Crashed

by Dawn Robertson

  “Of course not, get comfortable. Do you need any help, Emily?” Avery asked, getting up to help her climb back up into the raised hospital bed.

  “No, I think I can manage.” She gave him a wink, slipped her flip-flops off, and scooted onto the bed, quickly adjusting herself so she could lay her head back slightly, helping to relieve her discomfort.

  As Emily started relaxing, Avery took the time to clean up their dinner mess, asking if there was anything she wanted to save before disposing of each leftover item. The only thing she clung on to was her milkshake, mumbling something about her dead, lifeless, hands.

  She lay in bed as he sat at her side, talking for what seemed like hours. Discussing everything from pets to their favorite songs. They bonded over their love for country music, especially Luke Bryan. “I would shake it for Luke Bryan any day of the week,” Emily joked.

  Avery didn’t miss a beat. He shot his comeback out quickly. “How about for me? Or is this only an exclusive offer for Luke Bryan?” They both burst out laughing.

  The more Emily thought about his words, the more she imagined intimate moments with this gorgeous man who was doting on her in her moment of need. Who in their right mind wouldn’t want to shake if for Avery Martin?

  “Tell ya what, Avery. When I’m feeling a little better, I just might shake it for you one day.” Emily started laughing, while Avery sat with his jaw hanging, never taking his emerald eyes off of her.

  “You can’t say something like that to me, Emily. Don’t get my hopes up.” He laughed, clenching his chest with both hands, mimicking a heart attack.

  “Oh my! Do I need to call a doctor?” Emily teased, pulling one of her pillows off the bed and tossing it in Avery’s direction.

  He caught the pillow mid-air, reaching to chuck it back at Emily, but stopping before he let it fly through the air. “I will get you back for that, Miss Taylor. Mark my words.”

  If there was anything Avery and Emily learned that evening, it was the fact they got along well. Conversation flowed easily, they could make each other laugh, and there was an abundant amount of sexual tension. They couldn’t help but tease and laugh with each other. No matter what one would say, the other would find a way to twist it into a way to flirt. Their attraction was crystal clear.

  The door started to open as Emily’s night nurse appeared in the doorway. She had joked each night, calling her Nurse Cratchit, because no matter how polite you were to her, she was downright miserable. The round figured older woman never smiled, her grey eyes were sad with loneliness, and she moved slowly like the years had not been kind to her body. Her messy grey hair was tied back into a bun on the back of her head; unruly split ends surrounded her face.

  “You know Firefighter Martin, visiting hours were over two hours ago, right?” the nurse virtually growled out at him.

  “I know, Nurse. I was hoping to stay until after you were finished. Then I promise I will leave. Scout’s honor.” He held up his arm and stood up straight. Emily tried desperately not to burst out laughing.

  She didn’t acknowledge Avery at all, continuing her nightly routine of taking Emily’s vital signs, checking her vision, and administering her plethora of medications. The entire time Emily stared at Avery instead of making eye contact with the wicked nurse.

  “They’ll go over your discharge instructions with you in the morning, Miss Taylor,” the Nurse said as she headed to the door. “And you, Martin, I expect to see you walk out of this door momentarily, or so help me young man…”

  Their faces both flushed red from holding back their laughter as she waddled out of the room with her portable computer cart. When they were sure she was no longer in ear shot, they let their contained laughter go, booming through the petite hospital room.

  “I better leave before Cratchit comes back and eats me for a midnight snack. Yikes!” Avery joked as he stood from his bedside spot, awkwardly alternating feet and rubbing his sweaty palms down his pant legs.

  “That sucks. I was actually having a great time.” Emily admitted without care. Showing she was vulnerable toward men had always been one of her biggest flaws. There clearly was something between her and Avery neither of them could deny.

  “Well, Miss Taylor, I would love to see you again if you are up for it.” Avery nervously ran his fingers through his hair, looking everywhere in the room but at Emily.

