by KL Myers
I have this all-consuming need to protect this woman, and I don’t know why. I always feel like the people I help should be the priority, and it’s my duty to ensure that I provide safety for them, but with her, it’s more. I’m drawn to her to the point that I can’t let go. I know it’s irrational to be this emotionally invested in someone I’ve never met, but it’s like she has my heart in her hands already. I’ve got this uncontrollable pain in my chest. The thought of her suffering or not making it has me struggling for my next breath. How can I feel such emotion for her?
When Scott arrives, we assess her injuries together. It’s the first time in my life I’m unable to think clearly in an emergency situation. After a few moments, her eyes open and she stares right into mine. “What happened?” she asks with concern and confusion on her face. My training takes effect at this point, and I start asking the important things. “Hi, what is your name? Can you tell me if you hurt anywhere other than your head?” I ask.
“My name is Rylee Bennett. My arm really hurts.” The words come out of her mouth as a whisper.
“How old are you, Rylee? Do you remember how you ended up in this ditch?” I wait patiently for her response.
“I’m twenty-six, and the last thing I remember is my ex-boyfriend’s SUV slamming into my car. Oh my God, he tried to kill me,” she cries.
I’m clenching my teeth at this information, because it’s obvious her ex-boyfriend was trying to hurt her and could give two shits if she was injured. “Rylee, the ambulance must be close, because I can hear the sirens blaring. Can you hold on and stay with me, please, for just a little longer?” She’s shaking from head to toe, so I hold her close to my chest to comfort her.
“I’m here with you, but I’m so scarred. Will you stay with me and hold me, please? Don’t let go of me. I need you,” she cries.
At that moment, I know I have to let her go. I don’t do emotions, and I don’t do them for a woman. And even though the connection is there, pulling me toward her to give her everything she asks for, I can’t let myself do it. “Sure, Rylee, I’m here with you and I won’t let you go,” I’ll tell her, because it’s what she needs to hear for now, but once they load her up, I’m gone, and I won’t ever have to see her again.
Rylee
I’m lying on the side of the road in this man’s arms, his strong and amazing arms. His voice is comforting; his face is beyond handsome. His hair is on the darker side of blond and his blue eyes are comforting. He has one of those scruffy beards that looks like he forgot to shave today, but in reality, it’s just the way he keeps it trimmed. I feel safe with him.
It took me a bit to be able to respond to his questions. When he first showed up, I was scared, confused, and in shock, but once I was out of the car and in his arms, I felt safe and was finally able to respond to the questions he was asking me. I can hear the sirens getting closer. I don’t know why, but at that moment, I get scared again. I know once the ambulance arrives, I’ll never see this man again. I remember from when he placed the call earlier that his name is Braedyn.
“Braedyn,” I say, “will you stay with me, please? I don’t want to be alone. Please come with me when they get here. Please don’t let me go. Don’t leave me alone.”
I feel him tense. Every muscle in his body tightens, and I don’t know why. This man has been comforting me and holding me in his arms, and I’ve never felt so safe in my life. I don’t know what it is about him, but I need him close. Hell, I just need him.
I can barely make out the exchange he has with the ambulance driver. I can tell they are talking about me though. I’m not paying attention to the paramedic standing at my side or what he is asking me, and frankly, I don’t care right now.
“Your name is Rylee, correct?” the EMT asks me.
“Yes,” is all I can say.
“Rylee, is there anyone I should call for you?” His voice is meant to be calming, but it is anything but that right now. I’m trying to see Braedyn, but the EMT is in my line of sight.
“No,” I tell him.
I feel myself being lifted onto a gurney and strapped tight, but all I can think about is losing sight of Braedyn. My eyes find him and I focus on him standing there. I look at his face, at an emotion I can’t make out. As they wheel me to the ambulance, I cry out to him.
“Please don’t leave me!” But he just stands there watching me as the door closes, breaking my heart just a little bit.
“Rylee,” the EMT tries to get my attention. “Rylee, stay with me.” But all I can do is close my eyes and fade into the darkness.
