She heard some oohs from people nearby but ignored them, stomped to the office, and slammed the door behind them. She turned to face him.
Ike smiled infuriatingly at her. “Hey, love, saw some great pics of us online.”
Lily cuffed him upside the head just like she would one of her brothers who needed a smack down.
“Ouch! What was that for?”
“Being a pathetic loser and lying that we have a relationship.”
“Come on. You know you’ve always wanted a piece of this.” Ike gestured to his muscular frame.
Lily gritted her teeth and clenched her fists so she didn’t hit him again. “Since repeatedly telling you no, every single time you asked me out wasn’t a clear enough message, I’ve got one for you. Never try to talk to me again and never claim that we are dating. I wouldn’t be interested in any of this.” She pointed at him. “Even if you were the last man left on earth. Is that clear enough?”
“Sheesh. When did the raunchy witch take over your body?”
“When you lied to national media to get a little attention. You set it all up, didn’t you? The text to Hyde, the pictures of you and I, everything exploding yesterday? Did you send reporters to my parents’ house?”
He folded his bulky arms across his chest and smirked, neither denying or confirming.
Lily shook her head but then she gasped. “Did you set everything up with Teresa?”
“Who’s Teresa?”
“Hyde’s mom.”
He shook his head slightly.
Lily prayed Hyde’s mom wasn’t in league with this loser, but she didn’t trust anyone but her family at the moment. She skirted around him, not wanting to be in a confined space with the loser ever again. Ike grabbed her arm. She stared down at his fingers then icily back up to his face. “Let go of me.”
“Lily. I know you’re upset, but I did this for you. Hyde Metcalf isn’t the right guy for you. I am. I think you should reconsider and give me another chance.”
Lily slugged him as hard as she could in the abdomen. He gasped and released her arm. She never knew she had such a violent side, but it felt pretty good. “Stay away from me.”
She slammed the office door on the way out. He was still talking, but she was done listening.
The rest of the day didn’t get any better and when her phone rang repeatedly as she drove home she knew she couldn’t handle talking to anybody. She pushed the button to silence her ringer and rubbed at the headache forming between her eyes.
She pulled into her apartment parking lot and Wynette was waving crazily at her. Lily climbed out and slammed the door. “What?” she almost screamed at Wynette.
Some clicks came from behind her and she whirled around. There was a cameraman taking pictures. “Excuse me, Miss Udy? Can you comment on …” His voice droned on.
She ignored him and stomped away.
Wynette grabbed Lily’s arm. “Why haven’t you answered your phone? You need to call your mom.”
“Not here.” She jerked her head toward the reporter and hurried up the stairs and into the apartment.
“Why haven’t you called your mom?” Wynette demanded.
She put up a hand. “No, stop. I can’t deal with my mom right now. Please understand this has been the worst two days of my life.”
“Oh, sweetie, you have no idea what bad is.”
Lily started to protest, but Wynette pulled her into a fierce hug. “Caleb and Josh have been in an accident. They were Life Flighted to the University of Colorado Hospital.”
The air sucked out of Lily’s lungs. She sank to her knees. Wynette still holding onto her and falling to the floor with her. Caleb. Josh. Tears sprang to her eyes and she couldn’t catch a full breath. No, no, no.
“Are they … alive?” she squeaked out of her throat, even though it was clogged with tears.
“Yes. Caleb is doing okay. Josh is … in a coma.” Wynette was crying too and she wouldn’t let Lily out of her embrace, even though Lily was squirming to be free.
“I’ve got to go.” Lily didn’t know how she pushed to her feet and pulled free of Wynette’s arms, but she managed it.
Wynette ripped the keys from her limp fingers. “I’m driving you. There’s no way you’d make it.” Wynette directed her back out the door and down the stairs.
The reporter was still there. “Miss Udy? Can you comment on your relationship with Hyde Metcalf?”
Lily stared at him. Did he not realize her world had just collapsed? Who cared about anything but Josh right now?
