With great reluctance, I leave the Design Building and walk across campus to the parking lot, my phone in hand the whole way. I’m hoping for a text message or perhaps a phone call, but my phone is silent. I feel absurdly abandoned, and I warn myself not to let that feeling take over. I'm a big girl, I can handle my appointment on my own. I shouldn't need Caleb to walk me to my car before going to the therapist's office.
“I can do this,” I say out loud to myself as I back the Camaro out of the parking space and drive towards the exit. Therapists are there to help, right? I mean, if he tries to force the jumbled mass of thoughts out of my head, it doesn't help me in the end. I'm supposed to want to talk to him. He's not going to expect me to lay everything out on the table today anyway. I'm just going today for an initial meeting. To see if he might be someone I could see myself opening up to.
I slow down at an intersection, and my hand is reaching for the radio when my phone rings. I snatch it out of the front of my backpack pocket and put it to my ear. “Hello?” I ask as the cars in front of me move forward as the light turns green.
“Hey,” Caleb breathes in my ear, sounding oddly out of breath. “I just hauled ass across campus, but you're gone already. I'm sorry. Class let out late,” he says with frustration.
I smile, instantly feeling comforted that he'd had every intention of seeing me before I'd had to leave. “It's okay,” I say lightly as I keep my eye on the traffic in front of me. It's busy out today, and the last thing I need is to rear-end someone, because I'd been too focused on talking to my boyfriend on the phone. I grin widely. Boyfriend. I fucking love the sound of that word.
“It's not okay,” he grumbles. “I know how nervous you are about this appointment. It's a big deal, Zoey.”
“So you'll make it up to me,” I tease.
“You work tonight. And I work tomorrow night. Damn, I should have just skipped class this morning and spent an extra hour in bed with you,” he says with obvious regret.
I laugh as I glance at the intersection lights as I approach them. They are green, and I cruise through it. “Caleb, we have the entire weekend to spend in bed together,” I say before I hear someone lay on the horn to my right. I look up, my eyes widening as I see the truck barreling towards me as it races through a red light. “Oh my—”
The sound of crunching metal cuts me off as my world suddenly explodes in the sound of shattering glass and squealing tires. I have a moment—a second really—to experience the horror of knowing my car's been hit, and the car is leaving the ground.
Then there's nothing but darkness.
~*~
I feel extremely groggy. And my head aches. At first I think it's another stupid hangover, but then I take note of the fact that my entire body hurts.
“Zoey?” Someone gently squeezes my hand.
After some major effort on my part, I pry my eyes open and blink a few times. Everything is white and kind of blurry.
“Hi, sweetheart.” My mom's face comes into focus, hovering over my own. Her brown bangs look ruffled, like she's been running her hands through them, and dark shadows hover beneath her tired brown eyes.
I'm confused, and my head feels like it's stuffed with cotton. It's a struggle to pull my thoughts together.
“You were in a car accident,” my mom explains to me gently.
I blink, feeling disoriented. Car accident? “Micah?” I ask in a thick voice.
Sadness flickers in her gaze. “Micah died three years ago, Zoey. You're twenty and you're in college, remember?”
That's right. I go to CSULB. Why is my mind so muddled? My eyes shift to follow movement, and I see my dad hovering over my mom's shoulder. He looks just as worn down as she does. In fact, how have I not noticed that his dark blond hair is beginning to thin, and he has more wrinkles around his hazel eyes than I remember. “Dad?”
He smiles down at me, his eyes shiny with tears. “You gave us quite a scare yesterday.”
“I did?” I mumble as I fight back a yawn. I'm so tired, and I can feel sleep beckoning me.
“The doctor warned us you may not remember the actual accident,” my dad says hesitantly.
Caleb's face flashes in my mind, and I struggle to look around the hospital room. My drowsy eyes halt on Micah. He's standing by the window, dressed in his jeans and white polo. My brother smiles at me as if all is right in the world. “You're going to be fine from here on out. It's all coming together,” he tells me.
