“That’s my girl,” my dad said, bending down to kiss me on the forehead. “We’re so grateful you’re okay. If anything had happened to you—”
“I’m okay, Dad,” I said, putting my hand on his. “At first I didn’t know what to do when I saw the doorknob turning back and forth, but then I came to my senses.” My parents sat on either side of me holding my hands as I told them I was pretty sure Eric had tried to break in. I also told them about seeing him at the Mexican restaurant.
“Did you give his name to the police?” my dad asked.
“Yeah, they’re looking for him. I don’t know if they found him or not. But I’m pretty sure I did stab him a couple of times. At least I think I did. He yelled out, so I’m assuming his blood is on the door and the front porch.”
“Well, the police will gather all the evidence. He needs to be locked up,” my mother said.
“Yeah, somehow I think he didn’t go to anger management classes like he claimed.”
“They’ll find him and put him behind bars like he deserves,” my dad stated.
“Honey, we have something to tell you. Something we found out before we came to see you.” My mom’s eyes were filled with tears.
“What is it? What happened?”
My parents looked at each other, which made me very nervous. “Please just come out with it.”
“When we came in, we saw Mitch’s parents. They were in the waiting room.”
“Did you talk to them? Is Mitch okay?”
“Mitch and Garrett were found in the park both beaten up. They don’t know what happened, only that they’re both hurt badly enough to each be in surgery,” my dad said, stroking my hand with his thumb.
I lay there speechless, envisioning them pounding on each other because of me. Because of what I did. Now I’d have to tell my parents and see the disappointment in their eyes. I wasn’t ready to tell them, but it was going to come out one way or another.
“I…I have a feeling they were fighting.”
“Why would they be fighting?” my mother asked.
How could I tell them? They loved Mitch so much. He’d been part of our family for a long time, and my dad especially viewed him like a son. This was going to kill my parents. Tears streamed down my face and I began swallowing hard. Where would I find the words?
My parents waited patiently for me to say something. “You’re gonna hate what I’ve done. I’m a terrible person.”
“What are you talking about, sweetie? You’re a wonderful young woman. There’s nothing you could ever do that we’d hate,” my father retorted.
I sighed heavily, bracing myself before I started telling them. “Garrett has been looking after me since he got back into town.”
My mom nodded naively. “We know. He called us when you’d fallen asleep to say you weren’t coming over.”
“Yes, he’s thoughtful that way. Anyway, he stayed over and during the night I’d been dreaming about Mitch. I woke up and thought he was Mitch and…”
My mom looked down. “Oh honey, you were with Garrett.”
“Yes. I cheated on Mitch with his brother, but I didn’t realize it was Garrett.”
“Do you have feelings for Garrett?” my dad asked.
“No, but he told me he’s in love with me. We talked earlier tonight and he said he wasn’t gonna give up. That he wanted us to be together.”
“Are you thinking he told Mitch about the two of you?” The look on my dad’s face was so sad. My parents had been together for thirty years and I doubted either of them had ever cheated on the other.
“Well, either Garrett told Mitch when they went to the park or they ran into some kind of trouble. Garrett seemed pretty insistent when he left that we belonged together and Mitch should be with Heather.”
Both my parents nodded, but grief was written all over their faces. The doctor came in to check on me, relieving me from continuing the conversation.
“Hi, I’m Dr. Goldstein,” he said, extending his hand to shake hands with my parents.
“We’re Charlie’s parents, Tom and Tamera,” my father said, shaking the doctor’s hand. “When will Charlie be released?”
“We’re just going to keep her overnight. She lost a lot of blood from the wound on her arm. She should be able to go home in the morning.”
“Oh good,” both my parents said in unison.
The doctor checked my chart and continued on his way.
“I’m really tired. If it’s okay, can we talk more tomorrow?
“Of course, honey. We’ll see you in the morning,” my mom said. They both kissed me on the forehead and left.
