Текст книги "Lucky Number Four"
Автор книги: Amanda Jason
сообщить о нарушении
Текущая страница: 15 (всего у книги 16 страниц)
25
It’s been an hour, and I’ve worn a path in the carpet. It should have only taken Drew fifteen minutes to get here. I keep looking outside. A light snow is falling. It’s April…it’s not supposed to snow in April.
I let the curtain fall and take a seat on the couch for the millionth time—okay, not that many, but quite a few. My nerves are frayed. My mom says that all the time, but now I know what she means by it.
I feel like this night will be the turning point in my life, and I hope it goes the way I want it to go. I want Drew—any way I can have him. Where in the hell did that that come from? I do want him? Oh, who am I fooling? Yeah, he might tire of me after a few months, but I’ll still have a part of him forever. I touch my stomach and feel the little bump that’s starting to show.
“Where is your father?” I say to him or her.
I hear a cell ringing and I glance at mine, but the ringing comes from another room, so it’s Jeff’s phone. I hear his muffled voice and then nothing. A feeling of dread like I’ve never felt before comes over me. I know a call this late at night isn’t good.
His door opens. The first thing I notice is that he’s fully dressed and pulling on his jacket. His face is grim as he looks down at me. I know something really bad has happened, and I know it affects me.
“Dora, I’m going to get your coat. That was Liam. We have to go to the hospital. Drew’s been in an accident.”
My stomach rolls, and I don’t make it to the bathroom. Jeff rubs my forehead and holds back my hair as I dry heave into the kitchen sink. When I feel that I’m in control, he lets me go. I turn around as he brings me my coat. I’m numb. Jeff kisses me on the forehead, helps me with my coat, takes my arm, and leads me out of the apartment.
The car is toasty, but I’m still shivering with a deep cold inside me. I’m praying that Drew is okay and he’ll smile at me when he sees me and we will live happily ever after, or until he gets sick of me.
“It’s my fault. I called him and he said he would come right over. Oh, Jeff, what if he …” I can’t continue as uncontrollable sobs tear through me. Jeff grabs my hand tightly.
“Stop it, Dora. Liam didn’t say, but we have to think positive. It’s not your fault. If anything, it’s mine. I made you call him.”
He squeezes my hand, and I turn, trying to control my sobs. I see a tear roll down his cheek. If this is a nightmare, I want to wake up. Please don’t let this be real. With my free hand, I pinch myself and it’s real. It’s so fucking real.
We arrive at the ER a few minutes later. The bright lights of the foyer sting my eyes, or it might be the salt from my tears. Jeff drops me at the front door and leaves to park the car. I immediately see Liam and Colin as I walk through the automatic doors. Again, my legs turn to rubber as I see the looks on their faces. They rush forward and both reach for me before I sink to the floor.
Liam picks me up and moves to the waiting room, putting me down on an overstuffed sofa. He takes a seat beside me
“How is he?” I whisper. Please, please let him be okay.
“We don’t know. Nobody has come out to talk to us. We called his dad, his sister, Emily, and we tried reaching his mom, but she’s somewhere out of the country,” Colin answers, his face as white as a ghost.
“It’s my fault. He was coming to see me,” I say, feeling numb and exhausted.
“How is it your fault? He was like a little kid after he got off the phone. He …” Liam chokes up and I pat his hand and lean into him, closing my eyes and letting the beat of his heart try to soothe me.
“How is he?” Jeff’s voice sounds close, but I have no energy to look at or answer him. I hear Colin mumble a few words and then nothing but Liam’s heart beating and an annoying TV that’s blaring from somewhere close by.
An hour later, Drew’s father joins us, looking worried. He worry turns to anger when Colin tells him we haven’t been told anything. He storms off. I let Liam’s heartbeat take me away again. I must have fallen asleep, because when I open my eyes, Emily is there, and so are a bunch of people I’ve met and some I’ve only seen in magazines.
Liam explains the late-night news had reported the accident, and people just started showing up. The agency also sent over private security to keep the press at bay. And there is still no news on Drew’s condition.
Emily sees me talking to Liam and comes over, making Jeff move so she can sit beside me. Her face is tear-streaked. She grabs my free hand and draws me into a hug. My stomach starts tumbling, and I stand up quickly. Jeff is right there, guiding me away from the crowd and into a secluded hallway. I want to see Drew. I have to see Drew.
