The shock is evident as the room goes silent, and I recoil as my stomach heaves at her declaration. I can’t believe I was right.
Lily breaks the silence with the exact question ringing through my mind. “Is that how you got him to marry you? You got pregnant?”
Rebecca scoffs, “Ha. Gothimto marryme? Yeah, right. He begged me to—”
“Enough,” Sebastian barks.
But what was she going to say—that he begged her to marry him? So is he really in love with her and not being coerced? Dammit, I don’t know what to believe.
Sebastian continues, “Now is not the time to be arguing while my brother is lying there fighting for his life.” Lily goes to him, and he automatically pulls her into his side as if she were his security blanket. “Rebecca, I didn’t plan to do this under current conditions, but since you’ve brought it up yourself, I’ll have the doctor here today for an appointment. Eli told me about your conversation yesterday and the plan to have you seen. Conveniently, we’re at the hospital, so we’ll follow through with his wishes… since he can’t.” The last part sounded oddly accusatory. Does he blame Rebecca for telling Eli about being pregnant right before his race? Oh shit. Maybe I’m not the only one to bear responsibility.
Rebecca’s eyes go wide. “Oh, let’s not do that today—I don’t want to leave him any more than I have to.”
“You went home last night to sleep, so I’m sure you’ll be fine for an hour. Besides, it’s what Eli wanted, so we’ll make it happen,” Sebastian states in finality.
It’s obvious she wants to argue but ends up agreeing. Sebastian isn’t someone you argue with. Once that’s settled, her gaze moves toward me and where I’m seated beside the bed inherspot, holding Eli’s hand. The look she gives me is unmistakable, so with one final glance at his peaceful face, I rise, squeezing his hand before releasing it and walking over to stand next to Jackson.
Jackson suggests we drop my things off at his place, say hi to Mia, and grab lunch. Afterward, he’ll bring me back to sit with Eli when Rebecca is scheduled to visit the doctor. With a plan in place, we leave the hospital, my mind buzzing with thoughts and filled with turmoil over different possible outcomes. On the way, Jackson fills me in on what he learned from Sebastian.
The head trauma Eli sustained is what put him in a coma, but there are no signs of damage to other areas of his body, and the scans they’ve done so far show everything else functioning properly. The doctors said they won’t know for sure until he wakes up, though. They can’t tell us when he’ll regain consciousness and said it could be today or months from now—the body decides how much time it needs to recover. But they’re hopeful it will be sooner than later due to his age, sound health, and the low amount of swelling in his brain.
Leaving was difficult, but the tension in the room was palpable, and that’s bad for him. The research I did at the airport this morning about comatose patients said that even though they may appear asleep, there may be times that they’re aware of what’s taking place around them. It also said talking to them frequently and even listening to music can help bring them into consciousness. Nothing’s a guarantee, of course, but I’ll do whatever I can to help.
There’s still the business of telling my parents about the baby, but I’ve decided that can wait. They don’t even know I’m in town,which is probably better for now, so my time can be spent focusing on Eli and being there for him. I’m not sure how they’ll take the news, whether they’ll be disappointed in me or thrilled to be grandparents. While I hope it’s the latter, it won’t make or break me either way. Nothing compared to the effect of what happens with Eli will have.
Having more time without Rebecca in the room would be helpful so I could talk to him and not worry about what I’m saying, constantly watching my words. We all may have our suspicions about what the story is between them, but until he wakes up, there’s no way of knowing, and if theyaregenuinely in love, I can’t ruin his happiness by putting a wedge between them.
Even though I enjoyed catching up with Mia during lunch and hearing all about their wedding plans, my anxiety at being away from the hospital was evident, so we cut it short, and Jackson brought me back early. Sebastian had run to the office for a few hours, so it was only me, Rebecca, and Lily in the room, and until Rebecca left for her appointment, it was awkward at best. Lily and I kept our conversation neutral, talking about our jobs, Jackson and Mia’s wedding, and the fact that she’d have to postpone her visit. It wasn’t until Rebecca walked out that we could relax.
The minute the door closes, both our shoulders slump in relief, and noticing the same reaction from each other, we burst into giggles.
Lily catches her breath. “Oh my God, that was awful.”
“Itsowas. Hey, now that she’s gone, let’s move a chair to the other side of the bed and sit with Eli. Maybe if we talk his ear off, he’ll wake up just to tell us to shut up.” We giggle as we work together to bring it over.
This way, I’ll be near him more often and able to hold his hand. I’d planned on doing it while Rebecca was gone anyway to avoid the awkwardness of moving it while she watched.
“Anything’s worth a shot, especially since Rebecca hardly talks to him.”
“True, but she’s probably uncomfortable with us being here and doesn’t know what to say.” The constant draw to defend her is weird. It could be out of guilt since I’ll soon be the cause of quite a bit of drama.
It’s been two of the longest weeks of my life. Eli is still in a coma, and between the crying, praying, bargaining with God, and general misery, I’m losing my mind. All of us, including Braden and Jackson, have taken turns, so there is always someone in the room with him. We play music and try to have constant conversation, whether it’s talking to one another, to him, or reading aloud.
There’s been no change in his condition other than removing the oxygen mask since he’s breathing normal on his own. But there’s still no indication when he’ll wake. The doctors said it could be anytime and to keep doing everything we have been. Since the only one without a job here is me, I’m with him the most, which I’m thankful for. It makes me feel helpful, when really, there’s nothing any of us can do.
There’s constant tension between Rebecca and me, and I’m not sure which one of us will break first, but if Eli doesn’t wake soon, there’s bound to be a catfight. She never said anything about the added chair next to his bed, but the look on her face when she returned from seeing the doctor was priceless. Thank God the home test ended up being a false positive and the blood test results proved she wasn’t pregnant. However, she didn’t waste the opportunity to shed more tears than I’ve seen her cry for Eli the entire time I’ve been here.
And who knows? I could be completely misreading the situation. Maybe Eli was excited for the baby, and maybe they’re more in love than we ever were. Am I out of my mind thinking I have any chanceat salvaging something? Could it be that Lily is totally off base, and I’m just playing the role of a home-wrecker? The thought alone makes me cringe and want to run back to Bozeman. But that’s what got me into this mess in the first place—running away.
So no, I need to stay the course and see it through, enduring all the awkward moments like the one I’m currently experiencing. Rebecca had been at work for the day and unexpectedly showed up on her lunch hour. Sheneverdoes that. So when she came in and spotted me leaning over, kissing Eli’s hand, it was uncomfortable at best.
“Were you hoping to get him back when you told him about the baby?” Rebecca adds to the tension with the last question I’m prepared to answer.
“I hadn’t decided.” Isn’t honesty the best policy? But then again, am I being honest with myself?
“Well, if itisyour intention, I won’t make it easy for you.”
“If it’s my intention, it doesn’t deserve to be easy. I’ve pretty much made a mess of things at this point, and for what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”And this is the part where you apologize for going after my ex.
