by E. L. Todd
If Lexie were smart she would just go into my apartment building and lock the door behind her. I didn’t have a chance to look because I was fighting them off.
“You little fucking bitch.” Price grabbed me by the neck and lifted me before he slammed me down again. My head smacked into the concrete and I saw stars for a second. “Enjoy the last few minutes of your life, asshole.” He punched me in the face as hard as he could. Then he wailed on me, slamming punch after punch into my face. Blood flew out of my mouth and my nose. My eyes started to swell and close. Someone started kicking me in the ribs. I did everything I could to get up but there were too many of them. We were right next to the alley, where no one would come looking.
“Shit! She has a bat!” The guy kicking me backed off.
Price looked up, and just as he did a bat smacked him hard in the face and he flew backwards. I could barely see because my eyes were swollen shut but the bat looked familiar.
Then I heard Apollo barking.
“Fuck!” A guy screamed. “My hand.”
Apollo growled then tackled the guy who had me by the arm. His hold was gone and he was flung to the pavement.
“You better run!” Lexie screamed as she chased one of them off.
I tried to move but I couldn’t. Everything hurt.
“Leave. Him. Alone.” Lexie slammed her bat into one of the guys trying to get away.
Then Apollo helped her and bit him on the leg.
“Ugh!” He screamed.
When all the shouts disappeared and the silence returned I knew the ordeal was over.
“Conrad!” Lexie ran to me then leaned over me. “Oh no…” Her hands immediately felt my face. “Are you okay? I’m so sorry.”
Apollo licked my hand then whined.
“I’m okay.” My arm was sore but I managed to lift it and rest my fingers in Apollo’s fur. “I’m okay, boy.”
He stayed on top of me, not letting anyone except Lexie come near me.
“What the hell happened?” Slade’s voice came from the apartment building. His feet hit the pavement as he ran to us. “Shit, are you okay?” Slade’s face came into my distorted line of sight. “Lexie, I came when I heard your voice on my intercom. What happened?”
“These guys jumped him,” she said with tears in her voice. “Something about Georgia Price’s husband…I didn’t know what to do. I ran for Apollo and got a bat.”
“Conrad, can you hear me?” Slade asked.
“Yeah…” It hurt to even talk.
“You look like shit, man,” Slade said.
“Thanks…”
“We need to get him to a hospital,” Slade said. “His entire face is swollen, there’s blood everywhere…”
“Conrad, you’re going to be alright.” Lexie grabbed my hand. “He’s exaggerating. It’s not that bad.”
“What are you talking about?” Slade said. “It is that bad.”
“I’m sure I’ll be fine.” I tried to sit up and realized my body wouldn’t move. “Or maybe I should see a doctor…”
“How many were there?” Slade asked.
“Six,” Lexie said.
“You got jumped by six guys?” Slade asked. “That wasn’t cool.”
“I slept with his wife,” I said. “I don’t blame him. But he wanted Lexie…that’s why I told her to run.”
Slade fell silent when he understood my meaning.
Lexie leaned over me and pressed a kiss to my forehead. “You’re going to be okay. We’ll get you to the hospital and get you some good pain killers.”
“Man, they would have killed you if Lexie hadn’t come back,” Slade said. “Thank god you had Apollo and a bat lying around the house.”
I touched Apollo’s fur again. “I know…”
Apollo lay beside me and rested his face on my chest.
“Awe,” Lexie whispered.
“I’ll call an ambulance.” Slade stepped away and made the call.
My vision turned blurry as I looked up at the night sky. There weren’t any stars because the city lights were so bright, but I thought I saw them deep in space. My eyes started to close and the pain in my skull and body started to diminish. The last thing I heard was Lexie’s voice.
“I’m here, Con.”
***
When I woke up I was in a hospital bed. The sound of my monitor beeped in my ear. The lights were low but I could still distinguish the room. When my eyes opened as wide as they could I saw Apollo sitting in the chair at my bedside.
