her polish has grown out. I chuckle to myself knowingly when suddenly her finger twitches. I can only stare. I think I’m seeing things, but then her finger moves again. My head snaps up to look at her.
“Baby?”
She doesn’t respond, but I get up and lean in close. “Come on, beautiful, I’m here. Come back to me, Heather. Open those eyes.”
I watch her hand closely for any sign of movement before I look back up at her face. Her lashes flutter ever so slightly, and my heart leaps. Today of all fucking days! “That’s it, baby, come on, you can do it.”
I reach for the call button and press it continuously, coaxing her while I wait. “Heather . . . open your eyes, baby. You can do it. I’m here, and I’m waiting for you.”
The door swings open, and a nurse walks in. I can’t contain my eagerness. “She moved; she moved her finger just a second ago.”
The nurse frowns and walks over. “Sir, that’s just not possible. We have her sedated.”
“No. It happened, or I wouldn’t have called you in here.” I move my hand and stroke her hair gently. “She wants up, and she’s obviously fighting the drugs. Can you not take her off that yet?” I ask hopefully.
“The doctor needs to okay that decision.”
“Well, get him in here,” I reply with a bit too much irritation.
She leaves the room, and I turn back to Heather, smiling at her. “Keep fighting it; listen to my voice. Follow my voice, Heather. I’ll do anything you want. I’ll eat crinkle fries . . . you can have all of my bacon for the rest of my life. Just wake up for me.”
I watch her closely, but there’s no movement. I’m begging, willing her to move. “Come on, beautiful, tell me you love me. I need to hear it.” A few minutes later the door opens, and the doctor walks in, looking concerned.
“Well, let’s see what she’s doing here,” he says with authority as he walks over to Heather. He takes a small light and lifts her eyelids. Looking for what, I don’t know, but he grins.
“It seems as if Miss Lane doesn’t want to be asleep anymore.”
He turns to the nurse, and gives her instructions regarding her IV and then turns to me. “For whatever reason, her body is fighting off this medication. She’s trying to wake on her own.”
I can’t help my smile, and my chest fucking swells. Damn right she wants up.
The nurse nods as she reaches up to the IV bag, turning a switch to stop the drip. She quickly replaces the current bag with another. I’m guessing it contains fluids to keep Heather hydrated, but I can’t be certain.
“Is she going to wake up soon?” I ask the doctor as he’s writing more shit down.
“I’d give her a few hours. The sedative usually has to wear off first. I’d like to do a CAT scan on her when she’s awake and functioning. Would you prefer to give her the news about her miscarriage, or would you like for me to do it?”
I look over at Heather, frowning. “No . . . I’ll do it.”
He nods and walks toward the door. “I’ll make my rounds and be back shortly to check up on her.”
He leaves the room and I grab my phone. I send both Dillen and Coen a text, as well as Dani, giving them an update on her progress:
Hey. Heather’s been fighting the sedative and they just took her off of it. The doctor said it’ll take her a few hours to come around, but hopefully she’ll be awake once you guys are back from the airport.
I get a text back almost immediately after I’ve sent it, as if Dillen is waiting for updates with her phone in hand.
My little shit! She’s going to be okay, right? Oh please tell her I love her if she wakes up shortly. Dani is due to land in forty minutes, and I think we’ll be back at the hospital in an hour or two.
I quickly type out a reply:
Okay. I’ll keep you posted.
It’s been over a fucking hour. My forehead is resting on the edge of her bed while I stare down at my feet. Damn, I thought she was coming around sooner. I sigh and rub my thumb over the top of her hand. The constant beeping in the background is getting annoying, and I count them sometimes: it’s usually around eighty-eight beats per minute. Without warning, in the middle of my counting, the beeping in the background accelerates.
I lift my head and look at the machine with tired eyes. What in the hell? It’s beeping frantically. I sit up straight and look over at Heather. My heart slams against my chest when I see her eyes are open. I leap out of my chair, sending it toppling over.
“Heather? Baby?”
I push the call button again and cup her face. Her eyes are darting from side to side in a frantic attempt to see around the room. “Baby, calm down for me. You’re safe.”
She’s flexing her fingers then brings them up to the tube in her mouth in an attempt to pull at it. “Hey, I’m here. Calm down.”
