by Rebel Hart
I managed to slip off the edge of the bed. “I would never lay a finger on your daughter like that. You have my word.”
The man snickered. “Well, forgive me if I don’t believe a word that comes out of your torn-up face.”
Her mother put a hand on his shoulder. “Pipe down. You’re going to have the nurses in here kicking us out in a second.”
Dani caught her father’s attention as my feet finally planted themselves onto the floor. I spotted a chair in the corner and walked over to it. I lifted it and walked it over to her mother, setting it beside her, offering her my hand. She took it so I could help her settle against the cushion.
“Would you like any coffee, ma’am?” I asked.
She smiled up at me. “Rena, please. And that would be nice.”
Her father harrumphed. “You can drop the coffees off and head out. We’ve got it from here.”
Dani cleared her throat. “Max doesn’t leave.”
Her mother’s eyes studied me. “So you’re Max.”
I nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”
She smiled. “Good to know.”
I looked back over at her father, who was practically shooting daggers out of his eye sockets at me. My eyes fell to Dani one last time and the sweetest smile ever crossed her face. I wanted to walk back over and give her a good morning kiss. One of my favorite kinds of kisses from her. But with her father two seconds away from ripping my skull open, I decided against it.
“Sir, would you like--?”
“Out,” he said curtly.
Dani sighed. “Dad, please stop it. I can’t do this with you right now.”
Her voice sounded so defeated, and the last thing I wanted to do was leave the woman I loved with more people that would stress her out. So, as I retreated back to the door, I made a mental note to tell the nursing staff my worries about them being here.
I mean, just because they were her parents didn’t mean that they were who Dani needed right now.
“Mom, how did you find me?”
I paused near the doorway, wanting to hear more of the conversation.
Her mother snickered. “Hannah called us last night, sweetheart. She was frightened, and she said you ran off into some trouble.”
Her father murmured. “Yeah. And trouble’s got a beat-up face.”
Dani hissed, “Dad, stop it.”
Her father yelled across the room. “If you’re going to stand there and listen, mind telling me what on earth happened to Danika?”
Her mother shushed him. “Pipe down. If you get us kicked out, I’m disowning you and finding a way to stay here. I told you to calm down on the ride here. I expect you to keep your cool now.”
I slowly turned around and faced the two of them as Dani looked at me with wide eyes begging to be saved.
Her mother’s eyes slid down my body. I saw her clocking the bruises and the stitches and the bandages I had wrapped around my various extremities. I saw the tension in her father’s face. I felt it in the air as Dani tried to pull away from him. I looked at her, seeking some sort of direction. Because I sure as hell wasn’t telling these people the truth. But she didn’t look like she knew what to say, either. And I wasn’t sure if I should actually stay and talk, or simply leave.
“Well? I’m waiting,” he said.
I nodded. “I think maybe introductions are in order first. I’m Max.”
He snickered. “Peter. I’m Dani’s father. Now, what the hell happened to my daughter?”
I walked back across the room, trying to buy myself some time. I patted Rena on the shoulder softly before extending a hand to her father. I wanted to shake the man’s hand. I mean, they were the parents of the woman I had fallen for. I had to try and make some sort of decent impression.
All he did was look at my hand, though.
As if I was offering him a rotten apple.
Peter turned his body to face mine and I watched Dani’s eyes widen. I heard her mother suck in a short breath of air behind me. The man was short. He barely came up to my shoulder. But the angry glare in his eyes boasted of the ferocious worry he had flaring deep within his gut.
“Could you please afford me and my wife some privacy with our daughter? You can lengthen your coffee run, if necessary.”
I put my hand down and nodded. I should have expected the cold brush-off. Even though I was attempting to make an effort to try and defuse the situation. Had I been in Peter’s shoes with my own daughter lying in some hospital bed with some beat-up stranger lying next to her, that asshole would’ve been dead before his feet touched the floor.
