“Yes. He only made it about a mile away from the school before he reached one of our roadblocks.”
Derek turned in his seat and grabbed his water bottle. “Detective Hudson, if you’re done now, I believe Ava would like to get to the waiting room. Matt’s surgery should be over soon.”
The kind detective stood and Ava followed suit. He shook her hand again, “Thank you, Miss Williams, I’ll be in contact if there are any further questions.”
The packed waiting room held people who cared about Matt. Matt’s parents were there, along with her family, Matt’s pastor, and several guys from the department. Ava hugged Matt’s parents and talked with them before sitting down with her family. They informed her that his siblings were coming in from Chicago as early as tomorrow to see him. Derek brought her some ice for her head and she leaned against Josh for support.
She had just fallen asleep on Josh’s shoulder when he nudged her. “Ava, the doctor is here,” he whispered.
Ava straightened and rubbed her eyes. Her headache was not as intense but still a nuisance. The doctor walked over to Matt’s parents and his mom waved her over to join them.
Dr. Ross sat down in front of them and Ava immediately became nervous. “Matt’s surgery went well. He was shot in his left shoulder.” He lifted his arm to show them where the bullet entered. “The reason for his emergency surgery was because of his excess bleeding. We were afraid the bullet nicked his brachial artery.” He used his hand to show which regions of the shoulder, back, chest and arm this entailed.
“I know this may sound overwhelming, but Sergeant Thompson was very fortunate.” He smiled to prove the words he spoke were true. “It was a clean, through-and-through wound. The bullet not only missed this artery but also his heart by a couple mere inches. It also dodged the median nerve. Injuring this nerve would have created complications for recovery and I’m sure his job. He will have a slow, but complete, recovery.”
Questions abounded until everyone felt confident in Matt’s prognosis. “When will we be able to see him?” Matt’s mom asked, upset and in need of seeing her son.
“He’s in the recovery room now, but in the next hour we should be able to transfer him to his room. I’ll have the nurse come and get you when that happens.” He shook Matt’s dad’s hand and then stood. “If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to page me.”
Ava walked back to her family as if a hundred pounds had been lifted off her chest. Matt was going to be okay. Hearing the good news, her family decided to head home and come back tomorrow to see Matt. They offered her a ride home.
“No thanks, I’m going to stay here for the night. But could one of you go get my car at the school and bring it here?” She didn’t plan on leaving anytime soon, but she would need her car whenever that happened.
“We’ll go get it.” Jake looked over at Josh for confirmation.
Lucy came up and wrapped her arms around her. “I’m so glad you’re okay. I don’t know what I would do without you.”
After their extended good-byes she sat back down on the couch with the floral print that caused her eyes to cross. The tiredness of the day engulfed her as she leaned back cautiously, resting her head. She had been spending more time at the hospital these days than she liked.
Matt’s dad brought over a pillow and blanket. “Why don’t you take a nap and we’ll wake you up when it’s time to go see Matt.”
Ava looked up grateful. “Thank you, Peter. I think I’ll take you up on your offer.” She fell asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow.
The room was dark except for the overhead light above the sink humming its own tune. Ava sat watching Matt sleeping in his bed. He stirred and rustled, moaning from the pain. His eyes fluttered open and darted over at her.
“What are you doing here?” he asked coldly.
“Oh, um, I was worried about you,” she stuttered. His rudeness caught her off guard.
“Thank you for your concern, but it’s not needed.” He looked up at the ceiling. “Why don’t you go home, I’m sure you’re tired.”
“That’s okay. I want to be here.” Ava reached for his hand, but he moved it before the touch became final.
“Ava, don’t you get it? I don’t want you here,” he snapped.
“But why, I thought you loved me?”
“I do … I did, but I’ve just realized you’re not going to change.” He pointed to his shoulder. “This situation has opened my eyes.” He glared over at her. The coldness from his eyes made her shiver. “I’m tired of having to put so much effort into making this relationship work. Love shouldn’t be this hard.”
“Matt, you don’t mean that. Every relationship takes work. You’ve just had a lot happen today.” Panic rose in her chest.
“Yeah, I’ve had a lot happen. My girlfriend accused me of wanting to cheat on her just because I said hello to another woman. I’m in a hospital bed shot because you wouldn’t listen to me. I’d say that is a long day.”
“I am so sorry. Please, Matt, please. We can work this out.” Ava started begging, holding back no humility.
“Ava, my feelings have changed toward you. There isn’t much I want that is left to fight for. Sorry, but we’re over.” It was as if he poured salt into a wound.
The pain burned.
“Matt, please, no,” she cried, desperate to change his mind. She stood, forcing him to look at her. “Please, I love you. Give me another chance to be worthy of your love. Please love me. Please want me!”
He turned his head away from her as his final rejection. Ava put her head in her hands and let the tears flow.
“Ava, wake up.” Derek patted her shoulder with ease. His touch came before she could focus on his words. “You’re just having a dream.”
Her body jerked as her eyes shot open. Derek’s concerned face came into focus as a mirror of her own. Ava sat up and brushed away the tears threatening to expose themselves. She rotated her shoulder and stretched her arms out in front of her to work the stiffness out of her muscles. “It was just a dream?” She sat confused, still not completely sure.
