Derek’s eyes misted over. Not once had I ever heard him say he regretted his action, or seen him cry. I was sure if I also looked out the window, pigs would be flying and hell would be freezing over. I figured Taylor had been giving him acting lessons.
Derek continued. “Yesterday, Levi came to me and I saw how much your daughter meant to him. I have seen a change in him. Since his mother died, he had been lost, but your daughter found him. I can’t lose him again. I owe it to them both to give her the best treatment available. To give them a chance.”
I looked at my old man. If I didn’t hate him so much, his soliloquy would have touched my heart.
“Taylor, you can come in now,” Derek called out to Taylor, who had been waiting outside. “Taylor also has something to say to you all.”
In true Taylor fashion, she entered with flair—her long legs striding across the room and her hips moving side to side seductively. She flicked her long blonde hair over her shoulder as she went and stood next to my father.
“Derek isn’t all to blame. I played my part, too.” Melodramatically, a single tear slid down her cheek. “I’ve always loved Levi. I couldn’t handle him being with anyone else, so I told Andi that Levi and I were back together. I’m so sorry, I never meant for any of this to happen.” She dabbed her at her eyes. “I’m here because Levi asked me to tell the truth to you all. He belongs with your daughter. I can accept that know, and I can only hope that one day, you will forgive me for my part in this.” Another tear rolled down her cheek.
Her acting skills hadn’t improved that much. She still acted like she belonged on a soap opera. Though, it didn’t matter what I thought. What really mattered was whether Andi’s family believed her and permitted me access to see her.
Andi’s dad looked at his wife and then his children. “I think I speak for all of us, Tony included, when we say we forgive you. What has happened has happened. We wouldn’t be very good Catholics if we couldn’t forgive. Andi has had a problem with her anxiety and depression for some time, we all just failed to notice to how out of control it had become. We shoulder a lot of the blame for trying to control her life. Levi, we can see how much you love our daughter, and we appreciate the lengths you have gone to by bringing your father here and paying for everything. Of course you can have unlimited access to her. I know it’s what she would have wanted.”
That was all I needed. I jumped from my seat, slapped my father on the shoulder, walked over to Andi’s dad, and shook his hand. Anyone would have thought it was Christmas morning. “Thank you, sir, you don’t know how happy I am. She’ll pull through this, just you wait and see.”
Andi’s mom started crying. “We hope so. God bless you, Levi.”
I gave her a hug, and followed up by giving Mike and Bobby a handshake. Tony flat out refused to take my hand, and instead glared at me. “I don’t shake the hands of criminals. I’m not fooled by this charade. You and I, we still have unfinished business. All I’m going to say is you make sure she pulls through this, or your life won’t be worth living.”
“Believe me, if she doesn’t, I don’t want to live. And you can take the first shot.”
He sneered. “Believe me, I will.”
****
My knees buckled under my weight and I gripped the door handle of the hospital room for support. Tubes and machines were everywhere, beeping and pumping life into the comatose figure on the bed. I checked the room number again on the door. 3A. And written above the number in a scrawled handwriting was the name LaRosa, Andreana, confirming the opposite of what I was hoping. That this was the wrong room. I hardly recognized her.
I drew in a deep, ragged breath, my eyes fixed on her still form. Slowly, my feet dragged across the floor, like a zombie, one shuffle after the other, until I was standing next to her. She looked fragile and vulnerable. I didn’t dare touch her.
Tape kept her eyes shut and a tube down her throat, while the life support machine pushed air in and out of her lungs. One machine fed her fluids through her nose and another into her veins on her hand, while one tube removed her waste. But underneath it all, she was still the most beautiful girl I had ever laid my eyes on. Like the first time I had met her, I was drawn to her.
Unable to resist the temptation to touch her, I tenderly brushed the back of my fingers across her cheek. “We’re going to fix you, Andi. I’ve arranged a new suite for you, and I’m getting a bed moved in. I promise you, I will never leave your side again. As long as you want me, I’ll be here.”
Carefully, I slipped my hand into hers, and a feather soft movement from her fingers made me jump.
“Can you hear me? Squeeze my hand.” I held my breath, waiting, but nothing happened.
“That can happen from time to time.” An attending doctor had just walked into the room with a clipboard full of notes. “It’s nerves in the body responding to the stimuli. That’s a good sign. It means her nervous system is still working, which means her brain is still functioning.”
“Will she recover?” I held my breath.
“To be honest, I don’t know. The odds aren’t that great. I need to check her vitals. Can I ask that you wait over in the chair until I’m finished?”
I moved to the uncomfortable plastic visitor’s chair by the door and dropped my head in my hands. The odds aren’t that great. Well, wasn’t it lucky that I was a gambling man?
He turned his back to me while he checked her over and wrote on her chart hanging on the end of her bed. He worked in silence for about three minutes and when he was done, he turned to face me again.
“Look, it’s only early days yet. We’ve put her in the induced coma to let her brain and body heal. Once we move her and bring in the specialist doctors, we will have a better idea of her survival rate. And until we run an MRI, we won’t know what kind of permanent damage there has been. It really all depends how long she had been without oxygen. She’s a very lucky girl she was found when she was. Most overdoses aren’t so fortunate.”
