Chapter 23
Xander
Charlotte won’t talk to me or text me back. All weekend I try, but she won’t budge. When Sunday comes around, the guys knock on my hotel door and drag me out to the coffee shop.
“Vivian said she told Charlotte to talk to you,” Chase claims.
“Well, Charlotte isn’t listening.” I sink back into the booth.
“Eventually, she has to talk to you. You two work together,” Jamison points out.
I shake my head. “She will tell me to keep it professional, I bet. That’s what she tried to do last time.”
Noah is sitting across from me. “I know that phrase way too well.”
I roll my eyes at him.
He turns to Chase. “What’s up with you and Vivian? You aren’t playing here, are you?”
“Will everyone stop asking me that? I am not playing with Vivian,” Chase insists.
“Then what is going on between you two? I don’t need Piper upset with me over whatever you’re doing with her.” Noah scowls at him.
Chase shakes his head. “Yeah, well she refuses to talk to me until Friday, so tell Piper to line up on the list of people pissed at me.”
“What did you do?” Noah asks angrily.
“I’m not getting into it. I’m a dick, I need to talk to her; she won’t let me until Friday. End of story.” Chase looks away hurt.
“What’s up with you and Quinn?” I ask Jamison, trying to give Chase a break.
“Another good question. What are you doing, Jamison?” Noah raises an eyebrow in question.
He is about to answer when Noah says, “Keep your cool, Xander.”
I soon find out why he said that.
“Wow! I never thought I would find the four of you in Chicago!” Billie beams at us.
I groan, and Noah gives me a “be nice” look.
Billie pulls up a chair next to our booth.
This would be my luck. For six months, I was desperate to find this woman, and now I want nothing to do with her, but she keeps popping up.
I try to think of something civil to say. “Good to see you sober, Billie.” I fail.
She waves her hand. “Like I’ve never had you kiss me when you were drunk. Don’t act like a saint, Xander.”
I gape in disbelief. “We were dating when that happened, and it was over a dozen years ago.”
She laughs. “Big deal.”
“It is a big deal. My girlfriend won’t talk to me right now.”
Billie cringes. “Hey, sorry. I didn’t mean to cause any problems. You know how I am when I’m drinking.”
Has she not grown up at all in over twelve years?
“Do you want me to talk to her? Tell her I was intoxicated and just having a bit of fun?”
God, no. “No, I do not want you to talk to my girlfriend.”
She shrugs. “Suit yourself. So, what are you all doing in Chicago?”
“Chase and I are visiting. Noah and Xander live here,” Jamison offers.
“What are you doing here?” I ask her.
“Just visiting. I live out in California now. My husband is a producer in Hollywood.”
So that’s where she went.
“Wait! You’re married, and you kissed me?”
She waves her hand at me again. “I don’t know why you’re making such a big deal about this. Honestly. We used to do a lot more than kiss.”
Noah’s eyes widen, and he covers his mouth, stifling a laugh.
“And what would your husband say about that?” I’m not into kissing married women.
Billie throws her head back in gales of laughter. “It’s the twenty-first century. Just because you’re married doesn’t mean you can’t have some innocent fun on the side.”
This is the woman I obsessed about for six months? I am the biggest asshole on earth.
I suddenly have an immense feeling of gratitude we broke up when we did.
“Innocent fun? Is that what you call it?” I snarl at her.
“Since when did you get so uptight, Xander? You used to be fun, from what I remember. Well, before you got into med school.”
I feel nothing but disgust.
Jamison jumps in. “You like California?”
“Yes, it’s great. Hey, Valeria has made it big-time. I keep hoping I run into her out in Hollywood but so far no luck. My husband wants to have her in one of his films soon.”
Jamison nods. “Yes, she’s done well. I think she’s booked for the next eighteen months on several projects, so he might want to get in line. She’s being selective on her roles nowadays.”
“You still with Jennifer, Chase?” Billie asks.
Chase’s jaw tightens. “Not in eight years.”
“Oh, that’s too bad. She was a sweet girl.”
Chase snorts, and Noah jumps in and steers the conversation onto another topic as I stop listening.
This stroll down memory lane sucks.
The guys continue to talk with her, and I stare at my napkin. I cannot believe I obsessed over Billie for six months when I could have been with Charlotte.
God, I’m a dickhead.
Charlotte. I need to figure out how to get her to talk to me.
