“Is it any wonder after what you’ve put him through,” Ivy says, materializing at the end of the hallway.
I ignore her. I don’t have the energy to battle the bitch today, and I won’t argue with his mother and upset Garrick any more than he is. Hudson glares at her over my shoulder, and she thankfully disappears back to whatever dark hole she crawled out from.
“She’d love to ban me too, but Garrick won’t entertain it.” He sips his coffee. “Here’s hoping I don’t piss him off one day. My biggest fear is he gets isolated in this house with that cunt.”
“I haven’t gotten an opportunity to talk about Hugh or Dawn, and I’m not sure it’s wise to touch the subject when he’s so volatile.”
“I know what you mean, but they’re devastated. Hugh drove John and Jacob over to see him a few days ago, and it killed him not being able to come inside. He doesn’t want the twins to know or give them any reason to be angry with Garrick, so he told them he had a cold and couldn’t be around Garrick in case he got an infection. There’s only so long excuses like that will hold up.”
I think of all the times Hugh has gone to bat for me, and it’s a no-brainer. “I’ll talk to him,” I say as the door opens and the nurse pops out.
“He’s all cleaned up and asking for you,” she says, patting my shoulder. “I know his mood swings are tough, but it won’t last forever. Most coma patients are not themselves for a while. He’s dealing with a lot more than just the physical effects of the accident.”
“I know. It’s a lot to wake up to.” I keep those sentiments in mind when I reenter the room.
Relief is evident on his face when he sees me. “I was worried you’d left.”
“I wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye.”
“You did already,” he retorts, and if it didn’t hurt so much, I’d be impressed at how quickly he came back at me. “Shit. I’m sorry.” He holds out his hand. “Forgive me, babe. I know that wasn’t your doing.”
“You don’t need to apologize. None of this is your fault.” I sit back down beside him and take his offered hand.
“It’s so fucking hard.” His voice cracks, and anguish paints his face as he eyeballs me, shielding nothing. His fingers thread through mine. “It’s like I went for a big sleep and woke up two years later, and everything is different. I’ve lost the girl I love. I’m stuck in a wheelchair for the rest of my life, and my father, the man I have always looked up to…” He sobs. “He gave up on me. He was willing to pull the plug and watch me die.”
“Garrick, no.” I take both his hands in mine and lean closer. “Your father did it because he loves you. He was worried about the long-term risks of you being on life support, and he was hopeful you might breathe by yourself and it might trigger you to wake.” I smile through harrowing emotion and squeeze his hands. “But it wasn’t needed because you woke up all by yourself.”
“Imagine he had convinced Mom to agree? Imagine he had shut off the ventilator before that happened and I died? He would have killed me, Stevie, and I can’t forgive him for it.”
“Could you not try? Your dad visited you every single day. He was by your side as much as he could be. He loves you, and he was devastated. He hated seeing you in that condition, and he only had your best interests at heart.”
“That’s not how it seems to me.”
I switch tack. “Everything happened the way it did for a reason. It was fate, right?”
His lips pull into a sneer. “Fate is bullshit. You were right all along.”
“I might be willing to concede I was wrong because you waking up is a miracle, Garrick. It’s so rare, but you did it. If that isn’t fate at work, I don’t know what is.”
“This is why I need you,” he whispers with tears running down his face. “I cannot do this without you, Stevie. It’s so daunting. Everything I have to do to try to get my life back on track scares the shit out of me.”
“I’m here for you, Garrick. I promise.”
“What about your boyfriend?” His face contorts into a nasty grimace I have never seen on his face before.
“Beck is still my boyfriend, and that’s not going to change.” He tries to wrench his hand away, but I don’t let him. “Listen to me, please. It doesn’t mean we can’t be friends. We were friends first.” I rub my fingers over the ink on his wrist and then on my own. “The day we got these, we said we’d always love and protect one another, and I haven’t forgotten.”
Tears well in his eyes as he fingers the charm bracelet on my wrist. “Did he buy you this?”
I had considered removing it before I came, but I never take it off, and it would be a betrayal to Beck to do so even if he were never to know. “Yes.” I show him the guitar charm. “This one is for you. Beck has always been considerate of my feelings for you.”
“Before or after he stole you from me?”
“It wasn’t like that.” I unlink our hands and tuck mine between my knees.
“It looks like that from where I’m sitting.” His cold tone matches his expression.
“I never set out to fall in love with anyone else, but it happened. I can’t lie about my feelings, Garrick. I could never be that dishonest with you. I am so sorry I’m not here as your girlfriend anymore. I understand if you don’t want to see me again. I never want to cause you pain, and I do love you, a part of me always will, but I love you as a friend. It can’t be more.”
