by Sophia Gray
A nurse came in to change her bandages, and with her came a doctor. She was a middle-aged woman who looked at him with sympathy. You would not be so sympathetic if you knew, Vance thought grimly to himself.
“Mr. Tate?” the doctor asked. Vance nodded. “Could you step outside with me for a minute? I’d like to talk you about your wife’s situation.” She motioned to the door, and he followed her. In the hall, the doctor introduced herself as Doctor Hunnigan, and she had been the one to operate on Teresa the previous night.
“Your wife was badly injured, and we had to perform brain surgery to stop the internal bleeding – but it was a successful intervention. Her left arm is broken, as are three ribs. Apart from that, she is in no real danger as long as we continue to monitor her,” Doctor Hunnigan informed him. Vance sighed and took a step back to rest against the wall. He was trembling again, and he realized he had not eaten anything since the wedding.
“Then why is she asleep? When will she wake up?” he asked, and his voice sounded pitiful even to him. Doctor Hunnigan tried to reassure him with a gentle smile.
“She has suffered severe trauma, and I can’t guarantee when exactly it will be – but she should be awake within the next couple of days. I recommend you go home, get changed and eat something before you pass out,” she said.
Vance thanked her for her concern, and when the nurse left the room, he went back inside. He would not leave Teresa alone, but he did need to eat something. Teresa’s purse had been stored in a small wardrobe, and he took it. Her phone was inside, and it was flooded with messages and calls from her friends.
Taking a deep breath, he called Anna – she was Teresa’s best friend, and she needed to know.
“TERESA? Where the hell are you? What happened? Are you okay? We’re all worried sick!” Anna’s hysterical voice was loud on the other end of the line, and Vance winced.
“Anna, it-it’s Vance. Teresa had an accident last night... We’re in the hospital,” he said hoarsely. Vance heard her gasp, and his stomach churned. “She’s going to be okay. She is asleep now, but the doctors say she is not in danger,” he went on quickly.
“Where is she?” Anna asked, voice trembling.
Vance gave her the address and room number and hung up the phone. He sat by the side of Teresa’s bed and waited. Anna did not take long to arrive: she was pale, and her eyes showed clear signs that she had been crying.
She rushed to the other side of the bed and sat down, grabbing Teresa’s hand and swallowing a cry.
“I’m sorry,” she muttered. It was like a dagger to Vance’s heart.
“Don’t be. It was my fault,” he answered, looking everywhere but at her. “She heard me arguing with her father and left in a rush. I should have told her some things before the wedding but—”
“Tell her when she wakes up, then,” Anna looked at him so intensely that he could not look away from her.
“She will hate me forever.”
Anna shrugged. “Maybe. But is she worth the risk?”
“Completely.” Vance was sure of that: Teresa was worth every risk, every pain in the world. And he would not rest until he had made it up to her. He buried his head in his hands.
“Look, whatever it is, she will forgive you eventually,” Anna assured him. Vance looked at her in doubt. “She loves you, Vance. I see it in her eyes; it’s so obvious. She will find it in her heart to forgive you.”
Vance tried to avoid crying, but it took him a long moment to regain composure. When he finally did, he cracked a small smile at Anna and thanked her.
“I’m sorry for not contacting you sooner. I was a mess yesterday, and I couldn’t think straight,” Vance said. “What happened at the reception?”
Anna waved it off. “The girls and I were able to figure out everything with the restaurant and send everyone off. We packed everything up – the leftovers and gifts and other stuff are all at my place though. You can pick them up when you get a chance.”
“Thanks so much, Anna.” Vance felt a rush of gratitude for Teresa’s best friend. He hesitated. “Now that you’re here, do you mind if I go get changed really quick and come back?” He pointed at his bloodied, dirty tuxedo. “I’ll bring something to eat for both of us.”
“Of course,” Anna said with a smile. “I’ll watch her and let you know if anything happens.”
In the cab ride home, Vance realized his body ached all over. The first thing he did when he got home was take a hot shower, letting the steaming water wash away the grime and tears of yesterday.
