Rival Dreams (Rival Love #3) (16 page)

“No. I, uh … I’m in the draft, so technically I’m no longer a university student.”

Lance fist-bumps me. “Let me know when you’re ready to move all your shit into my place.”

It was a last-minute decision. I was going to go home to Ohio and do training there if I needed to, but Lance offered that spare room in his apartment. Plus, being near my coaches and the facilities here will be easier. He also let me know he won’t be there that often because of work and hanging out at Kayla’s place.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy for him. It just feels odd. Not him and Kayla as a couple, and being with each other. Not that. It’s seeing them together, and feeling like I’m watching my supposed-to-be future with Skylar.

Instead, I’m stuck instead in this hospital that’s chilly, smells of cleaner, and has uncomfortable chairs. Of course, what hospital has relaxing chairs in their waiting room? None of the ones I’ve been to.

I stand up to stretch my legs when a doctor approaches us.

“Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher?”

Erin steps forward. “It’s Mrs. Timmons. This is Mr. Fletcher. And that’s the new Mrs. Fletcher.”

The doctor looks young, like he’s barely twenty-five. He simply nods and pushes his dark-frame glasses up his nose. “I have some news on your daughter’s situation. As you know we had her in surgery for the break in her left leg when she arrived. I know she’s been under our care for four days now, and her vitals are great, but she wasn’t showing any signs of waking on her own, so we have started treatment to help wake her up.”

“What if she doesn’t wake?” Robert asks.

“Comas are tricky, Mr. Fletcher. Some patients respond to the treatment and wake with ease. For others, it might take several days. What we
don’t
want is for this to become more severe.”

Erin interrupts him. “Severe cases are the ones that go beyond two weeks, correct?”

“We’d say anything beyond six days without response to the treatments to help wake her is severe. We started her treatment two days ago, so we hope she responds soon.”

“If she’s asleep for longer than six days is she considered a vegetable?” Robert asks.

The doctor shakes his head. “No. But like I said, these things are tricky. Some patients gradually come out of the coma, some do progress to a vegetative state, and in other cases some have died.” My heart freezes. Die? She can’t die!

The doctor mumbles some other shit but all I can hear is “have died” over and over. I leave the waiting area and pass Sky’s room on my way to the coffee machines. I slow my pace just outside her door when I hear Lidia plead, “Sky, you’ve gotta wake up. Lots of people need you to wake up.” My conscience tells me to keep walking, this isn’t any of my business, but I eavesdrop. “I know this might be hard to hear, but Caleb’s out there, sweetie. He looks miserable. Like, really bad. I don’t think he’s showered in days. Please, Sky. If not for you at least do it so others don’t have to smell the poor boy any longer.”

I sniff under my armpit and cough. Shit. Okay, so I haven’t left this place since I got here. Which means I haven’t showered. Or eaten. Or slept. I skip the coffee and head back to the waiting room. “Uncle Brian, I need to grab a change of clothes and an overnight bag.”

“We’ll call you if there are any changes.”

Erin hugs me and I shake Robert’s hand. Then I head off to my dorm.

Chapter 27

Skylar

Images flicker and fade. Flicker and fade. I can’t seem to grasp them for more than a second or two. Darkness holds me prisoner in my own mind. I can hear footsteps, loud, then they fall away, too. Voices go in and out. Tiny spurts of conversation come and go, bits and pieces I can’t quite make sense of.

“Caleb … here … days,” in Lidia’s voice.

“Asshole … why … sorry,” in Kayla’s voice.

“Liv … wake … please,” in my mom’s sobs.

“Sweetie … family … love,” in my dad’s cry.

“Not … mom … but … love … both.” Julie my stepmother said. I am not fond of her, mostly ignore her, but her words strike me. Maybe I should try harder with her.

“Got … thank … hear me …” in Lance’s bellow.

But the words that repeat the most are his. “I … love … always … baby … please … need … you.”

I feel the tears on my hand. My heart screams wait. My body keeps me in the dark, though. I don’t like this. Why can’t I wake up? Why won’t my eyes open? Even for just a moment. That’s all.

More images come. Girl. Straddling him. Can’t see where her hands are but I can see his. I can see them on her back, in her hair. The image haunts me. I want to block it out. Scream. Run away from it. Dig it out of my brain.

