Chapter 34
Chapter Thirty-Four
Aubrey
I spent the next few days thinking about what Dr. Perry said. As I stood in the bathroom, in front of the mirror, I placed my hand on it and held it there for a few moments. Thoughts about what I looked like invaded my head. There was a question I needed an answer to, so I called in sick to work and headed over to Ethan’s office. If he wasn’t there, I’d wait for him.
Using the app his company developed, I easily found my way up to his office. Using my cane for guidance, I walked down the hallway until I stopped at a desk.
“May I help you?” a woman’s voice asked.
“Is this Ethan Klein’s office?”
“Yes, it is. Do you have an appointment with him?”
“No. But I need to speak with him if he's in there.”
“He’s on a phone conference at the moment. May I ask your name?”
“Aubrey Callahan.”
“Oh my gosh. It’s so nice to meet you finally. I’m Lucy, Mr. Klein’s secretary.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Lucy.” I smiled.
“As soon as he’s finished with his call, I’ll let him know you’re here. I’m sorry to say this, but he’s been an absolute nightmare since—well, you know.”
“Since we stopped seeing each other?”
“Yes. Don’t get me wrong. He’s always been a nightmare, but since he met you, he became a different person, which was nice while it lasted. Gee, maybe I shouldn’t have said that. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I understand. He can be a difficult man.”
“That’s an understatement.”
“LUCY!” I heard the door open, and his harsh and authoritative voice spoke. “Aubrey?” His voice calmed.
“Hello, Ethan.”
My nerves were getting the best of me.
“What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be at school?”
“I took the day off. I need to speak with you.”
“Sure. Come on in.”
“First, you need to apologize to your secretary for yelling her name the way you did,” I bravely spoke as I stood there.
“Lucy, I apologize for being so abrupt.”
“It’s fine, Mr. Klein.”
I walked into his office, and he shut the door. A feeling of sickness rose in the pit of my stomach.
“Are you standing in front of me?” I asked.
“Yes. I am.” His hand lightly touched my arm.
“I have a question for you, and I want an honest answer.”
“Okay.”
“Could you be with me if I never got my eyesight back?”
“Yes, Aubrey. Of course, I could, and I would. The only thing that matters to me is being with you. Fuck. Do you have any idea how hard this has been for me? How many times I’ve wanted to reach out to you? But I couldn’t because I was afraid you’d tell me to go to hell after what I’d done.”
“I do know because I’ve felt the same way. I’m sorry, Ethan, for the horrible things I said to you. I had no right getting so angry the way I did.”
“Sweetheart, I had no right to contact Dr. Marchetti without speaking to you first.” He took hold of my hand. “I’ve missed you so much, but I wanted to give you as much space and time as you needed. I’ve been miserable without you.”
“So have I, and I’m sorry.”
“I’m sorry too, baby. I really am.”
I felt his arms wrap tightly around me.
“I need you to forgive me, Aubrey.”
“I do, and I need you to forgive me. There’s a reason why I became so upset with you, and we can talk about that later.”
“Listen, nothing in this world matters to me more than being with you. I need you in my life.”
“And I need you, Ethan. I would like you to do something for me.”
“I’ll do anything for you.”
“I want you to call Dr. Marchetti and set up an appointment to see him. I’ll sign the papers so he can get my medical report from the accident because I’m ready to see if he can help me.”
“Aubrey, let’s just forget about him. I never should have contacted him in the first place. I want you just the way you are.”
“I appreciate that, but this is my decision, and I’m ready to do this. I want to do it for me.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. I’m positive.”
His grip around me tightened before he broke our embrace, and our lips locked in a passionate kiss.
“I love you so much, Aubrey Callahan.”
“I love you too, Ethan.” I smiled.
Before I knew it, he swooped me up and carried me out of his office.
“Lucy, clear my schedule. I’m taking the rest of the day off, and I don’t want to be disturbed. Call Harry and have him pull the car around.”
“Have a great day, Mr. Klein,” she spoke with excitement.
“What are you doing?” I giggled.
“I’m taking you back to my house, and we’re spending the rest of the day in bed. We have a lot of making up to do.” He kissed my lips.
“I love that idea.” I smiled.
Ethan called Dr. Marchetti and set my appointment for next Thursday. I spoke with the principal of the school and arranged to have Thursday and Friday off so I could travel to Boston. Dr. Marchetti said that we’d have the consultation on Thursday and schedule the surgery for Friday morning. The night before Ethan and I left, we had a goodbye dinner with my Aunt Charlotte, Mr. Morris, Ian and Rigby, and Penelope.
“I’m so proud of you for doing this.” My aunt hugged me tight. “And even if it doesn’t work, it’s okay.”
“I know, and I’m not getting my hopes up. But I have to try.”
After saying our goodbyes, Ethan and I went back to my apartment to get my bags and take them back to his house, where we would spend the night and head to the airport first thing in the morning.
Walking into the hospital, nervousness engulfed me. My life could change drastically in a matter of a day, and I wasn’t sure how to cope with it. Don’t get me wrong; this was what I wanted, but I was still scared.
“Aubrey, it’s so good to meet you finally. Come here. I feel the need to give you a hug.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Dr. Marchetti. Thank you for agreeing to see me.”
“Of course. Please have a seat.”
Ethan led me over to the chairs and then sat next to me, holding my hand the entire time.
“Okay,” Dr. Marchetti spoke. “The first thing we need to do is an ultrasound of your eyes so I can get a better idea of what’s going on. I know that the optic nerves in both eyes have been severed from the accident, but I need to see if there is anything else we’re dealing with. So, let’s go across the hall and get this started.”
Walking across the hall into another room, he had me sit down while bringing a machine up to my eyes.
“You have a lot of scar tissue that has formed, which is normal, and there’s a lot of inflammation. Once we remove the scar tissue and reduce the inflammation, I will inject the severed nerves with mutation cells, including stem cells, to get the nerves to regenerate. Now, I want you to know that it could take several months for you to get your vision back completely. There is a small chance, Aubrey, that this might not work. You could still either be completely blind, or you may have some residual sight.”
“I understand, Dr. Marchetti. Even if it doesn’t work, I’m okay with it because this is how I’ve lived my life. It working would only be a bonus. But trust me, I’m not getting my hopes up.”
“Okay.” He patted my hand. “Let’s do this. Be back here tomorrow morning at five a.m. We’ll get you prepped and in surgery at six. It should take around four to five hours for the procedure.”
“Are you okay?” Ethan asked as he held me tight after we made love.
“I’m fine.”
“Are you sure? You’ve been quiet all day.”
“I’m just a little scared.”
He kissed the top of my head.
“I know you are, and I’d be worried if you weren’t. But everything is going to be okay. Even if it doesn’t work, you would have lost nothing.”
“I know.”
“I love you, sweetheart, and I will be right here by your side no matter what happens. I will support you, love you, and give you everything you need and want. You’re stuck with me for life, whether you want to be or not.”
I couldn’t help but let out a light laugh. “I love you, and there’s no other person in the world that I would rather be stuck with.” I lifted my head and kissed his lips.
“Good. Now, let’s get some sleep. You have a very big day tomorrow.”
“Good night, Ethan.” I lay my head back on his chest. “I love you.”
“I love you too, baby. Good night.”