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When the university president finishes her cheerful welcome speech and dismisses us, we eventually make our way out of the hall with the rest of the students. The doors open to the large courtyard with winding sidewalks that lead to various other buildings, all with the same weathered tan colored brick. The staff had set up snacks and drinks outside for us to enjoy. As I walk out the doors and onto the sidewalk, my eyes immediately find Elliot Decker leaning against a large column next to the refreshments table, talking to a guy I don’t recognize. Well, the guy is talking and Elliot nods subtly with his signature straight-faced expression. His tall and looming presence is as intimidating as ever. I straighten my back, despite my perfect posture, and I walk to the refreshments table with faux confidence. His head turns towards me as I approach.
“Decker,” I acknowledge him cordially as I grab a drink. Ana is smirking and biting her tongue next to me, grabbing a few cookies and piling them onto her plate. I resist the glare I want to send her way.
His eyes twitch at the sound of my voice. “Madeline,” he responds tightly with his deep and gruff voice that always makes my heart race.
“I’m surprised to see you here. How was your summer?” I ask. No matter how much I pretend to be tough and have a hard exterior around this goon, my people-pleasing nature always overpowers me. I pretend to look at the snack options on the table while I wait for him to respond.
He doesn’t respond, instead he just keeps staring at me with that same unnerving and ridiculous intensity he always has. After a few painful seconds, I look up at him and match his glare.
“Well. Elliot. As always, it was an absolute pleasure,” I say sardonically. I grab Ana’s hand and start to pull her away, before turning back quickly to grab two cookies. I shove one in my mouth and give him a sarcastic smile before walking away. I hear him grunt in response as we walk towards the courtyard that will lead us to the parking lot. I roll my eyes, Ana giggles, and I shoot her a questioning look.
“I guess some things will never change. You two are so weird,” She states as she links our arms to walk together.
“Don’t group us together like that. He made his feelings for me very clear from the first moment I saw him.” Ana nods her head in agreement, but still smirks at me. I point my finger at her face and warn, “Don’t start.”
She mockingly gasps and makes a gesture as if to say ‘I wasn’t going to!’, but I just tug her along, leading us to the car.
Elliot Decker.
He goes by Decker. Never Elliot. Sometimes, I call him Elliot just to get under his skin. Because my maturity has a limit, I suppose. At least where he’s concerned.
He transferred to Penbrooke High in tenth grade. I hate to admit that like every other girl in school, I was instantly attracted to him. You can’t always help attraction. He is tall, dark and handsome. His dark brown eyes are menacing and his full lips are always straight and taut because he never smiles. I have never seen him smile. He is mysterious and broody, and apparently that combo made every girl in school want him.
I quickly realized that with Elliot mysterious and broody translated to asshole, and I instantly distanced myself from him. While he made friends and he casually dated around in our three years together in high school, he still somehow just kept to himself. He was one of the best players on our school’s baseball team, and that was the only time I ever saw him show any kind of contentment. He never spoke unprompted. He stayed with his group of people when social settings were necessary and was content to stay in the background.
I was very much the opposite. Madeline Hart. I was class president all through high school, a member of the National Honor Society, and worked as a tutor for underclassmen. I’m about as extroverted as you can be.
I could be friends with just about anyone. It was my gift. My superpower. It worked every time. Except on Elliot Decker. I don’t know exactly why it is that he never liked me. From the moment I said hello to him on his first day of school, he hated me. We didn’t get new students too often where we lived, just a handful since Ana came in second grade. I took it upon myself as the sophomore class president to introduce myself to him. I made my way over to him during lunch, extended my hand with my best smile that could worm its way into anyone's heart, and said "Hi! I'm Madeline Hart. Welcome to Penbrooke!”
I’ll never forget the awkward and never-ending silence that came after those words. It felt like I waited forever for him to shake my hand, but he never did. He just stared at my face without saying a word, withoutsmiling. I slowly dropped my hand when I realized he wasn't going to respond.
I remember the way I forced my smile to remain on my face and the way my cheeks reddened in embarrassmentwhen he didn't respond. I had let him know I was happy to help if he needed anything, but he just looked at me with a heated gaze that was way too mature and weird for a 15 year old to have. I walked away, angry and humiliated, feeling small and not just because of my height.
Freakin’ Elliot Decker, with his stupidly attractive face. He changed everything.
TWO
ELLIOT, NOW
“Mr. Decker, we were able to stop the bleeding in your wife’s brain but it’s too soon to say how she will heal.”
I try to absorb what the doctor is telling me, but I can’t comprehend any of it. My knee bounces in anxiety and agitation. I bring my hands up to my head and squeeze hard at my temples, like I’m trying to keep the fear from leaking out.
“The trauma that she received to her brain was severe,” she continues, “we did what we could in surgery to fix the physical damage. But we have to wait and see what kind of emotional and mental wounds she will have if she wakes up.”
My knee instantly stills and my heart falters. I tear my eyes away from my unconscious wife and look up at the doctor. “If? If she wakes up?” I panic and fear fills my heart. I feel my chest tighten at that small word. Only two letters, but it holds so much power. So much dread. I can feel the blood drain from my face.
“Yes. Mr. Decker,” she says softly. “Head injuries are different for everyone. With brain injuries, it’s impossible to know what to expect so soon after the trauma. She might wake up and be completely herself. She might wake up and be confused and not remember what happened to her. We can’t be sure yet. We have to be patient, have hope, and just wait.” She gives me what I’m sure she assumes is a comforting smile and exits the room.
I put my head in my hands, slouching forward in the uncomfortable hospital chair and let the fear continue to take root. My breathing increases while my eyes sting as tears threaten their onslaught. My heart feels like it is being squeezed by a fist while it simultaneously breaks apart in my chest. I have already called Mads’ parents and Ana. I know they will be here soon. They will know what to say, they always do. I wish they were here now to ask the doctor the right questions. I can’t think straight or even form words properly. I’ve always had trouble with words.
I barely remember the last few hours and how I even got to this hospital room. The phone call was agony. The drive here was agony. The endless waiting to see Mads was agony. That small two-letter word was agony.
Agony.
I take Mads’ small and delicate hand in mine, bringing it to my mouth and placing a gentle kiss to the tips of her fingers.
“Come back to me, baby. Please. You know I can’t do this without you,” I whisper against her fingers. Her eyes stay closed. My eyes scan her face: the breathing tubes make her face seem smaller, her head is still bandaged from surgery, and her usual golden blonde hair looks sad and dull poking out from under the bandage. I’ve never used sad and dull to describe Madeline before. She is always so full of life. Even when she is enduring a storm, she always looks like she can take on the world. It is one of the things I love about her the most. It used to scare the shit out of me, intimidate me. She used to scare the shit out of me. I had never met anyone that young who was so beautiful and confident.
