Lovers Unmasked: The Complete Series

by Nicole Flockton

  “Dawn, I hear what you’re saying, but I know I can get them out. Help me check on them, please.”

  As she looked at him, she could see the high color on his cheeks, and it wasn’t from the sun. It was from an adrenaline high. He was bouncing on his feet, anxious to get into something that he had no business being in. Taking the risk that no other person would do. What he’d always done. Her doubts about his ability to control the urge to get into dangerous situations all came to fruition. He couldn’t wait to try and pit himself against the clock. To see if he could get the injured out before help arrived or anything else happened.

  “Andrew, stop. You have no equipment to get them out. You’ll be putting your life at risk as well as theirs.”

  “Help me.” The feeble cry came from the direction of the car. Dawn looked up and saw the driver holding out a hand through the smashed window. “Please help me and my mate.”

  Before she had time to comprehend that someone had actually survived, Andrew was by the driver’s side. He was pulling on the door and with each pull, the car jolted. Dawn was frozen to the spot. Her mind was screaming at her. One part was telling her to run and help, the other was telling her to run up the street, away from the scene.

  But she was no coward — not now. She had sworn to help the injured, that was what she was trained to do. She swallowed her fear and took small steps towards the car. In the distance she heard the sirens and a small amount of relief flooded through her. If they could just keep everyone still then once the fire brigade arrived, they could rescue the occupants of the car.

  She reached the car and peered through the windscreen. The passenger’s side of the car was squashed against the light pole, but she could see that the passenger was unconscious, blood seeping down his face from the cuts to the side of his head. Her heart dropped — that could not be good. The driver also had blood oozing from cuts but they didn’t seem too bad; of course, he could be suffering internal injuries. She had almost been positive that no one could have survived this sort of impact, even with the deployment of all the airbags.

  She backed away from the car, not wanting to be near it, a feeling of dread overcoming her. She willed Andrew to move, to step away as the sirens slowly got louder and louder. But he wasn’t going to move away or stop in his pursuit to help the victims. He wasn’t thinking, he was only reacting and he was getting a rush from it. His whole body seemed to be vibrating with an energy she hadn’t seen before. It scared her.

  She tried again to get him to move. “Andrew, can’t you hear the sirens? Help is on the way. Please move away from the car.”

  A loud groaning sound filled the air. Dawn knew it wasn’t coming from the occupants of the car. It sounded almost metallic like. She looked up in horror and saw the metal light pole swaying. With each tug on the door, not only did it jolt the car but it was jolting the light pole.

  “Andrew, stop!” she screamed again, but it was too late. With that last one pull on the car door, the light pole bent over itself and crashed onto the car. Glass and metal flew everywhere. Dawn hit the ground and curled into a ball to try and protect herself from the flying shards.

  The sirens were so loud now she knew they would be upon them any second. But it’s too late, her mind cried. Andrew and the occupants of the car had been crushed by the pole. Once again she was going to lose the man she loved with her whole heart. Only this time, it was as permanent as Tom and Brody’s death. She was cursed. Everyone she had ever loved died. Why oh why had she thought it possible she could be happy?

  “Ma’am, are you okay?”

  Dawn looked up and saw the face of one of the firemen. She couldn’t speak. All she could do was nod her head. His gentle hands lifted her so that she was standing.

  “Come on, I’ll take you to get you looked at by one of the paramedics.”

  His words finally penetrated and she pulled away from his hold. “No,” she whispered. She swallowed and tried again. “No.”

  This time the word came out firmer. Keeping her gaze averted from the accident, she walked over to where a crowd of red and white vehicles stood. Their sirens had been silenced but the lights still swirled in a mocking manner.

  “You’re suffering from shock, ma’am, I won’t let you walk away.” The fireman took hold of her again and led to one of the waiting ambulances.

  “Dawn, are you okay?”

  She looked at the new voice that had entered the conversation. She saw that it was Riggs, Andrew’s partner. The tears she had tried to keep at bay burst forth. Between heaving sobs she uttered one word. “Andrew.”

  Strong arms held her until she calmed herself down. She hated losing control, so she pulled herself together after a couple of minutes. “You have to help Andrew.” She waved her arm toward the accident, still not able to look to see if Andrew was alive or not. “He’s over there somewhere.”

  “Dawn, look at me.” The voice was gentle and she looked up into the caring face of Riggs. His brown eyes held compassion and understanding. “Let me attend to you and then I’ll find out what I can about Andrew. It doesn’t look too bad.”

  Slowly the sounds of shouting and machinery being started up forced its way into her consciousness. A rush of adrenaline like nothing she’d ever known before sizzled through her veins. It was like she’d been given an electric shock. Her body buzzed. Her mind exploded with the need to see him for herself. The fear that had had her in its possession a few minutes ago had been replaced with the need to get as far away from the scene as possible.

  “I have to see if he’s okay and if he is, I have to leave. I can’t stay.”

  She was away from Riggs’s hold and was moving once again towards the accident scene. The fireman had chocked the car up so that the threat of the car sliding down the hill was over. Two paramedics were bent over a man on the ground and she knew that it was Andrew.

