by Young, Alexa
“I was trying to move on and you were there. I thought I could, but it’s always been her. You’re a great girl, but—”
“Oh, don’t start your patronising bullshit with me. Thanks for messing me around. I have fucking feelings here, Dray. Not that you give a shit. To think I thought you could be one of the good guys I could actually fall for.”
“Diane, I’m sorry.”
“Stick your pathetic excuse of an apology where the sun don’t shine.” She snatches up her coat and storms out, slamming the door behind her.
I give her a few moments to make her exit while I phone Luce. Surprise surprise, she’s not answering; it goes straight to voicemail.
“Firecracker, it’s not what it looks like. There’s nothing between me and Diane, we were over. That kiss was all her, I tried to fucking push her off. Please baby, just come home. Let’s sort this out. You know you’re the only one for me. Please, just let me explain. I need you to understand. It’s you, Luce. It’s only ever been you. I love you with all my heart. Please, come back to me,” I beg, hoping she’ll listen to my words.
I end the call. All I want to do is fire my phone against the wall, but I need it for if she calls back. Now is no time to lose my cool. I have to keep my head straight and find her to make her believe me.
But fuck, this is Luce.
I know the way her brain works.
I’m screwed.
But I’ve waited too long to let a stupid moment like this ruin what we have.
I slam the door behind me and walk into the lift. I keep checking my phone, but there’s nothing. I twirl the car keys in my hand. If I have to drive around this whole city, I’ll find her and make her understand.
I start the ignition; I don’t know where to head for first except the obvious. Would she really go there knowing it’s the first place I’d go? I have no choice. I’m out of options right now. I just have to find her.
I head towards the city centre, to go to her coffee shop. I just hope she’s there. I run a hand down my face in agitation.
I’m freaking out.
My phone goes off and in my agitated state I snatch it up, only for it fly out of my hands onto the floor.
Fuck. It could be Luce.
I have to answer it.
I duck down for a few seconds to retrieve it, my fingertips reaching, grasping until I have it in my grip. As my eyes lift to focus, I almost hit a cyclist.
FUCK.
I swerve so hard, the car loses all control. The last few seconds, Luce flashes into my head. She’s my heart, my home, my entire fucking world. It’s the one last thing I think of before my car barrels towards a tree.
I manage to swerve slightly but my whole body is thrown sideways, the piercing noise of the airbag the last thing I hear as my head smashes into the side window.
The pain is instant, and I mutter Luce’s name one more time before I fall into darkness.
Chapter Eighteen
“Dray.”
The voice sounds familiar.
My head feels foggy.
I feel strange.
What the hell is wrong with me?
I go to open my eyes, but it’s like they’ve been sewn shut. I try to move but my body feels disconnected from my head.
I can’t speak.
My throat is dry and sore. I start to panic, but the voice begins again.
“Dray, if you can hear me, please wake up. You can’t do this to me, I need you. It’s been eight weeks, Dray, eight long fucking weeks. I can’t just sit here anymore. Every day, another piece of me dies, not knowing if you’re ever going to wake up. I hate it. I want you back. I know about Diane. I got your message and we talked. I’m not angry anymore. I love you, Dray, so much. I’ve carried a secret with me for the last two weeks.” She pauses, almost to correct her wavering voice.
“I’m pregnant, Dray, with our baby. Yeah, remember that night I thought we’d be okay? I was on the pill, but turns out you have super sperm. Why am I not surprised? So, it’s not just us anymore, we have another person to consider. I only found out when I fainted. They blamed low blood sugar and me spending too much time here. It turned out to be the most amazing news, but you need to wake up. You’re going to be a daddy. We’re going to be parents. I wanted to tell you once you were awake, but I can’t hold it in any longer. If it gives you more of a reason to fight then please, baby, fight for us, for our son or daughter. I can’t do this on my own. I need you here with me, so wake up.”
She beats her fist against my chest as she descends into a sob.
