Reflection (Game On Trilogy #2) (11 page)

“Well, I had an idea.”

“I’m listening.”

“The article.” She simply says and she pulls up a chair and starts typing.

“What about it?” I don’t know where she’s going with this.

“Well, usually when someone passes away they have funeral service announcements.”

“Oooook,” still not sure what this has to do with where to find Chelsea.

Alli continues typing as she speaks to me. “It should also list where the burial took place. My guess is Chelsea frequents her fiancé and daughter’s grave site.”

“I could kiss you right now, but I don’t want you to stop your research.  That’s a brilliant idea.” I hit my fist on the table. “Fuck, why didn’t I think of that?”

“Well, it doesn’t mean she’s there, but it’s start.”

“It’s a great start.”

Alli finds the name and address of the cemetery and writes it down. “Ok, let’s go.” She pushes back in her chair

Just like the flight, the car ride to the cemetery is just as quiet so I decide to break the ice. “Thank you for coming with me.” The tone of my voice is barely above a whisper.

Alli looks at me and says, “You know. I am just as scared to find her here as much as I am at not finding her here. I don’t know what to say to her. I just . . .”

Alli starts to cry again so I reach out and squeeze her hands. “I’m scared too, honey.” Alli reaches into my glove compartment and pulls out a napkin and wipes away the tears. I really need to buy some tissues to keep in there.

She points to a road just up on the left. “Right there. That’s the place.”

I turn on my blinker and slow down when I pull into the long driveway.

“Wow, this place is big. How will we ever find her?”

Alli’s right, this place looks to have acres and acres of tombstones. It shouldn’t be that hard though. “I think all we need to do is look for someone, specifically Chelsea, rather than looking for the headstones.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

Unfortunately, there’s a ridge up ahead so we’ll have to walk it. “It looks like we’ll have to park and take a walk.” I say as I point to the hill that we can’t see on the other side of.

We pull up to a parking lot and quickly glance around to see if Chelsea’s car is here.  Neither of us see it, but this isn’t the only parking lot on the grounds and I’m sure we’ll find more on the other side of this hill.

“Yeah, I could use the fresh air, anyway. I’m nervous, you know?”

I purse my lips and grab her hand as I help her out of my truck. I don’t tell her that I am probably more nervous than her. The pit of my stomach is in knots.

“Whoa,” I quickly grab Alli’s arm as she slips on the wet ground.

“Be careful,” rain in San Diego is rare, but today just so happens to be one of those rare days. “Here, let’s stick to this paved path.”

We both walk the path in silence, looking out over the property, reading some of the headstones as we pass.

We see several people visiting loved ones and we actually come across a procession line. We quietly pass by, giving them their privacy as we continue on with our search for Chelsea.

We’ve come to the top of the ridge and can now see the remainder of the cemetery. There is a lot of ground to cover, but if I do what I suggest, we shouldn’t have too much trouble finding Chelsea. If she is even here, that is.

We make our way down the small hill with still no sign of Chelsea. We both seem to be thinking along the same lines as we continue heading toward another parking lot.

“I don’t know, Derek,” Alli says as she continues to keep her eyes on the green grass. “It doesn’t look like my idea is panning out.”

“Let’s just circle this lot down here and then we can head back to my truck. I might even call Bob again. I have a feeling he knows everything about Chelsea’s past.”

Alli nods her head but doesn’t say anything.

We continue to walk in comfortable silence when Alli lets out a gasp.

“Derek,” she points to the parking lot up ahead. “Is that her car?”

Without answering her, I immediately pick up my pace until I at a full blown run.
Please let it be you, baby.

I am nearing the car when it becomes obvious that it is definitely Chelsea’s. However, I can see through the windows, but I don’t see her.

I stop in my tracks and start visibly combing the cemetery grounds. Alli finally catches up to me, her breathing is ragged. She leans up against Chelsea’s car to catch her breath.

I don’t bother to see if she’s ok. My main concern is Chelsea. I need to find her.

I hear Alli gasp, “Oh honey!” She yelps.

What is she doing?

“Oh, Chelsea, baby. Open the door.” She yells as she pounds on her window.

I am instantly by her side. Chelsea is in the driver’s seat. Her seat is reclined so I didn’t see her. Something about seeing her there doesn’t look right. “Chelsea, baby. Open the door.” She doesn’t seem to be hearing us. How can she not hear us? Fuck, what did she do?

I run around to the passenger side and without giving it a second thought, I ram my elbow in the window. It doesn’t do any good. “Fuck.” I need something hard.

“Hold on. Hold on. I might still have her spare key.” Alli quickly rummages through her purse. Her hands shake so bad that she spills the contents all over the ground. I see them hit the ground so I immediately grab them.