After that, he filled a backpack with a few necessities he may need during his stay at the hospital: he would not leave Teresa’s side again. He grabbed some prepackaged sandwiches and salads he had in the fridge and headed off to the garage, where he hopped on his bike.
Vance stopped by Teresa’s apartment before heading to the hospital and grabbed a few things she would need when she woke up. He stayed for a moment by the doorstep, looking at the place: Teresa had left in a hurry for the wedding, and it was a mess.
Her clothes were scattered around, and he saw one of the books he had given her on their first date opened on the coffee table. He grabbed it and smiled when he saw the folded corners of a page; she had obviously been reading it. He put it in the bag – something for her to do as she recovered. That is, if she did not hate the sight of it just because it had been his present.
An hour after he had left, he was parking his bike in the hospital’s parking lot and heading back to the room. The door was ajar, and Vance heard voices coming from the room.
“He’ll be here soon.” Anna’s cold voice carried through the door. Vance’s blood froze when he heard the next voice.
“I’ll be gone by then.”
The voice sounded tired and sad, but Vance recognized that voice anywhere.
Jimmy Love had found Teresa again.
Vance pushed the door open and entered in large strides, glaring at Jimmy. He did not raise his voice, but his tone did not leave room for argument.
“Get. Out. Now,” he ordered in a cold whisper. Jimmy looked at him from Teresa’s side and got to his feet. Vance had expected Jimmy to refuse, to put up a fight or even to make a scene in front of Anna, but he just left as he was told. Vance left his bag in the room and followed him, closing the door behind him.
“What are you doing here?” He growled angrily. All the hatred he felt for the man was apparent in his voice. He looked him straight in the eye. The old man looked aged and pale, with dark circles under his eyes. His clothes were disheveled, and his hair was a mess. He clearly looked worse for wear, but Vance did not care. Teresa’s accident had been as much Jimmy’s fault as it was his.
“I came to see me daughter, Vance,” Jimmy told him. He did not look up to face Vance.
“She does not want you near her, and neither do I. You almost got her killed trying to sabotage me! You knew she was listening behind the door!” he accused Jimmy, and the old man nodded in agreement.
“She would’ve found out eventually, Tate, and you know it. It’s a shame this happened. You know I never wanted this to happen,” Jimmy said, eyes narrowed. He took a deep breath. “But I shouldn’t have done it. I know that. But I couldn’t lose her, not ter you. I couldn’t have you take her away. She’s me only daughter. The only thing I have left, Tate.”
Had Vance not known better, he would have bought the whole sappy, pitiful charade, but he did not fall for it. Jimmy Love was a schemer, through and through.
“You lost her when you neglected her, tried to control her, and impose a marriage that she did not want,” Vance threw at him.
Jimmy looked up and locked eyes with Vance; the young man saw the desperation in his old boss.
“Why, Jimmy? You never cared about her when you had her. All you care about is your damn gang. Why do you keep doing this to her?” Vance asked.
His boss looked uncomfortable and angry. Jimmy took a deep breath and finally revealed the truth.
“I a
m dying, Tate,” he muttered. Vance took a step back, surprised. What? “I have lung cancer. I’ve been having chemotherapy, but it has not worked. The cancer was discovered too late. I’m going to die.”
Silence fell over both men and Vance did not know what to say. He could not say he was sorry: Jimmy Love had proven to be the worst person he had ever met, and he could not say that he truly felt sorry for him.
“How long do you have?” he asked. Jimmy was playing with a lighter in his hands, and Vance found it ironic that he never quit smoking despite his illness.
“The doctors say at most six months. I doubt I’ll ever see another summer... but I need an heir to the club. I wanted Teresa to be that heir, Tate. I can’t die knowing that the club – my club – will be at the hands of some unworthy, greedy biker. I have worked too hard for it to go to that!” he spat.
Vance pressed his fists to his sides. Of course, his boss was worried about the club. He did not want to spend his last days with his daughter – he had never cared for her and was not about to start now. He only cared about his club; it was his sole interest.