I take her hand gently and kiss it as her eyes well up. She’s panicking. I can see her chest heave as her heart slams again and again.
Her gorgeous eyes find mine, and I smile down at her. “I’m here. I love you so fucking much.” I move my hand to cup the side of her bruised cheek and kiss her temple as tears stream down her face.
“Don’t cry, baby, it’s okay.”
I reach for her hands and hold them in mine so she doesn’t try to pull on the tube. Her rapid beats are coming quicker, and at the rate she’s going, she’ll pass out. “Heather, please calm down.”
I try using a commanding voice. “Squeeze my hand if you can hear me.”
She does, and her eyes don’t leave mine. The doctor and nurse finally walk in. About fucking time.
I don’t let go of her hand, but I move out of the doctor’s way. They instruct her to try and cough as they take the tube out of her throat. She coughs, and it looks painful as hell to watch. Fuck, she’s been through so much.
I just want to hold her, and make her feel safe again. Shit, does she even know what happened? The nurse brings over a cup of chipped ice, and then slowly moves the bed upright.
The doctor starts talking to Heather, discussing her injuries. He stops and stares at me when he’s about to mention the miscarriage
“Why don’t I give you two a few minutes before I take her back for the CAT scan . . .” He trails off as he excuses himself and the nurse.
Heather’s eyes shoot up to mine. My eyes are stinging with an unnamed emotion as I look down at my broken ballerina.
I smile softly at her and pull my chair close to the bed. I cup her face as I kiss her lips. “Hello, my sleeping beauty. Did you have a good nap?” I take an ice chip and bring it to her lips.
She takes a deep breath in and opens her mouth, trying to talk, but her throat is too dry, “Shh, baby, listen to me . . .” She takes the ice chip into her mouth and sucks on it. “I’m going to ask you some questions of my own, okay? Don’t talk, though. Just nod or shake your head.”
She nods her head, but there’s confusion in her eyes.
I lean forward and kiss her lips softly. “Do you remember what happened?”
She nods her head slowly and opens her mouth to speak, but I stop her. “Shh . . .”
“Okay,” she replies, and it kills me. Her voice is odd and raspy, unlike her own.
“Baby, please don’t speak. As much as I want to hear your voice, I don’t want you to strain your body. About the fall . . . do you know why you fell?” I ask as I lace our fingers together.
She shakes her head, and her eyes pool with tears again.
I sigh and move my hand to her flat stomach. “It was Alexis.”
She breaks my heart when the tears steadily fall down her cheeks. I wipe them away with my thumb, grazing her soft skin.
“I’m so sorry. You looked so beautiful on stage. Fuck, I haven’t been able to breathe without you. The doctor w
ants to take you for a CAT scan soon. Dani, Dillen, Coen, and possibly Brannon are on their way as we speak.”
She nods and tries to speak through her tears. “What happened?”
“The medics brought you back here. You broke . . . fuck, what was it called? You broke the bones in the middle of your foot. I think he called it a Lisfranc injury. They performed surgery on you, and you’re going to be okay, but it’s going to be a while before you can dance again. We’ll need to ask the doctor for specifics on that injury. You had brain swelling and . . . and . . . you’ve been sedated for two days now.”
Why the hell can I not say it? I need to tell her.
Her eyes overflow with tears as her chest heaves. Fuck, this is going to kill me. I want to take away all of her pain and grief, but right now . . . I’m about to make it worse.
“I know, and I’m so sorry. I’m here, though.”
Her trembling hands squeeze mine weakly, and I look down, dreading what I have to do next. “I need you to stay calm, okay?”
She nods and closes her eyes. I hand her the cup of ice chips and kiss her wet cheeks when the door opens, and everyone who loves my girl quickly fills the room.
“Oh Heather!” Dani rushes briskly to her sister’s side.
Fuck. I guess I’ll have to wait to tell her. I know this is going to bite me in the ass somehow.
I let go of Heather’s hand and move away from the bed, giving everyone a chance to get close to her. I’m in protector mode when I speak, addressing everyone.
“Guys, they just took her breathing tube out about a half-hour ago. She’s having a hard time speaking, so let’s give her voice a little break.”
A Winter's Date Page 5