Dani cleared her throat. “I don’t want him to leave, Dad.”
He whipped back around. “You, your mother, and I need to talk. Alone. Whether or not you want that to happen doesn’t matter. What matters is the fact that we’re going to talk.”
Dani snickered. “So I don’t get a say in this at all. Even though Max is the one that saved me and he’s the one that’s been looking after me all night, you’re just going to kick him out. Just like that?”
Rena paused. “He saved you? From what?”
Peter glared at me hotly again. “If he’d leave, we could figure that out. Or do I need to remove him myself?”
Dani grinned. “I’d love to see you try, Dad.”
Pride filled my chest, even though I wanted to tell Dani to stop antagonizing her parents. Something in the pit of my gut told me they’d never seen her like this before. Then the change that had occurred with her slapped me across my face. She was a completely different person with me. A person I wasn’t sure was necessarily good. I felt my mind fighting with me. I felt my heart waging war. I felt my gut trying to get in on the action and pierce through the haze of pain and fear and dissent.
“Would any of you like coffee before I head out?” I asked.
Dani nodded. “Yes, please.”
Peter held up his hand to her. “Black. Large. Thanks.”
I looked down at Rena. “What about you, ma’am?”
She placed her hand against my arm. “Rena, again. Just use my name. And I’d love some coffee. However you take yours is fine.”
Dani piped up. “He usually takes his morning coffee black, but sometimes I’ll sneak some cream in it if it smells bitter.”
Her father growled. “Morning coffee?”
I nodded. “I’ll be back in a bit.”
I shot a look to Dani before I headed back for the door. Things were getting too heated and too tense, and I felt my protective instinct rearing its head in unsavory ways. They were family, and they needed time to themselves. That much I understood.
Plus, I need a serious dose of caffeine.
I slipped into the hallway and closed the door behind me, only to find nurses standing around the desk staring at me. I sighed as I turned, heading straight for the elevator. But one of the nurses called out to me.
“If they cause problems, we’ll kick them out,” she said.
I lifted my hand in thanks and kept on walking.
It didn’t take me long to make the coffee run. The cafeteria didn’t have a line, and the coffee was freshly brewed. I picked up larges for all of us and stacked some extras in a small bag to go. I picked up some danishes that looked nice, as well as a couple of cinnamon rolls. Then I grabbed a big thing of fruit salad, just for something healthy thrown in. I wasn’t sure what her parents had had on the road, if anything. I wasn’t sure how long they’d driven or what had happened in order to get them here.
But I figured the least I could do was feed them.
I rode the elevator back up to Dani’s floor and balanced everything in my arms. However, the door to her room still wasn’t opened.
“No one’s come out yet,” another nurse said.
I nodded. “Thanks.”
I set everything down and leaned against the wall. I wished with all my might that I was anyone else but myself right now. I wanted to be one of the doctors, or one of the nurses. One of Dani’s friends, or a concerne
d volunteer member of the hospital. Anyone that could get into that room and stay there by Dani’s side.
You know, without putting a disgusting taste in her parents’ mouths.
I kept an ear out for yelling. Or shouting. Or anything that might rile Dani up. I closed my eyes, drawing in deep breaths to try and swallow down the worry that kept creeping up the back of my throat. I wasn’t sure what worried me more: the fear of yelling starting up or the fact that I couldn't hear a damn thing.
And as the coffees grew cold at my feet, I counted down the seconds until I was back in Dani’s presence.
6
Dani
“Dad, why are you being so rude? That man saved me. Why in the world can’t you just--”
Dad glared at me. “Who is that man?”
I sighed. “If you’d listen to me instead of demanding answers on the spot, you’d know.”
Mom cut in. “That’s Max, Peter.”
Dad scoffed. “Who the hell is that?”
I sucked air through my teeth. “That’s the man I’ve been seeing. He’s the reason why I declined Kline’s coffee date.”