Was I dreaming this?
He stared at me and stiffened when he saw my eyes open. Then he whined and wagged his tail with excitement.
“Apollo…?”
He whined again.
Was a dog really in the hospital? That’s when I noticed the Guide Dog vest he wore. I had no idea where he got that.
A soft hand touched mine. “He’s been here the entire time.”
I knew it was Lexie without looking at her. I slowly turned my head and noticed the pain wasn’t nearly as severe as it was before. The meds had really kicked in. “Lexie?”
“I’m here.” She looked at me with a tear-stained face. “The doctors said you’re going to be fine. They stitched you up and treated the swelling. Your CT Scan came back normal. There’s no permanent damage.”
“That’s good news…”
“It’s excellent news.” She slowly caressed my knuckles. “You’ll be able to go home in a day. They just want to observe you.”
“Okay.” My throat felt dry.
She grabbed me a bottle of water. “Are you thirsty?”
I nodded then took a drink. “Where is everyone?”
“Your parents stepped out for a second to speak with the doctor. They’ll be back any minute.”
“Okay.”
“Conrad…I’m so sorry.”
“Sorry for what?” I whispered.
“For not getting there sooner. I hate what they’ve done to you…” Tears bubbled in her eyes then fell down her cheeks.
“Baby…” I pulled her toward me and guided her onto the bed. “You didn’t do anything wrong. I’m the one who should be apologizing to you. None of that would have happened if I weren’t so stupid. Don’t apologize.” I felt her hair with my fingers and tucked it behind her shoulder.
She took a deep breath and tried to still her tears.
“I asked you to run and not come back. That’s the only issue I have.”
“Run and not come back?” she whispered.
“You had a bat but they still could have hurt you, Lexie.”
She shook her head. “I don’t care if you’re mad at me. I wasn’t going to let them kill you, even if they took me down with you. Besides, I knew Apollo would protect me.”
Apollo whined and watched us.
“I guess I owe you my life…” If Lexie hadn’t come back for me I’d probably be rotting in a dumpster.
“If I lost you…I wouldn’t want to live anyway.” She held my hand on her lap and kissed it. Then she held it against her heart and tried to slow her breathing. “You’re everything to me, Conrad. I would do anything for you.”
I knew that without her telling me. “I know.”
My parents walked into the room, disheveled and stressed out. Mom was on the verge of tears and Dad looked like I died even though I was perfectly fine.
“You’re awake.” Mom came to the other side of the bed and hugged me. “So glad you’re okay, sweetheart.”
I returned the hug. “Me too, Mom.”
Dad stood beside her, concern etched all over his face. “Why didn’t you use your watch?”
“My watch?”
He sighed in irritation. “The watch I gave you for emergencies.”
“Oh…I forgot. A lot of things were going on.”
Dad probably would have pressed it further if I didn’t look so terrible.
“That doesn’t matter,” Mom said. “Our son is okay.” She patted my shoulder gently like it might break if she pushed
too hard.
“The doctor said you’d be fine.” Dad stood beside Apollo’s chair.
“I know,” I said. “Lexie told me.”
Mom ignored her, like always.
Dad didn’t look at her either.
Could they still dislike her after everything that happened? Lexie was the one who saved me after all. “How did you guys get Apollo in here?”
“I told the nursing staff he’s a guide dog,” Lexie said. “So if they ask…”
I was grateful Beatrice gave me Apollo. I wouldn’t know what to do without him. I probably wouldn’t be alive right now if he hadn’t taken down so many guys on his own. “Thanks. He would have been worried the whole time if he had to stay home.”
Slade and Trinity came into the room. Just like Mom, Trinity freaked out. “Conrad!” She jumped into my arms and hugged me tighter than she should. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
I patted her on the back. “Me too. It was a close call.”
Slade got her off of me because he knew I was in pain but he didn’t want to tell Trinity that and make her feel bad. “We’re here if you need anything. Just name it and we’ll get it.”