My voice was monotone, and I was unable to look away from her. “I found her. She wasn’t breathing and there was no heartbeat. But I didn’t give up.”
“Well, she’s lucky she had you there then. I take it you are the one paying for her treatment?”
I nodded.
“Then you’ll be happy to know they are moving her upstairs this afternoon. The nurses will be in soon to prepare her for the move.” He clamped his hand on my shoulder before he left. “Keep talking to her. She can hear you. I’ve seen some amazing things happen to patients that we thought would never survive just because they had someone who cared nearby. Don’t give up on her.”
“I don’t intend to.”
****
My eyes burned, but I refused to given in. Sleep could fuck off. I was needed here. My eyes drooped, my lids getting heavier with every blink. I let myself drift for a second, only to be woken by the sound of heavy footfalls on the sterile white tiles. Snapping my eyes open, I was greeted by Derek, sitting on the chair opposite me, on the other side of Andi’s bed.
“Son, I’ve returned from a meeting with Andi’s parents. It’s been a week, and there’s been no change in her situation. Her medical team has decided they are going to try to bring her out of the coma, and, I hate to have to tell you this, but if she doesn’t come around and breathe on her own, they’re considering their options.”
“What does that mean?” I couldn’t breathe.
“It means they’ll be turning off her life support.”
Heat flared in my body. “No, they can’t! She’s coming back. She’s still in there, I can feel her.” True to my word, I hadn’t left her side, even when her family and friends had come to visit, I had hovered. Every day, I had brushed her hair and washed her body. Every need she had, I met. I knew she wasn’t gone, she was only lost. I just couldn’t work out how to find her and bring her back to me.
“I’m sorry, son, but they are her family and next of kin. It’s not for us to decide. We’ve done all
we can. It’s time to let her go.”
“We’ll fight them. Take them to court.”
He shook his head. “We have no chance of winning that fight, Levi. It’s done. They’ve already signed the papers.”
Tears pooled in my dry, tired eyes. “When?” My voice cracked.
“Tomorrow. They’ve allowed you one more night to say goodbye. They’ll be here in the morning and, if you want to stay, they’ve agreed to that, too.” Pity for me was etched on his face.
I snapped. I didn’t need his pity. “You’ll like that, won’t you? It means she’ll be gone. Just like my mother…”
Red slowly rose up his neck until his whole face was glowing in anger and he exploded. “I loved your mother. Rosa left me, not the other way around. She fell pregnant and I freaked out. Yes, I cheated on her, and yes, I was a complete bastard. I was young and stupid, only a few years older than you are now and driven to succeed. I realized my mistake far too late, and when I did, she was gone.” He ran his hand through his thinning grey hair.
My eyes narrowed accusingly at him. “You left her.”
He shook his head and looked out the window briefly, composing himself before he spoke to me again. “I begged for her forgiveness and asked her to take me back. I even pleaded with her to let me support you both, anything to have you both in my life. She refused, other than letting pay for your education. She was the only person in my life ever to say no to me, except you, of course. I could have tried to have you taken away from her, taken her to court and destroyed her, but I was ashamed. She was a strong, proud woman, and the day she died, a part of me died, too.”
I glared at him, refusing to believe his lies. “You abandoned us.”
“No. I tried for many years to reunite with you, but every time, she denied me. She was a smart woman, you know, keeping you away from me like she did. I didn’t deserve her love. I was and still am an asshole.” He cleared his throat and composed himself before continuing. “You are just like her in so many ways, but you also have my genes, which makes you just as pigheaded as me. I tried to buy her and I failed. I tried the same with you, and when that didn’t work, I tried to control you.”
I let go of Andi’s hand and balled my hands into fists in my lap. The only sound in the room was the methodical beeps of the heart monitor. After all this time, he expected me to believe this crap. “What bullshit are you trying to sell me? Why are you telling me this now? Why didn’t you tell me this after she died?”
“Would you have believed me anymore than you do now? Rosa was a saint, and I loved her like I had never loved. What I’m trying to say here is, I’m sorry that your girlfriend is like this. I’ve been watching you this past week with her, and all I can think about is Rosa and how I wish I could have saved her. I didn’t know about her depression. I don’t want history repeating itself. I’ve decided that I’m terminating our contract. But in return, I’m asking you, will you forgive me for the past, Levi? And for what I did to your mother? Will you let me back into your life, no strings attached? My greatest wish is that you and I can start again, wipe our slate clean. I believe we can salvage our relationship. I want to be your father, not your warden.”
Strange emotions ran though my body. “I can’t think about this at the moment. Andi needs me. When she’s better, we can deal with this shit. Discuss it like adults, and you can tell me the full story from the beginning.”
Derek stood and walked around to the other side of the bed where I sat and placed his hand on shoulder. “That’s a deal I can agree to. And if for some reason she doesn’t respond tomorrow, we’ll deal with it like a family.”
I dropped my head into my hands, unable to comprehend what I would do if I lost Andi. How could I cope with saying goodbye? This was one fight I was unsure of winning.