Firecracker.
Her words finally sink in.
Dad?
I’m going to be a dad?
My chest tightens at the thought. I’d always been careful, but kids with Luce is something I yearned for. All my dreams come true.
Fuck, Dray. Move, talk, do something!
The sound of her sobs pulls at my heart. I hate to hear her cry, desperation pouring out of her. I want to hold her, to rock her and tell her I’m with her every step of the way. But right now, my body refuses to cooperate.
And then I do something I haven’t done in a long time. I feel a tear roll down my cheek. Luce’s fingers leave my face. She jumps up, and I immediately feel the loss of her body.
“Dray? Are you crying?”
I try to answer but no words come.
“Did you hear me, Dray? You’re going to be a daddy. Please, tell me you heard.” She grabs my hand. “Squeeze my hand if you heard!” she yells in desperation.
I concentrate hard on giving her the smallest of movements.
I hope it’s enough.
“Dray, you squeezed my hand!” she shrieks.
Thank fuck it worked.
“You heard, you heard. Please, baby, open your eyes. I need you to look at me. I’ve waited so long.” Her voice breaks as she pleads.
I sigh and try with all my might, but my eyes don’t seem to want to function.
Fuck this shit.
I need to see my Luce.
I’ve been without her so long.
I’m fucking doing this.
I manage a small flicker.
That’s it, keep going.
I need to see her face more than I need the air I breathe.
My eyes flicker again, this time halfway before snapping shut.
“That’s it, Dray. Please come back to me. Open your eyes and tell me you heard.”
This time, I’m determined. I’m not letting this ruin the best moment of my life. I take a deep breath and pry my eyes open. Luce is staring back, her cheeks all red and tear-stained. My face drops at the thought of causing her so much pain.
“Fire—cr—ack—er,” I gradually manage to get it. The sound of her name has her bursting into tears. She buries her face in my neck and sobs hard. All I can do is just lie there and watch all the emotion seep out of her.
Eight weeks?
I’ve been in a coma for eight weeks?
No wonder she’s emotionally wrecked. I would have been in complete Hell if it had been the other way round.
How the hell did I even get here?
I try and speak again, but it’s pointless over the loud sobbing. I have to let her get it all out before trying to find out answers.
After a few minutes, she pulls herself up to look at me. Her pained eyes stare deep into mine, and we just gaze at each other.
God, I love this woman.
My eyes flick down to her stomach before returning back to meet hers.
“D—ad?” I ask, still unsure about what I’ve just heard.
She grabs my hand and kisses it, placing it against her stomach. “Yes, Dray, we’re having a baby. I’m eight weeks gone. The night we got together, we made a baby.”
I smile at the look of delight in her eyes, the same emotion I hold in mine. My fingers twitch against her skin. Her stomach is still flat, but it’s early days. I can’t wait to see her fill out with our son or daughter inside her.
My eyes fill
up at the thought it could have all being taken away from me. “How did it—”
“You crashed your car. The cyclist said after you swerved to avoid him you lost all control and hurtled towards a tree. You tried to swerve but ended up smashing your head against the side window. From there, your brain became so swollen they took you straight into surgery, then put you into an induced coma. They wouldn’t say whether you would make a full recovery, or if you would ever wake up at all. But I never stopped praying you would come back to me.”
“No one could ever…keep me away.”
“There were dark moments I wondered if you would even recognise me. If you would be the same Dray I’d always known. To not have you as part of my life or to act like a stranger would have broke me.” Her face drops down, and it kills me not to touch her.
“Hey, I’m here,” I whisper, trying to soothe her.
She lies with her head against my heart as I breathe her all in. She smells so good. We lie there in silence, our bodies locked together. It’s perfect. She lifts her head and kisses my heart then looks at me.
“That is the most perfect sound in the world.”
“When do we—”
“Get to see the baby?” she finishes for me.
