Before I could get to the door of the bar, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I stood on the street under a lamppost reading the text that said my driver was delayed. Anger boiled in my stomach. What else could possibly get in the way of me getting out of this town tonight? This was fucking ridiculous. I clenched my teeth and pounded out a long and ranting response to the guy, reaming him for being a completely inept asshole at doing something as simple as driving a car to pick me up. Right before I hit the send button, I took a deep breath. Fuck it. He didn’t deserve that kind of response. I hit the backspace button and erased all of my vile words, writing a more rational reply.
Calmer now, I was about to hit the send button when my attention was ripped from the screen of my phone. The high-pitched screeching of tires tore through my eardrums, followed by a dull thud and a cry. I looked up to see a small beater car stopped in the middle of the intersection and the crumpled body of a woman lying lifeless in the crosswalk. I clicked out of text messages, punched in 911 and took off running.
It was only a short distance from where I stood and just at the corner of the little park. My mind was racing with questions. It couldn’t be. Please, don’t let it be. My feet were moving like the wind and as I approached, I recognized the guy I clipped on the shoulder just a few minutes ago. He kicked open the car door and left it standing wide. With his hands on his head, he paced back and forth wailing, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I didn’t see her. Oh my God, what have I done?”
Fuck him. I was on a straight line to the woman on the ground. The closer I got, the more my stomach clenched. I didn’t want to look, but I had to. As I got even closer, I recognized the clothes first, then the beautiful face that my heart could never forget.
It was Lauren.
Chapter 13
Lauren
Was I dreaming? My eyes fluttered open. I turned my head to the side, ready to get out of bed, but my body felt like it weighed a million pounds. I gave in and stayed still, waiting for the brain fog to lift, closing my eyes to the bright lights surrounding me.
I tried again, blinking rapidly to clear my eyes, my vision finally focusing on the IV tube attached to my hand like an ugly snake hanging from the bag of saline solution. Why was everything in hospitals the lifeless color of death? And why was I in a hospital?
As my memory slowly faded in, I saw two men standing outside the glass window of my room, engrossed in conversation. One was Aedyn. What was he doing here? It appeared he was giving a statement to the police since the officer was scribbling something on a small notepad.
I tried to rise and call out to him, but as soon as I moved, pain exploded in my head. I lay back down, as gently as I could manage, wincing as the rest of my body protested.
Before I had time to even think about why Aedyn was here, Brandon burst into my room. He was my doctor, but also Chip’s brother and my friend; I hadn’t seen him since our lunch not long ago. His face was blank, but I sensed an urgency in his voice as he barked out commands to the nurse who had followed in behind him.
“Brandon? Why…?”
“Do you know where you are, Lauren,” he interrupted me, forcing a smile as he examined my face.
I looked around, wondering why he was asking such an obvious questions. I tried to nod, but stopped myself, instead rasping out, “Hospital.”
“Yes, that’s right. You’re in the hospital and I’m going to take care of you. Do you remember what happened?”
I closed my eyes, trying to get my memory to cooperate. I’d had coffee with Aedyn and then was heading home. I remembered walking up the sidewalk, stepping into the street and then… the bright lights. The squeal of tires. Pain. Then nothing.
“Car… hit… me,” I managed, flicking out my tongue to wet my dry lips.
“Yes. Very good,” Brandon assured me. “You were crossing the street and were hit by a car. I came as soon as I was called. What’s the next thing you remember?”
I closed my eyes again. Nothing.
“Waking up… here. Thank you… for coming. Sorry. Didn’t mean… to bother you.” My words wouldn’t come out right, the pain exploding each time a syllable left my mouth.
“Don’t be silly, Lauren. I’d come anytime for you. You’ve suffered a concussion, but by some miracle, nothing’s broken.” He placed his fingers gently on my head and began palpating. “Does this hurt?”
When his fingers hit the sore spot, I winced and he pulled his hands back. In a soothing voice said, “Calm down, just relax...”
He turned to the nurse who handed him a penlight, then he held open my eyelids one at a time, passing the light back and forth, checking the dilatation of my pupils. Still absorbed in the task at hand he asked, “How does your head feel?”