  After a long pause of considering what to say, Emily spoke, “I would really like that.”

  With relief running through him, Avery smiled and took a step closer to the hospital bed where she lay. Reaching out his hand, he took hers gently, pulling her up off her pillow before swooping in for a polite hug. As he started pulling away, Emily turned her face, planting a single soft kiss on his cheek.

  Neither of them could ignore the surge of passion their simple exchange had brought. Desire pooled deep in Emily while she slowly pulled away to meet Avery’s gaze. They both froze, helpless in the eyes of the other, wondering what would come next.

  Just inches away from Emily’s lips, Avery leaned in. “Goodnight, Emily.” He stood and headed right for the door, leaving her paralyzed in her place. She let out a deep sigh and fell backward against her mound of pillows, throwing her hands over her eyes.

  God that man, was all she could think.

  Chapter Three

  Just a Girl

  Avery pulled his silver, lifted F-150 into his usual spot in the parking lot of the firehouse. He let out a yawn, reminding himself of how little sleep he’d gotten after leaving Emily at the hospital the night before. Every time he started drifting off to sleep, his mind would replay how close he had come to kissing her.

  After taking a cold shower somewhere around two o’clock in the morning, he couldn’t help but break down and take care of business. The simple thought of hugging her earlier in the evening, having her warm and soft body pressed up against his was enough to get the job done.

  Now he was in for an extremely long day at work. The couch was going to be his best friend when he wasn’t out running calls. Knowing my luck, I’ll be busy all damn day. He thought, climbing out of his truck.

  “What’s up Martin?” A voice interrupted his thoughts from a distance. His best friend, Tom, came running up behind him. Avery had met Tom in the fire academy, another displaced southern boy in the city; they quickly bonded. He stood shorter than Avery, only topping out at five foot, nine inches tall, but damn was he strong. He had a short brown buzz cut and blue eyes which made all the girls drool. He was a ladies man through-and-through.

  “Fuckin’ exhausted, dude,” Avery said, throwing his bag over his shoulder and stretching.

  “What’d you do last night? I didn’t catch you at Nog,” Tom said, referring to their local hangout, Tir na Nog, a local Irish pub in Daytona Beach. Typically after a shift they would go for a few drinks or out to dinner. It was their usual routine.

  “I actually had a date, kind of,” Avery said with a shrug. Was it really a date if it took place in a hospital? It seemed more like just hanging out with a cool girl. A really fucking amazing girl, actually.

  “A date? With who?” Tom grilled him. They told each other everything, and he was completely blindsided by Avery’s admission.

  “Remember that blonde we cut out of the car last Monday?” Tom’s eyes got wide listening to his words.

  “Uhhh. The one with the amazing rack?”

  “Um, yeah. Well, her name is Emily and she’s still in the hospital. I went with Captain Sullivan yesterday to check on her and I brought her dinner later on after I got off for the day.” Avery couldn’t wipe the smug grin off his face. He was happy for the first time in a long while. He hadn’t been miserable, but he’d certainly become lonely.

  “Wait. You brought her dinner? Dude, she is gorgeous. How did it go?”

  “It went as good as a date in a hospital room could go, I guess. I really like her, though. I think I’m going to text her today and see if she wants to go out again.” Avery admitted. He
started pulling his phone out as they walked into the fire station.

  Avery opened his text messaging and started a new message.

  Hope you have a good day. Dinner tonight, if you are up for it? - A

  He pushed send before Tom could look over his shoulder and catch what he wrote. He would never live it down if any of the guys saw gushy texts to a girl. That was the kind of shit firemen never let die.

  Walking down the hallway to the locker room, Tom was one step behind him the entire way.

  “Did you score, man?”

  Avery couldn’t believe his friend had said something so incredibly stupid. He knew he should’ve just ignored him, but he couldn’t.

  “Seriously? Score? She’s in a hospital bed recovering from a car accident and brain injury and you’re thinking about scoring? What the fuck is wrong with you. Tommy?” Avery threw his bag to the floor of his locker and slammed it shut before walking out.