I nod, I’m tired. I can feel my eyes wanting to close. Fuck me, I’ve been asleep the last eight weeks. I don’t want to miss another thing.
“In a month’s time, we’ll get to hear his or her heartbeat.”
I smile as my eyes start to close. “Sorry,” I murmur.
I’m just so tired.
Her lips press against mine. “Sleep, Dray. I’m not going anywhere.” She gives me a kiss of reassurance and I sigh once again, giving into the darkness.
Chapter Nineteen
“How long has he been asleep?” a gruff, irritated voice asks, waking me up. That voice only belongs to one person.
Ritchie.
“About an hour,” Luce replies. She sounds tired; she should be the one sleeping, not me.
“So, how long was he awake?”
“About five minutes. It was so quick. I never got the chance to tell the nurse before he fell back to sleep.” She sighs.
I wish he’d quit with all the questions.
“Trust me to miss out. The moment the fucker decides to wake up, I’m off making phone calls. What did he say? Did you tell him about the baby? Was he pleased?”
“Jesus, Ritchie, give her a break,” I choke out, coughing. My voice is all gravely, so Luce jumps up and pours me some water. She puts the straw to my mouth and I take a few gulps to try and quench my dry throat.
“So, you’ve finally decided to come back to the land of the living. Eight long weeks we’ve sat around waiting for you.” He looks pissed, like I owe him an apology.
“Well, no one asked you to.” My lips quirk up in a smile so Ritch can see I’m playing him. It’s good to see him, too.
“I’m just going to head out for a little fresh air and tell the nurse you’re awake. Give you guys time to catch up.” She bends down, pressing her lips against mine as she caresses my cheek. I give her a look of reassurance I’ll be fine before she heads for the door. The moment it swings shut, Ritchie scoots forward in his chair.
“Fuck, man, you had us worried. Seriously, it’s good to have you back.” He takes my hand and gives it a squeeze. I can see the worry in his eyes. I know if it had been the other way ‘round, I would have been exactly the same, too.
“I’m fine. Hope you’ve kept everything going?” Yep, talking work already, I can’t help myself.
“Everything’s fine, Dray. The new gym’s been put on hold, so we’ve just concentrated on keeping everything going. I didn’t want to have to make any decisions without your approval.”
“That’s good.” He knows how OCD I am. “Thanks, Ritch, I think I owe you some time off after this. Your holiday is on me.” I wink.
“Fuck, that sounds good, away from this thing.” He motions to the phone in his hand. “I thought I’d have to get it surgically removed from my hand. I’ll have to let Laurie know you’ve woken up, she’s been so worried.” His brow furrows, and I can see the pain I’ve put them all through.
“Does she hate me after what happened with Diane?” I frown at that very thought. She’s a woman I admire and love. I’d hate to lose her friendship; she’s become like family to me.
“Hey, she’s fine. She was a little pissed about the way you’ve messed Diane around, but the whole nearly dying part kind of swung in your favour.” He smirks. “I think she’ll let you off now. Maybe let her have plenty of holds of the baby. You know women go crazy over that kind of shit.”
I close my eyes for a few moments. “I can’t believe I’m going to be a dad, Ritch.”
It still feels surreal.
“Are you happy?” he asks, looking unsure.
My eyes snap open. “Fucking ecstatic. I’ve always wanted kids.”
“Really? Because you’ve never once mentioned it,” he replies, looking completely surprised.
“That’s because I only ever wanted them with Luce,” I mutter.
There was never anyone else.
“So, you and her are a—”
“Yeah, we’re together,” I conclude.
“How did that happen?”
“I just exploded over the whole Marco situation. You know that fucker gets to me, and it unleashed the demon. It all came out, and she told me she loved me, too.”
“Finally.” Ritch smiles, still looking slightly surprised. “I’m pleased for you, mate, I really am. I want to see you happy and well with the little one coming along.”
“I want you both to be the godparents.” I obviously haven’t cleared it with Luce, but I know she’ll be in complete agreement. Laurie and Ritch are like family to me.
