by Alice Tribue
“Shit, babe, I didn’t know you felt like this.” He closes the distance between us pulling me into an embrace. I melt into him, needing him to choose me, to choose us. I don’t know why it’s so important to me, but it feels crucial.
“I’ve been trying to tell you, but you just don’t hear me.”
“All right.” He pulls away slightly, lowering his lips to my forehead. “You’re right, this is just about you and me. I’ll go let Luca know I can’t take him, okay?”
“Really?” I question releasing a sigh of relief.
“Yes, really. I’ll be back in five minutes, and I’ll be ready to leave for the airport within the hour, okay?”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, wife.”
Something is off…I can feel it. Ty and I made it to the airport with time to spare and even though he chose to be here with me over helping Luca, I can tell that he’s on edge.
“Are you all right?”
“Hmm? Yeah, I’m fine, babe. I just hate flying, it makes me anxious.”
I guess that makes sense; I’ve never been much of a great flyer myself. In fact, I look outside of the window of the airport gate we’re waiting in and begin to get restless at the size of the massive planes out there. To make matters worse, maintenance issues have delayed our plane so who knows how long we’ll actually be stuck here. Tyler’s glancing down at his cell phone every few minutes, bouncing his leg up and down and trying to rid himself of the nervous energy.
“You want me to get you a coffee or something?” I question, trying to get his mind off our flight.
He smiles at me, leans over, and places a kiss on my forehead. “Coffee would be great, babe. Thanks.”
I walk over to the little coffee–book shop adjacent to the gate and order two coffees. I pick up a copy of the latest entertainment tabloid to read while I wait and pick up a paperback of a new law thriller for Tyler.
“Thought you might like this.” He takes the book and the cup of coffee from my hands and smiles.
“This is supposed to be a great book. Thanks.”
I take a sip of my coffee and sit down next to him. “You’re welcome.”
Tyler slips an arm around my shoulders and pulls me into his side allowing me to relax into him. My head drops to his shoulder, and he places a kiss on the top of my head. I listen to the announcements overhead, hoping that our flight is announced soon when Ty’s phone rings.
“Hello?” he answers without even looking at the caller ID. It’s almost as if he was expecting the call. “Hold on, hold on, slow down.” He shoots up out of his seat and steps away from the chairs to stand over by the windows. I follow him with my gaze, growing frightened by the look on his face. “Holy shit, is he all right?”
Something is obviously very wrong; I push off from my chair and walk over to where Ty’s standing. I come up behind him and place my hand on his shoulder. He turns to face me, and I give him a questioning look.
“All right, we’re on our way. Call me if you hear anything else.” A chill runs down my spine, and my body freezes in fear.
“What’s going on?”
“Luca was shot, we have to go.”
“What? Oh, my God, what happened?”
He grabs my hand and stops at the chairs only to pick up our carry-on luggage before he’s hauling me out of the airport. I practically have to run to keep up with him. I’m trying to make sense of what happened. I don’t understand how this could even be possible. Luca has never been my favorite person or maybe it’s the other way around, but I would never wish for him to end up hurt like this. Our bags land in the backseat with a thump, and we jump into Tyler’s car. He’s out of the parking lot faster than I’m comfortable with. I brace myself as he speeds toward the expressway trying to make a dent in the forty-five minute drive.
“Ty, what happened?”
“I don’t know. It looks like a carjacking.” His nerves are shot, I can tell. Tyler and Luca are like brothers, thick as thieves. If something were to happen to him, it would destroy Tyler.
“Who called you?”
“His mom.”
“Did she say he was going to be all right?”
“I don’t know.” He answers in a short tone. I know he’s upset, and my questions are probably just making things worse, so I back off.
“We’ll reschedule the honeymoon for as soon as we can, all right? I just can’t leave knowing my best friend was just shot.”
“Tyler, I don’t care about that. Of course, we should go to the hospital. Don’t worry about me.”