Billie is going on and on about something, and I wish she would leave. I turn to the window, and I see her.
Wearing her blue hat, her blue eyes full of tears, is Charlotte. A lump rises in my throat, and I push Jamison so hard he almost slides onto the floor on his butt. I step on the bench, jump over him, and run out of the restaurant.
“Xander!” Noah calls out as I’m almost to the door, but I don’t turn around.
When I get outside, Charlotte is running down the street.
“Charlotte, stop!” I yell, but she keeps running.
“Charlotte!”
She doesn’t turn around. The crosswalk light is flashing stop, but she doesn’t. A black car plows into her, and as she goes flying, her eyes catch mine.
“Charlotte!” I scream as she hits the pavement hard in the intersection.
I run over to her and pull out my phone, dialing 911.
“Charlotte. Stay with me, baby.” I stroke her face and clasp her hand in my other one.
Somehow, Noah, Chase, and Jamison arrive on the scene before the ambulance. They go into paramedic mode, but I’m useless other than trying to get Charlotte to stay awake.
She tries to talk and moans in pain.
“Shh,” I tell her and stroke her cheek. “It’s okay, baby. Just stay awake for me.”
I’m crying. I don’t realize it until my tear hits her cheek.
“Xa...” she tries to get out my name, and my heart breaks further.
“Shh,” I tell her again. “It’s okay, sweetheart. Just stay awake with me.”
The ambulance comes and the paramedics immobilize her. I ride with her to the hospital.
“Xa...” she tries to repeat my name, as she blinks over and over.
“It’s okay, baby. Shh. We’re almost there.” I hold her hand tighter and try to get her to focus on my face.
She moans in pain, and my heart once again bleeds.
“Stay awake, Charlotte. Just stay with me,” I keep telling her, stroking her cheek and trying to keep it together.
Her eyes flutter and then shut, and I fear I’ve lost her.
When we get to the hospital, the doctor tells me to leave.
“I’m a surgeon in this hospital. I work under Dr. Sear.”
“I’m sorry, but this isn’t your department. You know the rules. Go out to the waiting room.”
“No.”
“Go, or security will remove you from the premises.” The doctor gives me a stern look.
“I’m not leaving her,” I say as Noah walks in.
“Xander, you need to come to the waiting room.” He puts his hand on my shoulder.
“I’m not leaving here,” I repeat.
“I will call security,” the doctor warns me.
Noah gets in my face. “You can’t do anything right now but come to the waiting room. If you don’t go, you’ll be kicked out, and that won’t help Charlotte. Come on.”
I glance at her as the nurse shuts the curtain then Noah leads me to the waiting room.
Jamison is already there with Quinn and Piper.
It hasn’t even been an hour, but it feels like a lifetime passes before the doctor comes out. Piper stands next to me, since she’s one of her “in case of emergency” contacts.
“She has a concussion, and we are worried about internal bleeding. She has terrible bruising. I’m shocked, but she doesn’t have any broken bones. Her left wrist is sprained, and she came down on her shoulder pretty hard, but we didn’t find any fractures.”
“What about her foot? She was in a car accident this year and had to have it reconstructed.”
“Her foot is fine.”
“Is she awake?”
The doctor shakes his head. “She is in and out of consciousness. We are trying to keep her awake.”
“Can I see her?”
The doctor shakes his head again. “Not yet. We will let you know when you can go back.”
“How long will that be?” I ask in a snarky tone.
He gives me a look of mixed sympathy and annoyance. “We will let you know.”
Piper puts her hand on my arm. “Xander, come sit down.”
I plop into a chair. I don’t know what else to do.
I feel a hand on my shoulder. Vivian is sitting next to me. “They kicked me out,” I tell her.
She nods.
“I’m a doctor, and they kicked me out.”
Several minutes pass, and Chase arrives.
She needs to wake up and stay awake.
Concussions and internal bleeding are dangerous, and a million different thoughts race through my mind.
“Don’t go there.” Noah snaps me out of my thoughts.
I stare at him.
“Don’t,” he repeats. “She will be okay.”
I stand up. “This is ridiculous. I’m a surgeon in this hospital.” I walk away.
“Where are you going?” Chase asks.
“To override this bullshit policy.”
Noah is by my side. “Xander, what are you doing?”
“I’m going to talk to Dr. Sear and get access. I’m not sitting in the waiting room any longer. I’m a doctor for God’s sake.”
