Waiting Fate (18 page)

And then her voice, hoarse and barely audible, mumbled, “Archer?”

“Hey. How are you?” He came the rest of the way into the room, where he could see her more clearly. She was a mess, except her face. Her face didn’t have a scratch on it — she was just as beautiful as ever.

She smiled, slowly, painfully, and he could see that he was wrong; her lip was split on the right side, but not bad enough to need stitches. “I’ve been better.”

He pulled a chair to the side of her bed and took her hand, waiting for her to pull away. When she did, he felt, for the second time that night, that he’d been stabbed with an ice pick.

“Broken thumb,” she gasped.

“
Oh.
Oh, I’m so sorry!”

She shook her head, holding up her other hand. “This one’s okay though.”

Archer took it. The hand was okay but the arm wasn’t. It was covered in mottled red and black bruises. “Can I do anything? Or get you anything?”

Her eyes lit up, hopeful. “Soda? Do you think you could sneak me in soda?”

Archer closed his eyes, chuckling.
Of course she wants soda.
“I’ll see what I can do.” He was gone for a few minutes, and by the time he came back, her eyes were drooping.

“Visiting hours are over in fifteen minutes,” the nurse said as she slipped in behind him. Ivy’s eyes shot open and he could see the panic there. He knew how frightening hospitals must be for her, given the many times she must have been in them because of Vick.

“Can I stay here overnight with her?” Archer asked on a whim, but when he glanced at Ivy she had that you’re-my-hero-smile he loved so much.

“Are you family?”

“He’s my brother.” Ivy’s voice sounded horrible, and she had massive seatbelt burns, appearing from under her neck brace and across the whole left side of her collarbone, and disappearing under her gown.

The nurse smiled. “The couch pulls out into a bed. I’ll find you some blankets.”

“Can we get some more for her, too? She’s shivering.”

The nurse nodded. “It’s shock. We’re treating her but it takes time.”

Well, she’s alone in a hospital. Of course she’s having a hard time
fighting off shock
, Archer thought. The nurse left and he turned back to Ivy, handing her the cup.

“Thank you,” she rasped. “You don’t have to stay. Those couches are massively uncomfortable.”

He winked at her. “I don’t mind.”

She motioned to the TV mounted on the wall. “They don’t have any cartoon channels.” Archer chuckled as he settled himself on the chair next to her and took her good hand, rubbing his thumb back and forth across the smooth skin. Her eyes drifted, the cup in her hand tipping precariously. He saved it just in time, setting it on the bedside table. “Archer?”

“Hmm?”

“Will you hold my hand until I go to sleep? I’m scared,” she whispered.

“Of course. I’ll be here all night.” Not even a minute passed and her shaking stopped. Her breathing leveled out.

The nurse came in with the blankets, smiling when she saw Ivy. “Well, you work wonders. We should have brought you in hours ago.”

“She doesn’t like hospitals,” Archer said.

“Yes, we could kind of see that. She’s a tough little thing.” The nurse handed him the blankets and left, assuring him she’d be back once an hour until her shift was over. Archer turned the TV low and made himself as comfortable as he could in the chair, watching some random Christmas special until he fell asleep, still holding her hand.

He stayed until her parents took her home the next morning, promising before he left that he would check in on her soon. He wasn’t sure where they stood now, and he didn’t want to add pressure by forcing his presence on her before she was ready. He didn’t want to make her feel worse. If it hadn’t been for that worry, they wouldn’t have been able to tear him away from her side. Instead, he stopped by that night, but she was asleep, so he didn’t bother her.

The next morning she sent him a text.
Thank you so much, Archer. You have no idea how you saved me by coming to the hospital.

I’m glad I could help then. How are you feeling?

It took her almost an hour to write him back.
Sorry, fell asleep. Good. Drugged

Archer chuckled. Clearly.
When you’re up to visitors, let me know. I’ve got some flowers here with your name on them
.

You are so sweet. I want to talk to you. I made mistakes. But not until I can stay awake for the whole conversation.

His heart started to pound. Did she mean what he thought she meant? Or did she mean the opposite of what he though she meant, which meant that he was in for a whole lot more hurt? Mistakes could mean anything — she made mistakes telling him she couldn’t see him anymore, or she made mistakes ever kissing him in the first place? Everything hung on what that one word meant.