When I wake, I’m in a hospital room hooked up to an IV with a stupid machine beeping in the background. My head and arm hurt beyond belief, and I feel so very alone. I’m starting to panic. My heart is racing; it feels like it is going to bounce right out of my chest. I’m having a hard time getting air into my lungs, as if I have a ton of bricks on my chest. I’m extremely dizzy, and my head is pounding as everything goes black yet again.
When I wake the next time, I just lie there staring at the ceiling, wondering what I did in life to deserve this. There is no one here. I’m still alone, and I don’t want to be. Hell, who would I even call? I won’t call Bailey and ruin the rest of her wedding. Then it hits me. Is it still her wedding night? How long have I been asleep? It must be just a few hours later, right?
The door to my room opens and in walks a doctor. “So glad to see you awake, Ms. Bennett. I’m Dr. Jansen. How are you feeling?” I’m not sure how to answer that.
“I feel OK. A little disoriented, but overall I feel OK. What day is it?”
“What is the last thing you remember, Ms. Bennett?” he asks. I think about it for a moment before I respond.
“I was at my best friend’s wedding, and then my ex-boyfriend tried to cause a scene, so I left.” Realization hits me at that moment. “Oh my god, I was in an accident. My ex-boyfriend, Colt Branson, ran me off the road. My car flipped over, and there was a man named Braedyn…Braedyn, last name starts with an E, but I can’t remember completely. He helped me, called 911 and waited with me.” I wonder where he is now?
After checking my vitals and making sure to his satisfaction I am OK, Dr. Jansen proceeds to fill me in. “Yes, Ms. Bennett, you were in an accident. You sustained a broken arm, some pretty serious cuts to your head that required stitches, and for the past week, you have been in a coma from the trauma to your brain.” I am not prepared to hear I have been here for a week. “I’m sure you have some questions, but first, let me put you at ease regarding the head injury you sustained.” Flipping through his chart, he continues, “You had some minor swelling of the brain, but that is all gone now, and we have been monitoring you, waiting for you to wake up.” He closes his chart. “Unfortunately, when you came in, you were in and out of consciousness, so no one was able to obtain information regarding your family so we could contact them.” Dr. Jansen pulls up a chair next to my bed. “The police have been by twice, and they have asked me to contact them once you have regained consciousness so they can come by and get a statement from you.”
Knowing that there is nothing seriously wrong with me makes me feel a little bit better.
“Dr. Jansen, when can I go home?” He places one ankle over his knee and proceeds.
“First, I’d like to contact your family. Can you give me a number to reach them, please? And then once that has been done, we’ll want to monitor you for a few more days. If all stays status quo, we can release you.”
I think about his question for a bit before I respond. “There isn’t anyone for you to call. The only two people I would even consider are not available.” A look of surprise or maybe pity crosses his face, so I elaborate further. “My best friend, Bailey, will be on her honeymoon still, and my brother, Jaxson, is traveling, so there isn’t anyone to call.” I think about Jace but then decide against it, because there isn’t anything serious between us. My parents live several states away, and I’m sure they couldn’t care less; and since I’m n
ot dying, I don’t see a need to bother them. I think about any clients I may have missed while I was in here, but luckily, I don’t have any events scheduled until later this week.
***
I’ve been lying awake in my hospital bed for two days with nothing to do but assess my life. I’ve come to realize how pathetic my life has become, and I wonder when I became this person. All I do is meet with clients a couple of days a week, and then the rest of my time is spent on the phone making arrangements. I have no interaction with anyone on a daily basis. My social life is non-existent, because I’ve chosen to shut myself off from everyone other than Bailey. For years, Colt ruled my life. I thought he was it for me, but I was so wrong. Looking back now, I can clearly see where our relationship went from good to bad. We were happy at one point. I gave him everything and held nothing back. At first, it was fun. He worked out of town Monday through Thursday, and I’d be waiting at the airport for him on Friday night when he arrived home. We’d spend the weekend together doing everything and anything, then on Monday mornings, I would drop him off at the airport on my way to work. After a while, it got old and I wanted him to find a job in town so we could spend more time together, but that never happened. There would be times when he would be in between jobs. I didn’t realize it then, but now that I look back, I see it clearly. He’d be home doing God knows what and I’d be working. During those times, I pretty much supported both of us. Then he’d find another job that would take him out of town and I’d be alone again. The thing was that when he was out of town, I never really knew what he was doing. I couldn’t get a hold of him when I tried, and he’d return my calls at all hours of the night. I should have realized then that something was wrong, but I was blinded by what I thought was love.