  He made his way to the common area and flopped down on the community couch. He was just starting to drift off when he heard the tones drop for a call. It’s going to be such a long day.

  ***

  Four hours and twenty-seven-thousand dollars later, Emily was the owner of a brand new silver Volkswagen Golf GTI. Despite her brother-in-law insisting on something bigger, or American made, she was loyal to Volkswagen. The best part of it all was she didn’t have to spend any more time with Ben. “Thank you for your help this morning, but I’ve got it from here,” Emily said, jingling the keys to her new car.

  “At least I don’t have to waste any more time this afternoon,” was all he said as he turned and walked to his car. Asshole. This was exactly why she couldn’t stand him one bit. He was just flat out rude. Even her parents didn’t care for him, and they found the best in all people.

  Getting behind the wheel of her new car, Emily decided she needed Starbucks and maybe a little time on the beach. Her body filled with a small rush of adrenaline as she pulled out of the parking lot, enjoying her sporty new car. She had the rest of the day free which was a rarity with her event planning job. She was going to have to get used to all the free time she had on her hands until the doctors released her to go back to work.

  The beach had always been one of her favorite places from the time she was small. Her parents had moved into her grandparents’ old home on the beach in Ponce Inlet when she was a mere month old. Growing up on the beach was more than just part of her life—it was her life. The home that had been handed down through the generations still stood, but remained empty. Since her parents passed away and she inherited the house, she couldn’t bear to move into it. So it sat, paid for and empty with the money from their estate paying the expenses.

  Some days she would go to her old home and sit out on the deck, watching the waves crash or lay on the beach remembering all the good times she’d had in that house. But when the day ended, she needed the new security of her apartment. Despite her cloudy memory, each day things were becoming more clear, especially the memories of losing her parents.

  As she pulled into the parking lot of Starbucks, she noticed a large fire truck parked in the corner of the lot. Please God, don’t be on fire, I need a Frappuccino! She walked through the parking lot. Upon reaching the door, she noticed there was nothing wrong with the coffee shop. Apparently firemen enjoyed overpriced coffee as much as she did. She placed her order for a Venti Strawberries and Cream Frappuccino and made her way to the end of the counter to wait for her order.

  “Emily?” A familiar voice came from behind her. Slowly she turned around, meeting the most amazing set of green eyes. Avery stood before her in his fire gear and a cup of hot coffee in his left hand.

  “Avery, how are you?” A smile slowly spread across her face as she began to blush. Once he made his way over to her, she had several men staring at her from across the room.

  “I’m good. Tired, but good. Did you get my message this morning?”

  Emily grabbed her phone out of her purse, hitting the home button with her thumb only to discover her phone had died. “I guess, no. Looks like I forgot to charge this thing last night. Sorry about that.”

  “Venti Strawberries and Cream Frap,” a young Barista bellowed from the other side of the counter. Emily turned quickly to grab her frozen drink from him, never missing a beat.

  “You have a thing for frozen drinks, huh?” Avery laughed.

  “God, this is the best thing they have on the menu here. You have got to try it!” Forgetting about the audience they both had, the couple slowly started a repeat performance of the night before with the Butterfinger milkshake. Emily quickly unwrapped the straw, sticking it into the cup, and slowly lifted it to meet Avery’s lips.

  The firemen gossiped behind them as she shared a taste.

  “Wow, that isn’t half bad. Bet it doesn’t have any caffeine in it, though.” He laughed. “If I’m spending six dollars on something at Starbucks, I better be able to fly afterward.”

  Emily burst out laughing. For a moment everyone turned to look at her before going back to their own business. “I’m sorry. But oh my God. Fly? Really?”

  “So, we going out to dinner tonight or what?” Avery asked, sassing Emily right back.

