by MJ Carnal
“Mark!” Sophie threw her hands in the air. “This is my house too. He can stay.” Her endorsement for Caleb just fueled the fire.
Grabbing his keys, Mark stormed off to the garage. “Fuck this. If he stays, I go.”
He slammed the garage door shut. The Ducati was the first thing he came to. Screw the helmet. He needed to get out and get some perspective. His heart pounded in his ears. Caleb had almost cost him his future wife. He had followed her around, flirted, touched and played dirty. He would not sit by and allow it to happen again. He revved the bike and tore out of the driveway.
The coast at dusk was a site to behold. The sun reflected off the ocean as waves crashed the shore. Say what you will about Los Angeles, the beach was beautiful. Mark took a deep breath and pushed the bike even faster. The fresh air cleared his head. It had been an awful day at work and an even worse commute home. They had lost a large client today. In his heart, he knew his attack on Caleb was misplaced. He needed to get over the harbored anger. His relationship with Sophie was indestructible. It was time to let go of the past. He would apologize. Tomorrow.
He increased speed as he hit the stretch of road that ran along the ocean and by the time he swerved, it was too late. The driver of the delivery truck was texting. He never saw him.
****
Layla, Sophie and Caleb ordered pizza and sat down for movie night. They had been shocked when Mark had stormed out. Layla told Sophie what happened with the phone call and how Caleb had followed her upstairs to talk. They giggled about Mark’s overreaction and knew that when he got home, cooler heads would prevail.
The doorbell rang and Sophie ran to answer it.
Rich stood on the porch in a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. He had dropped Molly off and didn’t think this was a phone call he could make. The drive over had been torture. He needed to tell Sophie in person. His eyes were puffy. Sophie’s smile fell as soon as she saw the expression on his face.
“Rich? What’s wrong?”
“Soph, can I come in for a minute?”
Hearing Sophie’s concern, Caleb and Layla walked to the door. Sophie knew in the pit of her stomach it was bad. Rich’s face said it all.
“Honey. There has been an accident. You need to come with me.”
Sophie fell to her knees. Layla ran to grab her purse as Caleb pulled her from the floor. “What happened, Dickerman?” Caleb’s eyes were wide.
“It’s Mark. It’s bad. He wasn’t wearing a helmet.” Rich grabbed Sophie’s trembling hand and led all four of them to his car.
Chapter 7
Layla ran down the hall of the hospital. Her heart was pounding out of her chest and her head spun. Caleb grabbed her hand to steady her. She needed to know what was happening. Rich and Sophie were two steps ahead, Rich taking special care knowing Sophie’s pregnancy could be in jeopardy. Their pounding footsteps alerted everyone to their arrival.
Layla’s stomach lurched. The smell of alcohol pads and antiseptic made her cringe. The overhead lighting all ran together as they raced down the long hall toward ICU. She didn’t know if he was dead or alive. Tears streamed down her face. Caleb’s hand in hers was warm and strong. She clung to it like a lifeline. She would fall away without it.
The locked doors to the ICU swung open and Molly stepped out. Her face was pale. Her whole body shook. When she saw her friends approaching, she let out one long sob.
Noticing Sophie’s panicked look, Layla stepped forward. “What’s happening?” Tears rolled down her face.
Molly’s eyes were vacant as Rich picked her up off the floor. “He’s in surgery. He... Oh God,” Molly stuttered. “He fractured his skull.” Deep breath. “His brain is bleeding.” Deep breath. “They said he wasn’t responsive when… He wasn’t responsive…”
Rich pulled her into him. “Sophie. We need to get you off your feet. You need to keep breathing. Your baby needs you to be strong. Come sit over here. We all need to pray.”
They all grabbed hands and prayed together. Layla knew she needed to be strong for Sophie. The thought of losing Mark was unacceptable. But knowing that her beautiful, pregnant sister needed her strength far outweighed any other thoughts. She had almost reached the end of her first trimester and she knew this was going to be rough. They couldn’t lose Mark now. Not when there was so much ahead for all of them.