I grabbed Lexie’s hand. “I have everything I need.”
Mom’s eyes darkened to coals. “You know, family are the only people who should be in here right now.” That remark was directed right at Lexie. It was unmistakable.
Trinity probably would have joined Mom if she and I hadn’t already had a talk about Lexie.
“She’s fine,” I said quickly, not wanting the situation to escalate.
“No,” Mom said. “This room is just for family. So please leave, Lexie.” Mom pointed at the door.
The room was boiling.
Dad would normally interfere but this time he didn’t.
Lexie hid the pain inside her heart. I could feel it radiate from her body in waves. But she kept everything bottled inside. Her hand loosened from mine as she prepared to leave.
“Lexie, stay.” I grabbed her hand again. “You’re family to me.”
“Well, she’s not family to us,” Mom hissed. “And she has no right being in here. She can wait outside until we leave.”
I loved my mom. I really did. But I wanted to snap her neck right now. “Mom, Lexie isn’t going anywhere. I want her here and that’s the end of the story.”
“She saved his life,” Slade said. “If anyone has the right to be here, it’s her.”
I turned to Slade, dumbfounded that he came to her aid. Finally, someone was sticking up for Lexie besides me.
“What…?” Mom raised an eyebrow, having no idea what they were talking about.
“What do you mean she saved Conrad’s life?” Dad asked.
They didn’t know?
“Georgia Price’s husband and his friends were waiting outside Conrad’s apartment to jump him. Apparently, Georgia asked for a divorce so her husband blames Conrad.” Slade told the story in remarkable detail, probably because Lexie told him the whole thing when I was out of it. “When they saw Conrad and Lexie approach the building they surrounded them. Basically, they threatened to kill Conrad and…hurt Lexie.” Slade didn’t go into detail about that because it was too hard to say it out loud. As a husband, he understood how painful something like that could be. “Conrad told Lexie to run to save her life. And she did. That’s when they all wailed on him and beat him to a pulp. Lexie ran into his apartment and grabbed his baseball bat and Apollo. On her way out she hit the intercom to my apartment and told me Conrad needed help and to get there as quickly as possible. By the time I got there, Lexie had chased off one of the guys with a bat and Apollo bit another one until his hand was soaked in blood. If Lexie took off like she was supposed to…Conrad wouldn’t have made it.”
The room fell into deep silence. Just the sound of slight body movements was amplified. No one looked at each other. Their gaze turned elsewhere, into the corners or at the ground.
I turned to Lexie and squeezed her hand. She should have run and looked after herself instead of saving me. I’d rather die than let something happen to her. But I was also proud of her. She refused to let someone scare her off, and she came back in full force. That was the kind of woman I’d fallen for. As much as my mom would deny it, Lexie reminded me of her. Trinity too.
Slade eyed everyone, wondering if anyone would say anything.
Mom cleared her throat then took a breath like her following words would be difficult. “I didn’t know…Mike didn’t either.” She tucked her hair behind her ear.
“Thank you for doing that, Lexie.” Dad’s voice came out stronger than Mom’s. “We really appreciate it.”
“Conrad and I are partners,” Lexie whispered. “If he goes down, I go down too.”
Apollo barked.
Lexie smiled. “And Apollo, of course.”
Slade eyed him with surprise. “Damn, that dog is smart.”
“He’s brilliant,” I said proudly.
“Baby, we’re going to have to get one for the house,” he said. “So he can look after you while I’m gone.”
“I’d love a dog,” Trinity said. “They’re so cute.”
I turned to my parents, expecting some kind of apology or acceptance. I didn’t ask them to do it, but I hoped they would do it on their own.
Mom was the one who had most of the issues. She needed to let the past go and move on. “Lexie…I’m sorry for the way I’ve been treating you. I know you don’t understand right now but when you have your own children you will.”
“It’s okay, Mrs. Preston.” Lexie wasn’t one to hold a grudge, no matter what the offense was. “You were just looking after your son. How could I possibly think less of you for that? I betrayed your trust and hurt Conrad. I deserved everything you said to me.”