“Jeff, I have to see Drew. Please help me. I can’t stand not knowing if he’s okay.” I cling to him and he pats my back and then seats me in a chair that he grabs from an open empty room.
“I’ll be right back,” Jeff assures me, and I let my head fall into my hands. I hear him on the phone, and then he’s back with a slight smile on his face.
“What did you do?”
“I called my dad. He’s calling the CEO of this hospital. In a few minutes, we should have some action. Let’s go back to the waiting room. I know it’s crowded, but they need to be able to find us.”
The room is just how we left it, except everyone is silent. A harried-looking man in a long white coat with a stethoscope slung around his neck enters a few minutes after Jeff and I sit down. All eyes focus on him.
“I need to talk to the immediate family of Drew Johnson.” I zero in on his father and Emily, who for some reason grab my arm and take me with them. We follow the man down another hallway and into a small room, really more like a large closet.
“I’m Dr. Morely, and I’ve been attending to Drew. The crash was pretty serious and so are his injuries. We lost him a few times, but he’s stable enough now to undergo surgery. He’s bleeding internally, and we have to find the source. His right leg is broken, but we’ll fix that after we get the bleeding under control. We need you to sign the forms so we can take him to the OR. We’re sorry we haven’t come out sooner, but it was touch and go, and my team and I were very busy.” He sounds exasperated, but I don’t feel guilty. We were in the dark.
Emily and I go back to the waiting room, arms around each other. Her father follows the doctor to sign the papers. I know how the doctor felt, because as soon as we walk into the room, it’s like a spotlight is on us.
“Well?” Jeff comes up to me and holds my hand.
“He’s going to surgery because he’s bleeding internally and they don’t know where, so they have to stop it.”
Emily starts crying and Liam and Colin move in to comfort her.
Time seems to stand still, but the hands on the clock say differently. It’s been four hours since we last talked to the doctor. In that time, the head of the modeling agency showed up, followed by a catering service handing out coffee, tea, and pretty much anything you can think of as far as drinks and sandwiches and pastries. A few people eat. I notice the models passing on the food but consuming flavored waters.
“Dora, you should eat something. You didn’t have dinner. And lunch and breakfast weren’t much either.”
I shake my head at Jeff. I definitely don’t want a vomiting session in front of this crowd. He insists I drink a cup of hot tea and it warms me up a little.
“Are all of you here for Drew Johnson?” A petite woman in scrubs is standing in the doorway looking us all over. We nod our heads like sheep. “I’m Dr. Galena and I’m the surgeon. We found the site of the bleeding, and we had to remove Mr. Johnson’s spleen. While we were in the OR, a scan revealed some swelling in the brain. We’ve had to place him in a drug-induced coma in hopes it will give the brain time to heal on its own. Only time will tell. We were able to repair the damage to his leg once the bleeding was under control, and he’s now in intensive care. Only immediate family members are allowed to visit, one at a time, for a few minutes every hour. Even though he’s in a coma, it’s believed that patients in his condition can still hear you. We encourage you to talk to him in a positive manner. Please no negativity. A nurse will be in shortly to take family members back to the ICU waiting room.” She turns and leaves quickly before anyone can ask questions. But what else can she say? We know what she knows.
“Come on, Dora, the nurse is here.” Both Emily and Drew’s father are waiting for me. I’m shocked why they’re still including me, like I’m family or something. Before I have the chance to wonder anymore, Jeff kisses me on the cheek and gently pushes me to join them in pursuit of the nurse down the hallway.
ICU is a scary place. I’m in total shock as Emily and her dad let me go first. It’s like walking into a tomb, but with little beeping and whooshing noises. The nurses walk quietly from one room to another. Rooms are laid out in a semicircle, with a large island in the middle where other nurses sit observing monitors. The nurse who came to get me gestures to a room in the middle of the semicircle, and I prepare myself for what lies beyond the door.
“Now remember,” she says quietly, “he will look different. He’s hooked up to machines by many tubes, and has some bruising.” She made this speech earlier in the waiting room. How could I have forgotten?
