When the Heart Falls

by Kimberly Lewis

  “I’m so sorry,” she managed to say. The pain was so intense now that she felt like she could pass out at any moment. There was so much she wanted to say to him but didn’t know if her mind could make her mouth say them.

  “Shh, you need to rest,” the male voice calmly told her. She could feel the warmth of his skin as he gently took her hand in his. She turned to look at his face, but could only make out the outline of his form. She smiled slightly and closed her eyes.

  “I love you,” she whispered.

  “I love you too, Misty,” the male voice responded as she drifted from consciousness.

  ***

  Dylan sat in the lobby of the hospital, recalling the events of the accident to the sheriff when he saw Misty’s parents walk through the doors. He saw them run to the nurse’s station and quickly ramble off who they were and who they were looking for.

  “Excuse me for just a minute,” he told the sheriff and walked toward Misty’s parents. Maggie grabbed her heart when she caught sight of him and ran to meet him.

  “Where is she? Is she ok? Are you ok? What happened?” Maggie asked blurring the questions together.

  “She’s fine,” Dylan quickly assured her. “She’s got a pretty nasty bump on her head so the doctors want to keep her here for a while for observation.”

  “Are you ok?” Jack asked.

  “I’m fine. I’ve got a few scrapes and bruises and they think I’ve sprained my wrist. But other than that I’m surprisingly ok,” he said, holding his bandaged left hand up for them to see.

  “What happened?” Maggie asked again.

  “It’s such a crazy story and to be honest I’m not sure what to make of it. I got a call from a buddy of mine to pick Misty up at the bar. When we left I noticed a car behind us that was making all the turns that I was. When we got to the middle of nowhere it just rammed right into us. I tried to get away but they just stayed right on top of us. We came up to a sharp bend in the road and I went to hit the brakes but they wouldn’t work. I did my best to make the turn but the car rammed into us again and sent us flying off the road.”

  Dylan flinched as he remembered hearing the glass shatter and Misty scream as the car flipped over and over again. He had felt so helpless in that moment, knowing that she needed him and there was nothing he could do. When the car had finally stopped spinning he managed to get himself and an unconscious Misty safely from the vehicle. They were a safe distance away from the wreckage when he looked back to the road and saw the car that had caused the whole accident parked off to the side. He could make out the figure of a man standing next to the vehicle before the stranger had quickly entered the car and sped off. Moments later Dylan saw headlights coming from the direction of the bar. It was Paul on his way to pick Dylan up from Misty’s place. Though it killed him to leave her lying in the grass, Dylan stood up and ran towards the road to flag Paul down.

  Dylan remembered the overwhelming sense of fear as knelt next to Misty. He couldn’t remember a time when he had been more frightened. He wanted to pull her into his arms and cradle her till the ambulance showed up. But he knew if he moved her anymore that he could potentially do more damage than he had already done when he pulled her from the wreck. He leaned his head down, rested his forehead against hers and stroked her hair as they waited. All the while he was praying for God to let her live.

  Please don’t take her, he kept repeating in his head.

  He was relieved when the ambulance finally showed up and they informed him that it appeared that she would be ok.

  “What room is she in?” Maggie asked, bringing his attention back to the present.

  “Two hundred one, that’s on the second floor,” Dylan replied. “She seemed to be awake the last time I strolled by the door.”

  “She’s awake? Oh bless you Jesus. What did she say? Was she in any pain?” Maggie hurriedly asked.

  “I didn’t go into the room,” he said with a hint of sadness. “She had a visitor; he’s been here for a while actually. Showed up about an hour and a half after we got here.”

  “A visitor? You don’t mean Vance actually had the nerve to come here do you?” Jack asked, quickly becoming angry.

  “No, Mr. Donovan, it’s not Vance. When I asked him who he was he told me he was her husband,” Dylan told him.

  “Brad is here?” Maggie asked confused.

