The Ultimate Betrayal (17 page)

B
y the time Melanie had slipped on her shoes and thrown on her jacket, her nerves had settled some, so she'd driven herself to the hospital. That's what she'd thought, anyway—that she hadn't needed the officers to take her. But now as she drove through the parking lot searching for an open spot, her nerves flared up again. What if Brad was in critical condition? What if he died? She was so sorry for the things she'd said to him over the last few weeks and the nasty voice messages she'd left him this afternoon. It was just that she'd been so upset about the way he'd betrayed her.

Melanie found a parking spot one row away from the hospital, got out, and strolled quickly to the entrance. There was a twentysomething woman standing at the reception window, and the waiting room was busier than usual. There were also a couple of babies crying, and Melanie hoped they soon quieted down because all the noise was making her more anxious.

Melanie waited behind the woman who was still answering questions and looked toward the sliding doors to see if Phillip or her dad had arrived. She'd called both of them while on her way, and she needed them. Normally, her nursing background kept her medical worries at bay, but strangely enough, she was scared out of her mind about Brad. She'd felt the same way the night her dad had gone into surgery, but for some reason, this felt worse.

When the woman walked away to take a seat, Melanie stepped forward.

“Hi, my husband, Brad Richardson, was just brought in by ambulance.”

The middle-aged receptionist checked her computer. “Yes, the doctors are in with him now, and I'll let them know you're here.”

Melanie reluctantly walked over to the waiting area and sat down. She felt restrained, the same as she had when her dad had been rushed to the ER. It was hard knowing she was medically qualified to work side by side with the other nurses and doctors who were taking care of Brad. But she also knew they couldn't allow her to see him unless he was stable, and that they'd want to have a solid diagnosis before updating her.

She pulled out her phone to see if she had any missed calls from her dad or Phillip, but when she looked up she saw them walking in.

Andrew seemed almost out of breath. “I got here as fast as I could, sweetheart.”

She stood and hugged him. “Thank you, Dad, and why don't you sit down.”

Her father didn't argue, and Melanie hugged Phillip.

“What happened?” Phillip asked.

“All I know is that someone ran a red light and hit Brad. That's all the officers told me.”

“I've been praying for him ever since you called, and I know he'll be fine.”

Melanie hoped Phillip was right, because suddenly, none of their problems and none of what they'd been bickering about mattered. All Melanie wanted was for Brad to be okay so they could make up and start their marriage fresh. It was amazing how even when a person had done things to hurt you, it didn't affect you quite as profoundly when you thought you might lose them.

“I wish they'd come out and tell us something,” Melanie said, leaning her head against the wall.

“I'm sure we'll hear something soon,” Andrew said, patting her thigh.

It was then that Melanie thought about something. Where was her mother?

“Where's Mom?”

“Oh…She's home…She said she wasn't feeling well.”

Melanie didn't question him any further, but she knew her mom was lying about being ill. There wasn't a single thing wrong with her, and the reason she hadn't shown up was because she never saw a reason to support Melanie with anything. Melanie also knew that her mother wasn't happy about how close Melanie and her father were getting.

Phillip pulled out his phone when he heard it beep, but it must have been his email signal. “I tried calling Alicia, but I couldn't get her. What time was she over at your place?”

“Maybe four hours ago.”

Melanie could tell he didn't know about her and Alicia's fight, so she didn't say anything.

Phillip scrunched his eyebrows. “That's strange. Her phone went straight to voice mail, so let me try again.”

Melanie wasn't too happy with Alicia right now, so she honestly couldn't have cared less whether she answered or not. Still, because she saw a hint of worry in Phillip's eyes, she hoped Alicia wasn't doing something she shouldn't. Just this afternoon, Melanie had been thinking about this very thing, but once again, she told herself Alicia wouldn't stoop to such levels.

Phillip dialed Alicia's number. “It's still going straight to voice mail.”