It wasn’t until a year later that I realized I wasn’t his only girl. I remember a specific weekend when he called to tell me not to expect him on Friday, that his flight had been delayed and wouldn’t arrive till after midnight; it would be early Saturday morning before he would be home, so I shouldn’t wait up. Normally, I’d take him to the airport, but this particular week he drove himself to the office and said he was leaving with a group of guys; he’d just see me on Friday. I had an odd feeling in my gut when that happened, so of course every day on my way home from work, I’d go to his office and see his truck parked in the same spot, so I could tell it hadn’t moved. So on that Friday night, I decided to check it out for myself. I headed to his office, where I parked right next to his truck, and I waited. It wasn’t until three in the morning that another vehicle pulled into the parking lot and my heart began to race. I felt it beating in my chest a thousand miles a minute. I had this sick feeling in my stomach that made me want to hurl.
Sure enough, Colt got out of the car and marched up to my window with a look of pure rage on his face. “What the fuck are you doing here, Rylee? I told you I’d be late and not to wait up.” He was yelling at me at top of his lungs. I cracked my window just enough so my voice would carry outside to him without me having to scream.
“Who the hell is she?” I asked looking at the blonde bitch in the driver’s seat of the car. “Colt, what the fuck is going on and why did you lie to me?”
“I didn’t fucking lie to you, bitch. I told you my flight would be late, so I called for a friend to pick me up. I just got in an hour ago.”
“Bullshit. Flights don’t land after eleven at night, Colt. I know you’re lying, and if you didn’t have a ride home, why didn’t you just call me? I would have come for you.”
He calmed down just a bit when he responded, “Look, babe, I didn’t want to wake you, so I called Marci to pick me up. Go on home, babe, and I’ll be there after I get myself all situated here.”
“Bullshit, Colt, you’ve been cheating on me with her, haven’t you? How could you, you piece of shit!” My heart was beating out of my chest as I felt complete devastation. I rolled up my window, started my car, and drove away.
I remember that night like it was yesterday, only I was too stupid to end it there. I let it go on for over a year. I knew about her and begged him to stop. He’d feed me some bullshit I would swallow and things wouldn’t change. There were times when I’d yell and get in his face over it, and he’d slap me around for a bit until I’d fall to my knees crying and begging him to stay, only to see him walk out the door like I was nothing.
What a mess my life had become, and it wasn’t until I woke up and tossed all of Colt’s shit out the door, changed the locks, and moved on that things started looking up. I spent the next six months dating, still looking for that one true love, but after more dates than I can count on both my hands, it became clear to me that it didn’t exist. So I settled for just the occasional hookup when I needed it, and then a more friends-with-benefits type relationship where both knew the score of no future expectations.
What a pathetic life I’ve lived. I have nothing to show for it. It’s time I start making some changes. The first being to get Colt out of my life once and for all, which will start today when I give my statement to the police. It’s apparent to me now that he is disturbed and potentially mentally unstable. I knew he didn’t take the way I ended it well, and I’m sure it’s because I was the one who broke it off instead of him, but I never expected him to stalk me or even try to kill me. I guess I never knew him like I thought I did.
