“I love you, Sandy,” he said. Hoping she’d say the words back to him.
For a few minutes she was his. Her submission was his for the taking.
“I can’t do this.” She pushed him away. “When we were dating, you didn’t care about my feelings. Why mention of love all the sudden?”
“I don’t want to lose you.”
“What happens when another man puts his hands on me?” she asked.
Instant jealousy rushed through him like an enormous wave. He stood frozen. Not knowing what to do.
“No one will touch you but me.”
“You can’t control everything. You can’t bend people to your will, Neal. I’d rather be alone than scared of what you might do or say if another man comes near me.”
“Sandy, don’t make me do this. Don’t make me beg.”
“Why not? You’ve made me beg at every opportunity.” She stormed past him. Neal followed, grabbing her arm. “Stay the fuck away from me,” she shouted in his face, yanking out of his grip.
Neal followed her. He watched her run out on the road. His heart stopped as a car sped toward her too fast.
“Sandy, move,” he yelled.
Too late. The person driving the car didn’t have enough time to stop. The woman he loved was thrown through the air and landed on the cement street. He ran to her side. She wasn’t awake.
“Call an ambulance.”
“I’m so sorry. She came out of nowhere. I didn’t see her,” the woman from the car said.
Nothing mattered but the lifeless body of the woman he’d treated like shit. What happened if she didn’t wake up?
His heart pounding and hands shaking, he grabbed his mobile. After several attempts he called his family. Rory turned up with the ambulance. He watched as Sandy got strapped up and sent with the paramedics. Being no relation, he had to follow behind.
Chapter Sixteen
Neal finally reached his parents on the way to the hospital. Luke was on his way and would see if any of her family cared to make an appearance. When he arrived, the nurses placed him in the waiting room. No one would talk to him.
Half an hour later, Luke walked in the front doors with her sister, Natalie. He stood as the two walk toward him.
Natalie looked pale and shaken. Luke didn’t look much better.
“How is she?” Natalie asked.#p#分页标题#e#
“I’m hoping you can tell me. They won’t speak to anyone but her family. Her next of kin happens to be Luke.” He stared at his brother and wondered why he hadn’t known about Sandy’s medical changes.
“She wouldn’t trust any of her family with her health. I can understand why she’d choose her best friend. I’ll go see if I can find a doctor.”
He watched her walk away before turning his glare on his brother.
“You’re my woman’s next of kin?”
“It was something she asked me to do when she turned twenty-one. Something her family had said worried her. I asked her to find someone else. She refused,” Luke explained.
The first thing he would be changing is the next of kin status. If she didn’t want any of her family to be there, then he’d be the one responsible for her life.
“What happened?” Luke asked.
“We were fighting. She ran out into the road. A car was coming and knocked her down.”
He saw in his mind the way she went down. The way she didn’t respond to being called.
Natalie returned with a shake of the head. “No news at the moment. I’ll be the first one to know.”
“I’m going to get myself a coffee. Do any of you two want one?” Luke asked.
“A black coffee with no sugar would be good.”
Neal was left alone with the ice queen. He sat down in the waiting room and placed his head in his hands. Thinking would be the only way to get through this.
“She’ll be all right,” Natalie said.
“How do you know?”
“She’s a strong woman.”
“How would you know when none of you paid attention to her?” He watched her wince and hated himself for the words. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for.”
“You’re only speaking the truth. Not really your business but you care for her so I’ll accept.”
She really was a snobby bitch. Not his problem though.
Luke returned with the coffee. Rory stopped by, along with the rest of the family to offer their support. About three hours later the doctor walked out.
“How is she?” Natalie asked.
“Fine. The bang to the head caused a little concern but she’s awake and alert. We’re going to keep her twenty-four hours for observation. Besides a broken leg and some scrapes she’s doing fine. The driver mustn’t have been going fast. She’s lucky,” he said.