“
Did you get in touch with the Connors family?” I heard the doctor say just outside the door, causing me to jump.
“
Yes, Dr. Jones,” the nurse answered.
“
Does the family realize the potential seriousness of his condition?” the doctor asked.
“
Yes,” the nurse said. “They’re flying in.”
“
We thought he was gonna pull through, but now it’s more likely that he won’t survive the night.”
“
His parents are taking the first flight out,” the nurse said.
I burst out in a loud sob. “No!” My voice wavered. “This can’t be the way our perfect fairytale ends.”
Memories flooded in, taunting me. I remembered every touch, every caress, every kiss. I remembered every laugh and smile we shared, and I could hear him telling me he loved me. His sweet voice echoed across my mind. A tear ran down my face at more memories of us dancing under all those glittering stars; his arms embracing me as we kissed in the bioluminescent water in Puerto Rico; and how he’d stared deeply into my eyes as cherry blossoms fell down on us like snow. I remembered how his eyes had twinkled under the beautiful moonbow in Yosemite and while we’d watched the beautiful sunset in Africa. I even thought about that monkey stealing my cell phone and how much we’d laughed. We’d found each other again, and in the process, we’d fallen madly in love.
How could fate take him away like this?
I wanted to scream.
I had gone on vacation to California when I was sixteen years old, with my parents. While we were at the beach, I got sucked under by a huge wave. The force of the wave pushed me down, spinning me around in total darkness, like I was helplessly caught in some washing machine rinse cycle. I was tossed, turned, and rolled beneath the surface of the water, and I couldn’t figure out which way was up. Now, I felt like that all over again, as if I was stuck underwater and couldn’t breathe.
All of my emotions came running out of me. Tears streamed down my face as my inner pain consumed me. I cried and screamed, and I didn’t care who heard me. My heart was broken, and my knees wobbled as I crashed onto the floor. The pain was so overwhelming, I couldn’t bear it. Jake was the love of my life, and my heart couldn’t take the horrible news. It had been the darkest day of my life, and even the nurse who’d briefly visited me before couldn’t comfort me. At that point, no one but Jake himself could have offered any relief to my aching, dying, dead heart. I begged her to leave, and when she did, I wept. I was lost in loneliness and grief as I sobbed loudly. I knew I needed to stay strong for him, but I couldn’t. I relived every single memory I could conjure up, from the good to the bad. I could only feel the cruelest darkness and sadness inside my soul. Finally, I’d found everything I’d ever wanted, and like a thief in the night, fate had walked right in and stolen it from me.
The doctor walked in and studied the beeping machines next to me. “Miss Roberts, I’m going to have to ask you to leave. We need to prep Mr. Connors for emergency surgery.”
I kissed Jake’s lips as tears dripped from my face. “You’re the bravest, strongest man I know, Jake. You’ll get through this with flying colors. Just hang on.”
Against my will, the nurse escorted me out of the room. The hospital had washed my clothes, so she gave them back to me. I got dressed and cleaned up and went to meet Jake’s parents in the waiting room.
Jake’s mother held me, and we both fell to our knees. We held and comforted each other through the pain. Hours passed, and I was numb and grief-stricken. I even went to the hospital chapel room and begged God to spare his life. When I returned, his mother reached for me in a comforting hug.
“
I’m so sorry about what Jake did to you all those years ago,” she said. “He felt just awful about it. He told me it the worst mistake of his life and that he’d never get over you.”
“
It’s okay. We’ve worked through all that.”
She hugged me tighter. “You were always the daughter I dreamt about having.”
Her sweet words touched my heart, and I answered, “You always made me feel so welcome in your family.”
Jake’s dad came over and hugged me. “We’ve always loved you like a daughter, and we still do. You’ll always have a place in our hearts.”
“
And you in mine,” I said.
Jake’s dad hugged me tighter. “Don’t give up on Jake. The boy’s a fighter.”
“
I know,” I said as a tear rolled down my face. “I know.”
I couldn’t bear to lose Jake a second time; I knew my heart wouldn’t be able to handle it. Finding love with him after all those years, only to lose him again, was something I simply would not be able to bear.
The nurse came out, and we all looked at her in anticipation.
“
Jake has made it through the surgery,” she said, smiling. “The antibiotics are working, and his fever is gone. We can’t promise anything at this point, but we think he’ll make a full recovery.”
We all cheered and hugged each other as tears ran down our faces.
“
When can we see him?” Jake’s mom asked, tears slipping down her face.
“
Soon,” the nurse said.
* * *
Jake’s parents spent several hours alone with him before I finally got my chance.
“
Jake,” I whispered, holding his hand.
His eyes finally fluttered open.
I couldn’t help but notice the dark circles under his eyes, and I traced the outline of his strong jaw.
“
Ashly?” he said.
“
Yes, it’s me, baby.”
“
I can’t believe it. I thought I was dreaming.”
I squeezed his hand. “You’re not. I’m here.”
“
You owe me a kiss,” he said softly.
“
When you’re better.”
“
No, now.”
I smiled and kissed him softly, then stared into his eyes. “I love you, Jake Connors.”
He softly pressed his lips against mine, and I could feel his unshaven, rough stubble.
