“It’s nice to finally meet you, Amelia. If you ever decide to quit working for this one here, give me a call. You’ve outdone yourself,” Rodney Sinclair, the mayor, says.
“I’ll keep that in mind. Although, I do believe I’ll be busy teaching art at Resting Palm full time after I recoup from all of this,” I announce loud enough to get Zeke to crane his neck my way. We’ve been inside the Smithson Promenade room at The Four Seasons for a little over an hour now.
Our ride here was full of laughter, joking, and no tension rolling off Zeke at all. But the minute we stepped through these doors, his tension came back in a flurry. He hasn’t paid attention to much of anything at all.
“Well, good luck to you, dear.” He pats my shoulder, shakes Zeke’s hand, and saunters off to do his job, I suppose.
“I was kidding. Lighten up.” I place my arm through his, rest my head on his shoulder, and sigh. “I told myself I wouldn’t bring this up, but if your sudden change in your mood has anything to do with—”
“It doesn’t. That’s over,” he states. “I’m overwhelmed by all of this, Amelia. I mean, look at this place. The lights, the colors, food, the people. All this time you’ve been telling me to quit doing things for you. That you could never pay me back, and you go and pull together something like this. Christ. I’m so lucky to have you in my life. I’m never letting you go.”
The question of if it happened has now been answered, and I’m just fine with all of it. And if I'm honest with myself, I feel like an extra weight has been lifted off me. Soul light and heart happy.
“I love you. When you love someone, you do things for them out of that love. I had a vision for all of this before you told me about Clara. I just added more color.”
He plants a chaste kiss on my forehead before pulling away. The naughty glint in his eyes tells me exactly he still has plans for this evening.
I reach up on my tiptoes and whisper in his ear, “My pain is back, doctor. Think I better go mingle a bit before I double over,” I tease.
“We could find an examination room.”
“You are too much.” I push on his chest. “Mayor Sinclair mentioned his wife would like to meet me. I would like to meet and thank her personally for helping me with your charity.”
“Our charity,” he says while wrapping his arm around my waist, pulling me into him.
“Ours,” I whisper back.
“Now, go rub elbows, my beautiful girl.”
As soon I as I leave Zeke’s side, he joins a group of elderly men dressed in dapper suits, tumblers of whiskey in their hands. He’s definitely the man of the hour. I’ve stood around listening to so many conversations about ER procedures and new techniques tonight. I was honored to be included in them, and I’m honored watching him interact now.
“Amelia.” An older lady strolls up to me.
She’s gorgeous in an elegant yet simple black dress. Her jet-black hair is sleeked back in a smooth yet sophisticated ponytail.
“Hi.” My voice comes out squeaky.
“I’m Samantha Sinclair. The mayor’s wife.” She extends her hand my way. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“You as well,” I reply.
“My husband and I are quite impressed with your work. I’m honestly blown away.”
“Thank you. Zeke made it quite easy on me.”
“That boy is in love with you. I’ve known him for a long time. I went to high school with his mother. I’ve never seen him like this.”
That leaves me speechless, unable to form a single thought.
“I would love to know more about his family. He doesn’t talk about them much or his time in the military,” I say, managing to get out the one thing Zeke and I don’t discuss. Much like me, he’ll talk to me more about it when he feels the time is right.
“He deserves happiness, and so does that brother of his. Those boys have been through hell and back.”
“Yes, they have.” I nod agreeing with her. Our conversation floats around into talking about my artwork and her own charity work. We discover that we may become partners in another charity. Samantha’s passion lies in an afterschool program and thinks me teaching art once a month would be perfect.
“The kids will be so excited. They’re all very bright children and grow bored easily with the same activities.”
“I would love to help. Let me speak with…”
The words die in the middle of my throat. The walls cave in around me. All my hard work crashes to the ground right along with my heart.
“I’m in my final year of medical school. Starting to look around for job openings.”