“Leave her alone,” Wynette yelled at the guy. She tugged Lily toward the car and pushed her inside. Lily’s body didn’t seem to be able to function properly. She tugged the seatbelt over her chest, but her hands trembled so violently she couldn’t get it to click. Wynette pushed it in.
Lily stared vacantly out the window as Wynette drove to the hospital in Aurora. The fifty-minute drive took much longer than that because of traffic. Lily was too numb to process much as tears kept running down her cheeks. She mostly just closed her eyes and prayed over and over again that Josh would be okay.
Wynette tried to talk to her a few times, but she didn’t even respond so her friend gave up.
They pulled into the hospital emergency room entrance.
“Go,” Wynette said. “I’ll park the car.”
“Thanks,” Lily mumbled. Pushing the car door open, she was grateful her weak legs supported her as she ran through the sliding glass doors and into the emergency room entrance. Sariah, Brandon, Mary, and Trudy all huddled together in the far corner of the room.
“Sariah,” Lily managed to get out.
Her sister’s head popped up and then her four siblings ran to her. She was hugged from all sides and they started talking at the same time. She could hardly make out what they were telling her, picking up on certain names and phrases—Josh, Caleb, Hyde, trying to apologize, car accident.
She finally pulled back and focused on Sariah. “Okay, let Sariah tell me what happened.”
But the door into the emergency room slid open and Caleb walked out. They all started screaming and the nurse had to tell them to calm down. Caleb was now the one surrounded with hugs. He had a few stitches in his forehead and his arm was in a sling, but he looked pretty good.
“You’re okay?” Lily asked, holding his face between her hands and turning it side to side gently.
“Yes, but Josh …”
“Will they let me see him?”
Caleb shook his head. “They just kicked me out. They’re moving him up to the neuro-intensive care unit then they said we could each go visit him for a few minutes. Mom and Dad wouldn’t leave his side no matter what the nurses say. He looks bad, sis.”
Oh, Josh. If her little brother didn’t make it … Lily couldn’t even stand the thought. She loved him so desperately.
“What happened?” she asked Caleb.
“Today was a really hard day at school.”
Lily’s heart about broke again as all of her siblings nodded. That article was as hard on them as it was on her, probably harder. They were teenagers and already struggled to fit in because of their lack of money, fashionable clothes, and ability to play on elite teams. Even though they hadn’t been falling in love with Hyde romantically, they’d all loved him too. Yet sharing the pain didn’t make it any better.
“Josh came home so sad. It killed me. I guess some of his friends at school teased him about that article and how they knew all along our family was just trying to get money from Hyde. He got in a fight, had to see the principal and apologize to the kids.” Caleb grunted. “The punks. When he got home, he begged me to take him to see Hyde. He said he had to make it better and make sure Hyde wasn’t mad at you.”
Lily tried to smile but failed. It was so like Josh to be worried about her and Hyde, even though he’d had a hard day.
“We finally talked Mom into letting us take the van and I drove him to Hyde’s house. I was worried Hyde would be mad about th
e things those articles said, but it was Hyde’s mom who answered the door and she acted all nice, but she told Josh how we’d really hurt Hyde and it was probably better if we didn’t come by again.” He blew out a long breath.
Lily’s stomach clenched. That woman was a manipulative terror. How dare she turn Caleb and Josh away like that? Would Hyde have turned them away? Maybe. And that would’ve been worse for Josh.
“I decided to get Josh a shake at Bob’s Atomic Burger to try to make him feel better. Food always makes him happier.”
All the siblings nodded, some smiling, but the happy thought of Josh’s food obsession fled quickly. Would Josh eat a shake again? Mary sniffled and Sariah pulled her against her side.
“On the way there, he begged me to try to call Hyde or stop by his house again. He just wanted to make things right. I wasn’t paying attention and a car blew the red light on Tenth and Main. It hit us hard. I slammed into the side window, but Josh. Oh, man! Why did I let him sit in the front seat? They think he probably hit his head twice, once on the console and then when the airbag exploded it hit him right in the head. That’s why he’s in a coma. It’s all my fault!”