With a mature response like that, I think it was clear to everyone that Lexie had really grown into a different person while we were apart. She never once made an excuse for what she did. She owned up to it and faced the consequences.
“Thank you for saving my son,” Mom said. “I know most women wouldn’t have done that. You’d have every right to run and look after yourself. But you didn’t.”
“Because I love him.” Lexie said it with a strong voice, like she wouldn’t let anyone doubt her words. “I didn’t take care of him when I was supposed to. But I won’t make that same mistake again in the future.”
“Mike and I will do a much better job of making you feel wanted, Lexie,” Mom said. “It may not be perfect but—”
“That’s more than enough,” Lexie said. “I’m grateful.”
How could anyone dislike Lexie now? She was doing everything she possibly could to make this work. Even I was starting to forget why I was so upset to begin with.
Trinity spoke up when the conversation ended. “I’m sorry about the baking dish incident…”
“It’s okay,” Lexie said.
“I know you love my brother,” Trinity said. “And because of that, I want to start over…if you are willing.”
Lexie’s eyes filled with tears. “I would love that…you have no idea.”
Now I was glad those assholes jumped me. How could I regret it when something so beautiful was happening because of it?
Lexie’s mom and sister entered the room, looking horrified at the sight of my face. “Oh, Conrad.” Carol came to my bedside and rubbed my bicep. “Lexie called us and told us what happened.”
“I’m okay,” I said. “The doctor said I’ll be able to go home tomorrow.”
“Oh, thank god,” Macy said. “I was so terrified.”
I had a feeling I would have to have this same conversation with everyone. “I’m going to be fine and Lexie wasn’t harmed. So, everything is good. But thank you for coming.”
“I brought a pie,” Carol said. “I know you probably aren’t hungry—”
“I’ll eat it as soon as my doctor says I can,” I said. “Thank you.”
Carol cupped my face and kissed my forehead.
“You’re such a great man. It’s just not right this happened to you…”
She was reminding me of my own mother with every passing week. I could see the love in her eyes, the gratitude that I put up with Lexie when most men would walk away. She didn’t just love Lexie. But she loved me too. “Things happen. What we do when things get tough is what defines us.” I gave Lexie a meaningful look.
She smiled slightly.
Macy came next and hugged me. “Is there anything you need?”
“I’m okay, Macy. But thank you.” It was hard to believe she ever tried to seduce me in the past. That seemed like a lifetime ago.
Lexie’s family pulled away and stood by the door.
“You guys don’t need to stick around,” I said. “Go home and get some rest. Lexie and Apollo will be here.”
No one made a move.
“We aren’t going anywhere,” Dad said. “But you already knew that.”
***
Lexie ran her fingers through my hair, helping me relax despite the small bed I was in. It wasn’t made to accommodate a man my size. And the thin mattress wasn’t exactly comfortable. “Can I get you anything?”
“I’m okay,” I whispered. Just having her there was enough.
Everyone took seats in the room, being silent like a conversation might unnerve me.
“You guys can talk,” I said. “I’m fine.” The painkillers were doing their job, and they were doing it well.
Voices started to sound. “It’s nice to see you again, Mr. and Mrs. Preston,” Carol said hesitantly.
I assumed the last time they saw each other was at the engagement party Lexie and I never made it to. No wonder why it was awkward.
No matter how pissed Mom was at Lexie she would never be rude to her family. That was a big no-no. “It’s nice to see you too, Carol. Thanks for coming by.”
“We appreciate it,” Dad said.
“Your son is a remarkable man and human being,” Carol said with emotion. “You guys must be so proud raising such a fine son.”
That should butter them up.
“Thank you,” Mom said. “We’re lucky he takes after Mike so much.”
“Ha,” I said sarcastically. “I’ve spent my whole life trying to be the opposite.”
“And yet, look where you ended up,” Dad said triumphantly.