Noticing Kevin and Steve running toward them, Caleb’s voice broke into the silence. “Did anyone call Ryan? He should be here.” He stepped away from the group and pulled out his phone. He took a deep breath and dialed.
“It’s eleven o’clock on the East Coast and I need my beauty sleep. What’s up C?” Ryan laughed.
Caleb cleared his throat again. “Ryan.” He wiped the tears from his eyes and took a deep breath.
“What’s wrong?”
“Can you get home?” Caleb’s voice was barely a whisper.
“Yes.” One simple word was all Ryan could manage.
“It’s Mark. There was an accident tonight. He’s in surgery but it’s serious, Ryan. You need to get home as soon as you can.”
“I’m on the next flight out. I will be there in a few hours.” The phone went dead.
****
Ryan frantically repacked his suitcase. He had booked two seats on a flight that left Boston in less than an hour. There was no time to waste. His hands shook. It’s serious. It’s serious. The words rang in his head. A single tear fell down his cheek. Wiping it away, he took a deep, steadying breath. Stay strong. Get home. His brain was screaming at him.
Aria stepped out of the bathroom. Noticing Ryan’s face, she froze. “What are you doing?”
Ryan’s breath shook. “Please put your shoes on. We need to go. There’s been an accident back home. I have to go to LA tonight. Please come with me. I can’t do this alone.”
Aria grabbed her shoes and threw her things back in her suitcase. “Is it your dad? Your mom? What happened?” She ran to the bathroom and threw their toiletries in her bag. They could separate them later.
“It’s Moretti. I don’t know. Caleb just said there was an accident. That’s all I know.” His hands fisted at his waist. He couldn’t get his breathing under control. “Please say you will come with me. You’ve always been my rock.”
Aria grabbed his hand and opened the door. “You don’t ever have to ask. Let’s go.”
She jogged down the hallway to the elevator. She kept pace with Ryan step for step. His face was white as a ghost. She took his phone from his hand and found Caleb’s number. She shot him a message before she put the phone into Ryan’s pocket.
‘It’s Ari. On our way. Flight leaves in 45 minutes. Land at 3:36 Am.’
****
Layla sat on the cold floor in the hallway. Her head throbbed. It had been seven hours since they had arrived at the hospital. With very little news, she continued to pray. The overhead lights hummed. The tick of the clock echoed in the silent hall. A shiver ran through her. Looking at Sophie, she smiled. She was asleep, curled into Steve’s lap with one hand covering the baby. To say this wasn’t fair was an understatement. The smell of alcohol hit her again and she gagged. She would never forget this minute. The smells and sounds would haunt her for the rest of her life. Darkness seeped in from the windows. Everything about this morning was bleak. She checked her watch. 4:00 am. Another deep breath. The clock ticking. She thought she might go crazy.
Caleb was asleep with his head in her lap. She absently ran her fingers through his hair. He never stirred. His guilt had gotten the best of him and he had sobbed in her arms for what seemed like hours. Despite her best efforts to calm him, the tears wouldn’t stop. He had gotten sick several times but would not allow the nurses to help him. When he had finally fallen asleep, Layla had been able to cry.
The elevator’s buzz announced Ryan’s arrival. He rushed through the doors and stopped in front of Rich. “What’s happening?” Layla had never seen him so pale and exhausted. The woman with him looked almost as bad.
Caleb and Sophie began to stir. “He is out of surgery. That is about all we know. He hasn’t woken up. The nurse in the ICU said he was critical.”
“Holy shit.” Ryan slid down the wall next to Rich. “What the fuck happened?”
Caleb sat up. “He was out on the motorcycle without his helmet. He was pissed so he was probably going pretty fast. A guy in a truck lost control and hit him almost head on. From what the police can gather, Mark tried to swerve but it was too late. The guy in the truck is in surgery.”