His eyes meet mine, and I see the delight there shining inside. “Well, I didn’t like to ask, but it would be an honour. Laurie is going to cry when I tell her. She’ll be making the christening cake, that’s for sure.”
“See, I knew asking would come in handy.” I smirk.
“Oh, yeah, do you want her to do the buffet, too, while she’s at it?”
“Well, now you mention it.”
He slaps my arm playfully. ”Seriously, the thought of you not pulling through. Fuck, those were some dark days. You know, Luce never left your side. She slept in the chair then they brought a bed in. We tried to get her to leave to go home and rest, but she was having none of it. She said she wasn’t moving until you woke up. There was a time we wondered if that would ever happen. The doctors didn’t give us a lot to go on, so it was just a waiting game.”
“I’m sorry, it was one of those stupid moments. I bent down to pick up my phone and then the next thing I’m about to mow down a cyclist. I swerved, but I was heading for a tree and there was nothing I could do. When I think how things could have been so different, the thought of leaving Luce with the baby on her own…” My eyes fill with tears, and I quickly close them. I can’t even bear the thought of never seeing my unborn child.
“Dray, you’re here, you’re alive and fuck, have we been praying. You know I’m not a believer in those kinds of things, but it worked. Everything is good. You’ve just got to take time out to recuperate. I can handle the gym.”
“You know that isn’t going to happen, even if I’m chained at home. I’ll still be having regular input, especially getting this project going. We’ve lost eight long weeks, but we won’t lose any more time.”
He rolls his eyes at my words. “You’ll never change. I thought maybe the accident would have knocked some sense into you, but you’re still work-mad.”
“I’m a grafter. I have an empire to expand.” I smirk.
“Shut the fuck up.” He chuckles, and I can’t help but join him.
“I’m going to ask Luce to marry me. I need for it to happen before the baby arrives. I want to do this properly and have her as my wife before we welcome our beautiful baby into the world.”
> “Fuck, Dray, do you know how long it usually takes to arrange a wedding? And what if Luce doesn’t want to be your wife? She might just want to leave things how they are. It’s a little overwhelming. You need to give her time to get over this first.” He stresses, but I’m not having any of it.
My eyes flash in anger. “Screw time, I’m making her mine. I’ve waited long enough to put my ring on her hand. We are doing this, this is my family.”
“Calm down. I get it, trust me. I couldn’t wait to put a ring on Laurie’s finger. She has a friend who’s an amazing wedding planner, has done quite a few weddings for Laurie’s friends. I could ask and see what her schedule is like,” he suggests, and I smile.
Sounds good.
“Well, money is no object. I want someone to arrange the whole shebang. I don’t want Luce stressing out over anything, especially with her pregnancy hormones. She’s already been through enough in the last eight weeks.”
“I’ll sort it. I’ll get her email off Laurie and find out if she has any slots free.”
“Thanks.” All I want is Luce to be mine. I just hope she’ll make my life complete by saying yes. I have to come up with the perfect opportunity to propose. I want this to be an amazing memory for her to cherish always. I know the way girls’ minds work; they like to tell the perfect proposal story over and over. So if I’m doing this, I’m doing it right.
Ritch stands up, motioning towards the door. “I’d better get back to it. When you know what day you’re going to be released let me know. I can come and pick you up.”
“Hopefully soon. I cannot wait to get out of here into my own comfy bed,” I whine.
“Don’t even get me started on the coffee.” Ritchie winks and smiles. I know he’s probably had a truckload during the dark days, wondering if I’d pull through. He’s a good friend, even if he does piss me off most of the time. He speaks the truth and he’s as fucking loyal as they come. I couldn’t ask for more.
The door creaks open to reveal a portly looking nurse. “Mr Miller, you’re finally awake. We can begin your tests.”
“I think that’s my cue to leave. Don’t have too much fun now.” Ritchie winks, grinning.