I stare at him with puzzlement.
His brown eyes hold mine. “Come see me when you're ready. I'll be waiting,” he says gently before he fades into the sunlight shining in through the window, and then he's gone.
“Micah!” I call, staring at the space where he'd just been.
“Honey, Micah's not here,” my mom says carefully.
My eyes shift back to her and I frown. “But...”
Dad leans over mom's shoulder, and he squeezes my arm. “You've got a concussion, and that's probably why you're confused. I'll go get the doctor,” he says, patting my arm one more time reassuringly before disappearing from view.
“Caleb?” I murmur as I struggle to keep my eyes open.
“We twisted those boys' arms and made them go down to the cafeteria to eat. This is the first time we've gotten any of them to go beyond the restrooms down the hall.” She sighs. “Now I'm sure I'll be in a world of trouble since you woke up while they weren't here,” she jokes.
“I'm so tired...”
“Go back to sleep. You need the rest, and we'll be here when you wake up,” she assures me.
I want to ask more questions, but my eyelids begin to droop.
~*~
The next time I manage to pry my eyes open, I find Caleb sitting next to the hospital bed. My sleepy eyes roam over his face, and I can't help but smile. Even with his rumpled hair and two days growth of whiskers, he looks delicious.
He smiles in relief when he notices I'm awake. “Ah, Sleeping Beauty is back with us again.”
“Mm. Where's my kiss from my sexy prince?” I ask in a tired voice.
“Right here,” he says as he leans over and very gently brushes his lips against mine.
“More,” I murmur as longing sweeps through my aching body.
Caleb pulls back, looking amused. “How about some water?”
My mouth instantly waters. The inside of my mouth is dry and tastes like something crawled into it and died. Ick. “Water, please,” I agree.
He picks up a glass of water with a straw in it. I instinctively try to raise my upper body, but I cry out as pain shoots through my left shoulder while the area below the ribs on my left side protests.
Caleb frowns at me. “Easy, Zoey. You were in an accident, remember? Here, just relax and I'll adjust your bed.”
My eyebrows draw together, and I try to take stock of my body as the upper part of my bed slowly rises. My body aches, but mostly in my shoulder and below my ribs along my left side. I look down and see something bulky around my right leg beneath the hospital blanket. “Am I still in one piece?” I ask as I study the outline of my legs. My arms are still attached as well.
“Yes, you'll make a full recovery,” Caleb confirms. He holds the glass near me so the straw is nearly touching my lips. I tentatively take a sip, and the cool liquid feels good sliding down my dry throat. When I've had my fill, Caleb sets the glass down.
I fight back a yawn. “I'm so tired, and my head feels foggy.”
“It's the pain medication. You'll be in and out of it today. Tomorrow they're talking about cutting back so you're not so drowsy.”
I lick my dry lips and scan the empty room. There are several bouquets of flowers and get well balloons scattered around. “Have I been here a while?”
“A couple days. The accident happened on Thursday and today is Saturday. Your parents are getting some breakfast down in the cafeteria, and Ace, Jeremy, and AJ will be dropping by later to see if you're awake.”
“What's wrong with me?” I ask
as I reach up with my right hand and tentatively touch the bandage along my forehead.
Caleb gently takes my left hand in his. “You have a concussion and numerous cuts and abrasions. You have a tear in your left rotator cuff,” he explains. “They didn't surgically fix it, because the doctor thinks it'll heal on its own with time.”
“What else?”
“You have a broken fibula, right above your ankle. It was a clean break, so you're looking at about six weeks in a cast.”
A grimace scrunches up my features. I'm a very active person. Being restricted to crutches is going to drive me nuts.
“And you had emergency surgery right after the accident,” he continues quietly. “You had internal bleeding, and they had to remove your spleen. That was the worst of your injuries, but you'll make a full recovery.”
I'm quiet as I process this news before I ask, “When can I go home?”
Caleb chuckles and his lip curves up in the corner. “How did I know that would be your next question?”
