19
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Iabsolutely lovethe feeling of flying. It’s so liberating and thrilling to soar through the air, feel absolutely weightless, and climb higher and higher. It’s the hurdling back to earth that breaks the magical spell. The knowledge that, at any moment, I will hit the ground and my heart will stop beating fills me with a panicky feeling.
Then, I see her and the panic completely disappears. She is all that matters in my world. My feet carry me toward her—she’s waiting for me in the den. Wearing the new lingerie I bought her, she is the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen. It’s pure white with lace in the most suggestive places. Her matching silk robe is untied and hanging open to show off all her assets. I ache to put my hands on her, to feel her, and to taste her.
She points to the balcony to show me what’s waiting for us. The table is set with lit candles, our dinners plated, and the champagne has been chilled and poured. Her glass is empty and mine is more than half empty. She’s grinning mischievously because she’s had more than one glass of the champagne, even though she knows it wasn’t allowed.
“You know you’ll have to be punished for that,” I warn her with a playful grin. “In fact, I think you did it just so you can be punished.”
I’m still trying to walk to her but I’m not getting any closer. It’s like I’m walking on a conveyor belt—I’m not making any ground and she still beckons to me.
“You can spank me all you want, if you can catch me,” she challenges me. It’s our game and it’s all in fun. She would never disrespect me like that. It’s simply playful foreplay that we both enjoy.
“Oh, I will catch you, don’t you doubt that, little one. And when I do, your ass will be red for a week,” I issue a mock threat while arching one eyebrow at her.
She laughs and turns to run from me. Breaking out in a fast sprint, I run as hard as I can but I can’t catch her. She runs to the balcony, and just as she reaches the rail, she turns and smiles at me. Without warning, she jumps over the rail and her robe catches on one of the spindles, tearing it as she falls the twenty-three stories to her death. It’s then that I’m instantly standing on the balcony, the torn piece of fabric in my hand as I lean over, screaming her name with all my might.
“Carol Ann!” I exclaim.
I blink and suddenly my eyes hurt from the flashing, bright blue and red lights that seem to come from every direction. Unfamiliar voices come from all around me, shouting orders and commanding more people to gather around. I try to move—I need to get away from all these strangers. I want to get away from all of these eyes that are peering into me, into my life, and judging me. Judging us.
But I can’t move. I’m immobilized and I can’t break free.
“Relax, sir,” the soothing female voice says. “Don’t try to move.”
Nothing makes sense. In my haze, a preposterous thought enters my mind as I momentarily question if the roles have been reversed and I’m now the one who has been bound with ropes in the playroom. The thought is so insane, I laugh out loud and then quickly grimace in pain.
“I’m glad to see that you find something funny,” the female voice says again, “but I really need you to remain still. We’ll have you out of here in just a minute.”
There’s no point in arguing and I don’t feel up to it, anyway. The muddled voices around me adopt an urgent pitch and I’m suddenly hoisted up in the air. This doesn’t feel like I’m flying, though. Pain shoots through my body, causing me to mumble curses under my breath. Being unable to move and jostled around like a child’s plaything is not my idea of fun.
“Sir, what’s your name?” the female voice asks, her tone louder and more authoritative this time.
“Powers,” I reply.
“Try to stay awake, Mr. Powers,” she says.
I think I’m being carried somewhere but I can’t see where or how. Everything is so confusing and I don’t have the faculties to try to figure it out right now. I decide to accept what’s going on—even if I don’t know exactly what’s happening at the moment. Suddenly, there’s a sharp pain to the middle of my chest.
“Mr. Powers!” she screams at me. “Move faster, people! Mr. Powers, you have to stay awake. Do you understand? I need you to stay awake!”
Yeah, right, lady. The overwhelming urge to sleep is taking over me and I don’t really want to fight it. It feels so warm and inviting, enclosing around me and shielding me from the harshness of the outside world. It’s peaceful and inviting as it pulls me under a black blanket of nothingness.
* * *
My damn headis fucking killing me and my body feels like it weighs a ton. Struggling to open my eyes, the bright light above my head is blinding and doesn’t help my headache. Something is attached to my arm when I lift it to rub my eyes and it takes me a second to make my eyes focus. There’s an IV sticking in my arm and I follow the tubing up to the bag hanging on a pole. That’s when I notice the heart monitor and the blips jumping across the screen.
Slowly turning my head to the other side, I see a blood pressure cuff on my arm and a pulse oximeter on my finger. I’m definitely in a hospital, and from the looks of my surroundings, I’m in some kind of intensive care unit. A nurse approaches my side and presses the call button. Another voice comes across the speaker and the nurse at my side speaks, “Can you ask Dr. Cole to come in Mr. Powers’ room?”
Addressing me, she says, “Mr. Powers, I’m your nurse, Jennifer. Do you know where you are?”
“I’m in a hospital but I don’t know which one,” I reply.
“You’re in Baylor Medical Center,” she says and watches my reaction, I presume for recognition, so I nod. “Do you remember what happened?”
I scrunch my brow as I try to recall the events that brought me here. I get short snippets of scenes but they’re jumbled and don’t make a lot of sense. “I think it was a car wreck. I don’t remember everything.”