Caleb was crying inconsolably now. Lily pulled him to her and even though he was half a foot taller than her she cradled him like a small boy and kept saying over and over, “It’s not your fault. You’re such a great brother to him. It’s not your fault.”
The nurse interrupted them, “Let me show you the way up to the intensive care unit’s waiting room.”
“Thank you.” Lily held on to Caleb with one arm and Mary clung to her other hand. They walked slowly down the hallway, waited for the elevator, then rose up to the third floor. The waiting area was a lot comfier and more homey-looking than the emergency room with couches and recliners instead of hard chairs and landscape portraits on the walls.
“Thank you,” Lily said to the nurse. “Do you know when we can see him?”
“It’ll be a little while. They have to transfer him and make sure he’s stable before he can have any visitors.”
Lily nodded. “Okay.” She settled everyone into the couches and they sat, holding hands or with an arm around a sibling, but not saying much.
Wynette found them, but Lily sent her home, promising her she’d call when she knew something. If she needed a car, she could take her parent’s old Nissan. She wondered how the entire family got here without the van, probably crammed into the rusted-out Nissan that Sariah took to work every day.
Bowing her head, she started to pray. It was all she had right now.
Chapter 13
Hyde parked his sport utility and strode toward the gym door. Nobody had answered at Lily’s apartment and he’d left quickly to avoid the reporters. Maybe it was dumb to try to talk to Lily again, but he didn’t like the way things were between them. Plus, his agent had been digging and gotten wind that Ike had been the main source and instigator of the media explosion. He’d realized late last night that Lily was honest to a fault. Maybe she hadn’t lied to him about Ike. Maybe Lily and he did have a chance.
The glass front door of the Fitness Academy popped open and Ike strutted out. He took one look at Hyde, growled like an angry bear, tucked his head, and plowed into him.
Hyde stood his ground, grabbed the idiot by the shoulders and slammed him to the pavement. Ike groaned, but scrambled for Hyde’s legs. Hyde dodged him. Ike lumbered to his feet and swung. Hyde grinned as he ducked under the punch then drove his fist into the loser’s nose. This was better therapy than a psychiatrist.
Blood spurted from Ike’s nose. He moaned and pressed his palm over his nose. “It’s bad enough you stole Lily!” he yelled at Hyde.
Lily. She couldn’t really have dated this idiot. “You never had any right to be with her,” Hyde shot back.
“That’s right,” a female voice said from the side.
Hyde glanced at Malee, the gym owner. “Get off my property, Ike, or I’ll call the cops.”
Ike glared at her then focused back on Hyde. “I’ll sue you for hitting me,” he claimed as he held onto his nose.
Hyde laughed. “Try it. I’ve got the best lawyers in the state and you’re a pathetic loser.”
Ike opened his mouth then closed it and simply slunk away.
Hyde turned to Malee.
“I’m sorry about all of that. He bragged to one of the other trainers about orchestrating the entire media mess. I just fired him.”
Hyde stared at her, grateful for the confirmation and her willingness to take action.
“Lily never dated him,” Malee continued, “No matter what lies he told.”
That news was better than bloodying Ike’s nose. Hyde longed to see Lily and try to make things right.
“Did you hear about the accident?” Malee asked.
The serious tone of Malee’s voice yanked any good feelings from fighting Ike and knowing Lily hadn’t dated the punk right out from under him. Hyde blinked to clear his vision. It couldn’t be Lily who got in an accident. No.
“Lily’s little brothers,” Malee continued. “Josh was Life Flighted to University of Colorado Hospital. I just got a text from her roommate not to expect Lily at work for a while.”
Hyde swayed on his feet. Not Josh. He sprinted for his car, not even hearing the rest of Malee’s words.
Lily pulled Hyde’s name up on the screen almost without realizing what she was doing. Should she call him and tell him about the accident? Would she be doing it just to make him feel guilty or to try to get him to come to her? She ached just to see him. Maybe Josh had been right and Hyde was a good guy. No. Josh had been blinded by his worship of Hyde. She could picture the two of them as Hyde picked him up and fake tackled him in his backyard. Josh’s smile couldn’t have been bigger. Shaking her head and shoving an errant tear off her cheek, she shoved the phone into her pocket.