  “Yes, ma’am,” he confirmed. Dylan had been in Misty’s room ever since the doctors released him when Brad showed up. Brad had had the nerve to get defensive and question Dylan about who he was and why he was with his wife. It was all he could do in that moment to restrain himself from clocking Brad in his face. Being the bigger man, Dylan explained that he was just a friend who happened to be in the right place at the right time. Brad had requested that Dylan give him some alone time with his wife and Dylan had unwillingly agreed.

  He was on his way back from grabbing a cup of coffee when he heard voices coming from her room. Excitement filled him as he realized that she was awake. He hurried to see her but stopped in his tracks when he heard her tell Brad that she loved him. He had heard of people having near death experiences and realizing that they were still in love with the person that they and grown away from. However, Dylan never thought in a million years that Misty would ever be able to love Brad again after what he had done to her. His heart shattered into a thousand pieces when he heard those words utter from her mouth. He had been under the assumption that the next time she ever said those words that they would be said to him. He thought that she was slowly starting to come around to the idea of letting herself fall in love with him. But now he knew that day would never come.

  “I’m sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Donovan, but I have to finish up with the sheriff. I’m sure he still has some questions for me,” Dylan told them.

  “No problem, son. You gonna need a ride home?” Jack asked.

  “Thank you, sir, but I’ve got a friend waiting for me,” Dylan said.

  “Ok then, thank you for taking care of our daughter. We know that you did everything you could to avoid this,” Jack said and shook Dylan’s hand. Dylan watched as Jack and Maggie walked over and entered the elevator. He took a deep breath and headed back toward the sheriff to continue their earlier conversation.

  ***

  Misty slowly opened her eyes to a sun filled room. She let her eyes scan over the features of the room and tried to figure out where exactly she was. The walls were an unfamiliar pale blue with only one picture hanging for decoration. The picture itself was a cheap motel quality seaside landscape with a thin gold frame surrounding it.

  Am I in a motel? she thought to herself. No that can’t be right.

  She looked down toward her feet, seeing the blanket that covered them and the rails on the bed and realized that she was in hospital. Holding her left hand up, she noticed the IV tubes running from her to the machine next to the bed. As she looked at the machine next to her she saw her father standing by the window, staring out like he was deep in thought.

  “Daddy?” she said hoarsely.

  At the sound of her voice, Jack abruptly turned his head in her direction. “Misty?” he said and rushed over to her side. “Misty, you’re awake,” he said relieved. “Maggs, she’s awake!”

  Maggie, who had been resting in the recliner in the far corner of the room, came running over to stand next to Jack.

  “Oh, baby, you’re awake! How do you feel?” Maggie asked as tears filled her eyes.

  “Where am I?” Misty asked as she tried to sit up.

  “Easy now,” Jack said as he helped her into a sitting position while Maggie propped pillows up behind her.

  “You’re in St. Anne’s hospital, sweetie. You had a bad car accident,” Maggie told her. “Do you remember the accident, Mis?”

  The thought of the accident brought Dylan’s face to her mind. “Where’s Dylan? Is he ok?” she asked in a panic.

  “He’s fine, sweetie. He’s just roughed up a little bit,” Jack told her.

&
nbsp; “Is he still here?” she asked.

  “No he left a few hours ago,” Maggie told her.

  “A few hours? How long have I been here?”

  “About eleven hours now. You’ve been sleeping for a long time. We’ve been really worried about you,” Jack told her.

  “Oh my I have been out for a while haven’t I? Why did Dylan…” She started to ask but stopped when she caught sight of Brad walking into the room.

  “Misty!” Brad said in breathless excitement and quickly walked to her bedside.

  “Brad?” she asked, very confused as to why he was here. She turned to her parents and saw the look of frustration clear on their faces.

  “Oh, babe, you’re finally awake. How does your head feel?” Brad asked.