The nightmare seemed so real.
“Matt’s in his room now if you’d like to go see him.”
He handed her a cup of coffee.
Ava chuckled. “Thanks. Matt told you about my addiction?”
“He has, and I’ve thought about acquiring stock in the mountain grown because of it.” She seized the cup and took a sip. The coffee scorched the tip of her tongue, but there was no need to complain. It didn’t touch the throbbing in her head. In fact, the burn came as a good distraction. Her dream didn’t help the situation and she became nervous to see Matt.
“I don’t need to go right away. You and Matt’s parents can go first.”
“I’m glad you feel that way, because that’s what we did. We didn’t want to wake you. We thought you could use the sleep.”
Ava looked across the room, disappointed, to the empty couch where Peter and Anna had been sitting. She and Matt’s mom had been getting close and she wanted to check on how she was handling everything.
Usually she was a light sleeper. How had she missed all the commotion of them leaving? Her apartment faced the street and on many occasions she woke up from a loud car passing by or people walking around outside talking at high volumes.
“Oh, okay, I guess I’ll go now.” She looked down into the cup, unable to move. She wanted to see him but a part of her still wondered if he would make the horrible dream come true.
Derek caught on to her hesitancy and crouched down, meeting her at eye level. He was still in his uniform and his slanted eyes exposed his exhaustion. Today couldn’t have been easy on him, having his best friend get shot, and yet he made himself a pillar of strength for her in her time of need.
“Ava, there is one thing about Matt that will never change.” He waited until he had her full attention. “Matt will always want you.”
Ava sat up straighter. “How did you … ?”
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He snickered at her bewildered expression. “You talk in your sleep.”
Ava’s cheeks glowed with embarrassment. She changed the subject so as to avert the conversation from herself and this new habit of sleep talking. “How is he?”
“Fine, he’s been in and out of sleep, but you can go and sit with him as long as you want.” He raked his fingers through his tussled blond hair. “I’ll take you up to his room and then I’m going home to get some sleep.” He took her arm, pulling her up in slow motion so she wouldn’t spill her coffee. “I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for this day to be over.”
After Derek left, Ava stood outside Matt’s door for a moment to collect her thoughts and prepare for the sight of him all bandaged up. The door squeaked as she opened it. The room was dark except for the glow of the full moon that filtered through the window.
Ava walked over to his bed, shoulders heavy from the day. She stood beside him, holding back the tears. He looked peaceful despite the white dressings wrapped around his upper body along with tubes coming out in every direction. She glanced up at his monitors. Everything appeared good.
Not that she knew what good was.
She pulled the bedside chair closer and reached for his hand as she sat down. His warm hand in hers, while watching his chest rise with each breath, comforted her. She stared immobilized, soaking in every detail of his face.
Thoughts of the dream teased her. It hurt just imagining this man not wanting her. Derek’s words were reassuring, but she needed to hear them from Matt.
Ava stood and leaned over, tracing his hairline with her fingers. She kissed his flushed cheek. “Please still want me. I can’t imagine my life without you. I love you, Matthew,” she whispered softly.
“I love you too.” His voice startled her. He opened his eyes a moment later with a smirk that pulled at her heartstrings.
“Matt, you’re awake! Are you okay? Do you need me to go get a nurse?” she asked in a rush and turned to go get someone before he could respond to the questions that bombarded him.
He grabbed her hand and pulled her back to his side. “You leaving is not an option right now. Stand there so I can get a good look at you.” His voice stayed quiet and his eyes glistened in the moonlight from the tears resting at the brim.
“Honey, are you in pain?” She reached for the button to call the nurse, but he stopped her.
“No, this is just the first time I’ve seen you since you had a gun to your head.” A few tears spilled down the side of his face. He scrunched up his nose and mouth to hold back the emotions. She had never seen him cry before. The rock before her began to crumble. “Ava, I’ve never been so scared in my entire life. When I drove up and saw Ray with a gun to your head … ” His words drifted to a stop.
“I know. But I’m fine … thanks to you.” She rubbed her hand along his good arm.
“Are you sure you’re okay?
“Yes.”
“Did he hurt you?” She wanted to hold the truth from him but he would find out anyway.
“I only have a mild concussion. It’s not a big deal. I could have gotten one by tripping over the shoes in my closet,” Ava said dryly in an effort to play it down. He didn’t need to get upset about her condition when he lay in a hospital bed after being shot because of her. She did, however, look forward to her next dose of pain medication in an hour.
He didn’t buy it. She was a lousy liar.
“Not a big deal,” he raised his voice a notch. He looked up at the ceiling. “I’m sorry I didn’t protect you better. You must think less of me.”
Ava took his chin and moved his head to face her. “Hey, look at me.” She waited until he did. “I’m only alive because of you. It’s hard to protect a woman with a stubborn streak. I have no negative thoughts toward you.” She bent over and kissed his lips. “I do, however, have plenty of thoughts about how much I love you. If you haven’t noticed, Sergeant Thompson, I’m quite smitten with you.”