At around three o’clock, police officers White and Tyson arrive to take my statement. After about an hour of telling the story of my life with Colt, I want to kick my own ass at how stupid I was. How could I be so blind and dumb to the person he was? I’ll never be that person again, that is for sure. “Well, Ms. Bennett, thank you for your time. We have enough information, so we should be able to pick up Mr. Branson and charge him with vehicle assault, leaving the scene of an accident, and if everything you have said is true, I am sure the charges won’t stop there.”
Knowing Colt has had a drug problem in the past, which I also shared with them, I’m betting they expect to find drugs. “Thank you, officers, for everything.”
I can’t wait to get out of this place and go home. I hate hospitals. Even with so many people around, you are still alone. And I can never relax. At least at home, I will be able to relax and be alone, which is comforting because it’s familiar. I know Bailey will be home next week from her honeymoon. She is going to flip out when I tell her what happened.
I’m lying here in the dark, trying to sleep with all the hospital noise around me. It’s never really quiet in here, and just when I’m about fall asleep, someone comes in to check my vitals and wakes me up. I never sleep well when I’m not in my own bed. I’m restless, tossing and turning all night. When I roll over and look out into the hallway, I see him standing there talking to a nurse. I’d know those eyes and that face anywhere; they’ve been etched into my brain from the day I first saw them. He’s tall with a lean muscle build. His eyes were warm and caring when they looked at me that day, and his smile melted my heart. He’s wearing bunker pants and a dark blue t-shirt, telling me he works for the fire department. When I lock eyes with him, my heart skips a beat, and I have to struggle for my next breath with how gorgeous he is. I close my eyes for a moment to clear my head, and when I open them again, he’s gone.
I’m lying here wondering if he was real or just a figment of my imagination. Every fiber of my being tells me he was real, but I’m starting to second-guess myself. What would he be doing here of all places, standing outside my door? I’ve dreamt of him several times over the last few days. It’s always the same dream: he’s there holding me in his arms, telling me everything will be OK, that I have nothing to worry about and that he’s there for me. “Focus on me, Rylee.” I remember it clear as day, those eyes that made me feel safe even when I wasn’t. I feel a tear run down my face. I just want to be home.
Braedyn
IT’S BEEN A WEEK since that night I found her. Rylee, that is. I remember her name. I feel her in my arms. And I can’t seem to forget her face.
&
nbsp; I’ve dreamt of her, naked and spread out on my bed while I fuck her so hard and fast my balls are slapping against her ass. Hot, pounding lust spirals through me, and my dick grows hard when I think of her.
It’s why every time I’m at the hospital, I check up on her. I was surprised to find that she was still there, and when I heard she was in a coma, I panicked. I don’t know what it is about her, but I’m obsessed when it comes to her. When I found out she blacked out after they got her in the ambulance and that she hadn’t regained consciousness, I started to have flashbacks of Brooklyn. All those old feelings started coming back to me. It was gut-wrenching. I needed to know she was OK, so every day, I’d stop by and check on her to see if she was awake.
Over the years, I became friends with most of the nursing staff. Well, only the single ones, and friends isn’t exactly the right term to describe my relationship with them. But nonetheless, they are always happy to see me and more than willing to answer my questions.
After a couple of days, I started to get worried. There was no reason my raven-haired beauty should be in a coma. Her head injuries were serious but not serious enough to cause her to be unresponsive. Her MRIs were clear as well. When I arrived, two nights ago, Betty told me she had regained consciousness earlier that day and that the doctor had given her a clean bill of health and would be releasing her soon if everything remained the same. Tonight, I’m here again, standing in the hallway by her room. Betty is asking me if I have the day off tomorrow and if I want to get something to eat when I see movement out of the corner of my eye. I turn to look into Rylee’s room and see her roll over to face the door. Her eyes open. They lock on with mine, and I smile at her. I can tell she is still sleepy, but those eyes of hers sucker-punch me in the gut the minute they meet mine. Fuck, what the fuck am I feeling for this girl? Why does she have this effect on me? I see her close her eyes again and know I have got to get out of there while I can. So I do the only thing I can think of, which is to leave. I run as fast as I can away from her.