But what could he do? It wasn’t like he could press her for details now. So he just wrote back,
Whenever you’re ready, let me know. Feel better, Ivy.

Two hours later she wrote him back.
Thanks, Archer.

She texted him on and off for the next few days, but it sounded like she was still pretty drugged and out of it and sleeping as much as possible. He stopped by once, while she was asleep, because he was afraid her flowers were going to die, and Bev told him she was having horrible headaches when she was awake. “They have her on some strong pain pills and an anti-inflammatory. And something to help her sleep.” Bev took a deep breath.

“She’s struggling, but she’ll be okay. She’s tough, our little Ivy,” Jack said, clearing his throat twice before continuing. “Just give her a few more days.”

Bev patted his shoulder. “We’ll let her know you stopped by. She’ll be sad that she missed you.”

****

“I can’t go to Wyoming now,” Archer said desperately.

“One of our grocery stores is way behind deadline and just ran into a major problem. We need you there. It will be for a few days — a week at the most.” His boss said.

“You have no idea how important it is that I be here right now. Can’t you send someone else?”

“What’s so important, Archer? It’s just a couple of days if we send you. If we have to send someone else it will end up being weeks.”

Archer wanted to argue with him, but what could he say?
My not-girlfriend is coming out of a drug-induced stupor and I need to be here to find out if she wants me or not.
Yeah, that’d go over well. In the end, he gave in and packed his bags.

Going to Wyoming for the week. I’ll be back before Christmas. Can we have our talk then?

She sent him back a smiley face.

Seconds later, another one,
Of course. Be careful.

Chapter Sixteen

Desee thought Ivy’s boot was cool. She made a fake one for herself with Ivy’s big snow boot, waddling around after her mama with a delighted grin. “If I wasn’t done with her Christmas shopping already, I would have gotten her a cast for Christmas.” Ivy snickered while she watched Desee attempt to chase Sadi with the boot on. She didn’t get far before she toppled over, giggling. Luckily for her, Sadi wouldn’t leave Ivy’s side for longer than the few minutes it took her to go outside and do her dog business, so Desee had plenty of chances to get up and go after her again. Ivy was highly entertained.

“Well, it’s lucky you got done shopping early. It would have been a lot of fun with that big boot on and all those crazy last minute shoppers,” Bev said as she pulled her shoes on. “We’re going to lunch. Are you going to be okay?”

“Yep. I’ll be fine,” Ivy said. In truth she was still fighting the headaches, but the doctor told her that was normal.

“Desee go.” Boot abandoned, Desee threw her arms up toward her grandma, big hazel eyes pleading.

Ivy opened her mouth to object but Bev beat her to it. “Of course, Desee go. Let’s find your shoes.”

“Mom, she can stay with me. We’ll be fine.”

Bev shook her head as she plopped Desee on the counter to put on her shoes. “The waitresses will be mad at us if we come without Desee.”

“They might spit in my coffee,” Jack said as he came around the corner.

Ivy smirked.

“Sadi wants to go out. Will you be okay to let her back in?” Bev called from the back door.

“Yep.” Ivy smiled. She would always be her mom’s baby, no matter how old she got. She pushed herself away from the kitchen table and hobbled into the living room. Her head was killing her, and if Desee was going to lunch, Ivy was going to take a nap. She was just settling on the couch when she heard the most horrible noise. “What in the world…?” Ivy wondered aloud as she sat up, listening hard.

It was squealing tires and… an inhuman scream. But there was no other sound, so Ivy settled back against the pillows, rubbing the bridge of her nose with her good hand. The drugs were starting to kick in, and she was dozing off when there was a knock at the back door. She ignored it at first, but when it came again, more insistent this time, she struggled off the couch and worked her way slowly to the door.

“Ivy…” It was the neighbor from across the street. She’d never met him but her parents loved him. “I have some bad news.” Ivy’s heart froze and she looked for Sadi. “Your dog… she got hit. She tried to crawl under my truck, I think she was trying to get to me, but I didn’t see her until it was too late… She’s dead.”

Ivy stared at him, unable to think or feel for several seconds. “No,” she finally murmured. “No, we just let her out a few minutes ago. She can’t be dead.”

