Authors: Elisa Elliot
“I’m sure it is,” Lily mused but there was doubt in her voice. Images of Mason’s injuries came back to her as she stared at the track and for a moment she thought that just maybe this could have something to do with it. She pushed the thought aside as quickly as it had formed and sent her friends a small smile that she hoped would be reassuring. She couldn’t for a second believe that Mason would be this stupid, that he would enter one of these but even that didn’t completely rid her of worry.
“At least I hope so,” Lily said, quieter this time and her voice faded into the rowdy crowd. Worry destroyed her excitement and she had more of an urge to ring home now than ever, if nobody had heard from Mason in a few days that could mean… no… she would never let herself think the worst.
Chris pulled Lily to his side and she welcomed the comfort, nestling into the warmth that was his chest, at least she had him here. “Don’t worry, I’m sure it will be great,” he said softly as he rested his head on hers.
“Who’s worried?” Lily muttered into his chest.
Chris pulled away and stared at Lily, his eyebrow raising as he took in her frown. “I can feel you shaking,” he said matter of factly.
Lily pressed back into his chest and let his arms curl around her. “It’s cold,” she lied. Thankfully Chris didn’t question the lie and as the pounding music picked up it pace all eyes were on the track waiting for the show to start.
One after the other riders lined up on the track, each gripping their bike, eager to start the race. Lily strained her neck from Chris’s chest, taking in all the different bikes and mentally noting to thank her friends for what seemed to be some of the best tickets. She smiled as her eyes scanned the riders until she saw one that filled her with every emotion she had ever felt all at once.
“No,” Lily gasped. Hannah and Chris turned to her, worry creasing their features but she could not look away, she could not reassure them. She stared at the rider, dressed completely in black and beneath him was a bike, a bike she recognized.
“Lily?” Hannah and Chris questioned simultaneously. Lily was shaking, her whole body shook with fear, with dread and with love; Mason was here.
He turned, helmet still in hand and for the first time in three weeks their eyes found each other. Bright blue found chocolate brown and for Lily everything else disappeared, it was just them together like nothing had happened. Messy brown hair, confused smile and addictive eyes, it was her Mason. She wanted to run to him, to be in his arms once more but then his eyes shifted, his smile disappeared and he looked angry; his eyes were on Chris.
“Mason,” Lily shouted but it was too late. Mason turned away and his eyes were fixed on the rider in front of him. She had seen it though, the anger on his face. The second his warm eyes left her the world came crashing down once again and she was alone.
Chapter Four
As the race started Lily could do nothing but sit back and watch while the man she loved risked his life. Mason was out there, pushing his bike beyond its limits and Lily was left helpless in the stands. If she thought jumping up and attempting to stop the race would do anything to help then she would have, but she knew it would likely do more harm than good. She was perched on the edge of her seat, as close as she could be without tumbling onto the floor.
Vaguely aware of her friends watching her, worriedly questioning what was happening and trying as best they could to comfort her, she could not return any of it; she couldn’t even bring herself to speak. She didn’t want to be in the stands watching on, but there was no way she could leave now. She stayed deadly still, only her eyes followed Mason; they never left his bike however fast he went or however dangerously he took the tight corners. With no idea how long the race lasted or even how many laps they had to do, all she could was simply watch and every second of it was killing her.
“Lily please…” Chris begged. He watched as a tear slowly ran down her pale cheeks and he was powerless to help her. He had heard the muffled word, the name of the man who had hurt her and he wanted more than anything to make things ok again.
Hannah sent Chris a worried look as she stared at her friend; they had lost her again so soon after finding her. Chris met Hannah’s eyes and nodded; slowly he wrapped his arm back around Lily and coaxed her away from the edge of her seat. With a collective sigh of relief from both Hannah and Chris, Lily mindlessly allowed Chris to pull her back into his arms without even a single look at him. Chris breathed in deeply as he cradled his friend in his arms, sure now that at least she wouldn’t do anything stupid.
The race was coming to an end, the crowd was getting louder and one of the racers was entering their last lap. Lily watched as Mason overtook half a dozen other riders, swerving past them with ease and skidding into the first jump of the track. As it had done every time he had taken the same jump previously, her breathing hitched until he landed safely. Chris and Hannah had followed the rider who had captured Lily’s full attention and they were equally on edge now.
“He’s going to win,” Chris breathed as he watched Mason hit the next jump, an impressive distance in front of the other riders.