What the other man says to him falls on deaf ears. It’s his evil sound that streams through my blood, causing my skin to prickle alive with all the years of poison I put in my body. All the pain. The torture. The abuse. No. This can’t be happening to me.
I don’t why, but I do it. I turn around and see him standing there. The same young man who used to haunt my dreams. Dexter. He has his dad’s sharp looks, dark hair, and he’s bigger. Taller even than he was before. My tongue is tied, my hands are shaking, and my breathing becomes short. He turns his head to gaze my way. I’m frozen. Ice clogging my veins.
He stops speaking. Scans me up and down, and I die a little right there. Naked and vulnerable to his glare.
“Amelia.” Samantha’s palm lands on my forearm. I flinch. “Dear, where did you go on me? Are you okay?”
Slowly and with extra effort, I turn to face her. My bottom lip begins to tremble. I can’t let her see me like this.
“Yes. I’m fine. I just remembered that I need to check with the caterers. I’m sorry.”
“No worry, dear. Since we have each other’s numbers, I’ll be in touch soon.”
“Thank you.”
Samantha wraps me up in a tight hug. She will never know how much I needed that hug.
I scan the room for Zeke, who is still surrounded by a group of men. Dexter’s voice is still booming in my ear. Marissa is at his side. It seems the two fuckers are trying to drown me in my own past. Does she know who I am? Does she know the things he has done to me?
I don’t run to Zeke even though that’s what my brain is telling me to do. I slowly and precisely begin to walk away from the crowd. It appears everyone is staring at me. Even though I know they aren’t. They can’t possibly know what I’m thinking or who the man I’m running away from is. I glance at Zeke one more time to see him reach into his suit jacket, pulling out his phone. He can’t see me this way. I’ve come too far. I need to get out of here. This night is too important to him to have it ruined by a man I thought would be dead by now.
The sign for the bathroom catches my eye. I walk with my head down, my feet feeling like lead. My mind caught up in a violent tornado.
I push open the door. My hand immediately going to the lock. I panic when I spring to see there isn’t one.
I can’t hold it together anymore. The minute my back slides down the cold tiled wall opposite of the door, a rapid storm starts its purpose of tearing right through me. My lungs are crying out for air.
I need to think. Need to get as far away from Dexter as I can. My hands tremble, and my fingers fidget while digging in my purse. The red light on my battery life is blinking. It’s going to die any minute, but I need my Zeke. Yes, I need to run. Not to the streets. I need to go to him.
I hit his contact info on my phone and wait for it to ring. My phone beeps in my ear, letting me know the little fucker is going to die any second now.
“Amelia!” he roars into the phone.
I can’t talk. My mind is blank. My eyes start burning with tears. “Oh, my God. Help me,” I choke out through my sobs.
“Where are you?” The sound of his fist going through something shatters on my end. “Talk to me, Amelia. You need to talk.”
“B-b-b-bathroom,” I barely get out before the door slams open, and Zeke is there with wild eyes.
“Amelia.” He’s on the floor next to
me, wrapping me up in his arms.
“Did he touch you?” He grips my face in his hands. “Did that motherfucker touch you?”
“No,” I stumble out. “No, I saw him. Tried not to panic but then came here. Wait, how do you know he is here?”
A flash of pain flitters across his eyes, but it doesn’t last long. “Do you really want to know?”
“I didn’t think I did, but after hearing and seeing him, that did something to me, Zeke. It threatened to shatter the barriers I’ve built up. I won’t allow that to happen.”
“The club is going to take care of it all. Curtis and Saxon are down in Florida, going to pay your mom and stepdad a little visit tonight. The last sound they’ll hear is Dexter begging for his life.” Everything is orchestrated and ready to go down. When you wake up tomorrow, nobody will ever be a threat to you, Amelia.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want to see him again, Zeke. I can’t quit shaking,” I finally admit to him.
“I’m positive. Let’s go home.” He tilts my chin up to look down at me. “I need to say good-bye to some people, Amelia. I need you to keep it together. Can you do that?”