I turn the corner into the room, and I don’t recognize the person in the bed. Drew’s face is all bruised and swollen. His leg is in a cast, and there are so many tubes, I can’t begin to count. I wipe the tears from my eyes. I have to be brave. This is the man I love, and I have to help him pull through this.
“Hi, Drew.” I say, taking hold of his hand, hoping against hope that he’ll squeeze it back. I kind of feel silly for talking to him like this, but if they think he can hear me, I don’t care how ridiculous I look. “I’m sorry I ran out on you in Florida. I just felt out of my league. If it makes any difference, my heart has been broken ever since. I think and dream about you. I’ve never in my life ever felt so happy and loved. Yes, I said the L word. I love you, Drew, and deep down I knew it was you on Halloween but I thought you were a bad boy, and the parade of women I’ve seen you with in the magazines, tabloids and on TV made me believe you were a player. I’m so sorry I judged you. I’m wrong, and I want another chance if you’ll let me. Please forgive me. I love you, Drew. I’m not just saying that because you’re in here, and we’re supposed to only say positive things. I really do love you, and I want to be with you until you get tired of me. Please get better soon so we can talk like we were supposed to before this happened. My mom says things happen for a reason, but I don’t understand the reason behind this. I love you, and I’ll keep saying it until you wake up. I love you, Drew.”
“Sorry, time’s up,” a nurse says. “Can I make a suggestion?” She looks at me with kind eyes. “Go home and get some rest and then come back. I promise I’ll call you if anything changes. You have to take care of that baby.”
“How do you know?” I ask, thinking whether I’ve said anything. I’m so tired it could be possible.
“I was watching you on the monitor, and you’ve been rubbing your abdomen the whole time you’ve been talking to him.”
“Nobody knows except my best friend.” I feel a little panicked that my secret will be out before I’m ready.
“I won’t say a word.” She pats my hand and then lets me out of the room. I lean up against the wall, not sure if I can take another step. Just as the thought goes through my mind, I look up and see Jeff standing there waiting for me.
“Come on, we’re going home to get some rest. I’ve told Emily and Mr. Johnson, and they’re going back to the loft to stay a while,” he says while I let him lead me down the hallway.
26
The morning after the accident, my mom showed up at Jeff’s door. I was sound asleep and didn’t wake up until late afternoon, feeling like I had been hit by a truck.
I check the bedside table. My cell is missing. I slowly get out of bed, in deference to my sensitive stomach and crazy equilibrium. That’s when I hear voices and I open my door to see my mom at the kitchen table with Jeff. She gets up and meets me halfway with open arms.
“Mom? What? How?”
“Henry told me. I know he’s supposed to keep quiet about family matters and problems, but I knew something wasn’t right and he gave in after I told him I would start ignoring him all together. I kept getting your voice mail, so I drove down this morning. He told me along the way. No, I didn’t get stopped by the police, and no, your dad didn’t know I was coming. Why didn’t you call me? I’m your mother.” She’s hugging me tightly. I feel like I did when I was a little girl and she would hug away my fears. “Jeff has filled me in. Drew’s going to pull through. From what I’ve found out, he’s in love with my daughter and she’s in love with him too. So with my connections to the other side, I’m pulling out all the stops. My grandbaby will not be fatherless.” She kisses the top of my head as I realize what she just said.
“How do you know? Henry?”
She nods her head. “Of course, I would have known anyway. I’m your mother, after all.” She pulls back and wipes the tears flowing down my cheeks and then gently rubs my abdomen. “Now, pull yourself together. No more crying. Jeff says you haven’t eaten since yesterday morning, so we have to feed you. It’s an old wives’ tale that you’re eating for two. You’re just eating for yourself. That baby will take whatever it needs.”
“You’re not mad?” I ask in disbelief.
“Of course not. You love Drew and he loves you, and you will both love this baby. That’s all that matters.”
From that point on, my life changed. I felt more positive—okay, except for today, the two-week anniversary after the accident.
I make my way into the ICU and see Drew’s doctor having a discussion with his dad and Emily. They look up when they see me through the doors. I walk through, not sure what is waiting for me.
“Ah, Ms. Phillips. I’ve just been telling the Johnsons that we feel it’s time to bring Drew out of the coma. The swelling in his brain has resolved. He should wake up soon. There’s no timetable though. It just depends on how his body shrugs off the remnants of the drugs. We’ll see when he wakes up what, if any, damage was done,” the doctor explains and then leaves us to talk amongst ourselves.