“I don’t want to admit it but he’s pretty impressive,” Hannah said a little excitedly, she far from liked the man but she couldn’t deny even to herself that he was good.
“I can’t help but to agree,” Chris said, a hint of admiration in his voice.
Lily could barely make out her friends words over the loud beating of her heart. She could tell the race was coming to an end, from the way the crowd was cheering it was obvious. She couldn’t relax though, not until Mason was off the track and safe. An arm circled tighter around her and she instinctively leant back closer into it. Mason was turning into the last piece of straight now and all eyes in the large arena were on him and him alone.
“He’s actually going to do it,” Chris exclaimed, his voice barely audible over the cheers of the crowd.
The relief that would come with the end of the race was growing closer and closer, it was almost within Lily’s grasp now. She waited, her whole body frozen as finally, after the longest wait in her life, Mason crossed the finish line. The crowd erupted; Mason’s hands flew from the bike as he took in the cheers, relishing his moment of glorious victory. Lily slumped against Chris as Mason pulled the helmet from his head, still mid-ride. The relief lasted only a second, the bike was still going far too fast.
The crowd didn’t care; they cheered the victor, their momentary hero. Lily froze again, Mason had never taken his helmet off early, the other riders were still competing, second and third place still up for the taking. Mason turned, just for a second and his bright blue eyes landed on Lily and then the man who held her. “No!” Lily cried, for her it happened so slowly, each moment lasting a life time but in reality it was over in less than a second.
The bike in front of Mason was going too slowly, his pride overtook his judgment and he collided with it. Parts flew everywhere; the bike hurdled through the air and Mason, Mason was left behind. Before her eyes Lily watched Mason slide across the floor, his helmet crashing several feet away and then there was silence, utter foreboding quiet. It lasted a second, a second of shock, of disbelief before the arena erupted in noise, so deafening now after the silence that had consumed it.
Second, third, fourth, fifth; the riders crossed the finish line and the moment they did their bikes were discarded and the riders rushed to the aid of the fallen winner. Lily couldn’t move, she couldn’t think, all she could do was look at the man who now lay motionless on the floor.
Chapter Five
“Lily!” Chris shouted.
“Please Lily!” Hannah begged.
Lily fell to the floor, the comfort of her friend’s arms forgotten. A single tear joined those that had dried on her cheeks as she stared on at the scene in despair. There were sirens, so many sirens. Lights of the brightest blue filled the track as paramedics tried to push their way through the riders that had gathered around Mason.
“Lily, we need to go, come on Lily, come back to us,” Hannah pleaded. Her arm was rested on Lily’s shoulder, gently trying to coax her back.
“She’s gone Hannah,” Chris breathed as he stared at his friend, knowing all the while that there was no getting her through this, not yet anyway.
“We need to get out of here Chris,” Hannah said, her own voice breaking from fear for her closest friend.
“I know,” Chris whispered. He looked between his friends one last time and with a deep breath he settled to look down at Lily where she still sat motionless on the floor.
Slowly and carefully he wrapped his hands around Lily’s waist and pulled her up from the floor. She barely fought against him, it was only when she was completely in his arms and pressed against his chest that she panicked. Chris held her firm, forcing her against him as he stepped back into the crowds that were thankfully still watching the scene unfold on the track.
“It’ll be ok Lily, it’ll all be ok,” Chris said softly as he tried his best to ignore the struggles of his friend.
“I can’t leave,” Lily screamed as she tried to pull herself free from Chris’s solid chest.
Chris ignored the feeble kicks the Lily sent in his direction and finally, after five minutes of struggle, managed to clear the crowd completely. “Lily please,” Hannah said softly as she watched her friend fight against Chris.
“I can’t leave him Hannah, I can’t,” Lily cried, her attempts at getting free becoming almost effective.
“We’re not going to leave him,” Hannah comforted Lily, thankfully making her visibly relax just a little.
“Wait, we’re not?” Chris interjected sounding confused.
“Of course not, what did you think we we’re going to do? Take her back and lock her in a room?” Hannah hissed.
Chris’s face fell. “Yeah I suppose you’re right,” he admitted.
They finally reached the car and Chris gently set Lily down on the floor; she swayed uneasily on her feet before Hannah steadied her. “So where are we going?” Chris questioned.
Hannah paused for a moment, considering their options. “I guess the hospital, we passed one about ten minutes before we arrived, I figure they’ll take him there, well if he’s not there already,” she said with a sigh.
