The Beginning of Us (196 page)

“Quit the fucking tears, Maddy, and tell me why the fuck you called her.”

I’m standing over her, crowding her space, and I realize she’s still shaking. I grab her arm and walk into the living room. Spinning her around so that she’s facing me, I ask her once more to tell me what the hell is going on.

“When I heard you say that it was about your mom, I had to call and find out what was going on. She’s your mom, Reid. Doesn’t that matter to you?”

“It’s not your fucking business! Doesn’t it matter to you that she disowned both of her sons – that she hasn’t contacted me in the last three years! Doesn’t
that
fucking matter?”

“She’s sick. She’s dying. She needs your help, Reid. You’re her last chance.” Maddy’s practically yelling at this point, but I don’t want to hear what she has to say.

I yell at the top of my lungs, “I don’t care what she needs! She wasn’t there for me when I needed her, for Shane when he needed her. She was our mother, and she just turned her back on us! What kind of mother does that? I never want to hear from her again.”

Maddy’s spine straightens, and she pokes me hard in the chest.

“You’re a fucking selfish bastard! Do you know what I would give to have my parents back in my life? But I can’t, because they’re dead - really and truly dead. Yeah, your mom was a shit for doing what she did, but she’s alive – maybe not for long - and she needs your help, and you’re being an asshole for ignoring her. If there’s even the smallest possibility that you can help her, then you need to do that. What if she dies?”

“She’s already dead as far as I’m concerned!”

“No, she’s not, Reid. She’s alive. My mom is dead. I’ll never have her back again, but you can help yours. I know that if she dies, and you don’t help her, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.”

Her anger is receding slightly, and I almost want to cave, but I don’t.

“There is no way in fucking hell that I am going to her. Do you understand me? Losing your parents doesn’t give you a license to do whatever the hell you want in my life. It sucks that your parents are dead, but they never hurt you like mine did to me. Making me talk to my mother isn’t going to bring yours back, so cut this fucking Mother Teresa shit and get over yourself. The world doesn’t revolve around you and your pain, Maddy. Just because my life isn’t the same as yours doesn’t mean that you’re better than me. How dare you fucking judge me!”

“You know what? No, I’ll never understand how anyone could turn their back on their mother, because that’s something I would
never
do. And is it so horrible of me that I want you to do the right thing, to be the man I know you are? You’re wrong, Reid, and no matter how much I love you, I can’t stand beside you while you let your mother die.”

We’re saying ugly, evil, mean things to each other. My throat hurts from yelling and screaming, and Maddy looks exhausted at the energy she’s spending trying to convince me to talk to my mom.

She practically runs to the door and grabs my keys off the side table. “I can’t stay here with you. I’ll be back later when you calm the fuck down and hopefully come to your senses.” With that, she storms out.

I pull the bottle of champagne that I bought earlier out of the fridge. 

Don’t have much to celebrate now
.

I walk out to the balcony and gaze up at the stars. Popping the cork out into the night sky, I slink back into the chair on the balcony and stretch my legs out onto the railing. I finish the bottle in minutes and move on to the mini-bar. When that’s empty, I head down to the bar and try to drown my anger.

It doesn’t work, and when I stumble back into the hotel room sometime around 3 a.m., I pass out without even registering that Maddy is not beside me.

Chapter 19

Reid

Somewhere off in the distance, I hear pounding, banging. My head is foggy from the alcohol. The piercing light coming in from the windows is painful. I never drink, and this hangover is massive.

I look next to me, but Maddy isn’t there. Maybe she’s on the couch? I don’t remember hearing her come in last night, but then again, after my fifth shot of whiskey, I didn’t remember much of anything. Looking over at the bedside clock, I realize it’s already past eleven. She’s been gone for nearly twelve hours! I try to get out of bed, but my legs are unsteady as the room spins. When I get to the living room and see that the couch is empty, I sober and my stomach tightens. 

She never came back.