“Xander—”
I spin on him. “Stop. I’m going to Dr. Sear, and that’s it.”
He considers then nods. “Okay. Let me come with you.”
“Fine.”
I plow through the hospital directly to Dr. Sear’s office, past his assistant, and knock. He yells to come in.
“Xander,” he says, surprised when I open the door, and his assistant is behind me telling him she is sorry for my intrusion.
Before he can say anything, I blurt out, “Charlotte is in the ER. She got hit by a car, and they can’t keep her awake. I need to get into the room.”
He stands. “Did they diagnose her yet?”
“Possible internal bleeding, concussion, sprained wrist, and shoulder. You need to help me, so they don’t call security. Please.”
He pats me on the back. “Okay. Let’s go.”
“Thank you.”
We walk back through the hospital and into the ER unit. Dr. Sear finds her doctor, and, after a five-minute conversation, he allows me to go back, with the agreement, I won’t interfere with any decisions the doctors need to make.
Noah pats me on the back, leaves, and goes to the waiting room. I thank Dr. Sear, and he tells me to keep him updated.
I enter Charlotte’s room. She’s hooked up to all kinds of machines. I know what every device is, what it does, and why she needs it, but when I look at her, I have to blink back tears.
The nurses are on shifts to try to keep her conscious.
The one currently in the room I’ve spoken with several times over the last few weeks during my hospital duties, and I tell her I will take over trying to wake Charlotte.
She leaves, and I lean over Charlotte and kiss her forehead. “Charlotte, wake up, sweetheart.”
Her eyes flutter but only momentarily.
I kiss her eyelids, one at a time, then whisper in her ear, “Come on. I need you to open your eyes, Charlotte.”
She opens her eyes then shuts them quickly.
“The lights are bright, just go slow.”
She tries again and moans as she closes them.
“You’re doing good. Just keep trying.” I kiss her on the lips and stroke her cheek.
“Xander,” she whispers with her eyes closed.
I brush my hand across her hair. “I’m right here. Open your eyes for me.”
Her eyes open and then shut again. “Bright,” she whispers.
“I know, baby, but you need to keep them open. Let me help you.” I cover her eyes so they are semi-shaded from the light. “Open your eyes now, and I’ll move my hands slowly.”
She moans. “Everything hurts.”
I tilt my head down so I can see her eyes through my hand. “I know, baby, I know. I need you to open your eyes so you can get better. Come on, Charlotte.”
Her eyes slowly open, and this time she doesn’t shut them.
“Good girl. Okay, I’m going to move my hand just a little, and it will get brighter. Look at your feet and not the ceiling.”
Her eyes shut.
“Open your eyes,” I tell her sternly.
She opens them quickly.
“Good. Look at your feet.”
She tries to focus on her feet.
“Good. You’re doing good, Charlotte. It’s going to get brighter.”
“Wait,” she whispers.
“Okay.”
She grabs my hand with hers, shuts her eyes, and brings my hand to her lips.
A tear slides down my cheek, and I wipe it away on my arm. I bend down and kiss her forehead. “You have to wake up, sweetheart. Wake up so I can help you, okay?”
“Mm-hmm,” she mumbles.
I put my hand back over her eyes, but I don’t shield as much light this time. “Look at your feet, baby.”
She opens her eyes and stares at her feet.
“Okay, good. I want you to keep your eyes open, okay?”
“It hurts,” she whimpers, and a tear rolls down her cheek.
My heart is ripping through my chest, seeing her in so much pain. “I know. But I need you to keep them open.”
“Okay,” she whispers.
“Good, Charlotte. You’re doing so good.” I kiss her on the forehead again and move my hand completely away.
She blinks a few times.
“Keep them open, Charlotte.”
She continues to blink until she is staring at her feet. Slowly, she looks over at me.
I bend down and kiss her, stroking her hair. “You’re doing so good, baby.”
Her blue eyes stare into mine. “What happened?”
“You got hit by a car.”
She tries to nod and winces in pain.
“Just lie still.” I grab the chair and pull it up next to her.
“Do you remember the accident?”
“No.” She looks at me, worried.
I stroke her cheek. “Don’t worry. That’s normal. It’ll come to you later.”
“Did I break my bones? My entire body hurts.”
“No. You got lucky. But you have a concussion and a lot of bruises.”
“Can I go home? I want to go home.”
“Not yet. But as soon as I can get you out of here, I will.”