Ryan put his face into his hands. Aria whispered in his ear and he pulled her into his lap. “How is she holding up?” He pointed at Sophie who had fallen back to sleep.
The ICU doors swung open and the doctor walked out. They were all on their feet immediately. The surgeon looked at all the faces and nodded her head. “Are you the Moretti family?”
“Yes,” Molly’s voice cracked. “I’m his sister. How is he?”
“My name is Dr. Turner. I am the neurosurgeon on call tonight. Mr. Moretti is in critical condition. He has a nondisplaced skull fracture and a subdural hematoma. The surgery to fix the brain bleed went well. We will need to do a CT scan in the morning to make sure he isn’t still bleeding. He has a CSF leak and we may need to go in and repair that. The next twenty-four hours are critical. He will likely need a few more surgeries. His left arm is shattered and he has some broken ribs. We can’t do anything about his other injuries until he is stable. I can tell you this, he is very lucky to be alive.”
“Can I see him?” Molly wiped her tears.
“I’m sorry. We cannot allow any visitors at this time. We don’t know if he will regain consciousness. If you would like to go home, we will call you with any changes. At this point, there is really nothing we can do but wait.”
“We aren’t going anywhere.” Layla stood on shaky legs. “We will be right here.”
****
Ryan scrubbed his hands down his face for the hundredth time. His eyes never left the doors to the ICU. His hair stood on end. He popped his back and shifted Aria on his lap. The silent hall was making him crazy. Looking at his friends, he sighed. Aside from the brief conversation when he had first arrived at the hospital, they had all been silent. Everyone stared at nothing. He had glanced at Layla several times and the agony on her face broke his heart. He popped his back again and Aria’s sleepy eyes met his.
“You ok?” She whispered.
“I need to get up.” His voice was louder than he had expected and everyone turned to look at him. “I need to do something. I can’t just sit here knowing Mark is in there fighting for his life. Shit.”
He unfolded his six foot four body and stood. Walking to the ICU doors, he took a deep breath and pounded. A nurse answered the door with a look of hate. Ryan smiled at her and whispered. She backed up and let him through the doors.
Rich chuckled. “Only West.” He looked at Aria and smiled. “Hey Ari. Come here sweetheart.”
Aria scooted toward Rich and hugged him tightly. “I am so sorry, Rich. I would do anything to take this all away.”
“I know you would honey.” Rich hugged her back. His eyes met Layla’s and he pulled back in surprise. Her eyes told a story that he didn’t quite understand. He cleared his throat. “You haven’t met Sophie and Layla.”
Aria looked at Sophie. “Hi Soph. Ryan talks about you a lot. It’s nice to finally meet you.” She rubbed Sophie’s leg and then looked at Layla. Her grin spread across her face. “Hi Layla. I’m Aria. Nice to meet you.” She extended her hand but Layla wouldn’t take it.
Before Aria could react, the doors to the ICU swung open again. Ryan stood with Dr. Turner and pointed to Sophie. “That is Mark’s wife. She’s pregnant. She should be able to go in. Mark would want her in there.”
Dr. Turner extended her hand to Sophie. “I am so sorry. I didn’t realize Mr. Moretti was married. Please, come with me Mrs. Moretti.”
Sophie stood on wobbly legs and followed Dr. Turner into the ICU. The doors closed behind them and Ryan slumped to the floor. His breath left him in a rush.
“That was cool, Ryan. Thank you for that.” Molly gave him a half smile.
Ryan’s eyes met Layla’s and she looked away. Her fingers ran through Caleb’s hair as he slept on her lap. His heart squeezed in his chest. He wanted to be the one lying in her lap. He longed to feel her touch. “Lay,” his voice broke into her thoughts and she jumped. “Let’s go for a walk.”
