by Lena Hart
Damn it.
Guy slammed on the breaks. Her father’s home. That’s where she was. He knew that with every fiber in his being, and the thought made the hairs on the back of neck rise. The house was uninhabitable, and yet he knew she would ignore all the signs and settle herself in there.
Unless that was her plan—to have him come get her. She knew he wouldn’t let her stay there, but then again, maybe he should teach her a lesson and have her spend the night there.
The thought of her in that big drafty home, however, with the weak floors and foundation, made him balk at the idea. He couldn’t leave her in there and she knew it.
She knew him too well.
With a vicious curse, Guy whipped the truck around and sped down the road toward her father’s old home.
* * *
Mya coughed as she shook out the dusty coverlet over her old bed.
Perhaps coming back to her old home had not been a wise decision, but then again, she hadn’t been thinking clearly. The shock of Guy’s words had eventually worn off, but the pain in her heart was still there and heavier than ever.
He doesn’t love me anymore.
That harsh realization made her stomach clench painfully. Guy was right. It was too late for them. She was all out of options and ideas to convince him that she loved him and that she wanted to make their relationship work. She couldn’t force him to accept something he didn’t want, and he clearly didn’t want her.
Not anymore.
Mya sat down on the edge of the bed, her thin nightshirt offering very little heat against the chill in the air. Or maybe it was the chill inside her that hadn’t gone away after their fight morning.
Either way, it wouldn’t change anything. She would have to spend the night in the drafty house until she could get power and heat connected tomorrow.
Mya crawled onto the thin mattress and lay there listening to the soft creaks of the old house and the whisper of the night creatures.
She still couldn’t believe how much she had overestimated Guy’s feelings for her. She should have seen how cold and withered his heart was toward her—much like her father’s home. She was a fool for thinking she could fix something that never stood a real chance. She’d tried to take something they’d once shared and build a future with it, but she’d been naïve. They had clearly grown too far apart.
Eventually, she shut her eyes, but sleep—like Guy and the love he once held for her—was far from reach…
A loud crash jerked her awake.
Mya didn’t know how long she’d been asleep, but the sudden noise downstairs jolted her out of her shallow slumber. She hadn’t been asleep long. It was still dark outside and the moon was still high and shining through the bare windows.
There was another loud thud downstairs, and Mya jumped out of bed. She grabbed the flashlight she’d brought up with her and held it tight in her hand. She wasn’t sure what she would encounter downstairs, but her main concern was getting out of the house. The last thing she wanted was to be trapped upstairs with a roaming animal—or lunatic.
She was partway downstairs when she realized she’d left her phone and car keys in the bedroom.
Damn it.
Mya took another step down the squeaky steps and winced with every groan and creak it made. She reached the bottom of the land only to be met with a large chest and a grip as hard as iron.
She screamed and swung the flashlight wildly. It connected with something just as hard.
“Shit.”
“Guy?”
“Who else?”
In the darkness, she could see him rubbing his shoulder. “What are you doing creeping around down here?”
“I was looking for you. I tried calling, but it must be dead.”
She hadn’t even realized. Guess it wouldn’t have been much use for her anyway. “The power’s not on.”
“Obviously. Now where’s your things? I’m taking you home.”
Mya frowned. “I am home.”
Guy scoffed, glancing around the old place. “Calling this place a home is a stretch, don’t you think?”
Her back stiffened. “It’s more a home than yours will ever be.”
Tense silence fell between them. She was getting tired of the arguing and the insults. She didn’t want to hurt him—she had never wanted that. But she wasn’t going to allow him to break her spirit either.
“Guy, I can’t stop you from hating me. Nothing I’ve tried has worked and I’m tired of running against your wall. I love you, but I’m not going to continue being your speed bag while you decide whether you still want me or not.”
“I don’t hate you.”
But you don’t love me either.
“Well, that’s a relief. Now please leave.”
“Damn it, Mya. This house is dangerous. There’s a lot of work to be done and you can’t stay here.”
“Well, it’s all I have left, so I’m staying.”
“I’m not leaving you here. It’s not safe. I will drag you out of here.”
“If you think I’m going to set a foot inside your house—”
“I’ll take you to my mother’s,” he said through gritted teeth. “But I’m not leaving you here.”
“Guy—”
“Where’s your things?” he interrupted again. “We’re leaving here. Now.”
Mya was quickly losing the reins on her patience. “I’m not going anywhere with you!”
He cursed then bounded up the stairs two at a time. “Just wait there.”
“No.” She ran after him. “Get out. I said I’m not—”
Suddenly, a loud crack thundered around them. They both froze.
“What was that?” Mya wasn’t sure why she whispered the question, but something in her felt that any slight noise or movement would have the house caving all around them.
Guy was several steps above, and he carefully turned back to face her. “We’re going to have to come back for your things later. I don’t think these stairs are going to hold our weight.”
There was another sharp crack as Guy took another step down. This time, the wood shuddered beneath their feet. Mya sucked in a breath and grabbed for the stair rails.