My father rubbed his hand sympathetically across my shoulders and left me alone with Andi. I had one more night to find her and bring her back, which I had no idea how to do.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Andi
I was afloat and adrift, standing on the bow of a large double deck sailing catamaran, lost somewhere in crystal clear blue waters. I didn’t have a care in the world, finally free of my troubles. Nothing could weigh me down.
A slight breeze blew, gently puffing out the large, white billowing sails, pushing the boat to an unknown destination. Sunlight danced across the tops of small waves, their sounds making a hollow, empty knocking sound as they methodically lapped up against the boat’s fiberglass hull. The sun, warm on my skin, was comforting like an old friend. I turned my face upwards and closed my eyes, letting the rays envelope and cleanse me.
My long hair hung loose, brushing against my bare back. Opening my eyes, I looked out at the vast ocean, not another boat or island in sight. But I didn’t feel alone. I felt safe, loved. I wore a white bikini with a white chiffon sarong tied low around my hips, and my skin had a healthy sun-kissed glow. Gold bracelets clinked against each other as I lifted my hand to shield my eyes against the late afternoon setting sun. I was both glamorous and exotic. Like I should be sipping on expensive French champagne.
This was what triggered me. It was all a dream, a lucid dream. I didn’t own a bikini, or know anyone that would own a yacht in the Caribbean. Or did I? My head and heart hurt. A name flashed, a lost memory. But it only brought heartache. Even in my dream, I could feel the pain in my chest as I tried to recall it.
The ocean called to me, like a long lost lover, calling me home. Even though I wasn’t a strong a swimmer, I knew I would be safe. I dove into the warm water, graceful and elegant. My hair flowed behind me as I swam breaststroke under water, going deeper into the darker depths. But still, I wasn’t afraid. Then, he appeared. I knew him. I couldn’t remember his name. But I could never forget those green eyes.
We didn’t talk, but it was like we had always known each other. He swam to me and took me in his arms and kissed me like I had never been kissed before. I wrapped my legs around him, and then we made love. Soft and slow.
We floated under the water, deeper we went into the ocean, but I didn’t need oxygen. His very presence gave me life. I leaned into his neck and bit gently, tasting him on my tongue. All the while he moved slowly inside of me. His hands grabbed my behind, and gently increased the pace, moving me up and down. My legs remained wrapped around his waist, making sure the lack of gravity under the water didn’t let me float away. I wanted this. I wanted him. I could feel myself reaching climax and arched my back as I came. Our mouths met again and we kissed as my body shook from the power of my orgasm. The familiar stranger moved away from me and my body began to ache for his presence.
His lips moved, but his voice reverberated inside my head. “Please come back to me.”
Slowly, he began to rise to the surface, but I kept sinking. His hand reached down to me as his green eyes filled with desperation. I knew if I continued down, I would never see him again. I had to choose. And then I remembered. I remembered the pain and the heartache. Our time spent together flashed before me, and I remembered how he made me feel. I was at a crossroads. This was my choice. As I looked into his pained green eyes one final time, I made my decision. Whether to live or to die. Whether to stay or say goodbye. It was my destiny and my choice to make. And slowly, I began my ascent to the surface, and gasped for air.
****
Levi turned my hand slowly over in his, taking extra caution to not make any sudden movements that might jerk about my IV line as he traced his finger along the lines in my palm. He spoke softly, unable to look me in the eye, continuing to move his finger slowly against my palm. “Do you remember the first night we met and you ran into me?”
Finally, he lifted his green eyes and looked at me. I nodded. How could I ever forget? That was the night my life had changed forever. And despite where I was and what had happened, I wouldn’t change anything. I understood it all now. The vision when I was in the coma, and him coming for me. This was our destiny.
He lif
ted his hand to my face, tenderly brushed my hair back, and lightly ran the back of his fingers against my cheek. “I knew it then, and I should have told you sooner, but I couldn’t. I didn’t think you would ever want a loser like me in your life. Since my mother died, nothing in my life had ever made sense. Until you came barreling into it. I’ve fucked up, Andi, big time. I just hope you can forgive me. You see, Andi, I love you. You’re all I can think about. I love you so much I can’t sleep. I can’t eat. I can’t breathe. You’re my everything. I don’t want to live in this world if you don’t exist. There is no one else but you, and never will be. Even before I knew you, it was you. It’s always been you.” A single tear slid down his cheek.
“Levi.” My throat burned from the tubes that had been stuffed down them, and my voice was so soft and raspy I could barely hear it myself. But I had to say to say it. I had to tell him.
He shook his head and put his finger on my lips. “Don’t talk. You don’t have to say anything. I just needed you to know. I nearly lost you before I had the chance to tell you.”
I blinked hard, fighting sleep. I was tiring. My morphine hit had kicked in and was about to knock me back under to let my body heal. Using my remaining strength, I reached up and grabbed his hand. “Levi...I love you, too.”
My eyes finally succumbed, but not before I saw his whole face light up, and before I drifted away into sleep once more, I felt his lips tenderly against mine. And I knew that when I woke, he would be still be here, waiting for me. Waiting for me to heal, so we could start the next chapter in our own romance novel.
The End
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