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I was about to spew more angry words at the two of them when a man wearing light blue scrubs walked toward us. When he stopped in front of Mrs. Wyatt, the police officer and Mr. Wyatt joined us. “Are you the Gunnar family?”
“I am.” I stood quickly, jamming my hands into the pockets of my jeans.
“We’re the Wyatts,” Sawyer’s mother spoke. “We’re Max’s guardians until his mother is better.”
Guardians? What was she talking about? When did this all happen?“How is my mother?”
“Please have a seat,” the doctor requested.
Everyone sat down but me. I couldn’t sit; I needed answers. “I’m not sitting. Just tell me how my mom is. Please.”
“Your mother is in recovery and has a long way to go to be in the clear. But, if she makes it, you should know that she has suffered severe damage to her spinal cord, causing paralysis.”
“How bad?” I asked.
The doctor closed his eyes briefly, and when they opened, he spoke. “I’m sorry, Max, your mother has no feeling from the neck down.”
“No. God, no,” I said as knees buckled and fell to the ground, landing on my ass. Drawing my knees to me, I began to sob. Right there, in the middle of the walkway, I lost it.
Chapter Four
The Beginning Of The End
I’ve livedat the hospital for three weeks as my mother remained in an induced coma in the critical care unit. The third week, the swelling in her brain started to subside. Each day the doctors began to wean her off the breathing machine little by little, and yesterday the doctor decided it was time to take her off completely and wake her up, satisfied that mom could breathe independently. Though mom remained in the ICU, I felt relieved that it appeared she would be okay.
“Max.” The physician on duty placed his hand on my shoulder as we stood in the hallway and began to speak. “Your mother is not in the clear yet, but this is the start of the recovery process. If she continues to improve, we’ll move her to a rehabilitation unit and get her prepared to go home eventually. But you’re going to need round-the-clock care for her.”
I nodded, but I knew I wasn’t going to be able to give her the attention she needed. “She won’t be coming home,” I acknowledged the man before me. “With the help of Mrs. Wyatt, I’ve arranged a place for her at Harmony House in Massachusetts. They’ve agreed to take her in when she is ready.”
“Good, I’ve heard excellent things about their facility. They’re one of the best places for taking care of patients with spinal cord injuries as severe as your mothers. You have my number if you need anything while you’re away, and I’ll do my best to answer any questions.”
I extended my hand, and he reciprocated. “Thank you for everything, doc.”
Entering my mom’s room, I sat in the chair beside her bed. She remained asleep, and I welcomed the quiet. It gave me time to prepare for the news I had to share with her.
My eyes flutteredopen at the feel of a warm palm resting upon my shoulder. “Evie?” I questioned. “What are you doing here?” Her honey brown eyes said so much as she glanced into my tired, bloodshot ones.
“I wanted to see if you needed anything. It’s been weeks since I’ve seen you, and mom said you’ve been coming home late and leaving early, so I’ve been worried about you.”
Damn. I’d been avoiding Evie.After the accident, I’d laid my fears upon her ears and then succumbed to the love and compassion she’d given me. I’d promised myself I’d never let that happen again, but I was weak and gave in two weeks ago. I lost all control when she held me, giving me the strength to make a life-altering decision. One that would change the years of planning my future and weaken my resolve to keep her at a distance. The warmth of her body against mine as she held and comforted me clouded my judgement, and I gave into my pent-up obsession to claim her and claim her is just what I did. Desire. Lust. Fear. Combined, I stripped the clothes from her body and she took mine. We stood naked in front of each other admiring each other’s bodies.
When I couldn’t stand it anymore, I tossed her on my bed, sheathed myself, and took control. Evie allowed me to use her body that night in any way I needed. With no regard for her needs, I took what I wanted. Fast, furious, and demanding, I insisted on fulfilling my desire as a way to ignore everything that was going on in my life. I climaxed and then rolled off her to dispose of the condom. When I returned, she said nothing. Her arms wrapped around me, and I fell asleep. When I woke in the morning and realized what I’d done, I stealthily removed myself from her grasp, dressed, and disappeared.
How was I going to explain all of that now? What happened wasn’t the same as when we were teenagers experimenting with raging hormones and a desire to be together. After that night, I lied and told her it meant nothing.We were just two kids exploring each other’s bodies to learn what we liked and wanted, I told her. I could never admit that I’d had feelings for her. I’d broken her heart and mine, but I told myself it was the right thing. If Sawyer ever found out, he’d kill me. She was the kind of girl you’d love forever, and though I denied her my emotions, it didn’t keep me from threatening every boy that looked twice at her. I couldn’t lie to her again, so I decided avoiding her was best.
Reaching up, I removed her hand from my shoulder. “I’m good, Evie, I’ve just had a lot going on with my mom, and I need to focus my energy on her.”
The beautiful and compassionate young woman in front of me smiled. But the adoration in her eyes when she arrived was replaced with disappointment. “I understand, Max. Just know I’m here if you need anything. Anything at all.”
“I know, but I’m leaving next week. I should have never let what happened between us happen; we shouldn’t have. I need to be here for mom for the next few days. I promise I’ll say goodbye before I leave.”
“Understood,” Evie acknowledged. “I guess I’ll be going then.” Her eyes drifted between mine, looking for something I made sure she’d never find. She bit her bottom lip and then turned to leave the room.
I sat staring off into the vast nothing of the room, my hand rubbing my chest. I’d been an ass once again. Even though I knew it was for the best, it didn’t make me feel any better.
“Maxim.” My name was barely a whisper from my mom’s lips.
I turned my head to find her eyes adjusting to the bright light in the room. I quickly reached for the remote attached to her bed and clicked off the overhead light, leaving just the light on behind her and by the entrance to the door. Then I pushed the red button to call the nurse. “I’m here, Mom.” Standing, I took her hand in mine. “I’m here, Mom,” I said once again.