“Dora, you go first. Dad and I will go down to the cafeteria. We haven’t eaten breakfast yet.” Emily kisses my cheek and Drew’s dad pats my back awkwardly. We have come to know each other these last weeks, and we’ve had long talks on why I left the photo shoot that day. I haven’t told them that I’m pregnant yet, or that I love Drew, but they have said he’s loved me from the first minute he saw me. I’ve cried many tears over the time I’ve wasted being so stubborn through all of this. But these two have made me feel like I’m family. Drew’s mother never showed up though. Apparently, she calls Emily once a day for progress reports, but has no plans on coming. Emily and her dad were relieved at the news, and I get the feeling if I met her, I would feel the same way.
How could a mother abandon her children? I touch my stomach. I will never leave you, I say silently to our precious bump.
I walk into Drew’s room and the first thing I notice is there are fewer lines leading into his body. The bruises have turned yellow, and over the last few days, the swelling has drastically diminished. He looks like Sleeping Beauty, except a male version, of course. I wish a kiss would wake him up. A nurse walks in behind me and moves around me to the bed.
“As you can see, the doctor has removed the breathing tube and before you know it he’ll be waking up soon,” she says, turning to look at me. She didn’t say “if,” and I’m so grateful for that. “I’ll leave you two alone.” She quietly makes her exit.
“Hi, Drew. It’s me again. Hope you’re not getting sick of me, and if you are, too bad. The doctor has cut off your sleeping meds, so you’ll be awake soon. I can’t wait to see your beautiful eyes. I’ve so missed them so much. When you wake up your throat will be a little sore. The doctor says you’re healing wonderfully and that if you keep this up, you could go home soon. I know you’ll want to go as soon as you can once you taste the food. It’s horrible. As soon as you can, we’ll go to Papa’s. They send their love, as does my family. Even my grandma now believes you’re not gay because I told her I love you, and that I have firsthand knowledge of that. It went completely over her head, of course. I have a secret to tell you, but I won’t tell you until I can see your eyes and you can speak. Or maybe I should wait until you’ve completely recovered because you might not like my secret. I’m hoping that you do though.” I look at my watch. I’ve been in here more than an hour, and I smile at the kindness of the nursing staff.
Jeff’s waiting for me when I come out of the room and we sit in the waiting area, watching the morning talk shows. Life goes on.
“Dora. Dora, wake up.” I look up and see Emily standing over me. She’s smiling and laughing. I’m lying on a couch and I sit up when she grabs my hands. “He’s awake and I asked him questions and he blinked once for ‘yes’ and twice for ‘no,’ or was it the other way around? The nurse says a doctor is on his way up to check him out.”
She’s jumping up and down. I stand up and she hugs me like she will never let me go. Yes, I’m happy, but anxious too. After weeks of talking to him, I’m scared I won’t know what to say.
“She’ll come and get you after it’s done. Now remember, you promised you wouldn’t tell him I told you he’s quitting the modeling gig, or that he’s opening a children’s center and the shelter for battered women. I want him to be the one to tell you, okay?”
“I won’t forget.”
When Emily first told me about Drew’s plans, I couldn’t believe he would give up his career. She told me that he started thinking about this in September, and she felt it was because he met me. As we wait for the nurse, I try hard not to rub my stomach to calm my nerves. I want to tell Emily, but I think Drew should hear it first. Okay, so he’s not the first, but I don’t think he’d like the fact that I told Emily the day he woke up from a coma before I told him. I hope he’s happy about it.
“The doctor’s finished with his exam,” says the nurse as she enters. “Now, he’ll be hoarse and his throat will be sore, so he won’t feel like talking much. Who’s first?”
Emily pushes me forward and I follow the nurse, dread sitting like a rock in my stomach. I reach the door and then step over the threshold and look to the left. Drew is sitting up … well, as high as he can due to his leg, but he watching me as walk in. I smile, wobbly, but a smile nonetheless. I can’t believe the relief I feel seeing his eyes open.
“Hi, Drew.” That’s it, you idiot? The love of your life is sitting there and that’s all you can say?
“Hi.” He swallows as if that one word has caused him great pain. I rush over to his side and put my fingers to his lips.