I resented the sharp, condescending tone of my father’s voice, and I hated the anger that rose behind his eyes. I was already frustrated with this entire scenario. All I wanted was for Max to come back into this room. My father didn’t own me. I wasn’t my parents’ property. I was of legal age to ask for any kind of care I wanted, which meant I could kick them out and bring Max in if I wanted.
Maybe my father needs me to remind him of that.
“What in the world are you doing with a man like that? Have we taught you nothing?” Dad asked.
I snickered. “Please don’t forget that at any point in time, I can have you removed and bring him back in. Don’t make me do that.”
His eyes narrowed. “Who are you and what have you done with my daughter?”
I shrugged. “Maybe your daughter is sick and tired of the helicopter parenting tactics you employ.”
Mom placed her hand on my shin. “Sweetheart, we’re only here because we’re worried. Try to be patient with us. I mean, look at you. You're in the hospital. We have a right, as your parents, to be worried.”
Dad practically spat on me. “What in the world has gotten into you? First, Hannah calls us up rattling on about how you’ve gotten yourself into trouble. How’s she’s worried about you. You’re falling behind on papers and assignments in your classes. Then you’re dodging our--”
I held up my hand. “Wait, wait, wait, wait. How do you know anything about my school assignments?”
Dad held his head high. “Of course I know. I’ve got connections within some of the departments.”
I blinked. “That’s illegal. My grades are none of your concern unless I have them released to you.”
Mom patted my leg. “All of that paperwork you signed your freshman year enabled us to view that information, honey.”
I felt my eyes widening. “Are you fucking kid--!?”
Dad leaned over me. “What did you just say?”
I closed my eyes. I needed to gain control of this situation. I was tired of all this bullshit. Of people feeling they could control me. Use me. Direct me in whatever fashion they deemed suitable for my life. This was my life. And they had no reason to do all of the shit they were doing.
I wanted more time with Max. I wanted him instead of them. I needed space from all of this. I needed…
I don’t know what I need.
But I knew it wasn’t this.
I always feel stronger with him around. “I wish Max was still here.”
Dad scoffed. “Has he brainwashed you?”
Mom gasped. “Peter! Are you kidding me right now?”
“Answer me, Dani. What has that man done to you? Did he do this to you? Did he put you in this hospital bed?”
I drew in a deep breath. “No, Dad. He didn’t. He saved me. And my answer won’t change just because you want it to. Max is the man I’ve been seeing, and I’m sorry I wasn’t honest with you sooner. I was waiting for the right time to tell--”
Dad snickered. “Does now look like the right time, Danika?”
I blinked up at him as I leaned back against my pillows. I loved Max. There was no reason to hold that back from anyone. That was my truth. That was my reality. And I had no issues telling anyone who came into contact with me.
But, my father really needed to back off.
“No, Dad. Ideally, I would have told you the next time I made the drive home. Probably over Thanksgiving break. And, ideally, you’d give him a chance before you wrote him off entirely.”
My father’s face reddened. “Danika, you put yourself in an incredible amount of danger by being with this man. Why on earth would you think being with someone like him is a good idea? He almost got you killed!”
I sighed. “Is that what Hannah told you? Because that's not the truth.”
Mom clicked her tongue. “Then just tell us the truth, sweetie.”
I threw my hands in the air. “I am, Mom! I am telling you the truth! This isn’t Max’s fault. And even if I wanted to tell you the entire situation, you wouldn't understand. It’s complicated, but the only thing you guys need to know--”
Dad gripped the railing of my bed. “You will tell us every detail of what happened last night before I call the police and have them drag it out of you.”
“Peter!”
I sat up straight. “You do what you feel you have to. You have that right. But I’m not your little teenage girl any longer. You can’t boss me around, nor can you protect me from everything. If anything, I’ve found my inner strength with Max. And I wouldn't trade it for the world.”