When I hear the banging again, worry sets it. Trying to calm down, I tell myself that it’s probably Maddy. I don’t think she had a room key on her. I walk my wobbly legs to the door and look through the peephole, and the world fades away. I unlock the door and nearly crumple to the floor when the police officer flashes his badge as he introduces himself and his partner.

“I’m Officer Rivera, and this is my partner Officer Murphy. Can we come in?”

I don’t say anything. I just move to the side and let them enter.

“Is your name Reid Connely?” Officer Rivera asks, but it seems like he already knows the answer, so I just nod in return. “And do you own a 2008 black Ford Mustang?” he continues.

“Yes, I do, officer, but I haven’t driven it since last night.” They take stock of my appearance. I’m sure I look like a hot mess, and I can guarantee that I smell like the pint of whiskey I drank last night.

“Was that before or after you were intoxicated, young man?” Officer Murphy nods his chin over at the small coffee table, which is littered with tiny bottles of mini-bar liquor.

“It was before -- I swear. My girlfriend and I got into a fight, and she took my car to get some fresh air. She…oh, God…please tell me that she’s okay. Where is she?” Tears are burning in my eyes, and a huge lump is forming in my throat.

She has to be safe. I can’t lose her -- please tell me that they’re here because they thought she stole my car or something. Please let her be okay.

“I’m sorry, son, but she was in an accident last night…”

The rest of his words fade off in the background as I collapse to my knees. I hold my head in my hands and sob wildly. No! No! No! This can’t be happening. I feel my heart break in my chest as I think about her being hurt.

I feel a hand at my back and see another reach around to help me up. Officer Rivera says, “She’s alive but in critical condition. She’s at St. Francis Hospital. We’ve been trying get in contact with you all morning. When we reached her next of kin, Melanie Crane, she gave us your number and told us that you were staying here. We’ve been trying to call the room and your cell, but there was no answer. If you’d like, we can take you there to see her. Ms. Crane is on her way as we speak.”

I numbly drag some clothes on and get myself together to leave with the officers. I can’t do this; I can’t face the possibility of her not surviving. I was such an asshole to her last night, too. I need to see her, to apologize to her, to tell her I love her. She can’t leave me. This can’t be happening.

*****

I enter the hospital, and I’m immediately assaulted with the harsh, biting smell of antiseptic. It burns my nostrils and eyes, but I’d be lying if I said that it was the only thing causing my tears. If I thought I’d felt pain before, I was kidding myself. Maddy is the strong one; Maddy is the light to my darkness. I need her like I need my next breath, and even the mere thought of losing her stills my heart.

Mindlessly, I hit the call button on the elevator and go up to the third-floor ICU waiting room. A nurse comes up to me, but I can barely acknowledge her presence.

“Sir? Can I help you?” Her voice drifts in through the fog of pain and worry that’s engulfing me.

“Madeleine Becker. My Maddy’s here. I need to see her.”

“Are you family?” No, but she’s mine – she’s my everything.

I just shake my head as the tears stream from my eyes. “No, I’m not. She’s my girlfriend. We’re supposed to be on vacation…” My words drift off, and the nurse escorts me over to some chairs.

“Wait here, and I’ll see what I can do for you.”

She moves over to the nurse’s station and flips through a few files. In a few short minutes she’s walking back to me, her face unreadable, her demeanor calm and even.

“She’s in critical but stable condition. The severe concussion caused some brain swelling, so she’s unconscious right now, but she might be able to hear you. Would you like to see her for a few minutes?”

I don’t know why I’m allowed to see her since I’m not family, but I assume that Melanie must have had something to do with it. I just follow the nurse to a small, dimly lit room.

I hear the constant beep of some machine in the background as my eyes land on Maddy’s battered and broken body lying on the bed. There are tubes and needles coming out of and going into each arm. Her head is bandaged and bloody. Her left arm is in a cast up to her elbow. Her beautiful face is bruised and swollen. A fresh stream of tears pours from my already bloodshot eyes at the sight of her in this condition.

I walk to the side of the bed, and horror sets in. What if she doesn’t wake up? What if she dies?