His knuckles begin to change color as he grips the steering wheel harder. I feel for him—he’s obviously scared. I know I’d feel the same thing if something ever happened to my best friend, Morgan. She’s the closest thing I have to a sister, too. Fear grips my heart, and I silently begin to pray that Luca will be all right for his sake as well as Tyler’s.
We make it to the hospital in no time at all. Tyler is out of the car and running as soon as he shifts the car into park. I’m thankful that I wore sneakers today as I break off into a sprint behind him. By the time I catch up, he’s at the front desk getting information. He grabs my hand and tugs me down a long corridor.
“He’s still in surgery,” are the only words he says to me as he pulls me on the elevator. I get a strange feeling of déjà vu; it’s almost like I’ve been here before, like I’ve felt this fear before. I quickly shake the feeling off, push the fear aside, and steel my spine. Tyler needs me, and I need to be strong for him just the way I’d expect him to be for me if the roles were reversed.
As soon as we get off the elevator, we practically run into Kathy and Ted Jenson, Luca’s parents.
“Tyler, Everly. I’m so glad you’re here,” Kathy says, grabbing Tyler’s hand and giving it a pat.
“What happened exactly?”
“All we know is that he was shot in his car at the park.”
I shake my head. “What was he doing at the park.”
“We’re not sure.” I turn toward Ted, who’s putting his arm around his wife now. God, I feel so terrible for them. The thought of your only son being shot in broad daylight is unimaginable.
“What are the doctors saying?” Tyler asks, his brows furrow as he’s unable to hide his anxiety.
Kathy lets out a sigh; she looks exhausted, as though the weight of the world is on her shoulders at the moment. “The nurse came out earlier. She said that he was shot twice, once in the leg and once in the chest. He was critical but still breathing. Assuming that the bullets didn’t hit any major arteries, they’re hoping for the best.”
I take hold of her hand, hoping to reassure her. “He’s going to be fine.”
She nods her head and wipes away her tears with her free hand. My heart breaks for her and what she must be going through. I’d imagine that this would be any parents’ worst nightmare—the prospect of losing a child.
“Luca Jenson?” We all turn simultaneously with bated breath. The doctor stands there looking detached, and I can’t read his features, he’s showing no emotions. I wonder if that’s part of their training in med school. We walk over to him as a group because there’s strength in numbers and we’re hoping that all of our positive energy will bring us good news.
Ted steps forward. “We’re his family.”
All of a sudden, I feel out of place, like I don’t belong amongst this group of people who love this man. Luca and I are not close, we never have been, and we never will be. I met him at the bookstore freshman year of college. Luca helped me with my books and was really great to me. He made a great first impression, but the next time I saw him was after Tyler and I had started dating. After that, he was always cold, dismissive, and at times, downright rude. Of course, I was just as rude to him because I couldn’t let him walk all over me. So, in a nutshell, Luca and I are not besties. We are NOT family.
“He made it through surgery. We were able to remove the bullets, but he lost a lot of blood. He should
be just fine. He’s going to need physical therapy for his leg and time to recover.”
Tyler gives my hand a squeeze. “Can we see him?”
“He’s being taken to the ICU as soon as he’s settled. You can go in one at a time.”
Tyler seems a little calmer once the doctor has left. I think we’re all just so relieved that Luca made it out of surgery—that has to be a good sign. If there’s one thing I know about him, it’s that he’s a real pain in the ass. There’s no way he’s going to let a few bullets get in the way of him living his life. For the first time since I heard the news, I’m absolutely confident that he’s going to be all right, and strangely enough, I get a feeling of peace knowing that Luca’s still in the land of the living.
“Everly,” I hear someone call out from a distance. “Everly, wake up.” The soft graze of someone’s hand on my arm wakes me up. I must have dozed off in the waiting room while everyone spent time visiting Luca. I focus my vision on Kathy, who’s standing above me with a smile on her face.
“Is everything all right?”
“Everything is fine, Luca’s awake and Tyler went to the cafeteria to get food for everyone. I thought you might like to go in and visit with Luca.”
“Oh, I’m not sure if that’s a good idea.”
