Maybe it was me overreacting. I wasn’t thinking clearly, that was for sure. It didn’t even matter. Sky could say she was going to wait, but I couldn’t ask her to do that. I couldn’t sit around playing house with Ash and knowing that Sky was sitting at home thinking about me. It would destroy me and her at the same time. My parents were going to have to figure something out, because I was scared to death of losing this beautiful woman that was lying on top of me.
Chapter 27
Skylar
I knew that Ford meant what he said, but I worried that the easy way out wasn’t going to be so easy. When it came time for Ford to head back, I was more worried than ever. It wasn’t like I thought Ashley’s dad was going to inflict bodily harm on him, but I did think he was going to do whatever it took to make his and his family’s lives miserable.
The last thing I wanted on my shoulders was his father losing both his land and his business. Where would they go? What would they do for money? Even Ford would have no place to live. I knew that I would be the direct cause and I didn’t know if I could live with that guilt.
Once we’d dressed, Ford held me in his arms. We both hated saying goodbye. “You should come with me. I mean, what can she do?”
“Ruin your life and take your child somewhere that you’ll never see it.” I hated admitting that Ford was having a child with that ho-bag, but it was exactly what was happening. If I wanted him, I’d have to be able to live with that for as long as we were together.
“She won’t leave her daddy. It ain’t like she’s got a good job. All she’s ever done has been a money hungry whore.”
I raised my eyebrow. “I hate talking about her when you’re about to leave.”
“I asked you to come with me.”
“I’m not getting in the middle of that mess, Ford. When the dust has settled, you know where to find me. I told you that I’d be here waiting for you.” He had to know that I would have done anything to spend time with him. I just didn’t want to give Ash any more reasons to want to destroy his life. “I hope you are sure about this decision. Leaving her for me is going to have serious repercussions. You do know that, right?”
“I ain’t scared.”
“Well I am. I’m petrified. She may not do anything at first, but what happens when she sees us together? She’s going to go all crazy!” I wasn’t afraid of her jumping me in an alley, however, I was terrified that she would find a way to rip us apart.
He hugged me tightly and leaned against his truck. “Please don’t fight with me on this. I know what I’m doin’.”
I hugged him back, not knowing if I could trust his optimism. Too much was at stake and I didn’t know if I wanted to risk it all, when we could just wait and play our cards right. “I’m scared. I don’t want to lose you. It gets harder every time I watch you walk out of my life. After last night, I don’t know if I can handle it again.”
Ford kissed my forehead and then pushed my face back so he could look into my eyes. “I’m not walkin’ away from us. I thought we made that clear last night.”
I shrugged. “It feels like it, though.”
He brushed my hair back. “I won’t let anythin’ come between us, Sky. I promise.”
“Okay.” I was still unsure, but he wasn’t going to leave unless I agreed that things were going to be alright. “Promise you’ll call me when you get home safely?”
“Of course.” He smiled and looked into my eyes again. I appreciated the sincerity on his face, considering how messed up everything was. “I better get on the road.”
His eyes looked tired and I worried about him driving on no sleep. “Are you going to dose off and end up in a ditch?”
“After the night I just had, I’m wide awake. Besides, I have too much to look forward to than to have somethin’ like that happen.”
Ford and I kissed for a few more minutes before he had to leave. Once he pulled away, I began to cry. Maybe it was from the lack of sleep, but I had a bad feeling that something terrible was going to happen. I didn’t want to call him, knowing that she’d be able to see my number. If his plan to come clean backfired, or he changed his mind and didn’t want to hurt his family, I couldn’t take the chance of making things hard for him. I loved him too much to do something like that.
Ford had promised to call me when he could, so I’d just have to wait for that. It wasn’t going to be easy, since “Worry” had become my new middle name.
Ford
Pulling out of that subdivision was as bad as yanking out my own teeth. I didn’t want to leave her standing there. It wasn’t even possible for me to look in my mirror to see if she was waving. I couldn’t imagine driving away from the one good thing in my life.
My phone started ringing about twenty minutes into my drive. Shayne was the person on the other end.
“How did it go last night? Did you get your fill of Sky?”
“I could never be satisfied with just one night with her. Is that the real reason you’re callin’ me?”
“I was just lookin’ out for you. So what happens next? You just goin’ to go home and pretend that you didn’t just cheat on your pregnant girlfriend?
“Fuck you, Shayne. She ain’t my girlfriend. My girl is the person that I just spent the night with. This arrangement with Ash is about to end. I can’t do this shit anymore. It’s hurtin’ Sky and I can’t keep doin’ that to her. She’s innocent in all of this.”
“What about the baby? You have responsibilities.”
“I never wanted to sleep with her! You people just don’t get that I wasn’t in my right head. Ash is the last person that I want to have a baby with. If she wasn’t so hell bent on gettin’ me back she’d realize that we ain’t good for each other. That, combined with the fact that she doesn’t even have a job, makes me wonder why she doesn’t just get an abortion. She thinks that a baby is going to change me. It ain’t even about the child. In my opinion, she could care less about that child.”
“Man, I can’t believe you want her to abort your child. That’s messed up.”