“I hate hospitals,” I say softly as I think of Micah.
Understanding flickers in his gaze. “I know. I think they're releasing you on Monday. The doctor wants to give you today to become a little more alert, and then Sunday he said he'll assess your injuries and see about letting you out of here.”
“What happened? Did I cause the accident?” I ask with puzzlement.
“No, it wasn't your fault.” His expression looks pained, and I look at him worriedly. “It wasn't,” he promises. “I just...” He rubs a hand over his face. “I was on the phone with you when it happened,” he explains.
“I was on the phone? Was I distracted?”
“No. I was supposed to meet you after your last class before your appointment with the therapist. My class ran late, and I didn't get there in time. Do you remember?” he asks as his eyes search mine.
“The day is kind of fuzzy.” I can't help but grin widely a second later. “I remember the sex we had, though.”
He grins crookedly. “Yeah, that was a good way to wake up, eh?”
“Mmhmm.”
Caleb sobers up. “Anyway, I called to tell you I didn't mean to miss you before you left. We were talking, and I heard the sound of a car horn, then the sound of smashing metal and glass.” His jaw clenches and he looks away. “That fucking sound keeps echoing in my head. I heard it right before your phone went dead, and I knew something bad had happened to you.”
“I'm sorry,” I whisper.
His blue eyes turn to focus on mine. “Why? It wasn't your fault. You have nothing to be sorry about.”
“It's just that sound. It'll stay with you forever. I hear it all the time when I remember the accident with Micah...”
Caleb squeezes my hand, and we’re both silent a moment before he continues speaking. “I fled campus and drove towards the clinic the way I figured you'd have taken. I came across the accident.” A muscle ticks in his jaw, his lips tightening. “Your car...” He shakes his head and says, “One of the officers on the scene said someone ran a red light. They nailed the passenger side of your car, and you ended up in on-coming traffic where your car collided with another, causing your car to flip. It was bad, Zoey. They'd already rushed you from the scene by ambulance and were loading up one of the other driver's when I got there. I almost lost it,” he says softly.
“I'm sorry.”
“I'm just so relieved you're okay.”
“Me too. My baby's gone, isn't she?” I ask, and my lower lip quivers at the thought of her being mangled and twisted.
Caleb looks at me with puzzlement.
“My car,” I explain as I fight back the ridiculous urge to cry.
He nods. “Yeah. It's totaled.”
I grimace. “I loved that car.”
“Cars can be replaced. You can't,” he points out.
“My parents are here,” I say quietly as I switch the topic before I do something mortifying, like cry over something materialistic like a car. God, I'm going to miss it.
“They've been here this entire time. They love you, Zoey.”
I look away.
“Let them be here for you. They need this, and I think you do, too.”
“I'll try to be nice,” I say grudgingly.
Chapter Twenty
Monday morning, I am seething with anger. No one bothered to tell me that I'd be going home with my parents until two hours before I'm supposed to be released. I'd just assumed that I'd be staying with Caleb or vice versa. The doctor is insisting I have help twenty-four/seven for the next week while my incision from surgery heals. That, and I can't use the crutches yet, because my shoulder injury is too painful. That leaves me pretty much bedridden for a week at least. I'd been looking forward to lounging in Caleb's bed at his place, not my old bed at my parents.
I glare at Caleb accusingly.
He clears his throat and looks at my parents. “Can I have a moment alone with Zoey?”
“Yes, of course,” my dad says as he sends Caleb a look of sympathy before he escorts my mom out of the room.
My eyes narrow on Caleb. It hadn't escaped my notice the past few days that my parents seem to adore him, and Caleb seems to genuinely like them. The traitor.
Caleb squarely meets my gaze, ignoring the expression on my face. “It's only for one week.”
“You are my boyfriend, Caleb. I don't need to go home with mommy and daddy. I'm a full grown adult. There is absolutely no reason why I can't stay with you.” I give him a death glare. “Or do you not want me around? Is that it?”
He gives me a look. “You know I want you around. It's going to kill me being away from you for a full week.”
