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“I’d say that’s a good call on your part. I plan on staying. I don’t have anything going on really, and she needs the support.”
“Thank you, Amelia. Keep me updated if there’s anything I need to know?”
“You got it. Drive safe.”
“Thanks.” I end the call and quickly pack up my room, and head downstairs to check out. Once I’m in my car, I fire off a text to Mom and the girls letting them know what’s going on and that I’m on my way home. Then I call Ridge.
“What’s up?” he answers.
“I’m coming home.”
“What? Why?”
“She’s not taking shifts. Amelia says she doubts she’ll leave long enough for me to sneak in another visit.”
“I’d say you’re right. She probably only left the first time to get herself under control from pushing you away.”
“Ridge? Is that you?” I ask, laughing.
“Fuck off. My wife has a theory and I happen to agree with her.”
“Oh, yeah, care to enlighten me on the rest of this theory?” I’m hoping it’s the same as mine—she’s scared. My plan could backfire, but at least I’ll know I fought for her.
“She’s having a tough time” is his reply.
Kendall is her best friend, well, outside of me. I’d like to think I take that top spot. “I know.” I sigh.
“She’s overwhelmed and worried about everyone and everything she loves, what she has left. However, my wife also thinks that this plan of yours is going to work.”
“Yeah?”
“Yep. I have to admit it’s a good one.”
My fingers are crossed. “Hey, so I’ll be in town this week, at least for a couple of days. You need me on site?”
“No, actually, we’re supposed to get rain all day tomorrow, so we’re out if that happens.”
“Okay, well, keep me updated.”
“We get rain, we’ll be at your place. Help you get things in order.”
“Appreciate, man. I’ll talk to you soon.”
We end the call, and I get lost in my thoughts as I make the drive home. It’s only a couple of hours, but it gives me time to sort through everything in my head. I have a clear vision of what needs to be done. Now it’s time to set the strings in motion.
It’s been one hell of a week. Each day Amelia checked in letting me know that Dawn was staying at the hospital. I threw myself into my plans for winning her back. I finished up late last night with the help of our friends and family. Now, I’m headed back to Mason. She said give it a few days and it’s been a week today since I’ve seen her. That’s too damn long, so I’m going to her.
We’ve texted off and on this week, but it’s been seven long days since I’ve heard her voice or held either of them in my arms. Time’s up. I’m prepared and ready for a fight.
My first stop is the hotel. This time, it’s the one where she and Amelia have been staying. “Staying” is putting it lightly when it comes to Dawn. Amelia convinces her to leave the hospital to shower, but she always comes right back. I’m staying at the same place. I’m not hiding that I’m here. She needs to know that I’m not giving up. That she can push as much as she wants, I’m going to push right back. At least as long as I still see the love in her eyes. When she can look at me without it appearing like she’s tearing her own heart out and tell me that she no longer wants me in her life, then I’ll accept defeat. I’ll always love her, but I’ll let her go.
The drive is uneventful, and I spend the majority of my time planning my speech to win her back. Check-in at the hotel is a breeze since I already had a reservation. I dump my bags and rush back out the door to the hospital. I’m just walking through the main entrance when my phone rings. Glancing at the screen, ready to send whoever it is to voice mail, I stop when I see Dawn’s name. It’s like she read my mind.
“Hey, beautiful,” I greet her.
“Mark.” She sobs the word and I take off running to the elevators.
“Dawn, baby? What’s wrong?” I jab the button for the elevator, willing it to open faster. Finally, the doors slide open. “Dawn, I might lose you, but I’m almost there. I just got onto the elevator.”
“You’re here?” she asks.
“Yeah, baby. Where are you?”
“The nursery.” She sniffs.
“Okay. I’m coming to you. I’ll be right there,” I say, but silence greets me. “Fuck.” I shove my phone back into my pocket and watch the numbers climb, praying that it takes me straight to the top floor. Luck is on my side, and as soon as the doors open to the top floor, I’m jogging out and down the hall. When I reach the nursery, Dawn is coming out of the door, tears streaking down her face.
My heart thunders in my chest from both adrenaline and fear. I open my arms and she rushes into me. I hold her close as tears continue to fall from her eyes. “Baby, you have to tell me what’s wrong,” I urge. Her grip on the back of my shirt tightens as her cries grow louder.
“I can help,” Lynn says. “Come with me.” She motions for us to walk down the hall and into a room that says Staff.
Dawn has a tight grip on me, and I’m lucky I got her to move down the hall, so we stand, declining Lynn’s offer to sit. “Is it Daisy?” I ask Lynn. My mind races with the possibilities of what could have happened.
She shakes her head. “Dawn got a call from the Emergency Room about fifteen minutes ago. Seems her sister has been brought in for a drug overdose.”
Motherfucker. I tighten my arms around her. “You don’t have to go see her,” I whisper to Dawn.
“I-I have to. I’m her next of kin,” she mumbles into my shirt. “I hate her, Mark. I hate my sister and I know that’s a terrible thing to say.” She pulls away and sad eyes peer up at me. “I hate her.”
“I know, babe.” I kiss her forehead. What I want to say is that I hate her too. I hate her for causing the accident that killed their parents. I hate her for what she did to the little girl who’s stuck in this hospital because she didn’t care enough to take care of herself and her unborn child. I hate her for everything she’s done to Dawn. Everything she’s put her through.
“How’s Daisy?” I ask.
A small smile tilts her lips. “She’s growing and doing so well.”
“Good. Let’s go down to the ER, see what’s going on. She’s safe here.” I look to Lynn who nods.
“I’m not leaving her side. The ER has already called up to us, letting us know birth mom is in house. I promise you she’s going to be fine.”
“Let’s go.” With my arm around her shoulders, I lead Dawn to the elevators, hitting the button for the bottom floor where the ER is located.
“I don’t know how much more I can take,” Dawn whispers on the ride down. “I don’t know how to help her.”
Not knowing what to say to that, I don’t say anything. When the elevator doors open, the chaos that is the ER greets us. Making our way to the receptionist desk, we ask for Destiny.
“Dawn,” a masculine voice says from behind us.
Turning, we see a guy who’s about six foot, thin as a rail, and has sunken eyes. His hair is a greasy mess, and his clothes look like it’s been weeks, maybe longer since they’ve been cleaned.
“C-Cal? What are you doing here?” Dawn asks. I feel her stiffen beside me.
“I brought Dest. She wasn’t acting right,” he says, his head twitching. His eyes roam all around the room as if he’s nervous to be here.
“Not acting right?” Dawn asks. “She fucking overdosed, you idiot. What did you give her?”
“Just a few pills. She was hurting from that kid. Just gave her something to take the edge off.”
“That kid is upstairs fighting the effects of the drugs her mother did while pregnant,” she seethes.
“Fuck, I thought it was dead. She didn’t tell me.”
Dawn freezes. “Are you…? Is the baby yours?” she asks.
“Nah, not this one.”
“What do you mean not this one?”
“She got rid of one a couple of years ago, said it was mine. This one though, it’s hard to tell. She’s been around, doing ah… favors to get what she needs. Right out of rehab she was jonesing for a fix.”
“Oh my God.” Dawn breathes the word.
“What?” He raises his hands in a “what do you do” manner. “You know how it is.”
“Leave,” I say, my voice low and deadly.
“Hey.” He backs up. “I don’t want no trouble.”
“Now.”