“Why not? I’m sure he’d love to see you. The more love we give him right now, the better.” I hesitate not wanting to explain to her how much her son and I dislike each other. “Go on, you don’t have to be afraid. He looks better already.”
“Ahh, okay,” I agree pushing up from my chair. How can I say no to her? She’s had what’s probably been the worst day of her life, and I don’t want to upset her. Besides, I’m curious to see for myself how Luca’s doing. I take the elevator up the two floors to the ICU and the nurses at the nurse’s station direct me to his room. When I walk in, Luca’s asleep. He’s bandaged up and looks pale but otherwise not terrible; he actually looks peaceful in sleep. The machines that he’s connected to and the wires running all over his body are frightening, to say the least. I’ve never seen someone hooked up to so much shit. It makes me feel like they could go off at any second and all hell would break loose.
“Don’t just stand there, Ev. You can come in.” I’m startled when he speaks; I must have been so focused on the machines that I didn’t notice he had woken up.
“I’m sorry, I just didn’t want to wake you,” I tell him, walking further into the room and lowering myself onto the chair by his bedside. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I just got shot.”
“Well, I’m glad that you’re okay.”
“Are you? I’d have thought if anyone wished me dead, it would be you.”
“I don’t want you dead, dummy. I just want you to not be an asshole all the time.”
“Hey, what’s with all the name calling?”
“I’m sorry; all these machines are freaking me out. I can leave if you want; I know I’m not exactly your favorite person.”
“You’re not my least favorite person, either. I actually don’t mind the company.”
“Okay, any word on how long you’ll be here?”
“No, but I’m assuming it’ll be a few days,” he replies.
“How did this happen, Luca?” I question, curiosity getting the best of me.
“I thought I’d go to the park for a run. I was just at the wrong place at the wrong time, I guess.”
Something about this seems off to me; I never knew Luca was a runner and why would he choose the morning after my wedding to go for a run when he was likely hung over? I don’t comment because, really, it’s none of my business.
“Have the police been by?”
“They came by to take my statement a little while ago.”
“Well, did they at least catch the person that did this?”
He takes a breath, and there’s an unmistakable look of concern on his face. “Not yet.”
“Well, I’m sure they’ll get him soon.” I give him a weak smile; I’m trying to reassure him, but the truth is they may never catch the guy—it’s just the way of the world.
“Yeah, Everly, just be careful out there. Watch your back, okay?” The undercurrent of his tone is all warning—a warning that sends chills down my spine.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing, nothing. I’m sorry, it’s just that I’m on edge. I’m just saying that if this could happen to me, it could happen to anyone. Maybe if I had been paying better attention, I could have avoided it.”
His words make sense. I can see why he would feel that way, and I appreciate him taking the time to give me a warning.
“Luca Jensen, if I didn’t know any better, I’d almost think that you cared about my well being.”
“I do care, Everly. I know I’m an ass, but you’re my best friend’s wife, and that makes you family. I care.”
“I don’t know if I can handle you being nice to me. It’s like I’m having an out of body experience or something.”
“Ha. Don’t make me laugh, it hurts.”
“Sorry.”
“What do you say we call a truce, Ev? Almost dying makes you see life a little differently. I don’t want to waste my time fighting with you. Frankly, it’s gotten a little out of control, don’t you think?”
“I think I can agree to a truce.”
“Good.”
“I should get back out there. I’m sure your mom is dying to come back in here. Is there anything I can get you before I go?”
“No, but thank you for coming, it uh-it means a lot.”
“You’re welcome.”
I leave the room feeling somewhat lighter, relieved that Luca is alive and on the road to recovery. I’m hopeful that he and I can move past our normally damaged relationship and become friends. Back in the waiting room, Tyler is on the phone in what seems to be a heated conversation. He doesn’t look happy, and I try to move closer to him, but when he spots me, he holds up a finger letting me know that I should give him a minute, walking out of the waiting room. This isn’t something new; Tyler is always on important phone calls though it’s normally Luca who’s calling to pull him away. I’m curious as to who he’s talking to, but I respect his privacy so I let it go.