“Well, then you should tell her this when she wakes up,” Vance concluded. He did not want to talk to him any longer. “But I don’t want you in the room until then. You can wait in the hall for as long as you want though,” he added, then walked back into Teresa’s room and closed the door behind him.
Over the next few days, Jimmy went to the hospital very early in the morning and left at night, always waiting by the door. Vance never let him in. He was always busy taking care of Teresa to worry about Jimmy. He took turns with Anna taking night shifts and getting food.
Vance got to know Anna a little better and realized what a great person and friend she was. She never asked about Teresa’s father but was always open to talking – not that they did much of it. They were too worried about Teresa to engage in small talk.
Vance counted the days until he saw Teresa’s bright eyes open again.
Chapter 3
Teresa
The first thing she noticed was that her whole body was numb. She had a dull, throbbing pain on one side of her head, and a faint, sharp pain in her ribs. Then she noticed that she was having trouble moving any limb. She tried moving her fingers, and it took almost her whole strength to do it.
She slowly grew more aware of her surroundings: the whispers of conversation between two women, a machine beeping, and heavy breathing. It took her a while to realize that the heavy breathing that she heard was actually hers, and then she noticed that she could not see anything. Her eyes were still closed, and she tried to open them. Her eyelids felt as heavy as iron, and they fluttered slightly before opening.
She had to adjust to the dim light before she was able to see, and the first thing that entered her vision was the ceiling of an unknown room. It was painted in white and had fluorescent lighting that gave a white glow to the place. She tried to move her head to the side, but the pain increased, and she stopped immediately.
She could see the sides of the bed through her peripherals, and when she realized that the beeping was coming from a machine connected to her, panic rose up her chest. Where am I? What happened?
She tried to say something, but tubes were coming out of her mouth and nose, and she groaned, trying to move her hands.
“You’re awake! Teresa, relax, everything is fine. You were in a car accident and are in the hospital,” a woman she didn’t recognize said. It took a full second for Teresa to comprehend what the woman – a nurse, no doubt – had just said. She was in the hospital, which explained the tubes and the beeping machine. She stopped moving. The nurse said she’d had a car accident, which would explain the pain all over her body.
But how had that happened?
Teresa thought back to the last memory she could recall, but everything was blurry. She remembered the road: she was heading to her favorite spot in the city, and it was raining... She remembered a light and a loud noise, and then... nothing. That must have been the moment of the accident, but how had she got there? Why was she driving?
“Teresa!” a voice called to her. She looked up and saw Anna’s face, wet with tears. Anna was there – her best friend. Were we together when the accident happened?
No. She’d been alone, and very upset about something... something she had just found out. Teresa closed her eyes again, trying very hard to recall the memories when the wedding flashed in her mind. The wedding. She had married Vance! And then they had gone to the reception and everything was perfect... except for her father. But she had danced with Vance, and he had left her side... and she had found out.
Vance was the man that her father had sent to spy on her. To marry her so she would go back home. Her eyes filled with tears at the thought of the man she loved having played her like that.
The man she loved. She realized only now how much she had loved him... But he had never loved her, or even cared for her. He was just doing a dirty job for her father. One of the machines started beeping faster, and Teresa felt scared.
“You’re okay, Teresa, calm down, your heart rate is going up,” the nurse told her gently, placing a warm hand on her arm. “Relax, Teresa, everything’s okay.”
“Teresa, you’re okay now. Vance stepped out to get lunch, but he’ll be back soon. He has not left your side unless it was absolutely necessary,” Anna informed her, clearly thinking that the idea of seeing her husband would cheer her up. Why had he been with her at the hospital, anyway? His cover had been blown; he did not have to pretend anymore. Angry tears spilled down her face.
The nurse started checking her status. She checked her temperature and pulse and ran many tests that she did not understand. She informed Teresa that they would remove the catheter that fed her so she would be able to talk and eat on her own. It was an awful feeling, but once she was free of it, she felt better. She coughed a bit and tried to speak.