Neither Hannah nor Chris liked the idea of following Mason to the hospital but with their friend in the state she was they had little other choice. Chris frowned as the doors to the track opened and the first members of the crowd that had filled the building started to pour out. “We better go, it looks like they have closed the races, we’ll be over-run if we don’t get out now,” he groaned, eying the ever increasing crowd of people who were starting to overtake the car park.
“Let go then,” Hannah said quickly. She opened the back door for Lily and gently helped her frozen friend in before joining Chris back in the front.
Chris looked at Lily for just a second before leaning in closer to Hannah. “Do you think he’ll be ok?” he whispered as quietly as he could, hoping Lily wouldn’t be able to hear.
Hannah shot a look at Lily and her face dropped. “I don’t think so,” she whispered.
A moment of silence passed before Chris started the car up and with a speed he didn’t know the old car possessed sped out of the car park before they could get boxed in by the numerous other vehicles. “We’ll be with him soon Lily,” Hannah said, her eyes still firmly fixed on the road; she was beyond terrified for her friend.
Lily took a deep breath and collapsed back against the head rest, the motion calmed her, removing most of the fog that had engulfed her mind. She knew that now was not the time to let herself go; now was a time to be strong or at least try to be. She had heard her friends, listened to their words of little hope so it was up to her, she had a choice; she could be strong for Mason or she could stay as she had been and be little help to anyone.
With another deep breath she let her eyes flutter open and the hospital lights flooded her vision. “We’re here?” she questioned, trying to hide the desperation behind her words.
Hannah turned to Lily, shock clearly evident on her face. Before she could say anything an ambulance rushed past them, lights and sirens blaring, it was obvious to everyone in the small car where the ambulance had come from. The sound died away and Hannah was left staring at the visibly shaking image of her friend. “We’ll be with him soon,” she confirmed and Lily nodded, watching the empty space where the ambulance had been.
It took a further ten minutes to find a parking space and another twenty minutes to navigate the large car park and find the main entrance. Lily walked quickly and silently, her friends in tow. Her heart was pounding, her body was shaking but she knew she was close, she knew she would soon be at Mason’s side.
Chapter Six
Lily stared at the hospital receptionist, her impatience growing increasingly more prominent with each second that was taken to find details on Mason. He had only been brought in thirty minutes or so before Lily arrived and she couldn’t comprehend how it was taking so long. “Ah yes, his sponsor came in with him, gave the wrong name by the looks of it,” the woman muttered, more to herself than to the frantic looking Lily.
“Sponsor?” Chris questioned, confused.
Lily turned quickly to Chris, a frown on her face. “The person who organizes his races and stuff,” she rushed, without actually knowing if she was right or not, and quickly turned back to the receptionist, “Can I see him?” she asked, desperation obvious in her voice.
“It looks like he’s in surgery,” the receptionist mused, not looking at Lily.
“Surgery?” Lily shouted.
The receptionist looked disapprovingly at her as a number of people in the room turned to look at the commotion. “Are you family?” she asked, ignoring Lily’s shock and sounding bored with the conversation.
Lily paused; she had considered herself a lot of things to Mason but family wasn’t one of them. At the end of the day though she knew that’s what she was, she was Mason’s family. “Yes,” she answered slowly.
The receptionist looked unconvinced, eying Lily suspiciously. Chris took a step forwards, glaring at the woman who was stopping his friend from seeing the man she loved. “We’re all family, can we at least wait for him to come out of surgery?” he said, his words almost coming out as a demand.
Slightly taken aback the receptionist frowned at Chris before her eyes shifted to the growing queue behind the three. “Fine, you can wait with his sponsor in the family waiting room, through those doors, second room on your right, the one marked for emergency patients” she said briskly.
Lily had already taken off at a run the second she had agreed and with Hannah and Chris close on her heels they flew through the doors and into the waiting room. The room was almost completely empty, save for one single man who had his head in his hands. Lily went directly to him, an anger in her eyes she couldn’t even begin to hide, this man was responsible for the crash, she was sure of it.
She stopped in front of him, her once soft brown eyes boring into his covered face. Slowly the man, seemingly in his late thirties, uncovered his face to stare at the new additions to the room. A small smile of recognition crept onto his face as he stared at Lily who in turn frowned at his casual acknowledgement. “Lily,” the man said, there was no uncertainty in his voice, only a slight happiness heavily weighted with his worry.
“How?” Lily gasped, staring the man who looked at her as if he had known her his entire life.
“How could I not know you?” the man chuckled softly.