“Yes,” I say. Knowing I’ll do anything for him as long as the end result means he’ll get me out of here.
He pulls me up to a standing position then backs me into the counter. “Let me clean you up.” He’s being incredibly calm when I know he’s anything but. He dries my eyes, wipes away the streaks of makeup, and even reaches into my clutch putting my gloss on my lips. With his hand in mine, I’ll be okay. We stride through the crowds of people with his hand resting on the middle of my back. I’m trembling. Every part of me wants to scan the room in search of Dexter. I don’t. I’m afraid if I see him again, I will fall to the floor. Zeke tells everyone important he’s been called into the hospital, and before I can speak again, he’s whisking me out the door, where Zeke’s car is right out front where we parked it.
“Get it, baby.” I swirl around and catch something out of the corner of my eyes. It happens fast within one tiny blink. It’s as if the universe wanted me to see it. A man I recognize and don’t know why has Dexter by the throat, throwing him into a truck. It all happens so fast, I’m not sure if it was real or a figment of my imagination.
Once seated in Zeke’s car with my fingers stroking his watch, the evening catches up to me. It begins with dull trembles until my entire body convulses.
“Baby, you need to breathe. You’re in shock. It’s okay.”
“What?” I cry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but this isn’t shock. It isn’t fear. I've never felt anything like it.
“I’m so sorry. Had no clue he’d be there. Knew he was in the area, but the club had eyes on him. Got the call tonight letting me know he was there. Fuck, I’m so sorry. It’s over, baby, it’s all over. I’m taking you home.” He’s mumbling. His hand is resting on my thigh. I hear him, but I don’t register what he’s saying.
“Zeke, I’m going to be sick.”
“Fuck, your lips are blue, Amelia.”
I open my mouth to speak, but instead, I feel a sharp, tearing pain in my stomach. It whirls once then twice before acidic vomit crawls up the back of my throat. The warm liquid covering the dashboard and my dress.
“Jesus fucking Christ.” Zeke squeezes my hand. “Breathe, baby. Breathe.”
He brings his phone to his ear, shouting orders to have an ER room prepped and ready.
“Zeke,” I rasp out. “No hospital.”
The words barely leave my mouth before more vomit flies out. A pain low in my right side aches to life.
Zeke studies the road, darting his vision back and forth between it and me. His gaze locks on my hands clutched on the right side of my stomach.
“Amelia.”
“It hurts.”
“For how long?” he asks, tears filling his eyes.
I want to reach over and tell him everything will be okay, but I’m covered head to toe in my own wretched puke.
“Never this bad. It’s been coming and going the past few weeks. I thought maybe it was nerves and stress over the ball. Now, I’m not so sure; it’s like my panic attack triggered something.”
“I can’t fucking handle this, baby. God, we need to be at the hospital.”
“Why am I puking like this?” I ask, wiping the back of my mouth with my hand.
“Your right side?” He asks again then looks at the vomit coating me and his car.
It’s neon green like nothing I’ve ever seen before.
“Gallbladder. I don’t really know until I check you out.” There is no playfulness in his tone like the day in his office. He’s frightened.
He slides the car in front of the hospital entrance and is out and at my door before I can blink. My door flies open, and Zeke dives in unbuckling my seatbelt and lifting me in his arms.
“No!” I scream with another bout of pain hitting me hard. “I’m covered…”
Zeke ignores me, scooping me up in his arms and racing inside. He’s barking out orders while my stomach churns.
“I need an ultrasound done in here stat, think it’s her gallbladder,” he yells.
There’s scrambling and racing in every direction. Panic along with pain hits me like a ton of bricks. I reach my hand out for him, but Zeke is in full doctor mode.
“Zeke.” He doesn’t hear me, so I say his name louder and he finally looks at me.
“We’ll get you fixed up, Amelia, just hang on.”
“I need you right now!” I scream.
“I’m here,” he reassures me.
I squeeze his arm, and before I can tell him again that I need him, I witness Zeke lose his complete shit.