***
Tossing and turning, I woke up several times expecting to find Eric hovering over me. All I could do was hope the police would arrest him and he’d be prosecuted. But how long would he go to jail for breaking and entering? Technically, he didn’t do anything to me. Well, he scared the shit out of me, but I didn’t think that would carry a long prison term.
Dozing again, I began dreaming. Two men were on separate rocks in the middle of the ocean, both calling out to me. As I rowed toward them in a boat, I couldn’t discern which one was Mitch and which one was Garrett. Waves were crashing against the boat and I was having trouble going forward. Still, they called to me, and I continued my struggle to move in their direction. I had to choose, but which one? All I wanted was Mitch, but the sun was too bright and they looked virtually the same. Strangely, it began to feel like the boat was being pulled in one direction and I no longer had control. Fighting the pull of the boat, my heart was racing, knowing somehow I was headed to the wrong man, but I couldn’t stop it. In one last thrust of the ocean, my boat was thrown against the rock and I ended up in Garrett’s arms.
“See, I told you we belong together,” he said.
“No!” I screamed as I sat up in bed.
“Charlie, it’s okay. It was just a dream,” Kate said, taking my hand.
“Oh, you poor thing. I can’t believe all you’ve been through and I haven’t been here,” Natalie said, practically suffocating me with her hug. My two best friends were sitting there, waiting for me to wake up. I was so glad to see their beautiful faces.
“You’re both here,” I cried, my body shaking. I couldn’t be strong for one more second. Gasping for air, I let everything go. Natalie kept holding me while Kate held my hand.
“We’ll always be here for you, Charlie,” Kate choked out. Natalie kept hugging me. The three of us stayed as we were for a long time.
Natalie lifted her head and said, “I’m so sorry you’re going through all of this. I wish I’d been here sooner.”
“You’re here at just the right time, Nat,” I said, my voice cracking. “How did you two know I was here?”
“Your mom called me and I called Nat. She and Mac got home late last night.”
I sighed heavily. “So you know about Mitch and Garrett?”
“Your mom briefly told me about that too. I’m hoping to find out more if Lillian will tell me.”
“Who knows? I’m sure she wasn’t happy he spent time with you. She knows how close we are.”
“Well, she can’t keep everyone away,” Natalie said.
“Actually, she prevented me from seeing Mitch when he stayed in here before because he couldn’t remember me. She’s been using that to her advantage and manipulating him.”
“I’m gonna go see if I can find out anything. I doubt I’m on Lillian’s radar just yet,” Kate said.
“That’d be great since I have no idea how either of them are after surgery.”
“I wish you’d called or texted. We could have come home sooner,” Natalie said, her brow slightly furrowed.
There was no way in the world I was going to intrude on Mac and Natalie’s whirlwind honeymoon. She’d been alone for so long and Mac had swept her off her feet. She deserved to be happy and Mac had moved heaven and earth to make her elated.
I shook my head. “You and Mac deserved to have your honeymoo
n without interruption. Tell me about it so I can think about something other than my own problems.”
“It was so wonderful,” Natalie said beaming. Marriage agreed with her. “Cruising there on the yacht took several days and we just lounged around, spending time together. I’m so blessed to have Mac.”
“He’s blessed to have you, Nat. What islands did you visit?”
“We wanted downtime, so we went to Maui and Kauai. They were both amazing. We took a ton of pictures and plan on having a luau at the house to show everyone.”
“That’ll be fun,” I said, wishing this were really a distraction, but I couldn’t get my mind off Mitch. Natalie continued talking, but my brain couldn’t register her words. I just smiled and nodded when it seemed appropriate.
Kate came back visibly upset.
“Kate, what is it?” I asked, afraid to hear her answer. If Mitch had died, I didn’t know what I was going to do.
“I spoke with the nurse. Mitch is in a coma. He’s in pretty bad shape…but they have managed to repair the damage.”
“He’s in a coma?”
“Yes.”
“And Garrett?”