“Tell them I'm staying with you then.”
Caleb looks at me with that steely look of his that I'm learning to dread, and he shakes his head. “I can't. Your parents asked for this time with you, and I won't stand in the way of that.”
“What about what I want?” I snap.
“You can't avoid them forever. I think a week with them might be exactly what you need.”
“Are you serious?” I ask incredulously. “I'm going to be confined to my bed. I won't be able to walk away when they hover too much. It'll be like my own personal version of Hell. You know this!”
“They weren't there for you when you needed them three years ago. Let them have the chance to be here for you now,” he says steadily as he gazes at me unflinchingly.
“I don't need them!”
“You need them more than ever,” he corrects.
I growl at him from where I sit on the hospital bed. “Caleb...”
“It's one week, Zoey. Give them at least that.”
“Whatever, I'll just stay with Ace and Jeremy. They can help with my sponge baths. They've seen it all before anyway,” I taunt.
He crosses his arms, his lips tightening slightly. “Low blow. And it's not happening.”
“Give me the phone.”
“I already spoke with them, and they are with me on this one. You're staying with your parents.”
My teeth grind. “You are so paying for this, Caleb Preston.”
“I figured as much,” he says with a visible wince.
I continue to glare at him, and an hour later I'm still pissed off at him as a nurse pushes me in a wheelchair out the front doors of the hospital. My dad climbs out of the driver's seat of the SUV that is parked in the circular drive. I stare moodily at the vehicle as the nurse gives my mom last minute instructions.
Caleb squats down in front of my wheel chair, his blue eyes searching mine. “Don't be like this, Zoey.”
I shoot him one of my best glares. If he thinks I'm letting him off the hook, he's in for an unpleasant surprise. I can't fucking take a bath or shower. I'm going be suffering through sponge baths at my mom's hand. I'm going to need help just getting to and from the damn bathroom. To have to accept help from them of all people... How can he not understand how upsetting this is for me?
Caleb sighs and pulls a
cell phone out of his pocket. He sets it on my lap. “I got you a new phone since your other one was destroyed in the accident. I stored all your old contacts in it already. You can text me day or night,” he tells me.
“Caleb, would you like to join us for dinner tonight?” my mom asks kindly.
He rises to his feet and smiles warmly at her. “Thanks, Mrs. Monohan, but I work at the crisis center tonight. Maybe another time.”
That lying mother fucker. I know his usual schedule, and he has the night off. I don't out him, though. Instead, my attention is diverted. I find myself embarrassed as my dad helps me into the back seat of the car. It fades when the pain distracts me, and I clench my teeth together as my incision throbs and my shoulder aches. Surprisingly enough, my cast doesn't bother me too much, it just seems to get in the way more than anything.
“Okay?” my dad asks gruffly as he adjusts the seatbelt around me.
“Yeah,” I mutter.
He carefully shuts the door, and I glance out the window to see Caleb standing next to the nurse with the now empty wheelchair. He has a pained expression on his face, and I know this isn't easy on him. Caleb's a good guy, he's respecting my parents and trying to help make things right. It's kind of hard to be mad at a man that's just looking out for my best interests, even if I stubbornly refuse to admit it.
I lift my hand, tentatively waving to him as my parents climb in the front seats and my dad starts the car. He lifts a hand and waves back, his expression softening.
A few minutes later we're leaving the hospital behind, and I go back to feeling moody.
My mom turns in her seat to look back at me. “We're setting you up in the guest room on the first floor. It has an attached bathroom, and your father also installed a TV on the wall for you so that you don't get too bored.”
“Caleb also brought by your laptop,” my dad adds.
“Okay. Thanks,” I say politely.
Silence falls over the interior of the SUV, and I glance at the phone in my lap. I pick it up and scroll down to Caleb's number. I can't resist sending him a quick little text message. Get reacquainted with your hand, it's the only action you'll be getting for a while.
Poison Me Sweetly (Long Beach Series Book 1) Page 28