“He’s dangerous, Danika. Reckless. A damn criminal! You think I didn’t talk to Hannah about him? About this crew he runs around with and the bike he rides and the stuff he gets into? You don’t think I did my due diligence by looking up who in the world this man was, Danika? I mean, it’s only a matter of time before something like this--or worse--happens again! Had it not been for Hannah in the first place--”
“Nothing,” I interjected. “If it hadn’t been for Hannah, then nothing. Because her calling you didn’t save my life. Max did that. The only thing Hannah calling you did was worry you guys, drag you out of bed, shove you ten hours away from home, only to yell at me while I lie here in a hospital bed. So, who’s the bad one now, Dad?”
My father drew in a sharp breath to retort, but Mom shoved him off to the side. She wiggled her way up to me and lowered herself, kissing me on the forehead. Dad harrumphed off into a corner. I practically saw the steam coming out of his ears. And as Mom took my hand, she brushed my hair away from my face.
“Peter, you need to stop it. For goodness sake, can’t you see our daughter’s in distress? Dani. Princess. I’m so sorry this happened. What can we do to help?”
Finally. “You both can start by shaking Max’s hand.”
Dad scoffed. “I’m doing no such thing. That man is a monster. Plain and simple. And you deserve better than the likes of some scumbag standing in the hallway.”
I shrugged. “Then the two of you can leave.”
Mom hissed. “Peter, at least try to be sympathetic. This is our daughter you’re speaking to.”
Dad came back over to the bed and sat on the edge of it. But my mouth was sealed. No matter what he did, or said, or asked, I wasn’t answering a damn thing until he did as I asked him to do.
He placed his hand on my ankle. “What happened?”
I shrugged. “If you want a play by play, talk to the attending doctor.”
“I’d rather hear it from you.”
“Tough.”
His jaw clenched. “Rena?”
Mom patted my shoulder. “Gentle, Peter. Try again.”
He sighed. “You said Max saved you. What did he save you from?”
I blinked. “Shake his hand first.”
“Just tell me what happened to you. I want to know what happened to my
daughter.”
“And if you want to hear it from me, you’ll shake Max’s hand with the respect he deserves. I’d be dead without him. And you’d be visiting the morgue instead of a hospital room.”
He shot up from the bed. “You take that back.”
“I won’t, because it’s a fact. And if you really want the dirty truth, I was already dead when Max found me. It was his life-saving CPR that saved my life.”
Mom gasped. “Oh, honey.”
Dad raked his hand through his hair. “You tell me what in the world happened right now, or so help me God I will--”
I pointed to the door. “There’s the way out. You can leave the way you came, or you can go find Max and try this again. But if you don’t start lowering your voice and keeping a hold on your anger, I’ll have this hospital remove you completely.”
His face fell. “Where in the world is my sweet little girl?”
“I’m right here, Dad. You just don’t like the fact that I’m not blindly following you any longer. And I shouldn't. Because this is my life, and my education, and my future. And the only person that should have an opinion about that is me.”
I held my ground as I stared off with my father. I slipped my hands beneath the warm blanket and tucked them between my thighs. I didn’t want my father to see how scared I was of him. Of his anger when he got like this. I wanted to portray the strong front I always had whenever Max was at my side. Because it was about time people saw this side of me.
Then Dad caved. “If I shake his hand, you’ll talk to me?”
I nodded. “We both will.”
I watched his eyes fall to the door as Mom squeezed my shoulder.
“Nice going, princess,” she whispered.
I watched my father head for the door. “Thanks, Mom.”
And I held my breath as my father started his journey toward the door.
Please don’t blow up in my face. Please don’t blow up in my face. Please don’t blow up in my face.
7
Max
I leaned my head against the painted cement wall and sighed. With the coffee and food growing cold at my feet, I crammed my hands into my pockets. Mostly to hide my bloodied knuckles. Every time a nurse or a patient passed by, they gave me ‘the look.’ You know, the one with the crooked eyebrow and the wandering eyes. The one with the soft pause as they gave me a once over.