They work. I jump in the passenger seat and reach for Chelsea. “Come on, baby. Wake up.” I plead, but she doesn’t stir.

“Call 911!” I yell to Alli.

I wrap one arm behind her back and another under her lap. I lift her up and over the console. I hold her in my arms, tight against my chest. In that moment, a moan escapes from her. “Baby, please. Fuck, Chelsea! Wake up!” Before I know it, my vision clouds with my own tears. I rock her back and forth. “Don’t do this to me, baby. Just wake up. I’ll do anything. Just please . . .”

“Chelsea, honey. It’s Alli. You need to wake up for us. Honey, please.” Alli tells her.

“Here, let’s get up. I hear the sirens.”

Alli backs up and starts waving her arms to get the paramedics attention.

I stand up out of the car with Chelsea still in my arms.

Chelsea makes another sound, but her body is still limp. “Baby! Sweetheart, please. Please talk to me.” I beg.

“You’re here,” she mumbles, barely above a whisper.

“Yes, baby. I’m here for you. So is Alli. We both are. You need to keep talking to me.”

“Sir, let us take her,” a man rips her from my arms.

As much as I don’t ever want to let her go, I do.

“Has she been coherent?” The paramedic asks as he lays her on a stretcher covered with a white linen.

“She just said a couple of words, yes. Please help her. Please.” Alli wraps her arms tight around me. Her face tucked into my chest.

“How long has she been unconscious?” He asks.

“Umm, I don’t know. We just got here. My guess would be about an hour.” Considering she was just on a flight this morning, she couldn’t have been here much longer than Alli and I.

“Does she normally do any drugs?”

“What? No!” I’m offended by his question.

Alli grips me tighter. “Oh God, Derek. She has to be ok.”

One of the paramedics starts rambling on some numbers to another as he writes them down.

“I believe she’ll be fine.” The man says. “Her vitals aren’t that bad, but we want to take her in just in case. We’ll run some further tests. It looks like she might have just taken some low grade sleeping pills.”

“Sleeping pills?” Alli asks.

“Yeah, if this is what she took,” he holds up a small bottle. “and considering her vitals, she should be fine in no time.”

“Where was that?”

“My partner just found it on the floorboard of the car.”

How had I not noticed that? They already have an IV hooked up to Chelsea pumping her with fluids.

Alli weeps even harder against my chest. “Thank God.” She says.

I rock her back and forth as we stand.

“What hospital are you going to?” I ask.

“Central Mercy,” one of the guys says as they load her into the back of the ambulance. “We have room for one more if you one of you would prefer to ride with us.”

Alli looks up at me.

“You go with her. I’ll be right behind you in Chelsea’s car. We can get my truck later.”

“Thank you,” she gives one last squeeze around my waist. “Thank God she’ll be ok.”

Chelsea

I wake up to a beeping noise and a small headache. Where am I?

“Hey, baby,”

The sound of Derek’s voice enters my ears. I turn my head to see him pull up a chair next to me.

“Where am I?” I ask.

“We’re at Central Mercy.”

“Why? What happened?”

Derek sits down in the chair and reaches for my hand. He cups it in both of his and turns his gaze to look at the ground.

“Baby, I thought I lost you.” He looks up and I see tears in his eyes.

My heart breaks for him. I know the feeling all too well and I don’t wish that upon anyone. I squeeze his hand. “I’m right here.”

He nods his head, not willing to release my hand. His chin quivers and my heart breaks just a little bit more.

“I’m sorry.” This time it’s my eyes that fill with tears. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Alli bursts through the door. “You scared the shit out of us,” she runs over to the other side of my bed and practically leaps on top of me. “I love you so much, don’t you ever do that to me again.” She cries.

“I know why I am here, and I didn’t mean to scare anyone. I just wanted to sleep.”

“For how long? You clearly took more than the recommended amount.” Alli berates me.

I focus my gaze back on Derek. “How did you find me?” Last I remember, I was at the cemetery. I close my eyes tight. I need to tell them.

“Sweetheart,” he chokes out, “we know.” He says.

My chest tightens. I pull both of my hands to cover my face. I can’t contain my emotions in front of them any longer. “I’m sorry.” I cry. I cry harder than I have in a long time. Someone else knows now.

“Honey, you have nothing to be sorry for.” Alli lays her body across my chest, hugging me tight.

Derek leans forward and tucks his face in the crook of my neck. “Baby, we’re here for you.” He whispers.

I nod because I can’t seem to get a word past the lump in my throat.

The three of us hug for several moments before a nurse walks into the room. “Ok, it’s time to take some vitals.”