Caleb. Sidewalk. Cold. He says he wants to end us but his eyes are begging me to stay. I can see it now. Why couldn’t I see it a few weeks ago?

Lidia. Library. Matt talking to Caleb. Caleb’s body stiffens. Is it me? Is it because I can see him? I look away but I don’t want to. I’m angry. Hurt. Confused. I want answers. Why did he lie to me all this time? He could have told me he didn’t want to move in, he should have told me he wasn’t fine, but he didn’t say a thing.

It’s dark again. No more images. No more memories to sift through.

Faint beeping. A voice pleading with me. “Baby, it’s been five days. The doctor says you should be waking up soon. Please open those gorgeous eyes.” Wetness upon my cheek, and then a calloused hand brushes my skin. My heart pounds deep in my chest. I beg for my hand to tighten its hold on whoever is gripping it. I remain still.

“Sky, I have to go. I’ll be back tonight.” I feel the faintest touch on my cheek. I’d give anything to respond.

***

My dad’s voice breaks through the darkness. “She’ll ruin me. If I dare let her in. But she can never see. Never know what I truly am. So I’ll hate her. Yes, it’s better this way.”
It’s better that I push her away. Love her only from afar where I know I can’t harm her. Her soul depends on it. For I’m a collector of souls, innocent and corrupted.
He’s reading my favorite book,
Soulless Sound
, by J. Marie. I highlighted that passage when I was in high school.

“Skylar, when you wake up, we’re going to have a talk about your taste in literature. Goodness.” I don’t have to open my eyes to know my dad is shaking his head at the book.

A knock comes and a woman’s voice that I’m not familiar with says hello. “We ran some more tests and we have some positive news. Skylar’s body seems to be accepting the treatments. Her brain activity is high. Her vitals are all good. There is no sign of swelling in the brain. We’re going to monitor her a little more closely for the next forty-eight hours.”

“Does this mean you think she’ll wake soon?” my father asks.

“We believe so. All of her recent test results indicate that she should be coming around very soon.”

“Good.”

“Do you need anything?”

“No. Thank you, though.”

Footsteps trail off. Another knock comes and my father says, “Caleb, I thought you had some meetings today?”

“I did. I got them over with early. My agent has a handle on the other stuff. They’ll call if they need me.”

“I was just reading to her. She always read this book when she visited the house. Thought she’d like to hear it.”

“I’m sure she loves it. Do you want me to give you more time? I can go get you a sandwich or something.”

“No, that’s alright. I need some air. I might take the girls out to an early dinner.”

Something touches my hand while something else presses against my forehead. I think it’s a calloused thumb rubbing circles around my knuckles, and then I think lips touch my wrist.

“Baby, the doctors say you’ll be awake soon. I hope you are. I need you to wake up.”

I can hear the exhaustion in his voice. Hell, in everyone’s voice. How long have I been in this darkness and why can’t I wake up?

“I need you to …” His voice fades.

I’m falling deeper into the darkness.

I hear a scream.

My name. Someone is yelling my name. “Skylar! What’s wrong with her? No! I need …”

“Sir. Please.”

“Skylar! Fight it! Whatever you do, don’t …”

My eyes jolt open and a gasp rips through me. It’s restricted, though. I try to lift my hand to remove the thing covering my mouth but a tight grip restrains my arm. I try to speak. Again, this stupid thing on mouth is stopping me from doing that. Strange people with blue surgical masks, hats, and scrubs surround me. My eyes dart from face to face until I see Caleb in the far corner, being blocked by someone from me.

I struggle against the restraints to get to him. “Skylar, I’m Doctor Larkins. You were in a terrible car accident. You’ve been at Memorial Hospital for six days.”

Something lifts from my face. I try to mumble something but my throat hurts. I blink and feel liquid running down my cheeks. Caleb pushes his way to my bedside and grabs my hand. “Baby, oh God, you’re here. Sky, I thought … you scared the shit out of me. Don’t ever do that again.”

My lips fight to form the word “Okay,” but it feels like needles stick and scrape along my throat. The doctor is still talking but all my focus is on Caleb. I squeeze his hand. His eyes are wide, but there is hollowness to them, like he hasn’t slept for months. And even though I see his love for me, my heart still hurts.