  Taken completely off guard, she stopped laughing and replaced her carefree look with a far more serious one. “Tonight? Really?” Emily asked, slightly shocked by his question.

  “Too soon, huh?”

  She could tell Avery was disappointed by her reaction. Heck, she was disappointed by her own reaction. “No, that’s not it at all, Avery. I just don’t know if I will feel up to it later on tonight. The past couple of days I’ve been pretty run down by dinner time.” Emily was being honest. She hadn’t fully recovered and she was by no means back to being her old self. In fact, just the morning in the car dealership had almost done her in. The idea of getting on the beach was quickly fading from her plans.

  “It’s okay, I understand.”

  Emily could see the very noticeable disappointment in his eyes. “Maybe you could just grab a pizza and come over to my place? I mean, if you are up for that?” What the hell am I thinking, inviting him to my apartment? Oh God, I’m digging myself in deeper here. She thought as Avery jumped at the opportunity to spend another night with her.

  “Seven again?” At that moment, his smile was big enough to light up the Daytona International Airport runway on a foggy night. His excitement gave Emily a warm feeling, unlike anything she’d ever experienced in the past. No guy had ever made her feel as wanted as this stunning man had in the past two days. Already, he was too good to be true.

  “Sounds like a plan. I’ll text you my address in a little bit, once I re-charge this bad boy,” she said while holding up her dead iPhone. “Until tonight,” Emily said, placing a kiss on his cheek and walking out of Starbucks.

  “Holy shit. Who was that?” one of the guys asked, while they all started chiming in with comments about Emily.

  “Nobody you need to worry about,” Avery said with a stern expression as he walked out the door toward the waiting rig in the parking lot.

  The fact that he had a giant coffee and another date with Emily made his entire day. Screw a nap; he couldn’t wait to get off work at fifteen-hundred hours. Seeing her was the most exciting thing he would be doing anytime soon. There was just something different about her. Something fresh, and one-of-a-kind.

  ***

  Emily walked into her apartment and it looked like a bomb had gone off. Everything from the previous Monday was still lying in its place. The only difference was the overflowing litter box and a number of empty cans of cat food in the sink.

  Thanks Becca, for not doing anything but keeping the damn cat alive!

  Flip came barreling down the hallway, meowing the entire way. “I know, I missed you too, buddy,” she said, bending down to run her hands down his back. “I didn’t leave you on purpose, I promise, little fella.”

  Pulling her phone out of her purse, she walked down the hall
to her bedroom and pulled the charger from the floor next to her nightstand, plugging it in and powering her iPhone back up.

  Still bothered by this disorder of her house, she decided to text her best friend.

  Wow, thanks for leaving my house looking like a tornado went through it. Jeez!

  That was when she noticed a text from Avery, from earlier this morning. From the timestamp, it must have been when he was getting to work for the day. Scrolling through all she had missed, she noticed another message from him moments after they ran into each other at Starbucks.

  Can’t wait to see you tonight.

  His words had a greater impact on her than she could have imagined. The newness of their relationship had her excited and hopeful. He made her feel like a teen getting ready to go on her first date. A mixture of butterflies and nerves rolled through her stomach.

  Her thoughts flashed back to what seemed like years earlier. Her foggy memory placed Dr. Hart across from her at a dinner table, gently holding onto one of her hands while smiling at her. Do I really know him? Between the pictures she’d found on her very own Facebook profile including him, and now this distant memory, somewhat explained his strange behavior at the hospital. For whatever reasons, she didn’t feel anything toward him, and she was slowly becoming infatuated with Avery, and she wanted to leave it that way.

  Her phone started vibrating on the counter. She reached out, noticing a new text from Becca.

  Sorry, was going to clean this afternoon b4 they sprung you. Be over soon 2 help.

  When would this girl learn we speak English, not Bingo! Her grammar and spelling drove Emily batty. But at least Becca would be coming over to help out with the apartment overhaul. She couldn’t do it all on her own in time before Avery’s arrival. She texted Becca back.