“The police can deal with it. Maybe you should wait over there.” Blake pointed off to the side of the road.
“What happened?” Ruby croaked, struggling to look at her brother, as his face kept going in and out of focus. The whole thing was so surreal. If it wasn’t for the pain, which was most definitely real, she’d think she was in the middle of a nightmare.
“I saw you through my bedroom window,” he said. “You were about to cross the road. I called out to you.”
She had a hazy recollection of someone shouting out to her. She didn’t remember it being Blake, though. Ruby nodded then wished she hadn’t. “I remember. Thanks. Where’s Mom?” More than anything she wanted to see her. She needed her mother to make things better like she always did when Ruby was hurting.
“She’s over there, talking to the police officer who just pulled up.” He nodded to the side of the street. “She’ll be back in a minute.” He stroked her hand and gave a reassuring smile as a pair of paramedics greeted her and started assessing her injuries with gentle touches.
Ruby tried to smile back, but her lips didn’t want to work properly. But she was glad that Blake was being Blake again. It had been a long time coming, and she hadn’t realized quite how much she missed him. “I’m so sorry about Drew,” she said, hoping that he would want them to be friends again, like they used to be.
“Forget it. It doesn’t matter. What’s more important is you getting better,” Blake said. Then the paramedics asked him to step to the side so they could get her ready to go to the hospital.
She closed her eyes to try and cut herself off from the pain and everything that was happening around her.
Drew stared at Ruby sleeping and his fingers ached to touch her pale skin to make sure that she really was okay. His breath hitched in the back of his throat as he watched her chest rise and fall with every rhythmic breath. It scared him shitless to think that he could have lost her. And she would have gone without knowing how deep his feelings were for her.
When Mrs. Davis had called earlier that morning to tell him about the accident, he’d been desperate with worry, and he had raced over to the hospital, breaking all speed limits on the way. He wasn’t normally religious, but he thanked God that all Ruby had sustained was a broken arm and a mild concussion. By all accounts, it could have been so much worse. He shuddered just thinking again that he could have lost her forever. And then how would he have coped?
Not well. Simple answer.
He was grateful to Mrs. Davis for letting him sit with Ruby while she went home to take care of Ruby’s dad and make him some lunch. Blake hadn’t been around when he’d arrived, not that he cared. He didn’t want to annoy Blake intentionally, but Ruby was far more important than their differences, and he was sure Blake would agree with him. And too bad if he didn’t. It wasn’t up for negotiation.
Mrs. Davis had said that Ruby was going to be out of action for a while, as the surgeons had to operate and put a pin in her arm. One thing was for certain, Drew would do everything he could to make life easier for her during her recovery. Nothing would be too much trouble. Whatever Ruby wanted Ruby would get, with bells on.
He worried that she might be shocked at the sight of him sitting by her bed when she woke up. But as long as she didn’t order him away, it would be okay. The main thing was that he had to talk to her.
To tell her he was a jerk for dumping her.
To admit that he had totally screwed up.
And to beg her to take him back.
“Drew?” Ruby’s shaky voice crashed into his thoughts.
His heart skipped a beat as he saw that her eyes were wide open—and staring at him. She looked tired, but her warmth still shone through. He felt an overwhelming urge to hold her tight, but he didn’t want to hurt her. He also didn’t know how she would respond to it, either.
“How do you feel?” he asked, smiling at her.
“Sore. What are you doing here?” she replied, the corners of her mouth turning up slightly until she winced.
Drew’s insides clenched. He hated to see her suffering like that and wished there was something he could do to take away the pain. “More to the point, what the hell were you doing walking out in front of a car like that? You could’ve been killed.” His tone was sharper than he’d intended. “Sorry, I don’t want to get on your case, but when I heard what had happened, I nearly lost it. I…” His voice cracked as memories of what happened with Reese flashed across his mind, and he shivered. The thought of it rocked him to the core. That was one déjà vu he didn’t want to contend with.
“It’s okay,” Ruby said softly. She waved the hand of her arm that wasn’t bandaged. “Ouch,” she groaned, her face twisted in pain.
“Should I call the nurse? Do you need pain meds?” He felt helpless seeing her like that and not being able to do anything about it.
“I’m fine. Don’t worry. It will stop hurting in a few seconds. I just have to remember not to move at all.” She gave a shallow laugh and winced again. “Or laugh. Have you been here long?”
He noticed the lock of hair that had fallen across her forehead, and he wanted to brush it away, except he wasn’t sure she’d want him touching her. “About forty minutes. Your mom called to tell me, and I came right over. I took over from her sitting here as she had to go back to see your dad. She said she’ll be back later this afternoon. Is that okay?”
“Of course it’s okay. Dad needs looking after.”
Fleetingly, disappointment flashed across Ruby’s face, but it disappeared so quickly that Drew almost thought he’d imagined it. He didn’t know whether it was because her mom had gone, or because her dad wouldn’t be coming to visit.
“Are you upset because your father isn’t here?”
“No. Yes. No. Well, sometimes I wish he was more like a regular dad. And then I feel terrible for having those thoughts.”
She talked about having a regular dad, but Drew wondered exactly what a regular dad was. It certainly wasn’t his. And it wasn’t Ruby’s. Maybe it was just something conjured up by the media. “You know, I hadn’t thought about it before but my dad is a lot like yours.”
“How do you figure?” Ruby frowned.
“Your dad checked out a long time ago. So did mine. Admittedly it was through alcohol, but the results are the same.” He couldn’t believe that he’d never thought about that before. It seemed important that Ruby should see it, too.
“Hmmm. Maybe. Except your dad could change. He could stop drinking. My dad’s always gonna look like that, so not a lot of hope.” A look of horror flashed across Ruby’s face. “I didn’t mean…” Ruby stammered, looking flustered.
Drew witnessed in her eyes exactly what she had meant. That he’d think the same applied to him because of his burns. “I know what you meant. That his scars aren’t going away, so he may never choose to accept them. It’s okay. I’m not like your father,” he tried to reassure her.
She averted her gaze and stared down at her lap. That wasn’t the reaction he’d expected. She couldn’t have looked guiltier if she’d tried. Which probably meant she did think he was going down the same road as her dad. He didn’t want to press her on it. Not yet. And in a way it didn’t matter.
“Please could you get me something to drink?” she asked.
He poured her some water and handed her the plastic cup, then took a breath. “I’m sorry for what happened between us. I shouldn’t have ended it with you.” He paused for a moment. “Forgive me?” Drew wished he could work out what she was thinking. Most other times, her face was so expressive that he always knew. This time, for some reason, she was giving nothing away.
“What do you mean, exactly?” she asked, taking a slow drink of her water. There was a flash of…something in her eyes. Optimism? Hope?
“That I want to keep seeing you,” he replied, allowing himself just the tiniest bit of hope in return.