He shook his head. “I’m so sorry. Would you like me to bring her back here?” But Ivy wasn’t listening. She brushed past him, hobbling as fast as she could go, cursing the fact that her parents had an extremely long driveway. It seemed like, bit by bit, her heart shattered as Sadi’s still form took shape under the gray truck across the street. Ivy started to sob, wishing she could run.

The neighbor — why didn’t she know his name? — laid a hand on her arm. “I’ll bring her to you. Just let me get my wheelbarrow.” Ivy sank to the ground as she watched him walk away, burrowing her face in her hands, unable to stop her cries.

Sadi. Her best friend in the entire world. The one who had been through everything with her. She couldn’t be gone. Ivy
needed
her. Desee needed her. “Please. Please, heaven, don’t take my Sadi,” she whispered.

But when the man came back, Sadi lay awkwardly in his wheelbarrow, blood spilling from her mouth and nose, her eyes rolled back. If not for that, she could have been sleeping. Ivy could see no other marks on her.

She tried to crawl under my truck
.

Meaning she had suffered. The man left her body on the snow-covered grass by the barn. Ivy thanked him, told him she would be fine, and sank onto the frozen ground next to Sadi’s body. When Bev and Jack came home, she was still there, staring silently, unwilling to let Sadi go.

The neighbor, whose name she learned was Shawn, told her parents it was a small white truck that had killed her dog. None of the other neighbors in the area had similar vehicles, so it must have just been a random visitor. Ivy was haunted by the image of Sadi trying to crawl for help every time she closed her eyes. Every time Desee asked for Sadi, Ivy felt like her heart was being smashed with a hammer.
How am I supposed to do this without her?

****

Life, apparently, didn’t care that Ivy couldn’t imagine going on without her faithful pet, and it just kept coming at her. The sun kept rising, it kept setting. Things kept happening.

“Ivy, you have visitors. Can you limp yourself down here?” Jack called up the stairs.

“Coming!” Ivy yelled back.

“Who’s here to see us, do you think?” she asked Desee.

“Archie.”

“No, not Archie. He’s far away. Someone else.” Ivy held Desee’s hand as they walked down the stairs, which was no easy feat with a big boot and a broken thumb. Desee deserted her as soon as they reached the last step, racing around the corner into the living room and skidding to a stop, eyes wide. Silent. Ivy smiled; judging by her reaction, it wasn’t Archer.

“Hi, Desee.” Ivy’s heart lightened. It was Austin. She wondered if any of her friends would come see her… although Austin was about the only one left. Gigi had sent her a text to see if she was okay, but that was it. Ivy limped around the corner, unable to stop the grin from splitting her face.

“Hey, gimp,” Gunner said, rising to his feet from where he and Austin sat on the couch. They were holding pictures of her ruined car — Jack liked to show them off to anyone who would look. Ivy tried her best
not
to see them.

“You came,” Ivy squealed.

“Of course we came. We woulda come sooner but you’ve been pretty out of it.” Austin raised an eyebrow at her, as if insulted that she had doubted them. In truth, she had guessed that Austin would show up sooner or later, but she thought she’d seen the last of Gunner. She thought he hated her. She thought — but she wasn’t going to say any of that. She was just so happy to see them both.

“How are you feelin’?” Austin asked at the same time Gunner said, “You look horrible.” He winked a light brown eye playfully, so she didn’t hit him too hard.

“I’ve been better, but I’m happy to be alive,” Ivy answered honestly.

“So, ya gonna tell us the gory details or what?” Austin asked with a devilish grin.

She rolled her eyes in mock annoyance and launched into all the gory details of her crash, and they listened with the morbid fascination boys seemed to have with strange, life-threatening incidents.

They settled her on the couch and covered her in blankets — too many, but she just giggled as they buried her. “We’ll check in soon. Be more careful from now on, will ya?” Gunner said as they went out the back door.

“Yes, sir.” She waved.

He didn’t hate her. They were still friends. Somehow, the world seemed infinitely brighter now.

****

Ivy was giving Desee a bath. It was December twenty-third and they had lots of parties and things to do the next day, and she wanted Desee to look her best — which meant washing the mashed potatoes out of her hair. Her phone buzzed and she glanced at it over her shoulder, but she couldn’t answer it with her soapy hands. “How do they always know when my hands are wet?” she asked Desee.