  From her safe distance, she could see that he was moving his arm but his left leg was still caught under the streetlight. As if sensing her gaze, he turned and they locked eyes. Caught in a spell where it was only them, she slowly walked a little closer. His face had small cuts on it from the glass. He sent her a small smile but she didn’t answer it with one of her own.

  She stopped about ten feet from him, their gazes still locked on one another. Her heart was screaming at her to rush to his side, but her mind was telling her that listening to her heart had got her into trouble again. Andrew might be okay this time, but what about next time when he ignored her pleas to not do something dangerous? What if next time, he wasn’t so lucky and got seriously hurt or, worse, died?

  Her mind was lecturing her on keeping her heart closed off for her safety. So what if she ended up dying alone? At least she wouldn’t have the fear of worrying about the person she loved putting their life continually in potentially life threatening situations.

  “Dawn?” Andrew called out to her. A thousand requests in just saying her name. Dawn, come here. Dawn, I’m sorry. Dawn, please come hold my hand.

  “I can’t.”

  She closed her eyes, severing their connection. When she opened them again, she made sure she was looking at the team about to lift the light pole, releasing Andrew. Within a matter of seconds, the pole had been lifted and Andrew had a backboard placed under him before he was lifted onto a gurney and then put into the back of the awaiting ambulance.

  “Do you want to ride in the back with him?” Riggs was back at her side.

  “No,” she said. “I just want to go home.”

  “I’ll get a patrol car to take you home; you’re in no state to drive.”

  Riggs was gone before she had time to comprehend what he’d said. She watched as he walked over to the ambulance and spoke to Andrew. He gave one nod and then the doors closed.

  The breath she was holding whooshed out. The closing of the door was the closing of her
heart. No more would she allow anyone inside of it.

  Chapter 14

  “Just put the damn plaster on and discharge me,” Andrew demanded of the ER doctor. “You told me yourself it was a straight-forward break, no surgery necessary.”

  “We need to keep you overnight to make sure there are no other effects from your accident,” the doctor argued, clearly frustrated. But Andrew didn’t care; all he cared about was going to see Dawn. The look on her face as Riggs closed the ambulance door was the same look he’d seen before. The look where her whole life was over and she had nothing to live for.

  But he wanted her to know she had everything to live for. As he was lying on the ground, trapped by the pole unable to go to her, to comfort her, to let her know he was all right, seeing her curled up on the ground, his heart had bled. Knowing that he had caused that look in her eye again shattered his heart. In that moment, he’d known that nothing mattered more than Dawn and his love for her.

  He’d been so stupid thinking he could help the victims of the car. He hadn’t even assessed the situation. He’d raced in without thinking, wanting to be a hero. Wanting to be someone Dawn could be proud of. In the end, all he’d done was cause them both nothing but heartache.

  He had to see her. He had to tell her that he loved her. He had to tell her she was his world and that nothing, absolutely nothing, was more important to him than her. Not even surfing six-foot waves in a hell swell. Even going rock climbing or trying to rescue hurt people meant nothing if Dawn wasn’t in his life.

  He wanted to marry her. He wanted to have children with her. He wanted her.

  “Are you refusing to heed your doctor’s orders?” A slightly accented voice spoke, breaking into his thoughts.

  Andrew looked up and saw Alex, the registrar of the ER, standing by his bedside. He couldn’t believe the other doctor had ratted on him.

  “I just want the plaster put on and then be discharged. I need to get out of here.”

  “Because of Dawn?”

  He was surprised at Alex’s insight. “If I say yes, will that get me out sooner?”

  Alex laughed. “As much as I know what it’s like to stuff up a relationship, your health is more important.” Andrew went to protest but Alex held up his hand. “But from what I’ve seen from the x-rays and tests we’ve run, we’ll only need to keep you in for a few hours observation and then we can discharge you.”

  “It will still be too late; I need to see Dawn now.”

  “Andrew,” Alex said in a voice Andrew figured he reserved for irritable patients. He knew he was being difficult, but the longer he left not seeing Dawn the worse it was going to be. “I know you want to see Dawn to make things right, but you can’t do it if you’re not one hundred percent healthy. I’m not going to discharge you until I know for sure that you will be fine.”

  Andrew knew he’d lost the battle. “Fine,” he grumbled. “Now can I get this plaster cast on?”

  “Give me a few minutes and I’ll arrange for it,” Alex said as he made his way to leave the cubicle. Andrew was about to close his eyes when he saw Alex pause and turn to face him again. “Dawn’s a great girl who has seen a lot of tragedy. She means the world to all of us here.”

  Andrew knew a warning when he heard it. He gave a nod of understanding and then a few seconds later he was by himself again. He glanced down at his leg, realizing that he’d been incredibly lucky. He’d almost left Dawn alone again. Guilt, more powerful than the guilt he’d experienced after surviving his boating accident, hit him full force in the face. Hurting Dawn was the last thing he’d ever want to do. Her love meant so much to him and he would show her just how much. As soon as he got out of hospital.

  • • •

  Dawn curled up on her couch, a mug of hot chocolate in her hand. She hadn’t slept all night. She’d been too numb to even cry again. The only image that replayed in her mind was the moment the light pole had come crashing down on the car, trapping Andrew. She shuddered again at the memory.