“H-how long...?” she asked. Her voice was hoarse and cracked by lack of use. Her throat was irritated, and she coughed a bit more. The nurse gave her a glass of water, and she sipped it slowly.
“Two weeks,” Anna said. “Vance and I have been here the whole time, although the girls, your coworkers, and colleagues from the kitchen stopped by, as you can see.” Anna gestured to the various items in the room.
Teresa followed her best friend’s gaze and noticed for the first time several bouquets of flowers, teddy bears, and balloons all over the place. A stack of unopened books waited for her in a corner: it looked like all her friends had wanted to give her something to read during her recovery.
I’m in that bad a condition? she mused.
Anna roughly explained to her what her injuries were. When Teresa found out that her hair had been shaved off, she touched her head to feel fuzz growing back. She normally would have cried, but Vance’s betrayal hurt more than anything else. Nothing else mattered to her anymore. All she could do was listen to Anna and the nurse, who were both explaining her injuries and how long would it take to recover from them.
“You will still be in the hospital for a while, so get comfortable.” The nurse smiled apologetically, inclining the bed so Teresa could sit up against the pillows instead of looking up at the ceiling.
The nurse left the two of them alone for a moment, and Teresa gazed at her friend. Anna looked tired. Knowing her, she had probably been by her side day and night. Her heart warmed a bit, and she tried to smile at her.
“I’m fine. I will be out of here soon,” Teresa whispered. Anna smiled back at her, although there was still a shadow of sadness lurking about.
“I’m just sorry that your wedding ended like this. Vance has been here all the time and has barely slept at all. I have to force him every day to go eat something or go shower, you know,” she told her. Teresa looked down at her hands, covered in bandages. Her left arm was plastered, and she could not move it.
Vance had obviously not told Anna the truth about what had happened or Anna would have thrown him out of the ro
om immediately. But why was he even there? He should know that there was no way in hell she was going to go back to his father’s club – the moment she stepped out of that hospital, she would fill for an annulment.
“I’ve even seen him cry – when he thought I wasn’t looking,” Anna added in a whisper. Teresa looked up in surprise. Did he feel that bad?
The nurse opened the door and cut off what Teresa was about to say next. She’d brought a tray of what looked like water and soup.
“You should start with liquids, Teresa, before moving up to solid foods,” the nurse said. “By the way, two men are waiting by the door. They want to come in, shall I let them?”
Two men. Vance. Who was the second one? Peter? Or, could it be... her father? Teresa swallowed hard, her heart racing in her chest. She nodded and looked at Anna.
“I’m so sorry, but do you think you could wait outside for a second?” Teresa asked. “I think I have to talk to both of them.” Anna agreed and left the room with the nurse.
Seconds later, Vance and her father entered and closed the door, and Teresa’s heart skipped a beat when she saw Vance. He looked absolutely miserable. He was unshaven, his hair was sticking up in different directions, and his usually golden face was pale. There were dark circles under his eyes.
“What are you doing here? Both of you?” She looked hard at both of them. Vance’s eyes fell to the floor, but her father stood tall and proud, just as she remembered. He did not even look guilty about her accident, and she tasted bile in her mouth.
“Teresa, I...” Vance started and then trailed off when he looked over at her. Her heart stopped for a moment: he looked really regretful. Maybe he felt bad. Maybe he did want to be with her. But he had lied to her so she could not cave. She could not just let this go.
“Stop. I know everything. You were going to marry me and bring me to the club in exchange for what, money? Or did he promise you the club would be yours?” A spark of guilt lighted Vance’s eyes, and she knew she was spot on. “Ah. So, you thought that you just had to fuck your boss’s daughter, fool her into marrying you, and all your problems would be over, is that it? Did either of you think about what would happen if I found out? Don’t you think I would divorce you the minute I learned what was going on? How dumb do you think I am?” she spat at them. Her head was pounding, and the heart rate machine was beeping rapidly.