Tears filled her eyes. She shook her head no and looked down at Caleb. Ryan sighed. He knew she and Mark were close and that she probably wouldn’t leave until she knew he was alright. He put his head back against the wall and shut his eyes. They just needed an answer. They needed some hope. He couldn’t watch his family fall apart.
“Why was he mad?” Everyone looked at Ryan in silence. “Caleb said he was mad.” When no one answered, he got angry. “Why the fuck was he mad?”
Without opening his eyes, Caleb spoke. “Because he saw me coming down from Layla’s room.”
‘Code blue, ICU. Code blue, ICU’
Chapter 8
Ryan paced the length of his backyard. Everything was so screwed up. He had returned home to Mark coding in the ICU and a hallway full of friends that had been looking at him with pity. Part of him knew that Caleb would never betray him. But the other part, the part of him that had seen Caleb fight Mark for the other Barringer sister, believed what Caleb had said. He had been leaving her room. “He was leaving Layla’s room.”
“What was that honey?” Aria brought him a glass of water and put her hand on his shoulder to calm him. “You are seriously going to wear the grass out. Did something happen to Mark?”
Ryan shook his head. “No. I am having a pity party for myself.”
“Well, stop. You are going to make yourself sick. You haven’t slept. I haven’t seen you eat. I certainly haven’t seen you lift or run. So it is time to stop. You need to stay strong for Mark. So whatever this is, it’s over.” Aria grabbed him by the arm to pull him to the porch.
“Look, Ari. It is horrible what Mark is going through. And I feel like a huge prick for even feeling this way, but I really was starting to have some feelings for Layla. Maybe Caleb really is an asshole. He tried to ruin Mark and Sophie. He was one of three people that knew about me and Layla. And shit, I really thought she cared about me too.”
Ryan dropped to the chair and scrubbed his hand down his face. He hadn’t shaved in two days and the roughness of his chin was somehow comforting. He blew out a deep breath and shook his head. He had broken all three of his rules for Layla. He was kicking himself now. No way would he do this again.
“That’s bullshit. I have known Caleb almost as long as you have. Granted, I don’t know him nearly as well but I do know the kind of person he is. And he loves you. No way in hell would he do this to you. So pull your head out of your ass and go take a shower. You look like shit. And we are getting out of this house, even if it is just to go back to the hospital.” Aria held the back door open for him and watched him retreat to the bathroom.
****
Ryan’s shower had cleared his head. Aria was right. It was time to take charge. He needed to see Layla. Their relationship was new and fragile. His anger for Caleb subsided and he decided to leave judgment for when the truth was known. If she had been unfaithful, there was no coming back from that. It had only been a few days since he told her he wanted to try to make a relationship work. And despite the tension, he still wanted that.
Stepping from the shower, he made up his mind. He needed to stay strong for Mark and the rest of his friends. Part of being strong was taking care of himself. His mind was set. He would go to the hospital and visit Mark. He would find Layla, at the hospital or at her home. Today, they would talk. Then he would spend his evening at the gym. He hadn’t been feeling well and he knew some cardio would help.
Kevin had taken on Ryan’s clients at work with no complaints. He was working double shifts with a smile on his face. Wh
en they had spoken, Kevin had reassured him that everything was fine at the gym and there was no need to hurry back. Ryan was so thankful for him. He was quickly becoming one of Ryan’s very best friends. He had become one of the gang and Ryan said a quiet prayer of thanks.
Ryan dressed in a pair of jeans and a fitted blue V-neck t-shirt. The sleeves of the shirt hugged his muscles and the jeans hung loose on his hips. He tousled his hair with gel, making it stand up on top. His dark eyes were darker with exhaustion but he smiled knowing that today he would set things straight.
****
Layla sat in the waiting room staring into a cup of cold coffee. Her eyes were dark from lack of sleep. She tucked her legs up under her oversized sweatshirt and put her head onto her knees. Her black hair fell around her face like silk. She yawned.