Melanie acted as though she didn't hear him, because if she looked at him or made any comments, she feared that Phillip might detect her suspicions. There was no way Alicia would have another affair, and certainly not with Levi. She was capable of acting out in other shocking ways, but she wouldn't sleep with another man. Melanie replayed her thoughts, trying to convince herself she was right, but the gnawing questions in the pit of her stomach made her uneasy.

Another half hour passed, and one of the ER nurses walked over to the waiting room. “I'm looking for the family of Brad Richardson.”

Melanie stood up. “I'm his wife. Is he okay?”

“We've got him stabilized, but if you'll follow me, Dr. Romalati will explain more.

Melanie felt a bit relieved when she heard Dr. Romalati's name, then she turned to her dad and Phillip. “I'll let you guys know what's going on as soon as I can.”

“We'll be here,” Andrew said.

Phillip nodded. “Tell my buddy we're praying for him. I'm also getting ready to call my father-in-law.”

“Thanks,” she said.

When the nurse swiped her hospital badge to open the door, Melanie followed her toward the ER nurses' station. She saw Dr. Romalati right away.

He reached out his hand. “Melanie, how are you?”

“I've certainly had better days.”

“I'm sure. Well, as Gina probably told you, we have your husband stabilized, but he hit his head pretty hard against the driver's-side window. And he has a concussion. Of course, those are very common, but when we did the scan we noticed a little brain swelling, so I want to keep him sedated until it's gone. It's not a lot of swelling, but we'll keep him under with propofol just to be safe. I'm guessing we'll be able to bring him out of it by tomorrow evening. At the latest, the day after.”

“And there wasn't any bleeding?” she asked.

“No, that's the best news of all. He does have quite a few bruises, but nothing was broken. Brain swelling is nothing to play with, but he certainly could have ended up much worse. The woman who hit him was intoxicated, and her daughter didn't make it.”

“Oh my God,” Melanie said. “The officers didn't tell me that. How awful.”

“It's very sad, and this never should have happened. If only people would stop drinking and driving. Brad is very blessed to be alive. If she'd hit him on the driver's side instead of the passenger's, we might be having a very different conversation.”

“Thank God that didn't happen.”

“In a few days, I think Brad will be fine. I'm sending him to neuro ICU, though, so we can monitor him closely. But you can go in to see him now…although first, please tell me how you're doing. You know, with your sodium and potassium?”

“Good. Haven't had any more problems.”

“That's good to hear,” he said, eyeing her from head to toe. “Are you eating three meals a day?”

Melanie liked Dr. Romalati, but this wasn't the time to be asking her about her diet. Brad had been hurt, and that's all they should have been discussing.

“I am,” she said.

“I hope you are.”

Melanie half expected him to comment on her weight loss, but he didn't and she was relieved.

“I'll let you go in to see your husband, and then I'll be back to check on him before we send him to the ICU. His room is two doors down,” he said, pointing.

“Thank you for everything, doctor.”

“You're quite welcome,” he said. “You hang in there, and take good care of yourself.”

Dr. Romalati sounded more worried about her than he did about Brad, but Melanie ignored his comment and walked down to her husband's room. When she opened the door, she saw one nurse jotting down his vitals from the monitors and another adjusting his blankets, making sure he wasn't too cold. They both smiled at Melanie but didn't say anything.

Melanie walked up to the side of the bed where neither nurse was standing. She read the monitors, glanced at his IV bags, and looked at Brad again. His face was swollen and bruised pretty badly, and so was his left arm. Melanie stared at him, and tears filled her eyes. She truly loved her husband, and she didn't want to live without him.
Please, God, let him be okay. Please heal his body completely.

Melanie caressed the top of his hand, the one he didn't have a needle in, and she thanked God that Brad hadn't been killed. She also thanked God for allowing this tragedy to open her eyes. She no longer cared about all the money Brad had lost or the things he'd said about her to her father and Alicia. She just wanted him to get well. And when he did, Brad and their marriage would be her top priority.

