Wreck of the Day (Love Me, I'm Famous Book 3)
Page 20
“I don’t know what will happen tomorrow and I’ve gone crazy obsessing about it. But the one thing I know, the one thing is crystal clear, is that I want you to be with me forever. I want you to go into that operating room knowing I will never abandon you, no matter what happens. My heart will always beat for you, Saylor. It will always belong to you.”
“Ollie…”
“I want you to be my wife, sugar. Please say yes.”
I let go of his hand and ignore the offered ring only to grab Oliver’s face and kiss him. His arm snakes around my waist and pulls me closer while his tongue matches the tempo of my frenetic kiss beat by beat. He leans back just a fraction and asks in a husky voice, “Does this mean it’s a yes?”
“Of course it’s a yes.”
We kiss again and I ignore the wind dancing between my legs, blowing the light fabric of my dress in all directions. I might be giving Tony a hell of a view, but I don’t care. Oliver finally manages to break us apart to put the ring on my finger. It fits perfectly. I stare at the rock, and I’m mesmerized by the prism of colors the diamond produces when it catches the light.
“So, where are we going?” I ask.
“What do you think? Vegas of course.”
We get married in a cheesy Elvis themed chapel. On the way there, Oliver asked me if I was upset I wasn’t getting a big wedding. I never cared for any of that stuff, so I put his mind at ease. Liv will be the one upset she didn’t get to plan the party. After the ceremony, we checked-in at the Venetian hotel to officially consummate our marriage before we headed back to L.A. Oliver may or may not have taken me to O-town on the flight back as well.
When we get home, it’s past two in the morning and I’m exhausted. We have to be up again in a few hours, and although I’m sure Dr. Laurent would frown upon the fact that I didn’t get enough rest, I wouldn’t have slept much if I had gone to bed at a decent hour anyway.
Liv and Sebastian come to see me at the hospital before I begin to prep for surgery. There’s a moment of tension because Derek has also stopped by to say hello. He doesn’t linger, knowing how his presence is not entirely welcome.
I haven’t told anyone yet that Oliver and I eloped, and I removed my ring before coming here. I’m filling out paperwork when my mother asks the nurse if she needs to sign anything as well. The nurse looks down at the form in her hand and frowns.
“No, ma’am. Your daughter is married. Her husband already signed the required forms.”
You could hear a pin drop within the silence that takes over the room.
“Her husband?” Mom looks at me confused.
“Uh…”
“No way! You and Oliver got married?” Liv asks.
Oliver comes into the room then, holding a cup of coffee I’m not allowed to drink anymore.
“Sugar, I thought we were going to tell them together.”
“You got married without telling me?” Mom sounds so upset.
“It was a spur of the moment decision,” I say lamely.
Bas goes to Oliver to do the hug, slap on the back thing. “Congrats, mate. Welcome to the club.”
“Thanks.” He smiles in my direction and my heart soars.
Liv crosses her arms and pouts. “I can’t believe you didn’t invite us.”
“Aw, babe. Are you mad you didn’t get to plan Blue’s wedding?” Bas wraps his arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer to him.
“Yes.”
“You can throw me a post surgery party,” I say.
Dr. Laurent comes into the room and announces that we need to begin to prep for surgery. He brings the anesthetist with him and asks that only immediate family remains. Suddenly, things become too real and my stomach ties into knots. Both doctors do the best that they can to make me relax, but it’s impossible. When they are done, I ask for a few minutes alone with Oliver. Mom gives me a long glance but she doesn’t object.
Once everyone is out, Oliver takes a seat next to my bed and holds my hand. “What is it, sugar?”
“I want you to promise me something.”
He must sense he’s not going to like what I’m about to say. His shoulders tense as a deep V forms between his eyebrows.
“If something happens during surgery and I don’t wake up, I want you to turn off the machines.”
“Saylor, I can’t do that.”
“You must, Ollie. I don’t want to live as a vegetable, hooked up to a machine. That’s not living at all. If I go into a coma and don’t wake up after a few months, I want you to let me go.”
Oliver clenches his jaw and his face turns red. His eyes are bright and I know he’s fighting tears that are threatening to spill.
“I’ll love you forever.” I touch his cheek.
He leans over and kisses me, tenderly after first, but then it changes, it becomes fierce, wild. It tastes like a goodbye kiss.
He pulls back and rests his head on my lap. “I’ll love you forever and a day.”
We both chuckle at his ill attempt at humor. I run my fingers through his hair. “Promise, Ollie. Please.”
He raises his head and the look in his gaze is devastating, it shatters my heart into a million fragments.
“Anything you want, sugar. But I need you to promise me something as well.”
“What is it?”
“Promise you will come back to me.”
There are a thousand ways I can interpret his request, but I would abide to it in any way he meant.
“I promise.”
Forty-Two
OLIVER - Three weeks later
It has been three weeks since Saylor had the surgery and she’s still hasn’t woken up. Christmas and New Year’s Eve came and went and I wouldn’t know if it weren’t for the decorations. These have been the worst weeks of my life.