“Don’t talk. It’s going to hurt for a while.”
He’s still staring at me like—I don’t know what it’s like. What the hell is he thinking? His hand reaches up to my fingers and he pulls my hand down and just holds it. Okay, so I get teary-eyed and so does he. He smiles and so do I, sans the wobble.
“I love you, Drew.”
“I love you too, Dora,” he whispers.
I do something I know is taboo, but I crawl up beside him, watching out for all the wires and tubes, and snuggle next to him. His arm cradles me, and I feel his lips caress the top of my head. As I listen to the gentle thump of his heart, I close my weary eyes for some much needed rest.
I don’t know how long I slept, but I wake up next to Drew, who is snoring lightly, and I feel like someone is watching me. I turn my head and see it’s the nurse who guessed I was pregnant.
“I’m sorry,” I say, but I’m not. I know I’ve probably broken a major hospital rule, but I’m not going to budge until I know. Drew is going to completely recover. I’m the mother of his baby, and I love him, and they’ll just have to deal.
“We can move in a cot for you to sleep on,” the kind nurse whispers.
“I’d rather lie here. I’m being careful of his leg and the wires. I need to hear his heart beating.” I wait for her answer, praying that she won’t make me move.
“Okay. Let me know if you change your mind.” She smiles and leaves the room.
“I can’t believe I’m holding you. I never want to let you go. Why did you leave the shoot and ignore my calls and then block them? I tried to see you but Jeff told me that you needed space and that if I pushed too hard you wouldn’t ever want to see me.” I look at his face and see the pain in his eyes.
“I left the shoot because seeing you with Angela made me think two weeks were all I was going to get with you. You acted like you were so into her. It wasn’t until I got home, that I realized the steamy kissing scene was all an act. And when I called your room and Angela answered …”
“What do you mean when Angela answered? She was never in my room. When I came back and found out you left, I flew back home to talk to you. Oh, wait I gave her the key so she could have a few friends over.”
“She told me you were in the shower and that you guys were going out and it might be late when you returned my call. I’m so stupid, I fell for her lies.”
“I should’ve ignored Jeff and just made you talk to me,” he whispers.”
“I’m so sorry Drew, can you forgive me?”
“Only if you will swear that you’ll never leave me again.” He sounds tired and I gently kiss him.
“I promise.” I lay my head on his chest and smile as he starts to nod off.
“What’s the secret?” I hear Drew’s raspy voice whisper next to my ear. I look at the clock and see we’ve been asleep for a couple of hours.
“You heard me? They said you might be able to.” I tilt my head to look at him smiling at me. He squeezes my side gently and tilts his head, obviously awaiting my answer.
“Maybe I should wait until you’re out of here,” I say quietly, “when you feel better.” I watch as he smiles crookedly due to the minor swelling still left around his mouth. He slowly shakes his head. My heart melts, then starts racing as I realize he’s not going to wait. “But I think I should. You might not like what I have to say.” I bite my lip nervously and he squeezes me again.
“As long as it’s not that you don’t love me, and don’t want to be with me, I’ll be okay,” he whispers as his eyes bore into mine. I know I have to tell him.
“Remember New Year’s Eve?” I ask, and watch as he nods, sending me a wicked smile. “Well, we didn’t use any protection, which was my fault because I attacked you and …” I take a deep breath. “I’m pregnant,” I blurt out, and he squeezes me hard.
“We’re pregnant,” he says, his eyes filled with excitement. “New Year’s right?” He tries to sit up straighter and I curl into him and gently press him back down.
“Yes, New Year’s, now behave. You’re supposed to be resting and staying calm. Do you want to get me thrown out of here?” I say, giggling at the huge grin on his face.
“We’re pregnant. You know what that means?”
“Yes, it means I’m going to get fatter and then in five months we’re going to have a baby.”
“Yes, that of course. But I need to get out of here so we can get married.” He excitedly whispers.
“Wait, you don’t have to do that.” I say biting my lip hoping that he ignores what I’ve just said.
“Are you kidding? I love you and you love me so why wouldn’t we get married? Okay, so I can’t get down on one knee, but Pandora Ann Phillips, will you marry me?” I look at him and tears fill my eyes.
“Yes! Of course I will.” I feel his arms surround me and his lips touch mine.