I hear the nurse start to explain some things. “Her face looks worse than it is. The bruising is mainly from the air bag, but her nose and right orbital bone are broken from the impact. Right now, we just have to wait for her to wake up.”

I wipe the tears away from my eyes, not at all ashamed of my inability to control my sadness. “When will that be?”

“We’ll just have to wait and see. Hopefully, it will be soon. Sit and talk to her. It might help.”

The nurse exits, leaving just Maddy and me in the room. I pull the chair up next to her bed and sit beside her.  I take her frail hand in mine and pull it up to my lips. I taste the salt of my tears, and I break down.

“Maddy, baby, please wake up. I’m so sorry, baby. I take back all those horrible things I said before you left. Baby, I’m so, so sorry. Please, please come back to me. Maddy…” My voice is lanced in pain and spiked with emotion. It sounds foreign even to my own ears.

After a few minutes, the nurse returns to tell me that someone else is here to see her. Melanie.

When I walk back out into the waiting room, Melanie races into my arms. Tears are streaming down her freckled face.

“What happened, Reid? Please tell me she’s going to be all right! I was so scared when they called. Where were you when this happened? How come they couldn’t get in touch with you?” She’s in a frenzied panic, and I’m so afraid to tell her that it was all my fault.

I’m lost to my pain and guilt. I collapse to floor in front of her, sliding down the length of the wall behind me. Melanie sits down with me and pulls my hands into hers. She prompts me to start talking, and I put together what I can.

“We got into a fight. I said some really shitty things. She left because she was mad at me. I went and got drunk because I was so angry. I didn’t even realize she was gone until the cops showed up at the hotel this morning.”

There’s no need to elaborate any more. The bottom line is that it’s my fault she’s here, just like it’s my fault that Shane is dead. Why do I cause people so much suffering? Why am I such a screw-up? If I just would have listened to her, agreed to have her help me face my past, to help my mom, then she’d be safe. We’d probably be making love, basking in the afterglow. But instead we’re here, waiting for her to wake up and return to us.

I’m crying again, or still, and Mel slides over next to me and leans her head on my shoulder. “It’ll all be okay, Reid. She’s stronger than anyone I know. She has to be okay.” Mel is then lost to her own tears, and we’re holding on to each other through the painful thoughts of losing the person who is most important to both of us.

When Mel calms down slightly, she stands and pulls me up with her. Vaguely, I realize that Cammie is sitting in the chairs in front of us. She offers up a small smile of sympathy.

“I’m going to see if I can visit her now.” Mel walks off to the nurse’s station, and I slink down into the chair beside Cammie.

I lose the battle with my emotions yet again, and I break down. Cammie holds me and tries to calm me down, but it’s pointless, really. The only person who has ever been able to help me with my emotions is unconscious in the next room – all because of me.

“I fucked up so bad, Cam. I said such horrible things to her. Oh, God, what if she doesn’t wake up? What if I lose her? I can’t…” I begin hyperventilating at the thought of losing Maddy. She’s my world, and without her I know I’ll return to the shadow of a man I once was.

“Shh. Shh. It’s okay, Reid. She’ll be okay.” She holds my shoulders and pulls away from me; she looks me in the eyes and says, “Reid, sometimes we say horrible things to the people we love the most. You can really only hurt the ones you love. I’m not saying Maddy is just going to up and forgive you, but you love her, so you’ll do everything in your power to make it up to her. And because she loves you, she’ll let you.” She smiles a small playful smile, trying to lighten the mood, but nothing will lighten my darkness, nothing but Maddy.

*****

A few hours later, Mrs. Crane shows up, disheveled and tear-stained. Mel fills her in on all the details, and they cry with one another at the thought of Maddy suffering, of her not waking up. We’re all huddled together in the waiting room. Jack is here, too. He drove Cammie and Mel. It’s not all that shocking that neither one of the girls would have been able to make the drive by herself. Lia and Logan were already on their way home for the first part of winter break, so they couldn’t make the drive with everyone else. Cammie has been on her phone pretty much the entire time she’s been here, filling everyone in on Maddy’s progress.