“You’re Mason’s sponsor?” Lily said the words almost accusingly.
“Yes, my names John,” the man said gently.
“I don’t care,” Lily shot back not caring in the slightest that she was being rude.
The man frowned but nodded solemnly. “I understand, you blame me,” he said, shocking Lily.
“Yes,” she whispered the resolve and anger gone from her voice.
John shuffled to the side as Lily collapsed next to him. “He loves you, you know that right?” John said as comfortingly as he could.
Lily scoffed, her eyes going back to the man who sat awkwardly beside her. “You don’t know him very well,” she said with a humorless laugh.
A small sympathetic smile creased John’s lips. “I’ve been with Mason for four years, I know him well enough, well as much as he lets anyone really know him,” he said with a sigh.
The new information shocked Lily, four years, she could hardly register it. “He left me,” she whispered, not really sure why she was telling the stranger at all.
“He never left you, everything he has done in the last few months has been for you Lily,” John said with a frown.
“What has he done?” Chris chipped in, making Lily realize only now that her two best friends were sat at her side.
John stared at the man a little confused. “You don’t know?” he words were for Lily now. Lily shook her head, sadness filling her; this was just one more secret Mason had kept from her it seemed.
“Of course he hasn’t,” John laughed lightly, shaking his head, “always the same Mason, I’m sure he will tell you though, when he’s out of surgery,” he finished, the humor in his eyes dropping at the last bit.
“I should call his mom,” Lily said, needing now to be out of the room. Hannah looked like she was about to say something but as Lily walked away without another word she stayed quiet.
As soon as she was back in the hall Lily dropped to her knees and leant against the wall, trying to register the new information. She had thought she had known Mason but it seemed she didn’t, he had been living another life away from her, one she knew nothing about. Pulling out her phone she dialed her dad’s number, hoping that despite the extremely late hour he would still pick it.
On the fourteenth ring and just as Lily was about to give up hope the phone connected. “Lily what’s wrong?” her dad said quickly, panic evident in his voice.
Lily paused, she had thought she had been ready to make this call but now as she was faced with it she was far from ready. “Lily?” her dad questioned, more concerned this time.
“Dad,” Lily cried, her voice breaking.
“Lily tell me what’s wrong please,” he begged.
“It’s Mason,” Lily whispered, saying his name was so much more painful than she had ever imagined.
There was a crashing on the other end of the phone and after a small amount of echoed shouting another voice appeared on the line. “What’s happened?” Mason’s mum demanded, “Lily, sweetie, you have to tell me he is ok,” she coaxed down the crackling phone line.
Lily breathed deeply, counting to five quickly in her head and feeling some of her courage return. “There was an accident, Mason is in surgery,” she breathed.
There was silence on the other end of the phone, with no way to comfort Mason’s mum when she could barely comfort herself Lily mumbled the address of the hospital and let the phone drop from her shaking hands. As tears streamed from her eyes she thought about what John had said, he had told her that Mason loved her. However ridiculous the words were they brought the smallest sense of warmth that in the cold sterile hospital corridor Lily couldn’t bear to let go.
Chapter Seven
After three long hours of waiting, the quietest and most awkward three hours of Lily’s life, a doctor finally walked into the small room where the four anxious people were waiting in silence. The moment he entered Lily jumped up from where she had been slumped in her seat, closely followed by John who was still beside her. They looked at the man eagerly as Chris and Hannah watched on, still in their seats and cradling two hour-old cold cups of coffee. “Mason?” Lily questioned quickly, although there were no other people in the room for the doctor to be there for.
The doctor smiled and walked towards where Lily and John stood on the balls of their feet. “The surgery went well, thankfully it was quick with no complications, Mason is just coming around now,” he said with a smile.
Lily’s shoulders dropped, the tension that she hadn’t realized was there, mostly draining out of them. John stepped forwards, a large smile on his face. “Can we see him?” he questioned.
The doctor nodded at him and both Lily and John stepped closer. The doctor frowned, surveying the two people. “Just one,” he said, “For now,” he added when both their faces dropped.
John turned to Lily and with a solemn smile he nodded her forwards. Gratefully Lily darted forwards, hoping to urge the doctor into a quick pace. After two agonizing minutes they reached Mason’s room, Lily reached instinctively out to open the door but the doctor stopped her. Impatiently Lily turned to the man who had a frown on his face, sparking even more panic to arise in her. “Everything is looking good but he is still in a bad way, just be patient with him, he’s a fighter,” the doctor said.