“Guy, be careful!”
“I will. Just slowly head back down. Hold the rails.”
That wasn’t a problem. Her grip around it was unshakeable. It was getting her legs to move that was the problem.
“Mya, get down the stairs.”
She shook her head, staring at his feet. He was much higher on the stairs than she was, and she was afraid any movements she made would weaken the already fragile structure.
“Not until you can come down with me.”
“I’ll be right behind you.” He took another step down. “We need to even out the weight, so I need you to get down.”
He was right, of course. But she wished he wasn’t already so high up. She took a step back and he followed suit. She didn’t know if it was all in her head, but the wood beneath her felt unbelievably frail. She didn’t know why she hadn’t realized that before.
“That’s good. Nice and easy.”
She took another step back, but miscalculated her step and nearly went flying back. With a loud shriek, she instinctively reached out in front of her.
“Mya!”
Guy rushed down the steps to grab hold of her, but he wasn’t close enough.
Suddenly, something resembling an explosion resounded in the old house and the floors caved beneath them. Mya had only a split second to register what had happened before Guy’s horrified face disappeared from her sight.
Fourteen
There was noise everywhere.
Hurried voices, loud beeping, the grating of metal against concrete. Yet despite the acute noise flooding Guy’s senses, nothing compared to the pain shooting along his left side.
The pain in his shoulder was like a jolt to his system. Guy peeled his eyes open and was met by a blinding white light. He winced and turned his head away.
>
“Sheriff? Stay with us. We’ve almost there.”
Guy gritted his teeth. Almost where?
The last thing he remembered was going home.
It had been empty. It shouldn’t have been… Mya should have been there… But she’d left him.
No.
He’d told her to leave. But he’d gone to get her back. He didn’t want her to go… He had to get her back. He had to save her… But he hadn’t gotten to her in time. Her horrified face flashed in his eyes before it had disappeared.
Mya.
“Sheriff, please calm down.”
He hadn’t realized he’d shouted the word until that moment. He struggled to sit up but felt two hands holding him firmly down. Intense pain shot down his arm as he struggled to come up, but he ignored it.
“My wife! Where is she?”
“Damn it, Alex. Hold him.”
“Mya!”
“Sheriff, you have to calm down. Your wife is fine. She’s being treated for minor cuts, but we have to get you prepared for surgery.”
Guy couldn’t make out the woman’s face, the light was still so damn bright, but knowing that Mya was okay eased some of his panic.
“I want to see her.” He tried to sit up again, but this time it was the growing pain on his left shoulder that kept him down. He turned his head, and that was when he saw it—the long piece of wood protruding from his shoulder. One look at it sent another shock wave of pain.
“Fuck.”
“Relax, sheriff. We just gave you something for the pain. Once it kicks in, we will have…”
The doctor’s words faded as the world around him began to blur. He suddenly felt numb all over and was thankful for it. He was tired of hurting, tired of the relentless pain of being angry and feeling rejected.
He was so damn tired.
But she was safe, and that was all that mattered to him. He let his mind succumb to the void until he felt nothing.
* * *
Mya paced outside the operating room doors, twisting and untwisting the pale blue hospital gown she’d been given. The hospital staff had let her be when they realized they would have to forcibly remove her from that spot.
Her stomach was twisted in knots, and her mind raced with the horrifying possibilities that he wouldn’t be okay. Just thinking of long it had taken her to operate his police radio to call for help, how they had dug him out of the pile of broken wood. Just thinking about the way one long, jagged piece had protruded gruesomely from his body made her ill. And the blood…
Mya shook her head. He was going to be okay. He had to be. The alternative was too unbearable to consider.
“Mya? Oh, thank God.”
She turned to find Gloria rushing to her. She pulled her into a tight hug and Mya clung to her.
“Where is he? Where is Guy?”
“He’s still in surgery. I think. They won’t tell me anything.” Her voice thickened with tears, and Gloria pulled her into another tight hug.
“What happened out there?”
Mya took a steadying breath and filled Gloria in on her stupidity. She’d known the house was unsafe and yet she had gone there anyway, putting herself and Guy in danger.
“I did this,” Mya whispered. “I shouldn’t have gone there. He tried to tell me but I wouldn’t listen, and now—”
The tears started again clouded her vision and Mya covered her face, not wanting Gloria to see her fall apart, but she couldn’t stop the tears that fell. Being at the hospital again brought back all of the same horrible memories, the same fears and panic. She couldn’t lose Guy too. She couldn’t. The unfairness of it all weighed on her and she broke down.
Gloria grabbed her arm and shook her. “Mya, stop this. You can’t fall apart on me now. I can’t do this without you.”
Mya nodded and took a shuddering breath. The last thing Gloria needed was to think the worst about her only child. She wiped her eyes and noticed the pallor on Gloria’s face. Behind her glasses her eyes were red and glassy.
Shame over her weakness filled Mya. If Gloria could manage to hold it together, she needed to at least try.
Mya took another calming breath. “You’re right, Gloria. I’m sorry.”