It’s been almost a week since Tyler and I were married, a week since Luca was shot. It hasn’t been easy with Luca hurt. We’ve been back and forth from the hospital daily. Tyler’s taken it really hard. I’ve even heard him mumbling that it’s all his fault as if he could have done anything to stop a random shooting. His moods have been unpredictable going from warm to cold, happy to mad, in the blink of an eye. Now that Luca is finally being released from the hospital, I’m hoping that Tyler will go back to his normal self.
Luca’s parents are already there and engaged in a conversation when we walk into the waiting room today.
“He’s going to need help getting around, Kathy. He needs someone to take him to physical therapy. The doctor’s already told us that he shouldn’t go home alone.”
“Well, of course, he’ll come home with us. It’s just that with us both working full time, I don’t know how much help we’re really going to be able to give him.”
“We’ll have to look into hiring a nurse,” Ted replies. They both look so stressed out, so tired, and I feel for them. All the extra care is likely to be a strain on their resources, and I can tell it weighs heavily on their minds.
“That’s not necessary,” Tyler says, putting his arm around me and pulling me close. “He can come stay with Everly and me. We have plenty of room in the new house, and I work at my father’s law firm most days, but Everly’s home. School doesn’t start for another month and a half so one of us can always be with him.”
There’s no way that I can be hearing him correctly. There’s no way that he would make a decision like this without consulting with me first. I can’t believe he just volunteered me to practically take care of Luca around the clock. Yes, we’ve called a truce but spending all
of my free time with him is a bit much.
“Oh Tyler, we couldn’t possibly impose on you. You’re newlyweds. It’s bad enough that you didn’t get to go on your honeymoon.”
I hate that I’ve been put on the spot like this, but it is in my power to help out, and the Jensen’s have been through enough already. They need help, and even though Tyler pushed me into it, I’m going to do it.
“It’s no trouble, Mrs. Jensen. Tyler’s right; we have the space and the time to help him.
“It’s just a lot to ask, Everly.”
I take her hand in mine and give it a squeeze. She needs my reassurance, and I want to give it to her. As much as I hate the idea of taking this on, I’ll do it for Kathy, who deserves to let go of all of this stress. And I’ll do it for Tyler, who for some reason is carrying a guilt around that I’ll never quite understand. And I guess I’ll do it for Luca, too, in the spirit of our newly formed truce. “But you’re not asking. We’re offering.”
“You’re sure it’s no trouble?”
“I’m positive. It’s really not and you can come see him any time you want.”
Tyler releases his hold on me but places a kiss on my forehead. “I’m going to go tell Luca the plan and make sure he’s cool with this.”
I take in the look of relief on Kathy’s face, and I feel good about it. I’m happy that we’re able to take this off her shoulders. I can deal with a bit of inconvenience if it means that she can rest a little bit easier. I just hope that Luca and I can really manage to put the past behind us and move on, I always thought he and I should have been friends. I never really understood why he disliked me so much to begin with.
Luca seemed on edge during the drive home from the hospital. I caught him glancing around the street while the car was stopped at traffic lights, almost as if he was waiting for the gunman to come back and finish the job. His relief was evident once we made it back to the house, I guess I’d be a little paranoid, too, if I’d have just gotten shot and the person who did it was still on the loose.
What’s strange is that Tyler looked equally paranoid; I caught him looking in the rearview mirror more times than I can count, way more times than necessary. Something is going on that I can’t put my finger on. I’ve noticed what seems to be a rift between Luca and Tyler, although they’d probably deny it, but I can see it. I can tell something is off. Tyler just brushes me off when I ask him about it, telling me that I’m imagining things and everything is fine. But he’s been harsher with me the last few days, too. He’s short with me, gives me curt responses to questions I ask, and it’s beginning to piss me off. What’s worse is that we haven’t had sex since our wedding night. I know it’s only been about a week, but in all the time we’ve been together, I don’t think we’ve ever gone that long. The few times I tried to initiate something, he told me that he was tired or had a headache. He has me beginning to wonder if I’ve done something wrong, something to push him away.