  She looked at him like he was a stranger. He pretty much was at this point. The last time they had shared words was when she had caught him cheating on her. They had not parted on good terms, so she couldn’t understand why he was talking to her like they were still together. Like nothing had happened.

  “Can I have a few minutes alone with my wife?” Brad asked Jack and Maggie, although it came out as more of a demand rather than a request.

  “Are you going to be ok?” Maggie asked Misty, laying a hand on her shoulder.

  “I’ll be fine,” she replied.

  “We’ll be right outside if you need us,” Jack told her. He sent a look of warning to Brad before he and Maggie exited the room.

  Brad pulled a chair from the corner and set it next to Misty’s bed. He sat down and tenderly took her hand in his. She stared at him with a perplexed look and then looked at the way he had intertwined his fingers with hers.

  “Why are you here?” she asked.

  “The paramedic found my phone number in your cell phone listed as In Case of Emergency,” he explained as he stroked her arm with this other hand.

  “Oh, sorry about that. I guess I forgot to change it after I moved out,” she said, a little annoyed with herself that she didn’t think to change the information in her phone.

  “Don’t apologize. I’m glad they called me,” he said in a loving tone.

  This wasn’t right. The last time she saw him he was so mean and heartless. And now he was acting like the loving husband he should have been all along.

  “Ok,” she said, dragging the word out a little bit. “I’m sorry, but I’m confused. Why are you here again?”

  “I told you, babe, the paramedics.“

  “No no I heard you say that. I mean why are you here?”

  “What do you mean, Mis?”

  “Don’t be stupid, Brad. You know very well what I mean. We haven’t spoken to each other in months. We’re set to be divorced in two weeks and here you are, holding my hand and looking at me like you love me.”

  “I do love you,” he said.

  She let out a sarcastic huff. “Right and I believe you because you’ve proven to be so trustworthy in the past.”

  “Don’t hold that over my head, Misty. I made a mistake; I’m willing to admit that. After all, I am human. Aren’t we allowed to make mistakes?”

  “You made more than mistakes, Brad,” she said, becoming angry with him. “You lied to me for years. That’s not something I can easily forgive.”

  “I know, babe, and I’m sorry, for everything,” he apologized.

  “Stop calling me babe,” she said and pulled her hand from his. “What is it that you want, Brad?”

  He sighed and replied, “I want you to come home, Misty.”

  She looked at him like he was out of his mind. Did he really think that just because he showed up here that she would take him back? He was certainly off his rocker if he believed they would ever be together again.

  “What makes you think that I would ever go back to your house again?” she asked heatedly.

  “Our house,” he corrected. “Misty, when I got the phone call that you had been in a serious accident I felt like my life was over. I was scared. And I realized that I was more than just scared that you had been seriously hurt. I was scared to live the rest of my life without you.”

  “You really expect me to believe any of that?” she asked as she raised her eyebrow, showing him her disbelief of his statement. “What happened to that tart you were seeing?”

  “It’s over. I ended it when I realized that she wasn’t what I needed. I need you, Misty. I love you and I know you love me too.”

  “Oh really? And what makes you think that I love you, Brad?”

  “Because you told me you did.”

  “And when did I say that?”

  “You woke up about two hours after you got here. I was sitting next to you and you told me you loved me,” he explained.

  She could briefly recall waking up earlier to a dark room and trying to talk to whoever was at her side. She did remember saying “I love you”, but at the time when she said it she thought she was talking to Dylan.

  “Brad, I have a head injury. People say stupid things when they’ve got a knot on their head the size of Texas,” she said trying to cover up for her misspoken words.

  Brad shook his head. “Head injury or not, you love me still and I know you do. Give me another chance, Misty. I promise I’ll be the husband to you that I was supposed to be all these years,” he pleaded.

  “No, Brad, people don’t change overnight. You aren’t what makes me happy anymore.”

  Brad eyed her suspiciously. “Is that cowboy who was here earlier what makes you happy now?”

  Misty diverted her eyes from him and looked out the large window to the outside world.