The image I tried to banish returns and my stomach sours. I attempt to sit up. The room spins. Pain splices through my muscles and my head throbs. I slap a hand over my mouth to hold back the sickness ready to burst out of me, and someone tries to ease me back to lie down. I won’t. I can’t. I’m going to hurl.

“I think she’s about to be sick,” Caleb says.

A pan lands in my lap and a woman in purple scrubs helps me sit up. “It’s okay,” she whispers, rubbing circles on my back with her hand.

I’m not going to blow chunks in front of everyone here. Caleb shifts to the door. For once, I’m grateful he isn’t paying attention to me. And as if on cue, I let go and watch green liquid release from me. The nurse takes the pan away once I’m finished. A young doctor with blond hair peeking out from under his cap helps clean me up.

It feels like forever before the room clears out and only a nurse and Caleb remain. The doctor mentioned something about a few minutes, parents, ice chips. Honestly it all muddled together and I didn’t really pay much attention.

Caleb finally returns to the seat beside my bed. The nurse adjusts my bed, and Caleb takes hold of my hand.

“Hi,” he whispers.

I pull away. “Go …”

“What?” he reaches for my hand again but I shake my head.

“Go away.” God, it hurts so much to talk.

“Sky?” He looks hurt. Good. He should be.

I look down at my lap. Why can’t he just leave? “I never want to see you again.”

“Skylar, look at me.”

I don’t.

“Skylar, please. Look. At. Me.”

My heart yells at me to look at him. Begs me to. My mind is screaming for me to tell him to go screw himself.

“I can’t,” I say. My voice is so hoarse.

I can feel his stare. “I know I messed up. But I need you—”

I cut him off. “You were right. Just go. Please.”

The door opens and a flood of familiar faces come pouring in. I’m so thankful for the distraction. Kayla shoots a glare at Caleb and then looks at me, concern flashing through her gaze.

I want to smile but can’t. My mouth actually aches when I try to use it. The nurse enters again with a dry erase board. “Keep the talking to a minimum. Use the board for a little bit.”

She reaches around Caleb and hands me a cold glass of water. “Sip it slowly.”

I nod. I take a few small sips of water, and then the nurse takes the cup away and leaves the room. I draw a smile for Kayla and write, “Thanks, bestie.”

“Always. I’m glad you’re awake. Get enough beauty rest?” she jokes.

I write, “Maybe. Jealous?”

She laughs. “Um, yes. I need sleep.”

Lance is next to her. He shakes his head at me and I write, “What?”

“You’ve got two shiners, sunshine. And you worried us. Shit, Sky, you’ve been out cold for six days.”

Caleb tries reaching for my hand again but I jerk it away. I make the mistake of looking at him and see his deep frown. It almost breaks me. Everyone in the room is staring at us. I write on my board, “Can I just talk to my mom, dad, Lidia, and Julie for now?”

Everyone nods but Caleb. He looks horrified. Well, too bad. I can’t deal with him right now. Our issues are too vast, and I just want to get through the small stuff first.

Baby steps.

I look at Julie and write, “I’m sorry for not trying. I was a bitch and I’m sorry.”

Chapter 28

Caleb

She dismissed me from her room. Sky picked up a knife and cut out my heart. Has she any idea how worried I was? How I feared she’d die?

I haven’t had proper sleep for four days now. Every moment I could get, I was in her room. Holding her hand. Kissing her knuckles. Praying she’d come back to me. Open her eyes and see me.

I run my fingers through my hair, digging at my scalp as I pace the waiting room. She didn’t mean what she said. She wants me here. I know she does.

Kayla smacks her gum and glares at me.

“For fuck’s sake, Kayla, just tell me why the hell you’re so pissed off at me.”

“You really want to know?”

Lance sinks into the seat beside her and whispers something. She throws up a hand but doesn’t take her eyes off me. “Shhh.” She narrows her eyes a fraction and snaps, “Where do I start? Hmm. Oh, how about when you lied to my friend and told her you wanted to get a place together and then backed out? Or what about this number: you broke up with her on Valentine’s Day. My favorite asshole moment, though, would have to be the picture of you and the skeezy redhead. Nice, Caleb. And heaven forbid she moves on without you, because you’ll go kick the guy’s ass.”

She sits back, folding her arms. I shake my head. “What redhead? And what picture?”