A
fter falling out with Melanie, Alicia had called Levi as soon as she'd driven out of the subdivision. Her emotions had scurried in far too many directions, but Levi had talked her down and reminded her that Melanie was ill. He'd insisted that Alicia needed to remember that and recognize that folks with eating disorders were sometimes just as defensive as drug addicts. He'd also explained that the reason Melanie was lashing out at her and Brad was because she was in denial. It had taken Alicia a while to settle her anger, but because Levi's voice had soothed her soul and given her peace, she'd ended up driving to his house. She'd had such a stressful afternoon that she'd needed to see him. Needed to lie in his arms the way she was now. Then, the manner in which he'd made such beautiful love to her had left her spellbound. It was as though she'd been hypnotized and not much else mattered except the two of them.

Alicia lay as close to Levi as she could, with her stomach touching his side. Her head rested in the fold of his arm.

“Thank you,” she said.

“For what?”

“Being there for me today. Helping me get through a very tough time.”

“That's what I'm here for, and I'm glad you called me.”

Alicia wondered what time it was, and she almost didn't want to know. As it was, she'd shut her phone off, making sure all incoming calls went to voice mail. There was no doubt that Phillip had tried contacting her more than once, but she was already brainstorming what lies she would tell him when she got home. He wouldn't be happy, not with her spending so many hours away from him two days in a row, but somehow she would get him to believe her story.

“I wish I could stay here forever,” she said.

“If you hadn't gotten married, you could. You really made things difficult for us.”

“I realize that now, but it won't stop us from being together.”

Levi didn't say anything.

“Right?” she said.

“I was serious about what I asked you today. So when are you getting a divorce?”

“Baby, why do you keep bringing that up when you know it's not that simple?”

“Because I've done a lot of thinking and a lot of soul-searching. What I thought about most was how I keep telling people that I've changed. How I'm living the way God wants me to live. Yet at the same time, I'm sleeping with a married woman.”

“Wow, so does that mean you're dumping me?” she said, walking her fingers across his chest and chuckling.

“I know you think this is some kind of joke, but I'm serious. I won't keep doing this to Phillip, to myself, or to God.”

For the first time ever, Levi had spoken Phillip's name. It was almost as if he was purposely acknowledging him in some way. Alicia had no idea why he was being so deep all of a sudden. When she'd arrived, he'd been watching a pastor preaching on one of the Christian networks, so maybe he'd heard something that made him feel guilty.

“Why can't we just lie here and enjoy ourselves?” she said.

“Because we have a lot to talk about. You have a decision to make, and things won't be right until you do.”

“Maybe in time,” she said, hoping this would satisfy him.

“That's not good enough. Do you remember when we were seeing each other before, and I told you I wouldn't keep being with you if you didn't get a divorce?”

Alicia sighed loudly.

“Well, I meant it then, and I mean it even more today.”

“Why can't you try to understand what this is like for me? I really hurt Phillip the last time, and I don't think he could take something like that again.”

Levi pulled slightly away from her and turned her cheek so that she was looking at him. “I love you with every ounce of my being, but I won't keep sleeping with another man's wife.”

“And you just decided that today, I guess.”

“I've been thinking about it all along. When I first got out, I was just happy to see you and spend time with you. But when we got together yesterday I was sure you were planning to tell Phillip the truth. The way we made love, all the things we professed to each other…I thought it was a done deal. Until you showed me something different on the phone today.”

“Baby, please try to understand. I love you too much to lose you.”

“Then, sweetheart, do the right thing. Handle your business.”

They lay there in silence for what seemed an eternity. Alicia finally asked him a question.

“So have you decided on a location for your restaurant?”

“Yeah, I think so. It's about five miles north of Mitchell's city limits, so I'll also be looking for another house to rent. Something closer to there.”

Alicia had been hoping he wouldn't complain about her changing the subject, and she was glad to move on to a better conversation. Levi was excited about opening his new establishment, though, so he never minded talking about it.