Derek and Alli reluctantly pull away from me, leaving me missing their touch already.

“Do they have to leave the room?” I ask because I really need to finally talk to them about my past.

“No, dear. They can stay. I just need to get your blood pressure, and a couple more routine tests. That’s about it.”

“We’ll be right here, honey.” Alli says as she walks over to stand next to Derek.

He hasn’t said much and it’s beginning to scare me. However, his gaze never leaves me. I’m sure he’s mad I left him the way I did, again.

I lean my head back against the pillow and my eyes fix on his. I still don’t know what they know. How long have they known?

Several minutes go by and we are still looking at one another. Just then, the corners of his lips slightly turn up.

He smiles at me and I try to smile back, but it’s hard.

“Alright. All done.” The nurse says. “The doctor should be in shortly to talk with you.” She looks over to Derek and Alli and asks, “Are either of you her family?”

“Yes, we are both family.” Derek tells her. He glances over at me and our eyes lock.

“Yes, they are.” I confirm. They are all I have left in this world and they are more to me than anyone else I know. I love them both.

“Ok, well, the doctor will want to talk to all three of you then.” She says and I know exactly what they want to talk about.

They think I am suicidal. I’m not, but they don’t know that. “Yes, ma’am.” Some of the nurses in this hospital know me from my past, but not this one. I admitted myself right after Bryce and Laila passed away. I’ll admit, at that time, I wanted to die. I wanted to be put out of my misery.

The struggle was real. It was depressing. It was unimaginable. But, I got help.

The nurse smiles at me, pats the top of my hand then leaves the room.

“Sweetie, can I get you anything?” Alli asks, making her way back over to me.

I am thirsty. “Maybe some water.”

“Sure thing, babe.” Alli walks to the other side of the room where there is a pitcher of water and plastic cups.

As she is momentarily out of earshot, Derek takes a seat on the edge of my bed. He reaches for my hand and mouths the words, “I love you so much.”

Tears fill my eyes. Maybe what I witnessed at the bar in Atlanta isn’t what I really saw at all. There is no way this man would do anything to hurt me.

I can see it in his eyes.

Alli returns with a cup of ice water so I sit up in my bed and accept it from her.

“Thank you.”

“Whatever you need, honey. I’m here for you. Okay?”

“Okay.”

A man in a long white coat enters the room. “Ms. Hodges?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Why don’t we all take a seat? He slides over two more chairs so that all three of them can sit around me.

“Mr. . . .”

“Please, call me Stan.”

“Stan. I really am fine. I wasn’t trying to do anything stupid.” I say, but he just leans back in his chair and crosses his arms over his chest.

“Go on,” he says.

I glance back and forth from Derek to Alli and then back at Stan again. “I . . . I just had a busy couple of days and I hadn’t had time to rest. I took a few sleeping pills to finally get some shut eye.  That’s all. I swear.”

“Ms. Hodges,” he purses his lips together. “You do know where you were found, right?”

Once again, I look back and forth between Derek and Alli. “Yes, sir. I do. The thing is, I was just visiting someone there and it was a very emotional day and I knew I shouldn’t be driving. So, I just stayed there.”

The look on Alli and Derek’s faces reflects relief. They must have thought that I was trying to do something worse and it makes me feel like an asshole.

“Honest,” I need for them to understand that I would never intentionally hurt myself. “Please,” I beg as I try to explain, but I can’t seem to get anymore words out. The floodgates have now opened and I can’t control my sobbing.

“Doctor,” Derek jumps in. “I believe her.” His words only make me weep more. I have done nothing but push this wonderful man away and here he sits protecting me once again. “Chelsea can come home with me,” my eyelids fly open only to come in contact with Derek staring right back at me. “I will take care of her. You have my word that I won’t let anything happen to her.”

The doctor nods his head. “Son, I know who you are. This is the busiest time of the season for you. What Chelsea needs is . . .”

Derek reaches for my hand and clasps it in between his. “Is me. She needs me.” Wetness forms in his eyes.

His actions do nothing but make me cry more.

Alli stands and lays her hand on my shoulder. She looks down at me and says, “He’s right, Doctor.”

I move my gaze from Derek to focus on my best friend.

She continues to convince the doctor that my being with them is what’s best for me. “I will be there for her, too. You have our word.”

I need to say something. These two fighting my battles is more than I can ever ask for, but I step in. “Please, if you need to send someone to check up on me every week, hell, every day, then so be it. But please, I just need to be in a place where I can refocus my strength, where I’m comfortable. You have my word. You have our word.” I look at the two people who have proved they will do anything for me. “I won’t let you down and I won’t them down.”