“He almost died, but he’s in ICU right now. They’re not sure if he’s gonna make it.”
“What?” I gasped. “It’s all my fault. They were fighting over me.” No, no, no. This wasn’t happening. “They both have to make it.” I couldn’t believe this.
“There’s no way this is your fault,” Natalie said.
“Sweetie, you can’t blame yourself. Garrett and Mitch are grown men. There was nothing you could do to stop them,” Kate said, taking my hand again.
“I don’t know what happened to them. They hadn’t been close for a while. When Garrett moved, they didn’t speak again. Garrett’s never come home to visit. He would avoid Mitch’s calls.”
“I had no idea. Mitch really never said anything,” Kate said.
“We assumed it had something to do with Lillian. But, it turns out it had to do with me. Garrett confessed he’s in love with me and he left because he couldn’t stand to see us together.”
“So, you think Garrett finally told Mitch about his feelings?” Natalie asked. “You think that caused the fight?”
“Well, not entirely,” I said, looking at Kate with raised eyebrows. She slightly shook her head, indicating she hadn’t told Nat about me cheating.
I looked into Nat’s big blue eyes. I couldn’t sugar coat what I’d done. “Nat, I got drunk, Garrett stayed over, I thought he was Mitch and we….” I couldn’t finish my sentence as my lips trembled and tears filled my eyes.
“Oh, Charlie.” Nat squeezed my hand. “It’s not like you knowingly had an affair. You were hurting from Mitch not remembering you and drank too much. Garrett should have stopped you. He wasn’t drunk, was he?”
“No, he wasn’t.”
Nat furrowed her brow. “And he let you have sex with him, knowing how much you had to drink?”
“Yes.”
“He just wanted his way and didn’t care what the consequences were. He put you in a terrible position.”
“But I cheated…on Mitch.”
“Because Garrett put you in that position. Mitch never would’ve done that. He would’ve protected you. Garrett didn’t protect you—he took advantage of you.”
Taking in Natalie’s words brought me great comfort. My shoulders relaxed and I said, “Thanks for saying that. I hadn’t thought of Garrett’s role, but somehow I’m not sure Mitch will see it that way.”
“Mitch loves you more than anything. Don’t underestimate him. He’ll be angry, but I really believe he’ll forgive you,” Kate said.
“I hope you’re right. Did they give you any further information about Mitch’s condition? When he’ll be awake?”
“No, sweetie. All the nurse said was he was in a coma.”
The doctor on duty came in and checked my chart.
“How are you feeling today?” he asked.
“I feel fine,” I said, attempting a half smile when what I really wanted was to get out of this hospital bed and find Mitch.
“Any headache or nausea?”
“No,” I said, shaking my head.
“Good. Then I’m going to release you. If you have any numbing or tingling in your arm or a headache, please come back to the hospital.”
“I will. Thank you, Doctor.”
The doctor left and Kate handed me my clothes from the closet. I got dressed in the bathroom while she and Nat waited for me in my room. I combed my hands through my hair and tried to make myself feel presentable.
“Ready to go?” Nat asked when I emerged from the bathroom.
“Sure. I should call my parents and let them know you’re here and taking me home.”
“Actually, they already know. They’re at your place right now packing up some things for you.”
“Oh, that’s so great,” I said, putting my hand to my chest. “I didn’t wanna go back there right now. Actually, I just wanna see Mitch.”
“Then let’s go see him,” Kate said.
Being with my two best friends was such a huge help. I needed their support more than words could express. I’d be so lost without them.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Mitch
Everything was quiet except for a continual beeping, but I had no idea where it was coming from. I was so relaxed I couldn’t open my eyes, instead just drifting in my mind. Am I sleeping? I guessed so. It felt like sleep, but my senses seemed heightened and I was more aware. Maybe I wasn’t in a deep sleep, but on the peripheral edges.
“I can’t believe he’s alone right now,” Charlie said. She picked up my hand. “Mitch, I’m here. I need you to wake up, baby. Please come back to me.” Her voice trembled.