“I can't wait to see it.”

“It's very nice and spacious, which is what I need. I've also interviewed three different chefs from the Chicago area, because in addition to great customer service, great food is the key to a successful restaurant. You can't have just a few delicious items. Everything on the menu has to be perfect.”

“Very true.”

“To get a top chef with experience, I'll have to pay them very well, but it'll be worth it,” he said, pulling his cell phone from the nightstand when he heard it ringing. “Hmmm, I wonder what D.C. wants.”

Alicia sat straight up, staring at him. Levi had assured her he wouldn't tell anyone about them, but just the fact that D.C. knew her father made her nervous.

“Hey, man, what's up?” Levi said. “…Not much, just chillin' at the house…Really? Why?…Is that right? Well, I can't help you with that one…wish I could, but you know the deal…No problem, man, and let's try to hook up in the next couple of days. Grab a bite or somethin'…Tomorrow's good for me, too…I'll just drive over to Mitchell and we can decide when I get there…See you then…Be safe, man.”

Levi set his phone down, and Alicia breathed freely. Thank goodness D.C. hadn't been calling about her.

Levi looked at her. “I hate to tell you this, but your dad is looking for you.”

“What? D.C. told you that? What did he say?”

“That your dad asked him to call me to see if I knew where you were.”

“This is crazy. What else did he say?”

“Not much. When I told him I couldn't help him with that, he was through with it. I will tell you this, though. D.C. is a good friend, and I don't like lying to him. Not telling him something is one thing, but lying to him is something different.”

“But you know we have to keep this between us.”

“For how long?”

“For as long as we need to,” she said, looking at the clock on the nightstand. “I didn't realize it was so late. I really have to get going.”

Levi picked up the remote and turned on the television.

“Did you hear me?” she said, wondering why he hadn't pulled her closer and kissed her the way he normally did. There had never been a time when she'd told him she was getting ready to leave that he hadn't stopped her and made love to her again. But now, he barely looked at her.

Alicia lay back down, kissing him until he pushed her away.

“I don't like this,” he said.

Alicia sat up again. “What are you talking about?”

Levi sat up, too, stacking two pillows behind him. “You and I spending a few hours together whenever we can and you running back home to a husband you don't love.”

“What changed since yesterday?”

“I told you, I thought you'd made up your mind to tell Phillip the truth.”

“At some point I will, but I can't say when. It's gonna take some time.”

“Baby, that's all fine and well, but I won't keep doing this forever. You're going to have to make a choice, and I'm giving you a month. Either divorce your husband and marry me, or forget about us altogether.”

“Oh, so all that talk about how you were never going to give up on being with me and how you didn't want to live your life without me…what was that?”

“I meant it. I didn't give up on trying to see you, which is why we finally saw each other yesterday. I also don't want to live my life without you, but I will if I have to.”

Alicia swung her legs over the side of the bed and got up. She wrapped the silk robe around her body, the one Levi had surprised her with, and tied it. “Well, isn't this an interesting turn of events. You knew what my situation was, so if you couldn't deal with it, why didn't you just leave me alone?”

“Because we're in love with each other. You wanted me to find you, and that's why you're here.”

“You're wrong for this.”

“No, we're both wrong. So you need to leave your husband or we have to end things.”

Alicia's heart ached already. Why was Levi doing this?

She walked around to his side of the bed and sat facing him. “Baby, why can't we just—”

Levi interrupted her. “I meant what I said. I love you, but if you don't take care of this, I'm done. I won't continue doing to another man what I don't want done to myself.”

They gazed into each other's eyes. Alicia had never heard him speak with so much conviction. She could tell he'd never been more serious about anything—at least not with her, and his words struck her greatly. She tried not to cry in front of him, but when she did, he pulled her close and held her. As always, she felt loved and protected, and she didn't want to leave him. But sadly, she didn't have a choice. Regrettably, her home was with Phillip.