  “I see,” Brad said. “We have two weeks till our divorce is final. Don’t throw me out of the picture just yet, Mis. Think about the life we had and could still have. Think about what I can offer you. You’d be comfortable with me, Misty. You’d never have to want for anything. Whatever you want you can have it. Just say the word and it’s yours. Think about it and if in two weeks you still want your divorce you can have it. But if you decide you want me instead, I’ll be ready and willing,” he said and reached for her hand.

  She pulled it back and crossed her arms. “I think you should leave,” she said, still staring out the window.

  Brad leaned over and kissed the top of her hair. “Think about it,” he whispered in her ear and walked out of the room.

  She would think about it. She would think about all the times he lied to her about working late and lying to her about false business meetings. Taking Brad Prescott back was about as smart of an idea as playing tetherball with a bee hive. She was duped once and she be damned if she’d be duped again. She knew exactly where she belonged now. Having a near death experience made her realize that life is too short for waiting. From this day on she decided she would let her heart lead her way through life. And she knew exactly where it would take her; straight into Dylan’s arms.

  CHAPTER 15

  Misty stood in her bedroom, tapping her boot on the wood floor as she waited for the beep to begin her message.

  “Dylan, it’s Misty…again. I really need to talk to you. Can you please call me back as soon as you get this?”

  She pulled the cell phone away from her ear, pressed the end button and stuck it in her back pocket. She walked over to her window and pulled the curtain back to look outside. It was going to be another hot and muggy day, the kind that made you thankful for air conditioning. When she had dressed for this morning’s chores she had put on her usual jeans and white tank top. But as soon as she stepped out the door she quickly changed her mind and ran back upstairs and threw on a pair of cut off jean shorts.

  At eight o’clock in the morning it had to be every bit of ninety degrees already, and now that it was almost noon she could only imagine how hot and miserable it was outside. At least they were finally going to be getting some rain. The weatherman on the TV this morning had said that a patch of storms were heading this way and should be arriving late this afternoon and through this evening. The much needed precipitati
on would bring some relief to the hot dry air.

  Misty sighed, walked across the room and out the door to go downstairs. When she walked into the kitchen, Maggie was standing at the sink staring out the window oblivious to the fact that Misty was in the room.

  “Mom?” Misty asked.

  Maggie jumped a little at the sound of Misty’s voice and turned to look at her daughter. “Oh my, you startled me,” Maggie said as she placed her hand over her heart and took a deep breath to calm herself.

  “Sorry, I wasn’t trying to. Are you ok?” Misty said eyeing her mother suspiciously.

  “I’m fine, sweetie,” Maggie said and wiped her hands on a dish towel.

  “Are you sure? Because it seems like you were thinking real hard about something.”

  “I was just daydreaming,” Maggie said with a forced smile.

  Misty could tell that something was bothering her mother, but decided not to pry any further. If Maggie wanted to talk, she would do so on her own terms.

  “What are you up to?” Maggie asked.

  “Nothing much, just trying to think of every excuse I can to not go back outside.” Misty chuckled.

  “I don’t blame you. Your father said that it was hotter than a bonfire in hell out there.”

  “My father the poet.” Misty chuckled again.

  Maggie joined in her amusement and replied, “He does have a way with words doesn’t he?”

  Misty walked over to the cabinet and pulled out a tall glass. She went to the fridge and grabbed the pitcher of iced tea and filled her glass almost to the brim. She took a seat at the table, took a sip from the glass and placed it in front of her. Maggie watched her with a puzzled look.

  “What’s wrong?” Maggie asked.

  Misty looked at Maggie and shrugged. “Men, Mom, that’s what’s wrong.”

  “Haven’t heard from Dylan?”

  Misty nodded and added, “I just don’t understand why he can’t pick up a phone and call me back. I’ve been trying to reach him for a week now. I’m starting to wonder if he’s avoiding me or something.”