“
I’ve been so worried about you,” I said, tears welling in my bloodshot eyes.
I hugged him as tears flowed freely, the back of my throat constricted with emotion. Hugging Jake was the best feeling in the whole world, and I began to sob uncontrollably. It wasn’t like me at all to lose my cool, but I couldn’t help it. Just hours earlier, I’d thought I’d never see him again.
* * *
So we could be close to Jake, his parents and I got a hotel room right next to the hospital. For the next five days, we spent every minute with him. He was holding his own. His incision was healing, his tests came back positive, and his vital signs remained strong.
“
I’m so glad you two found each other once again,” Jake’s mom said, “and please know that I harbor no ill feelings toward your family for this. Your mother did what she felt was right.”
I found her words to be an odd statement, and I turned to face her. “Why would you be mad at my family? Jake ran off after they spent thousands of dollars on our wedding.”
“
True, but that would’ve never happened had your mother not paid Jake off.”
A chill shot down my spine. “Paid him off? What are you talking about?” I said, trying to grasp the meaning of her words. The more I pondered, the more heat burned in my face. “What?”
Chapter 20
Jake’s mother threw a hand over her mouth as she looked at Jake. “You’re back together now, so I was sure you told her, Jakey!”
His lips pressed into a grim line. “No, Mom.”
“
I’m sorry. I had no idea.” She looked up at her husband. “George, we’d better go. Jake and Ashly need to talk.”
“
Wait…told me what? What’s going on?” I demanded.
“
You should’ve told her son,” his dad said, “right from the get-go.”
“
Jake,” I whispered once his parents were out of the room, “were you paid not to marry me?”
He sighed. “I should’ve told you everything.”
I sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “So tell me now.”
“
I planned on marrying you, Ashly. I had no intention of leaving that day, but your mother…well, she stopped by the house after you left for the church.” He paused and ran a hand through his hair.
“
Just tell me, Jake.”
“
She knew I was facing a four-year prison term for those assault charges, but she said she had connections, that she knew some judge who could get the charges dropped. All I had to do was leave and walk out of your life forever. At first, I refused, but she went on and on about how I’d never fit in with your family. She told me I’d only bring you down and that if I truly loved you—which I do—that I would give you your freedom and let you find someone better, someone more ‘suitable,’ as she put it. She made it clear that you deserved more than what I could give you.”
A tear rolled down my face. “Jake, I had no idea.”
“
Then she handed me a million dollars in cash to start a new life.”
I gasped. The whole thing was so absurd, like something out of some horrible soap opera, that I wasn’t even sure if I believed it. “Why would my mother do that to you? To me, on what was supposed to be the happiest day of my life?”
“
I don’t know, but she did.”
My mouth dropped opened, but no words would come out as confusion took its hold, and I pondered everything. My mom had hated Jake from the very beginning. She’d tried everything to break us up, and when nothing worked, she resorted to bribery. My knees shook, and I felt like I would pass out. “So the charges would be dropped, and you’d be free and filthy rich, able to run off and travel the world without me?”
“
I didn’t go anywhere until I found you again.”
“
Well, somehow, you burned through a million dollars of my mom’s money, then came back for more. How dare you take half of my inheritance after what you did to me? It’s…despicable.”
“
I never asked for that.”
My cheeks burned as anger flooded through me.
“
Ashly, I didn’t—”
“
Whatever we had, Jake, it’s over. It was obviously bullshit anyway. You just wanted to pick my mom’s pockets a little deeper, and you used me to do it! Goodbye, Jake Connors. I never wanna see you again!” I said, then stood to leave.
“
But you said you forgive me, and we—”
“
That was only because you made up some lame excuse, telling me you left me because you were young and not ready to get married. You failed to mention that my mother paid you and that you were more than happy to take the money and run. Instead of standing up to her and declaring your undying love, you were happy to cash in and walk away from me forever! That kills me more than anything. You just gave up on our love over stupid money and a get-out-of-jail free card. All along, I’ve thought you were some kind of big-hearted hero underneath all that arrogance, but you’re really just a cocky, selfish jerk!”
“
Fine! I was an idiot!” he yelled.
“
You left me standing there in that beautiful gown that I’d picked out especially for you. You left me there by myself, embarrassed and humiliated, with all of my friends and relatives staring at me, demanding an explanation. You knew I was there, waiting to say our wedding vows so we could spend the rest of our lives together, but you gave all that up for a cool million.” Then a thought struck me. “Oh my gosh, Jake! Back at the beach in Puerto Rico, you questioned why I didn’t get those loans.” I pointed at him. “You knew, didn’t you? You knew what my mother was capable of. She paid those banks to deny my application, just like she paid you off! That’s how you knew!” It hurt to know my mother could do such things to me, that she could manipulate me even beyond the grave. She’d taken away the man I loved, and she’d even tried to squash my dreams of creating my own line of clothing by cutting me off financially. I knew she thought she was doing it all for my own good, but it was my life to live, not hers, and I was furious. I began to wonder what else she was keeping from me. “Everything had to fit into her perfect little world,” I seethed. “I should have set boundaries and taken control of my life.”