Suddenly the door to the operating room opened and the doctor she had spoken to earlier came out.
“Mrs. Lawson?”
“Yes.”
She and Gloria spoke in unison, and Gloria glanced at her in surprise. Mya slid her gaze from hers and asked the doctor anxiously, “How is he?”
“He’s stable right now. We removed the wood and splinters found in the wound, but he lost a lot of blood. We will need your permission to do an immediate blood transfusion.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
Mya glanced at Gloria in surprise.
“I don’t want him getting some stranger’s blood,” Gloria snapped. “Do you know how dangerous that is? What if he got infected with something? I’ve heard cases of people dying from those things. So no.”
“But Gloria, this could save his life,” Mya said, incredulous. She turned to the doctor. “I want you to do everything you can for him.”
Gloria inhaled sharply. “How dare you, Mya. I’m his mother and—”
“I’m his wife.”
Gloria’s eyes rounded with shock and disbelief flooded her gaze. Suddenly, Mya was tired of all the lies and secrets.
“We’ve been married for two years now. We got married at the county court.”
Astonish still filled Gloria’s expression. Then, to Mya’s disappointment, her face reddened and the outrage in her eyes was unmistakable.
Mya turned away from her icy glare and said to the doctor, “Please do whatever you need to save him.”
* * *
Guy woke to find both Mya and his mother peering down at him. It took a moment for him to orient himself, but the memories—and bright lights—came crashing through him and he shut his eyes again from the onslaught.
“Guy?” Mya slipped her hand into his and a sense of calm washed through him. “How do you feel?”
He cracked his eyes open again. “Like a million bucks.”
That garnered a few weak smiles from both of them.
“You look like a million bucks.” His mother patted scruffy cheeks. “Welcome back, sleeping beauty.”
His lips curved in a wry smile.
“How long have I been here?”
“Two days. You’ve been in and out of it. Don’t you remember?” Mya asked.
“Some,” he said. He tried to shift but found it difficult. “It’s mostly a blur. What happened?”
“The stairs collapsed and you fell through,” Mya explained. “Your shoulder was impacted and they had to do emergency surgery. And a blood transfusion.”
“But don’t worry honey. Luckily, I was an exact match, so you still have your mama’s blood flowing in you.”
“Do you need anything?” Mya asked. “Can I get you anything?”
“I’m fine.” Actually, he was sore all over, but he hated to see the anxiety in her eyes.
“Are you sure?”
He squeezed her hand in reassurance. “Yes, love. I’m fine.”
“Mya, would you excuse us for a moment? I’d like to talk to my son. Alone.”
At his mother’s terse request, Mya’s lips tightened. The tension between them was palpable. Mya looked like she wanted to refuse but thought better of it.
But Mya leaned down and placed a light kiss on his lips.
“I’ll be right outside if you need me,” she murmured.
Guy waited until she left before he turned to his mother. “What’s going on with you two?”
His mother’s gentle rubbing on his arm was still light, but her gaze was sharp. “Don’t take that tone with me, Guy Lawson. Not when I’m this angry with you.”
Guy’s brows pulled together. “What did I do now?”
“Mind explaining to me why the hell you and Mya got married at the courthouse? And two
years, Guy? You kept this from me for two years!”
He sighed. “She told you.”
“Yes!” she snapped. “But what I don’t understand is why you wanted to keep this a secret from me. I love you and Mya. I wanted to be there, damn it.”
“Ma, don’t cry. We were going to tell you, but…things just weren’t going to work out.”
“What do you mean? Why’d you two rush to the altar in the first place if you weren’t going to give it a chance?” Suddenly, she gasped and her hand flew to her throat. “Was she pregnant?”
“No, it wasn’t like that. I married her because I love her, and I thought she loved me too.”
His mother frowned and cocked her head to the side. “Of course she loves you. You should have seen the way she took charge to make sure you got the best treatment. I wasn’t sure whether I should be pleased, or incensed, that she was basically taking over my job.”
Guy was a bit surprised by what his mother was telling him. He’d half expected Mya to break down or shut down, much like she had when her father had been rushed to the hospital with his critical injuries. He’d always believed Mya would run instead of face the tough moments in life, like she had in the past. But if what his mother was saying was true, then he really had underestimated the woman Mya was now.
“What I don’t understand,” his mother began, “is if you two got married two years ago, that means you got married right before she left for England?”
“Yeah,” Guy said stiffly, not liking where his mother was going with this.
She was silent for a long while. Then she asked, “Before or after?”
Guy sighed. He knew exactly what she was asking. “After the funeral. Then she left me after we— On our wedding night.”
He couldn’t mask the bitterness in his tone and he didn’t bother trying. Everything was all out in the open, and whether his mother agreed with him or not, whether she approved of their situation, didn’t change the fact that they were in a marriage that would soon come to an end.
“Why?” she finally asked. “Why the rush? The secrecy?”
“I just wanted to take care of her. I loved her. If she hadn’t run off, there would have been no reason to keep it from you.”