I knew what Charlie wanted from me, but I couldn’t comply. No part of my body would move no matter how much I wanted it to. I was angry with her and I wanted to yell at her, but I also wanted to love her. What the fuck is wrong with me? What if Garrett was telling the truth…I couldn’t believe it. There was no way. He had to have been lying, but why? Why did we end up in a fistfight? Nothing in my world made sense since falling off the ladder. Nothing.
“He looks pretty banged up,” Kate said. “We need to find out from the doctor how bad it is.”
How bad what is? What the hell is Kate talking about? I wish I could open my fucking eyes right now. Damn it.
“What the hell are you doing here?” my mom asked.
“I’m visiting my fiancée, Lillian. He needs me and I’m going to be here for him.”
“Not if I have anything to say about it.” Her seething words made the temperature in the room rise.
“That’s enough, Lillian,” said my dad.
“Edward, please.”
“No, Lillian. I’ve stood by long enough. You will not stop Charlie from seeing Mitch. He loves her and asked her to marry him. That’s good enough for me, and it’s going to be good enough for you.”
“Edward, that girl there has destroyed our family.”
“No, Lillian, you did that a long time ago. And I’ve allowed it. But no more. Either adhere to my wishes or get the hell out, and I don’t just mean this hospital room. We have two sons fighting for their lives. Enough with your vendettas.”
I wanted to sit up and cheer my dad on. I’d never heard him talk that way to my mom. But what did he mean two sons fighting for their lives? Shit. Did I hurt Garrett that badly? If that’s the case, maybe I didn’t want to wake up. This dream state had just become my worst nightmare. What if Garret died? How would I live with myself? How could any of this have happened? I had so many questions but couldn’t open my mouth to get any answers.
“Thank you for defending me,” Charlie said to my dad. “Where do you think she went?”
“I don’t know and I don’t care. When she brought Heather back into Mitch’s life I should have stopped things then. I’m sorry I didn’t.”
“It’s okay. I get how controlling
she is. Has the doctor given you any idea about Mitch’s prognosis?”
“They believe he’s going to pull through. The surgery was a success. He had some internal injuries, but they were able to…to repair them.” My dad paused for a long moment. “But they have no idea when or if he’ll come out of his coma.” I’d never heard my dad choked up before. He was always stoic, disconnected from us, and I didn’t know why. Maybe that’d change now.
“We’re very sorry you’re going through all of this, Mr. Hawkins,” Kate said. “What did the doctor say about Garrett’s condition?”
“He’s in critical condition. The next twenty-four hours are…they hope to know more then.”
“Where are my manners? Natalie, this is Mitch’s dad.”
“Edward,” he said to Natalie. “Kate, I want you to call me Edward too.”
“It’s so good to meet you,” Natalie said. “Your son is like a big brother to me. He’s helped me through a lot in the last few years.”
“Mitch has always had a huge heart. One of the best things about him. I’m going to go check in with the nurses’ station and make sure Lillian isn’t tearing the hospital apart. Please visit with Mitch as long as you like.”
No one said anything for a moment while I assume my dad was walking out the door.
“I can’t believe Edward stood up to Lillian. I think this is the most I’ve ever heard him talk,” Charlie said.
“Well, at least you know you can visit Mitch without any problems,” said Natalie.
“I bet Lillian will still give you a hard time. So you probably want to watch your back,” said Kate.
“Yeah, I won’t be letting my guard down, that’s for sure. But I can’t worry about her. All I want right now is for Mitch to open his eyes. I want us to get married next month like we discussed. I want our life back.”
“It’ll happen,” Natalie said. “You just have to believe.”
Natalie was right. I was going to believe at some point when my body was ready I’d wake up.
The doctor came in and began talking with Charlie. “Do you have any idea why Mitch would be taking steroids? Has he taken them in the past?”
Forgotten By You (Redeeming Love #2) Page 13