The Dance (19 page)

Beads of sweat appeared along his forehead and upper lip. “I’ll give up all the online stuff if it’s so damn important to you.”

I’d known for months Will didn’t want to give up the cyber world he’d created. Up until this moment I thought he was just being stubborn and bratty. But seeing his physical reaction showed me that he relied on that world a lot.

With tears pooling in my eyes, I wrapped my arms around myself, hiding my trembling hands. “I’ll pack my things today and stay with Sophie while we figure out the details.”

“Don’t do this to us, Bryson.”

I looked at Will through blurry eyes. “It’s already been done.”

Balling his hand into a fist, Will pounded it hard against the granite countertop. He spun around and stormed out of the room. Seconds later the walls and windows vibrated in anger with the slamming of the front door. The sound of screeching tires echoed in my ears as Will peeled out of the driveway and down the street.

I was proud of myself for holding it together for as long as I did. For the first time in my life I was listening to what my gut was telling me. The divorce needed to happen. I was terrified to be on my own, embarrassed that my marriage was now a statistic, and sad that a person who’d been a huge part of my life would be gone.

Without warning my knees buckled, sending me crashing to the floor. A sharp pain pierced the pit of my stomach followed by a gush of sobs. Relief mixed with doubts swirled around my head as my new reality forced its way into my life. Determined not to wallow in self-pity, I allowed only five minutes to pass before peeling myself off the floor.

Feeling the need for a little reassurance, I picked up the house phone and called Joanne.

“Hello, Joanne Foster’s office. This is Morgan. How may I help you?” I already felt better hearing the sweet voice of Joanne’s assistant.

Clearing my throat, I said, “Hey, Morgan, this is Bryson Forsyth.”

“Hi, how are you?”

“I’ve been better.” My voice sounded froggy from the sobs. “I was wondering if Joanne had an opening today.”

“I’m going to put you on hold while I check.”

“Thank you.”

There was a click followed by sleep-inducing jazz music. My eyelids were just about to close when Morgan came back on the line.

“Bryson, we had a cancellation. If you can be here in a half hour, it’s yours.”

“I’ll be there. Thank you.” I hung up the phone and headed upstairs.

There was no time for a shower, so I ended up just splashing water on my face. I had to multi-task if I were going to make the appointment on time. As I brushed my teeth, I swept blush over my cheeks. Applied a light coat of mascara to my lashes while gliding pale pink gloss over my lips. Rummaging through the closet, I grabbed my dark red leggings and long black boyfriend shirt. While redoing my side ponytail, I stepped into my black flats.

I glanced at the clock and saw I had a couple of minutes before I needed to leave. As I was slipping a few bangles around my wrist my cellphone rang. I wondered if Joanne wasn’t able to see me after all. A string of missed calls covered the screen. There were several from an unknown number. Then my mom’s name popped up, followed by Sophie’s, and Will’s mom. All had left voicemails.

I clicked on Sophie’s first.

“Bryson, pick up.”
Her words were clipped.

I clicked my mom’s message.

“Sweetheart, you need to call me back as soon as possible. I love you.”
Mom’s voice was shaky.

The first thought that popped into my head was that something had happened to Daddy. My chest tightened, trapping air in my lungs. I didn’t even bother checking the other messages. I was gripping the phone so tightly my fingertips had turned white. Sophie sounded the calmest so I chose to get my information from her. I pressed the Call Back button. She answered before the end of the first ring.

“Bryson, thank god you got my message.”

“What’s going on? Is my dad okay?” I choked back a sob.

“Are you at home?” She blurted out.

“Yes, but what’s . . .”

“I’m coming to get you now.”

“Sophie?!”

“When no one was able to reach you, your mom called me.” She paused taking in a shaky breath. “I didn’t want to tell you over the phone.”

“Tell me what?”

“Will’s been in a car accident.”

I didn’t know if the phone slipped from my hand or I gently placed it down. All I remembered was the sound of Sophie’s fading voice as the blood drained from my body.

I swung the door open before Sophie brought the car to a complete stop in front of the emergency room entrance. I had laser focus. Adrenaline propelled me forward as I rushed past the parked ambulances and medics, and through the crowded waiting area to the nurse’s station.

Gasping for air, I said, “My husband was in a car accident.”

The gray-haired older woman looked up at me with sympathetic eyes. “What’s the name, dear?”

“Forsyth. Will Forsyth.”

“Bryson!” Mom’s voice shot across the waiting area.

The expression on my parents’ faces as they walked toward me caused my lungs to deflate. Mom reached me first, wrapping her arms around me in a comforting hug.

“Have they told you anything?” Dad asked.

I shook my head. “No, not yet. The nurse is checking now.”

The air around me filled with sobs from Will’s mom as she and his dad appeared out of nowhere behind me.

“Thank God someone finally got in touch with you, Bryson.” Mrs. Forsyth choked out.

As I turned to face her, she enveloped me in a hug.

Pulling away, I said, “How did everyone find out before me?”

Will’s father looked unable to speak at the moment, so Dad explained. “The accident happened in front of the construction offices.”

Out the corner of my eye I saw Mr. Forsyth step away from our little crowd followed by his wife.

“Jonathan saw the moment of impact, Bryson.” Dad’s green eyes were full of fear and sadness. The kind only another parent whose child was in pain could comprehend.

“Oh my god,” I whispered.

I was trying like hell to keep my composure. Up until I talked with Sophie, I still felt the aftermath of the argument I’d had with Will. Images of our last moments flashed through my mind. Remembering the screeching tires as he tore out of the driveway, I wondered if the anger he felt was responsible for the accident. The anger caused by my words.