The doctor stays quiet for a moment as he takes in everything we are saying to him. Finally, he nods his head. “I believe you. However, I will be sending someone to visit you every couple of days and if you feel the need to . . .”

“I promise I’ll call.” My enthusiasm reflects in the tone of my voice. “Thank you.”

“Yes, thank you, Doctor.” Derek and Alli respond in unison.

“Ok, well, let me have the nurse draw up your release papers and then I will sign them.  Like I said, you call the moment you think you need help.” He turns his gaze to look at both Derek and Alli. “You too. You have my number.”

“Yes, sir.” Derek lightly squeezes my hand in reassurance.

After the doctor leaves my room, I look up at Derek. I can’t believe he said he wants me to come to stay with him. I can’t let him do this. “You don’t need to do this.”

He sits on the edge of my bed and brushes the loose strands of hair away from my face. I’m sure I must look like a mess. “I know I don’t. I want to.”

“I don’t want to cramp your style.” I have no idea where Derek and I stand. It was just yesterday that I witnessed him flirting with another woman.

“Sweetheart,” he takes a deep breath. “The only thing that you would cramp is my ego if you say no. You have to know how much I care for you. I will do anything for you.”

As much as I don’t want to hear the answer, I have to ask. “Who was the girl on your lap yesterday at the bar?” I turn my head so that I can focus on Alli and I watch as she shakes her head but let’s Derek respond to my question.

“Jesus, Honey. Is that the reason why you smashed your phone and left?” He asks.

I refuse to look at him. I’m not sure if I am ready to hear what his explanation is.

“Honey, those were my sisters. My twin sisters.” Sisters? “They know how far gone I am for you so they sent their best friend over to see if I was telling the truth.”

“She stuck her tongue in your ear.”

Alli chuckles. “Yeah, you should have stayed another second longer, babe. He pushed her off his lap so fast it made her head spin. Besides, she was only joking. It meant nothing.”

Ok, so if I didn’t feel stupid before, I do now.

“Baby, you’re the only one I want.” Derek leans down and presses a kiss to my cheek. You’ve completely ruined me for any other woman.” He mutters against my skin.

“You have twin sisters?” Is all I can think to say.

This brings a rise out of Derek and Alli.

“Shut up,” I tell them both.

Before I know it, Derek leans in and lays his lips on mine. Grabbing both of my cheeks, he tilts his head, and parts his lips. God, I miss the feel of his mouth on mine. Knowing that Alli is standing right next to me does nothing to stop me from parting my own lips and deepening Derek’s kiss.

“Ok, then. I think I . . . umm, am going to go grab a coffee or something.” She mumbles.

I reach up and lay the palm of my hands on Derek’s upper arms. He slides both of his hands up through my hair and grips tight. Fuck, I love when he does that.

I moan into his mouth, tug on his arms so that his body has to lean close to mine. I need to feel him closer. This make him growl in pleasure.

“Baby, we’re in a hospital bed.” He says.

“Your point?” He knows I have no shame.

He smiles against my lips. Pulling slightly away from me, he rests his forehead against mine. “Sweetheart, what I want to do to you right now would make hospital security put us both in jail. And, there is no way I can be away from you for that long.”

We both open our eyes and gaze at one another. “We need to talk, babe.” I tell him. As much as I don’t want to ruin this moment or the rest of what remains between Derek and I, I can’t keep living with this secret all by myself. My only hope is that he understands and won’t pass judgement on me.

“We do,” he agrees. “But, it can wait till we get home.”

Until we get home? He makes it sound like we live together. “You mean, your home.”

“For the moment.” He responds.

“What are you talking about?”

“Let’s not talk about this here.”

As if on cue, Alli walks through the door. “Are we done here?”

I shake my head. “Not by a longshot.”

Derek quickly smacks a kiss on my lips and pulls away. I have no idea what he has up his sleeve, but he definitely needs to hear me out before he makes any more moves on me.

“Well, save it for later. I have your papers.” Alli waves my release papers above her head.

“How did you get those?” I ask.

“I just ran into your nurse right outside your door. Apparently, she didn’t want to interrupt whatever was going on between you two.”

Derek chuckles. “Smart woman.”

After the doctor signed my release papers, Derek insisted on taking me to his place. Alli even took the initiative to go to the condo and pack a few things for me. She should be here shortly.

“Come have seat over here,” he leads me to his cozy living room sofa. After I sit, he rotates my body and brings my legs up onto the couch. “Just relax for a while. Can I get you some water?”

“No, really, I’m fine. Still just a little tired is all, but not enough to fall asleep.” I reach out and lightly trace his swollen knuckles. “What happened?”

He looks down at where my fingers are at. “I had a fight with a wall. Nothing for you to worry about.”