  There was no possible way she could face work, so she’d phoned the hospital to say she wouldn’t be in for her shift. It was the first time in too many years that she’d called up sick. Even after Tom had died, she’d only taken six weeks compassionate leave before she was back working.

  Seeing Andrew almost die had affected her more than she thought possible. Her heart ached at the thought of not seeing him again. But she would. She would see him when he dropped a patient off to the hospital. The first few times would hurt, but she would cope. Just as she would cope with not being in his arms again.

  She hadn’t said the words, but by walking away she hoped he understood that she couldn’t see him anymore. It was kind of the coward’s way out; only it was the way she had to do it. She couldn’t speak to him again. Not at the moment. It was too soon.

  The doorbell rang. She ignored it. The thought of being social with someone was the last thing she wanted. Besides, it was more than likely someone trying to sell her a new cell phone contract. No one ever came and saw her. She didn’t want to let her mind form the idea that it might be Andrew coming to see her. She wasn’t sure she could handle seeing him so soon after she’d made her mind up to finish their relationship.

  The doorbell rang again, only this time it was followed by a pounding on the door.

  She threw the blanket off and put her mug on the table. She took a deep breath and then made her way to the door. She let the air rush out of her a second before she turned the lock and opened the door.

  Her eyes filled with the tears she hadn’t been able to shed at the sight in front of her. Andrew was leaning on crutches. Scratches and butterfly band-aids covered his face. He looked like he hadn’t slept in a week. His eyes held a desolation she’d never seen before but was sure was mirrored in her own eyes.

  Dawn fought the urge to reach out and pull him into her embrace. As she’d sat on the couch during the night, she thought she’d buried her feelings for him. Now, seeing him standing before her, she knew that she had been fooling herself. She hadn’t stopped loving him ten years ago and she couldn’t stop loving him now.

  “My Dawn, I’m so sorry,” he spoke in such a gravelly tone. So defeated and tired.

  She knew they couldn’t have a conversation on her front doorstep so she stood to the side, giving him access to her house. “Come in.”

  She waited until he was fully inside and making his way to her front sitting room before she closed the door. He was handling the crutches with the ease of someone who’d been using them for days, not just a few hours.

  As much as her heart was telling her to forgive him and take him back, and even though she knew she would never stop loving him, her mind was telling her to be cautious. To tread carefully, because there would always be a time when he’d put his need for adventure above her needs.

  “Can I get you something to drink?” she asked as she entered the room.

  Andrew turned his gaze onto her — a little bit of hope burned in their depths. She had to wonder if he’d expected her to slam the door in his face.

  “No, I’m fine.” He paused as if collecting his thoughts. “I need to talk to you. To explain.”

  “There’s no need to explain. I was there, I saw what happened.” The anger from yesterday came back. “I told you to wait, but no, you just had to try and play the hero. Well, let me tell you something, Andrew Holmes. I don’t need a person that would willingly risk his life when help was only moments away.”

  She stopped talking, her breath coming in fast, short bursts, but she felt better for having said the words.

  “I deserve that, and more. What I did was stupid and I didn’t think rationally. I did think I could play the hero and that was wrong.” He looked over to her, the pain he was feeling evident in his every feature. “It was so wrong. I’m sorry I hurt you. I’m sorry I caused you pain
when it could’ve been avoided. I love you, Dawn. You mean the world to me.”

  Her gaze flew to his, her heart beating out a rapid tattoo as his words sunk in. An incredible feeling of joy and happiness filled her. Something she’d thought she’d never feel again. But her mind was telling her to not rush into anything. He may be sorry now, but could he really suppress that part of him, that need to take risks, forever?

  Dawn could see the surprise in his eyes as if he hadn’t expected the confession to come out of his mouth. But then she saw the smile start on his face. He struggled to his feet and hopped over to her. She instinctively grabbed his hips to steady him. His hands framed her face. “I love you, Dawn. I don’t want to lose you again. I let my need for adventure ruin our lives once before and I’m not doing it again.”

  He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her lips. It was over too soon. She wanted more. Before she could pull his head down, he twisted and turned until he sat on the lounge chair and she found herself on his strong thighs, his arms tightening around her.

  “As I was lying on the ground and saw you curled up in a ball, I knew that I’d made the worst decision of my life. Nothing, absolutely nothing, is more important to me than you. Can you find it in your heart to give me another chance? I know I probably don’t deserve it.”

  Dawn picked randomly at the buttons on his shirt. She believed the words he was saying were the truth, that she was important to him. But part of her was still scared. Still worried that the next time they came across a situation that he would again race in without giving her any thought. She knew she loved him, but was the love strong enough to deal with another scenario like they had yesterday?

  She decided that the only way to find out was to lay it all on the line. To tell him how she felt and what her fears were.

  “I’m scared,” she whispered. “I’m scared that I won’t be enough for you. That my love for you won’t be all that you need. That your need to pit yourself against the elements will rise up again. And the next time it does, we won’t be so lucky. The next time, I could lose you. And I can’t lose you again. I can’t lose someone I love again. I just can’t.”