“Mrs. Forsyth,” the older nurse said, tearing me from my thoughts.

“Where’s my husband? Is he okay?”

“Doctor Bernard will be out in just a few seconds to update you on your husband’s condition.”

“How can he update me when I don’t know anything in the first place? Why can’t you at least tell me if he’s alive or de . . .” I choked back the word.

I couldn’t allow myself to go to that place. Guilt already had a tight grip around my throat. If Will didn’t make a full recovery, it would suffocate me.

As the nurse promised, the doctor appeared seconds later.

“Mrs. Forsyth?” He was tall, thin, and looked to be not that much older than Will and I.

Both sets of parents, Sophie, and I crowded around the doctor. I was so caught up in trying to find out information I hadn’t even noticed Sophie had joined us.

“I’m Doctor Bernard.” He extended his hand to me and we shook.

“How’s W . . . ill?” My voice cracked on his name.

“Let’s go over to this corner where we can sit and talk.”

Doctor Bernard gently touched my elbow, guiding me over to an empty corner of the emergency room.

“Please tell me Will is going to be alright.”

The doctor sat next to me as my family and Sophie stood off to the side, close enough to hear.

“Mr. Forsyth . . .”

“Will. His name is Will,” I said, tightening my grip on the edge of the arm rest.

“Will has a torn ACL on his right leg.” Pursing my lips, my eyes narrowed. “That’s the anterior cruciate ligament. He’ll need surgery to repair it. He has a mild concussion and multiple contusions as well as cuts on his face, chest, and arms. But no internal injuries.”

“He’s going to be okay?”

The doctor gave me a smile and nodded. “Will’s a lucky man.”

A chorus of audible sighs rang out in our corner.

“He’ll have some serious rehab ahead of him. But with his age and his good physical condition, I see no reason why he wouldn’t make a full recovery.”

The flood gates opened and tears of relief rolled out of me. “Can I see him?”

“You’ll need to sign consent forms before the surgery, then I’ll have the nurse take you back. We have him sedated to make him comfortable until an OR opens up.”

Doctor Bernard made his way through the barrage of thank you’s as he walked back up to the nurse’s station. A moment later a lady dressed in scrubs appeared with a fistful of papers for me to fill out. I probably should have read each form first. I could have been signing my life away for all I knew. It didn’t matter. The only thing that mattered was seeing Will and letting him know we were all here for him. The second I signed the last form I jumped out of the chair and took them to the desk where the nurse in scrubs was waiting.

“All set?” She asked, taking the stack of papers from me.

I nodded.

“I’m Lisa, by the way.”

“I’m Bryson. Nice to meet you.”

Extending her arm, Lisa pointed me in the direction of two large swinging double doors. “Too bad it’s not under better circumstances.”

“Tell Will I love him very much, Bryson.” Mrs. Forsyth called after me as I followed the nurse to the back.

Lisa escorted me into one huge room that was divided into sections. Lining one wall was different types of medical equipment and another nurse’s station. The other wall was a series of curtained-off cubbies with patients waiting to be taken back for surgery.

Stopping at the fourth cubby, Lisa pulled back the curtain. Doctor Bernard said Will was banged up pretty severely and he wasn’t exaggerating. My head had been in such a tailspin from the moment Sophie called to the moment the doctor said Will would be okay, I hadn’t had a chance to think about my reaction once I saw him for the first time.

A slight gasp escaped me when I saw Will lying on the stretcher, flat on his back draped in a white sheet and blanket. I was thankful he was so out of it from the medicines they’d already pumped into him. A large bruise covered almost the entire left side of his face. From the temple to his jaw was a mixture of deep purples and shades of red. The right side of his face was almost untouched, only a reddish patch above his eye was visible along with a cut at the corner of his mouth. Bruises and scrapes ran along both arms. IV lines as well as various cables ran to monitors he was hooked up to.

My vision blurred as my body swayed bumping into Lisa.

She grabbed my arm and kept me from falling. “Are you okay?”

I straightened. “Yeah. I think everything hit me all at once. I’ll be fine.”

Lisa looked at me with concern. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure. Thank you.”

Once I felt stable enough, I walked up beside Will and gently brushed the dark brown hair off his forehead. He didn’t resemble the man I’d been married to or the one I’d asked for a divorce from this morning. He looked like the boy I’d fallen for all those years ago at Garrison High. Back then with Will by my side I always felt safe and protected. We were going to walk hand-in-hand into a future full of hope and promise. I just didn’t know back then that it was all a big show.

Will turned his head slightly in my direction as his eyelids flickered opened. Dark brown eyes met green watery ones. I gave him a small smile.

“Bry . . . s . . . on,” he said groggily.

“Hey.”

“I’m so . . .”

“Don’t try to talk right now. You need to rest. You’re in the hospital. You were in a car accident. They have to do surgery but you’re going to be as good as new before you know it.”

Even though his eyes were glazed over I could tell he understood. Will turned his left hand over so his palm was facing up on the bed. Glancing down, I saw he still had his wedding ring on. His fingers wiggled and I knew instinctively he wanted me to remove the ring for safe keeping. I slid the ring from his finger and held it in my palm. Placing my hand on top of his, I gave it a reassuring squeeze. No matter how much hurt and disappointment had passed between us, I didn’t want any harm to come to Will. I wanted each of us to achieve our dreams even if they weren’t together anymore.