“I don’t want her and I don’t want kids with her. Will I love my child? Of course I will, but I can’t stand imagining bein’ linked to that bitch for the rest of my life. She’s horrible!”
“I get what you’re sayin’. So, I’m assumin’ you had a good time with Sky.”
“It went better than expected. I thought she’d fight me at first. Instead, she came runnin’ over to the truck and the rest is private.”
“Oh sure, lead me on and then don’t give me any details. I see how you are.”
“Sky ain’t like the girls you sleep with, Shayne. She’s special. I know you claim to be a one woman kind of guy, but we both know that ain’t true.”
“What she don’t know won’t hurt her. Besides, she is free to see other people.”
“Does Lacey know that?”
“I don’t know. We don’t talk about it. It ain’t like I pulled her to the side and asked her to be exclusive. She has never asked.”
“You are a dick. One day you’ll learn when you get your heart ripped out of your chest.”
“Dude, please. I have to have a heart to give it out.”
“Whatever, man. Are we done? I didn’t sleep last night and I have to drive an hour.”
“Later, cuz!”
My cousin didn’t have a clue when it came to relationships. He was currently in his longest one and wasn’t as serious as the poor girl thought he was. Before Lacey, he’d screwed anything that walked, especially when he was lifeguarding at the beach. I was surprised that his dick hadn’t fallen off yet. What was more surprising was the fact that Lacey trusted him. She claimed she knew him for a while before they started dating. Anyone that knew Shayne, knew that he was a player. It wasn’t my business, and since I had enough problems of my own, I didn’t even care.
I’d been driving for a while, but the traffic was heavy. It wasn’t like I could just hop on the interstate and make it home in no time. The way from Sky�
��s house to mine was mostly heavy populated highway roads. When you add the red lights, it made the ride even worse.
Since it was beginning to be rush hour, I caught every single light. With nothing but news on the radio, it was hard to stay focused on the road. Finally, after smacking myself in the face a few dozen times, I made it to the main road that led me home. I was almost there and couldn’t wait to go to sleep for a couple of hours. Exhaustion had hit and I could feel my eyes closing. With no service to call anyone, I knew I had to tough it out. If I could just close my eyes for a second to blink it might help.
When I opened my eyes the truck was rolling in a field. I had my seatbelt on, so my body clung to the seat as the jarring sent me slamming around. When I finally came to a stop I was wide awake, but pinned. I could feel blood dripping down the side of my head, but my arm hurt too bad to lift it to feel around. I tried to look for my phone, but everything began to spin. First I heard ringing in my ears and then my eyesight wouldn’t focus. I knew I was blacking out and there was nothing I could do to stop it.
My last thoughts were of Sky.
Chapter 28
Skylar
I missed Ford from the moment he pulled away. As much as I wanted to be optimistic, I knew that life didn’t just work out that way. I think that’s when I began to worry. It didn’t help that I was home alone, since my parents were still away. After eating and having a cup of coffee, I was too wired to try and go back to sleep. Something didn’t feel right, but I chalked it up to being exhausted.
More than anything, I wanted to call and talk to Ford. I hated that I had to be a secret. Even though I knew it was the wrong decision, I felt bad for not going with him.
Ashley and her father were not just going to let him walk away. They were going to be so pissed. I was worried it would get even worse for Ford and his family. I hated being the reason for that outcome.
When I couldn’t stand it any longer, I called Lacey. Of all of my friends, she was always the one who was there for me. Since she was seeing Shayne, and totally in love with him, she would be one of the first to hear if all Hell had broken loose.
“What’s up, ho?”
“I’m not a ho!”
“Home wrecker?”
“Seriously, Lace. Don’t joke about that. I feel bad enough already.”
“No you don’t! You’re probably on cloud nine.”
“It would be better if we didn’t have to sneak around to see each other. I hate this. Saying goodbye to him sucked.”
“I bet. So when did he leave?”
“Over an hour ago. Lace, I hate this so much. It was so hard watching him leave.”
“I can’t imagine if that happened with Shayne. I’m glad he doesn’t have that kind of baggage. I don’t know what I would do.”
“You’re lucky. It’s really hard knowing she’s always going to be a part of his life now. We’ve only known each other for a short time, but I know I love him. Who knows how long we will be together, but I at least want the chance.”
“I guess you had a good night together?”
“It was perfect. I got emotional a couple of times.”
“Who could blame you?”
“Can you have Shayne call and make sure Ford got home? I can’t call and he hasn’t called me. It’s making me crazy.”
“Sure. I will call you back later. Love ya, girl. Hang in there.”
“Thanks.”
I sat there staring at my phone, waiting for it to ring. After forty minutes, I started to get worried, so I tried dialing Lacey again. Her voicemail picked up every time on the first ring; it made no sense. Since I didn’t know Shayne’s number, I knew the only other option was to call the auto repair shop. I located that number and dialed, but nobody was picking that line up either.
I imagined Ford arriving home and being called out for spending the night with me. I could picture his whole family doing an intervention and telling him he had to stay away from me. Ashley probably had him followed.