In the initial days after the surgery, Dr. Laurent assured us the coma was normal. Saylor’s brain needed time to recover. There were some complications during surgery and her brain had swollen up a bit. He was optimistic at the time, but now there’s no denying things are not looking good. I remember the promise I made Saylor, that I would let her go if she didn’t wake up after a few months, but I don’t think I will be strong enough to do it. I can’t bear the thought of going on with my life without her in it.
After a disheartening conversation with the good old doc, I find myself doing something I’ve never done before. I head to the hospital’s chapel. The arched doors are wide open, but I don’t enter the peaceful room right away. Instead, I stare at the cross above the altar, feeling lost. I’m not sure if I remember how to pray. There’s no one around and when I finally find the courage to enter the space, my steps echo, disturbing the silence in the room. The air is cooler here, so I pull my jacket closer together before I kneel on the pew. I rest my elbows against the back crest of the row in front of me and hide my face between my hands. All this time, I’ve been trying to remain calm and positive. I didn’t succumb to my old vices because I don’t want Saylor to wake up to a mess.
I can’t hold the swell of emotions brewing in my chest any longer and I let it all out an anguished sob. My entire body trembles as I’m taken over by darkness and despair.
I don’t notice that I’m no longer alone before someone touches my shoulder. I look up and find Bas standing there. I wipe my damp face with the back of my forearm, not feeling an ounce of shame my best mate caught me in this pathetic state. It’s not the first time he has seen me at my worst.
“Were you just praying?”
“If you call crying like a banshee praying, then yes.” I stand up and hear my knees crack. Jesus, how long have I been here?
“You must have put out a hell of a show. Saylor is awake.”
My heart stops for a second before it takes off at the speed of an F1 race car. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
I stride out the chapel and break into a run in the hallway. When I get to Saylor’s room, her mother and Liv are huddled together in a corner, trying not to be in the
way of Dr. Laurent who is currently checking Saylor’s eyes. They raised her bed to a sitting position, but she still has tubes everywhere. It doesn’t matter, her eyes are open.
The doctor asks her a bunch of mundane questions and she answers most of them with only a hint of confusion. The man finally notices me hovering by the door and calls me in. Saylor turns her face in my direction and just being able to see the color of her eyes again almost makes the cry fest resume.
Her delicate eyebrows furrow before she glances at Liv. “Who is he?”
I freeze as an invisible dagger strikes at my heart, twisting slowly as it goes in. The pain is so sharp, I can’t draw air into my lungs. Just a simple three-word question and I’m left hollow. She doesn’t know who I am.
“Blue, that’s Oliver, you don’t remember him?”
“No, should I?”
Liv trades a worried glance with Bas. Saylor catches her reaction and continues. “Why is Sebastian here, too? Did you make up?”
“Doc, what’s going on?” I ask, unable to keep my mouth shut any longer.
“Saylor, what’s the last thing you remember?”
“I don’t know. Everything is such a mess. I guess I remember Liv’s farewell party.”
“Before I went to London?”
“Yes. I’m forgetting stuff aren’t I?” Her gaze bounces around the room before she fixes her eyes on me again. “Are you my boyfriend or something?”
I open my mouth but no words come forth. This cannot be real.
Saylor’s mom approaches the bed and squeezes her hand. “Darling, that man over there is your husband.”
* * *
To Be Continued…
AUTHOR’S NOTE
I sincerely hope you enjoyed Part Two of Saylor and Oliver’s love story. The conclusion of their journey will be released at the end of Summer 2017. If you did enjoy Wreck of the Day, there are a number of ways you can help spread the word.
#1. Please tell your friends and family why they should read it. Better yet, gift it to them. If you are active on Goodreads, you can use the ‘Recommend’ feature.
#2. Please like the Love Me, I’m Famous Series Facebook page. When you post statuses, you can click on the smiley face button at the bottom of your post entry and select Reading, then type Wreck of the Day. That will help your friends find purchase links and information on the novel.
#3. Please consider leaving a review for this book. It’s a known fact that recommendations from friends and reviews are the most influential factors in reader’s purchase decisions.
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Acknowledgments
I would like to thank my parents for keeping my daughter occupied so I could write this book. Those who have young kids know how hard it is to find “quiet” time. :)
Also a big thank you to Sharon Stevenson who was able to fit me into her busy schedule and beta read Wreck of the Day, and Shantella Benson, who was kind enough to volunteer to proofread the manuscript.
And lastly, the biggest thank you goes to my readers for sticking with me and patiently wait for this story. You guys rock!
About the Author
M. H. Soars always knew creative arts were her calling but not in a million years did she think she would become an author. With a background in fashion design she thought she would follow that path. But one day, out of the blue, she had an idea for a book. One page turned into ten pages, ten pages turned into a hundred, and before she knew, her first novel, The Prophecy of Arcadia, was born.
M. H. Soars resides in The Netherlands with her husband and baby daughter. She is currently working on the Arcadian Wars series, and the Love Me, I’m Famous series.
Connect with M. H. Soars:
@mhsoars
mhsoars
www.mhsoars.com
books@mhsoars.com
Also by M. H. Soars
Catch You
Wonderwall
Sugar, We’re Going Down