“I almost lost you today, Ava.”
“And I almost lost you too,” she pointed to his injured shoulder.
He grinned. “Oh, this little thing, it’s just a scratch.”
“I’m sure you’ll change your mind once the morphine wears off.”
Ava liked how they could still tease despite the day’s events. She grabbed the blanket at the end of the bed and covered his legs. A nurse entered the room to check Matt’s vitals. Ava unloaded all her questions and the nurse politely answered every one of them in great detail. Ava guessed that Jules mirrored this woman when she was on duty by the concern and care she took over each patient.
By the time the nurse left, Matt and Ava had heard about her grandkids, husband, and how much she enjoyed her job. Ava’s spirits heightened upon hearing more confirmation that Matt would recover well. Their conversation calmed her nerves and revived her energy level.
Ava sat back down on the chair she had pulled over earlier, wanting more alone time with him before the nurse came back to do her rounds. She ran her fingers over her dry and cracked lips, in need of moisture. Leaning back, she brought her feet up to rest on the end of the chair while she pulled out her chap stick, thankful that one of the officers had found her purse and brought it to the hospital. It relieved her to have her phone and wallet beside her again. A woman’s purse was her identity, a bag of endless treasures that would be worthless to outsiders, but full of wealth for the owner.
Or a great place to put your trash.
Matt eyed her impishly. “As I was waking up I overheard what you said. Baby, why didn’t you think I’d still want you?”
Ava had hoped he didn’t hear that part or at least forgot about it. “I had a bad dream before I came in here that you didn’t want me anymore and that your feelings had changed. I was just shaken up, that’s all.” She fidgeted with the blanket so she didn’t have to look at him. The day had emotionally wiped her out and she wasn’t sure if she could handle this conversation tonight. “Derek overheard me talking in my sleep. He helped me feel better about it.”
“What did he say?”
“That you will always want me and that will never change.” Her voice quivered from nerves as she wondered if he would agree with his partner’s assessment. She changed the subject so as to not put him on the spot. “You know you have a great best friend, right? He took care of me from the moment you got shot until he brought me to your door. What did you do, pay him an advance in case of an emergency?”
He smiled. “No.” He reached out for her hand and pulled her back up to the side of his bed. “You do know that his words were true? I’ll always want you.” He kissed her hand.
Their lunch date flashed across her mind as a reminder of how poorly she had acted toward him. She had a list of things that needed clearing up. “I’m really sorry about lunch today. I don’t know what was wrong with me. Forgive me?”
“There is nothing to forgive, sweetheart. I was offended at first, but then I put myself in your shoes. I wouldn’t have liked a guy flirting with you.”
“Yeah, but you wouldn’t have accused me of wanting to cheat.” Regret consumed her. This man before her was anything but a cheater. He walked in honesty, strong character, and never once wavered on his feelings for her, despite her best efforts to subconsciously change his mind.
“Maybe not, but I don’t have the past that you do. Sometimes I need to remember that before I speak or lose my temper. I claim my part of our argument. Sorry I was a jerk.” He brushed a strand of hair out of her face.
She gingerly smiled her forgiveness. “Speaking of my past, I had some time on my hands today to think, and I had a little revelation.” Ava had been waiting to get this off her chest. Whether tired or not, this needed to be said.
“Oh really? You’ve piqued my interest, please share.”
“You said you were tired of paying for another man’s mistakes and—”
He interrupted, “I’m sorry, that wasn’t right of me to say.”
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bsp; Ava put her fingers on his lips to quiet him. “You were right, but I realized you were also paying for mine. Tim wasn’t the only one at fault. I chose to marry him even though on some level I knew something was wrong. He became distant and I did nothing about it. Honestly, I think I was more in love with the idea of being married than with whom I planned to spend the rest of my life with. As for the fear of being loved again, his rejection doesn’t make me worthless or undeserving. I need to find my identity in Christ, not in situations or people.”
Ava sat back down on the chair because she couldn’t focus while being that close to him. “I would have saved myself a lot of heartache had I trusted my instincts and God. In the end, it was my mistakes that have caused my insecurities now.”
“Hmmm, so what are your instincts and God telling you now?”
He was fishing for compliments and she would give them. “That you want me, and without a doubt our feelings are the same.”
“Ava, please listen to me. Whether you have another bad dream or see another girl talking with me, I’m in love with you. I’ve waited a very long time for you to come into my life. You’re it, I’m done.” He placed her hand on his chest. “This heart will never beat for anyone but you.”
His heartbeat pumped beneath her hand. She held no fear over his declaration, only excitement for the life she would someday share with him. Her heart had healed and that realization was liberating.
“And I love you, Matthew Everett.”
“Whoa, my middle name. You must mean it.”
“More than you know.”
Ava yawned, unable to hide her fatigue any longer. Their moment disappeared as Matt looked over at the clock. “No wonder you’re tired, it’s after midnight. Why don’t you go home and get some sleep.”
“I’m not going anywhere, you’re stuck with me.” Ava grabbed the extra blanket from the end of his bed and curled up in the chair. “I’ll just sleep here.”
A Rescued Heart (Rescued Heart Romance) Page 19