“Yes, he’s thoughtful that way. Anyway, he stayed over and during the night I had 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 going to 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 would 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. Rowing 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 going to go see if I can find out anything. I doubt I’m on Lillian’s radar just yet,” Kate said.
“That would be great since I have no idea how either of them are after surgery.”
“I wish you had 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 had 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 honeymoon 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 down time, so we went to Maui and Kauai. They were both extraordinary. 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 was 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.”
“Mitch is in a coma?”
“Yes.”
“And Garrett?”
“He almost died, but he’s in ICU right now. They’re not sure if he’s going to make it.”
“What?” I gasped. “It’s all my fault. They were fighting over me.” No, no, no. This isn’t happening. “They both have to make it.” I couldn’t believe this.
“There’s no way this is your fault,” Natalie said. “Maybe they were attacked by a gang or something.”
“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 has 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 was 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.
“Nat, I got drunk, Garrett stayed over, I thought he was Mitch and we….” I couldn’t finish my sentence.
“Oh, Charlie. 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.”
“And he let you have sex wit
h 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 have done that. He would have protected you. Garrett didn’t protect you, he took advantage of you.”
Taking in Natalie’s words brought me great comfort. With my lower lip trembling 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 will 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 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 are here and taking me home.”
“Actually, they already know. They are at your apartment right now packing up some things for you.”
“Oh, that’s so great,” I said, putting my hand to my chest. “I didn’t want to go back there right now. Actually, I just want to 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 would be so lost without them.
Chapter 34: 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. Was 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 fist fight? 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,” my dad interjected.
“Edward, please.”
“No, Lillian. I have 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 don’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 will 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 would 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. “You’re 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, I assume, while 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 would imagine 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 will 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 would 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?”
“What? No, he doesn’t take steroids.”
“His blood tested positive for three different steroids. The medication prescribed for him by Dr. Grayson wasn’t in his system.”
“How could that have happened? I know he was taking his meds.”
“I have no idea. The name of the medication prescribed and the names of the steroids are nothing alike. I can’t imagine any pharmacist making this kind of mistake, but I’m going to get to the bottom of this.”
What? I wasn’t taking the right meds? I almost wished I couldn’t hear anything because the bad news just kept coming and there was nothing I could do to stop it.
Chapter 35: Charlie
How was it possible Mitch was taking the wrong drugs? The news was u
nbelievable. Could the drugs have triggered his fight with Garrett? I knew steroids made people more aggressive. Maybe Garrett giving Mitch the news about what had happened between us just pushed him over the edge. All of this was beyond a nightmare.
Leaving Mitch at the hospital was heartbreaking. Everything was out of my hands, especially when he would come out of his coma. I knew there was the possibility he may not come out of it, but I wasn’t going to think about that now. I had to think positive and hope for the best or I wasn’t going to survive this.
Kate and Nat dropped me off at my parents’ house. Relief swept over me just knowing I didn’t have to stay at my apartment. Eric had scared me more than I wanted to admit, but I was so grateful he didn’t get to me. I couldn’t imagine the trauma of being attacked by him on top of everything else. Thankfully Dad had organized to have the front door fixed and the place cleaned up. I couldn’t bear to go back there to see the destruction.
The unfortunate thing was he knew where my parents lived from when we dated and I had no clue if he would look for me here. My dad had his gun locked and loaded in case Eric showed up. But I was safer here than anywhere else I could think of, except for Mitch’s arms. My mind wondered at the thought of being in his muscular arms, resting my head on his sculpted chest. I loved him so much and hated what was happening to us.
My cell phone went off and all I could think was that Mitch had woken up. “Hello,” I said with urgency.
“May I speak with Charlie Andrews?” a man asked.
“This is she,” I replied.
“Miss Andrews, this is Detective Morrison. I was hoping you could come down to the station. We have arrested Eric Machado and we need a statement from you.”
“I’ll be there as soon as I can,” I said, a nervous energy surging through me.
Our call ended and I went to the kitchen to find my parents who were making lunch.
“Mom, Dad, I just got a call from a Detective Morrison and they have arrested Eric. I need to go to the station and give a statement.”
“Okay, let’s go,” my dad said. Knowing my parents would be there with me made this a little easier to take. I was so blessed to have such supportive, loving parents. They had always been my rock.
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