“This is my Goddamn ER, and when I say I need an ultrasound in here stat, I fucking mean it.”
Another doctor holds his hands up and steps closer. “All due respect, Doctor Hartley, you’re not on call and clearly too close to this patient to assist. You have a well-run ship here, and she’s in good hands.”
Zeke’s free hand scrubs over his head. “Don’t like repeating my fucking self. Especially when it involves the woman I love. Please, get what we need in here.”
He’s seething between gritted teeth in full protective mode. “This is my ER and my woman.”
I tug on his hand hard this time and yell his name. When I finally have his attention, I talk to him.
“I need you right now, baby.”
“I’m here.”
“No, Zeke, I need you with me right now. The man who loves me is who I need. Not to be my doctor.”
“Fuck,” he whispers.
“I’m fine. I tried to fight the panic attack and didn’t win. I tried to battle it away, but it was too powerful. It was all too much.” I’m trying to calm him down, but he’s not listening.
“I’m a doctor, Amelia. I’m not simply going by your word. Not this time. I need to make sure you're all right. Give me this?”
“Zeke,” I gently remind him. “I’ll give you your peace of mind. I’m asking for you to be here by my side. Let them take care of me.”
“What blood work was ordered?” Zeke demands when a nurse walks in with a couple of vials in her hand, a needle, and swabs to wipe my arm. Well, one thing’s for sure, my emotions are turning from fear to anger.
I stare at the needle. Waiting for the horrible memories to surface. When my body tries to shut down, I close my eyes. Think of the worried man and my life with him beside me. I’m not going back there. I refuse to do it.
“I’m not sure, doctor. I was asked to draw her blood,” she says, her voice shaky. My God, he has them all nervous in here.
I bite down on my lip knowing I’m losing the battle here. However, his bossiness and demands are taking my mind away from my tortured thoughts. It hits me that I survived tonight in one piece. I could’ve run fast and far with enough money in my bank account. Hopped on a bus and left, but the thought never crossed my mind.
Knowing my mother and stepfather are dead
and seeing Dexter being hauled off to hopefully meet his maker will forever replace every single nightmare of mine.
“Someone will be right back with the results as soon as possible.”
“Ma’am.” I sit up in the bed with another sharp, stabbing sensation low on my right side. “Can you please shut the door?"
“No,” Zeke roars.
“Shut the door,” I grit out.
She doesn’t listen, not with Zeke beginning to freak out beside me.
“Please,” I beg her. She looks from me to Zeke, and when he nods, she graciously closes the door.
I grab both of his hands. “Zeke, shut up. That door will open, you’ll be by my side, and everything else will be history. It will just be us forever. You need to calm down, be here for me, and breathe.”
He finally drops down in the seat next to the bed, never letting go of my hands. “Seeing you like this is too much for me.”
“Then just be here with me,” I whisper.
“I’m here. Let's get a gown on you,” he says quietly.
“Okay.” I relax while watching him twist his body and grab a blue hospital gown from behind him. His face is wrinkled with worry, it’s etched everywhere, and I want to reach out and smooth them all away. I’m simply too exhausted and weak to lift my arms. Zeke helps me out of my dress and wipes me down with a warm rag. Once the gown’s in place, her sits on the bed, pulls me to his chest, and we wait what seems like forever until the same doctor from before enters with a chart in his hand.
My mind is complete mush, my body exhausted with the events of tonight. It should’ve destroyed every single piece of me, and I won even though I lie here in a hospital bed in pain still trembling.
“It’s the gallbladder like expected. We’ll need to get in there and take it out, hopefully laparoscopy if it hasn’t ruptured already.”
I squeeze Zeke's’ fingers with all my strength to keep him from butting in.
“We found something else,” the doctor glances down to the paperwork in his hand.
And the panic flares right back up for me.
“Jesus Christ.” Zeke steps forward ripping the paper from his hands.
When Opposites Collide Boxset Page 42