Knowing that I couldn’t sit around, I grabbed my keys and a couple personal items and jumped in my car. Even though it was against the law, I still continued ringing the phone to the shop. Ford’s dad was always there during work hours, so it made no sense that he wouldn’t hear the phone ringing off the hook. Since they had a tow service, it was possible that he was out on the road somewhere.
I’d been driving a good thirty minutes when an unknown number came across my screen. Without even second guessing who it could be, I answered.
“Hello?”
“Sky, it’s Shayne. Look, I know you’ve been lookin’ for Ford and I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news.”
I could feel my body starting to shake. “What do you mean? What’s wrong? Did he decide to stay with Ash? Did her father have him followed?”
“I don’t know how to tell you this.”
“Just say it. Why can’t he call me? What is going on?” I was panicking.
“He’s been in an accident. You need to meet me at the hospital.”
“I’m on my way.”
“He’s been flown to Shock Trauma in Baltimore, Sky. I’m on my way now.”
I turned my car around without even looking at the oncoming traffic. “Oh God! How bad is it?”
“I don’t know! I talked to him when he first left your house. My uncle called me looking for him a little while later. The accident happened about seven miles from his place. Someone saw the truck upside down in a field and called it in. I’m driving from the beach, so it’s goin’ to take me a while.”
I was crying and automatically feared the worst. “I’ll be there as soon as I can. If you hear anything else call me, please.”
“Will do!”
I couldn’t believe this was happening to me. One minute I was hugging him goodbye and the next he was driving away. He hadn’t slept because of me. If something bad had happened to him, it would be all my fault. It was hard to drive with my tears streaming down my face, but I didn’t stop driving as fast as I could. Nothing was going to stop me from getting to him.
To get to Baltimore, I had to take the Bay Bridge, which was a four mile long bridge over the Chesapeake Bay. When I reached it, the bridge was closed because of an accident. The backup lasted an extra thirty minutes, in which I sat there bawling.
Ford had been flown to shock trauma and that only happens when injuries are life threatening. All day I’d feared that I was going to lose Ford to Ashley and her immature games, but instead, he was lying in his truck, maybe fighting to stay alive. It was all too much to take.
By the time I made it to the hospital, figured out where to park, and then located the entrance, two hours had passed. Frantically I searched for someone that could tell me what was going on. Because I wasn’t family, they wouldn’t tell me anything. I was there, so close to Ford, but I couldn’t find him. Alone and afraid, I sat down near the entrance and waited. Someone would show up to see him, and when they did, I was going to find a way inside. Nothing was going to stop me.
Chapter 29
Skylar
I’d been sitting for quite a while before Shayne came running through the front doors. He didn’t see me until I ran toward him. After talking to the front desk associate, and telling her that I was his fiancée and we were family, she told us where we could find the intensive care department.
Once upstairs, we located the waiting area, where we found his parents and Ashley. She stood up and approached us. I could tell she’d been crying as much as I had, but her tears evaporated the moment she noticed me. “What is she doin’ here? Did you bring her?”
Shayne threw up his hands. “Whoa. I didn’t bring her, but it doesn’t matter. She’s here because she cares about Ford. Isn’t that why we’re all here?”
Ashley put her hand on her stomach, and I knew it was to remind me that she was carrying his baby. “Whatever! Keep her away from me.” She started to go, but turned around. “And she ain’t goin’ in that room to see him.”
As much as I felt out of place, I knew Ford would want me there by his side. It didn’t matter what these people thought of me. I knew what I felt in my heart.
Shayne grabbed Ashley by the arm and led her out into the hallway. I folded my hands and looked down, trying to avoid eye contact with his parents. When I felt one of them sit down beside me, I was still afraid to look up. A hand reached over and touched mine. “He’s goin’ to be okay.”
I looked over and saw his mother sitting there. She’d been crying from the appearance of her red eyes. “Thank you. Do you know anything yet?”
She shook her head. “They asked us if he’d been out drinkin’. We told them it wasn’t possible. Was Ford drinkin’ last night?”
“No!” I looked down at my hands again. “But…he didn’t sleep. I told him not to drive home until he rested. He didn’t want to deal with Ashley finding out where he’d been. I’m so sorry, Mrs. Cooper. I feel like it’s my entire fault.” I couldn’t stop the tears.
The woman, who Ford was fighting his feelings about having a relationship, grabbed my hand. “It was an accident. Ford is strong and he’s got a lot to live for. It’s good you’re here.”
“Thank you for giving us time together.”
She smiled. “My son’s been real messed up in the head, lately. It seems that this predicament that he’s gotten himself into has left him with a broken heart. I may not have been there for my kids for a long time, but I still know when his heart is breakin’. Now, I’ve got a long road to go before I can ask for forgiveness, but I will do all that I can for him. I won’t give up.”
“I love Ford. I’ve been miserable without him. Last night, when he was sitting in my driveway, I couldn’t remember feeling so happy. If something happens to him. If he doesn’t make it, I’ll never forgive myself.”
I couldn’t take talking about it anymore. There was no way I could sit next to that woman and talk about Ford dying, so I ran out of the room and into the bathroom. Once closed inside of a stall, I sat down and cried to myself.
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