Movement in the doorway of the waiting room caught her eye and she glanced up to see Hyde’s large form. Gasping, she blinked at him. He looked solid and strong and able to right her every wrong. Her spine stiffened. Not anymore. He and his mother had both said horrible things to her and her brothers. Because of them and Ike’s deception, Josh was in a coma.
He crossed the room with sure strides and stood in front of her.
“I just heard. Oh, Lily.” He jammed a hand through his hair. “I’m so sorry.”
Lily stood and faced him, slapping him soundly across the face. “Don’t you ever come near me or my family again!”
“Lily,” Sariah admonished her in a low tone. “This is not Hyde’s fault.”
“You don’t even know, Sariah.” Lily didn’t let her eyes stray from Hyde’s. She told herself she didn’t care that his eyes were filled with a wretched sadness and there was a red handprint across his face. Yes, she was definitely picking up violent tendencies today and she kind of liked it.
“You have no right to come here,” she yelled at him. “Do you know why they were even in Golden? Why they got in the accident?”
Hyde shook his head and rubbed at his jaw.
“Josh believed in you … He only wanted to make things right and then…” Tears stung her eyes, but she blinked quickly.
“Oh, Josh.” His eyes looked moist, but Lily refused to feel any sympathy for him.
“And your mom turned them away. Said you never wanted to see them again.”
“No.” Hyde’s eyes closed as if he couldn’t take the pain anymore.
Lily almost softened then, but the anger was too strong. “Caleb wanted to take Josh for a shake because he was so heartbroken and they got in an accident. This is all your fault.”
Hyde took a step toward her. “Lily. I’m so sorry. You know I would never want Josh or Caleb to be hurt.”
“I don’t know anything anymore.” She sniffled and shook her head. He reached out to her, but she leaned away. “Please, leave. You have no right to share in our sorrow and I never want to see you again.”
Hyde stared at her for a few seconds
, searching her face. Time seemed suspended and she wished he would just go away. She could see he shared their sorrow whether she gave him permission to or not. She knew it wasn’t rational to place the blame for Josh’s life-threatening situation on his and his mom’s shoulders, but she did, and if he dared to stay around, she might hit him again. She wasn’t giving in to the desire to forgive him, no matter how desperately he looked at her.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered.
Lily didn’t answer or look away.
Hyde took a step back and broke her gaze, glancing around at her family. “I’m sorry,” he repeated. “Caleb. I’m sorry.”
Caleb pushed off the couch and around Lily, flinging himself against Hyde. “It’s okay. Josh loves you so much,” Caleb croaked out then the sobs overtook his ability to speak.
Hyde held the boy and Lily fought the tears, but they leaked over her lashes and down her face. The rest of her family pushed around her and went to Hyde. Lily couldn’t take it anymore. Her family could forgive him and take his comforting hugs. He threw those around almost better than his money. But she couldn’t be part of the Hyde fan club, not anymore. She spun and ran down the hallway.
Chapter 14
Hyde wanted so badly to see Josh, but the little guy was still being admitted into intensive care and only his parents and Caleb had seen him. He realized he should probably leave before it got awkward, meaning before Lily came back to cuss or smack him again.
The slap hadn’t really hurt, but the look in her eyes had ripped him apart. He wanted to stay with them, with her, but it was obvious she wasn’t about to forgive him. It about killed him to think about leaving, not knowing if Josh was going to be okay or not. The little man was in a coma, but his vital signs were at least stable.
Lily didn’t have to blame Hyde, he already blamed himself. Why had he ever fought with her? Who cared about some stupid articles—online, in print, it didn’t matter like Lily and Josh.
If Hyde wouldn’t have gotten upset and jealous, thinking Lily would date Ike, Josh wouldn’t have thought he needed to come say sorry and his mom wouldn’t have turned Caleb and Josh away.
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