Something Forever(25)

Matthew was usually on time, but for some reason not today. Wanting to make sure I hadn’t missed his call or text, I checked again. When I didn’t get a message from him, I called...no answer.

“Will Matthew be joining you?” our usual waitress, Donna, asked, refilling my cup. Too busy with my wild imagination, I didn’t realize I had gulped it down. It was easy to drink that fast with a straw.

I started fidgeting with the menu. “He’s just a little late.”

“Oh, no worries, hun. There was an accident about an hour ago, miles from here. They had to close off two lanes. That’s what I’ve been hearing in their conversations.” Donna glanced around. “Everybody who just came in was complaining about it. I’m sure he’s stuck in traffic. If you’d like to order first, let me know. I’ll be back.”

“Thanks.” Donna’s words gave me goose bumps. I tried to calm myself by thinking Matthew was late because of a meeting he couldn’t get out of, but he would have called to let me know. Another thought was that Matthew was stuck in traffic. His cell phone had run out of battery or he’d forgotten his phone at the office.

Looking at my phone again, I realized he was half an hour late. Yup, that did it. My heart pounded hard against my chest with ugly thoughts. I panicked and dialed Max. Please pick up, Max. There was no answer.

Just as I was about to dial Jenna, the phone rang. The caller ID flashed an unknown number. I debated picking it up, but in hopes that it was Matthew I did. The tension I had a few seconds ago disappeared when I heard a male’s voice. I let out the breath I was holding when I knew it was Matthew for sure.

“Matthew,” I greeted him with the most welcoming tone.

“I’m so sorry, Becca. You must have been worried.”

I laughed. “I was. Actually, I was about to call the police and say that someone kidnapped you.”

When Matthew didn’t laugh, I knew something was wrong. “Becca, I don’t want you to worry, but I’m at the hospital. They finally let me call you.”

“What?” I think everyone in the restaurant heard my desperation. “Are you hurt? Are you okay? What happened?” I couldn’t help it. I fired out a bunch of questions at once. I needed answers and I wanted them now.

“I’m fine. I got into a car accident. Can you pick me up at the hospital? I’ll tell you everything. You can even take good care of me.” His tone was flirty at the end, but I didn’t respond. My heart that had taken a dive off the cliff was trying to find its steady beat.

“I’ll be right there. Which hospital?”

“General Hospital.”

After I explained to Donna what had happened to Matthew, she confirmed that he was most likely involved in the accident that people were talking about.



“Can you drop me off at home, Becca?” Matthew asked, gazing out the passenger’s window.

Matthew looked so tired and worn, but he was still sexy in his suit. I loved it when he wore dark gray. Looking so sleek and all business-like, I couldn’t help the naughty thoughts that ran wildly in my head. “Sure. I can do that. How are you getting to work tomorrow?”

“Max will take me to work. Since my car is in the auto shop, he is going to take me to rent a car.”

I signaled and turned left. “I could take you. You know you can ask me.”

Matthew turned to me. “I know. It will be easier. I can go to the office with Max since he lives above me. You’ll have to go out of your way.”

“I don’t mind.”

Matthew slipped his hand into mine and continued to look out the window. He was deep in thought.

“So...want to tell me what happened?” I tried to bring humor to this situation because it was dead silent in the car. “Were you too busy looking at a pretty girl walking down the street that you forgot to look at the road ahead?”

Matthew chuckled lightly and gave me that suave, sexy grin that made me want to pull down my panties for him. “Yeah...I thought that pretty girl was you. I only have eyes for you, Becca.”

That was pretty smooth, and I couldn’t help but smile. However, I needed answers so I changed the tone of the conversation. “How bad was the accident? What happened?”

“It was a red light for the other driver. Instead of stopping, he decided to go for it. What a stupid idiot. I can’t stand people that drive like that.” Matthew was flustered, as if he was reliving that moment. “It was a green light for me. I headed for the intersection. By the time I saw the car, it was too late. I tried to swerve around it. It happened so fast that it was impossible to stop the collision. You know what makes me mad? The man was driving under the influence of alcohol. I could smell it on his breath when he got out of the car to talk to me.”