Chapter 64
Alex
My heart pounds in my chest as I run breathlessly toward the woods east of the ranch. Rosie's message echoes in my head, mixing with my worst fears.
From the device connected to our app, we can see that all the horses are out of the enclosure. Consequently, we don't even waste time going to saddle one to be faster. The mini quads are on the other side of the ranch, so we'd lose just as much time. In silent agreement, we all run on foot, hoping to make it in time. I don't understand what happened; I was the last one to enter the stables. Horse training is my responsibility. Diego was at his training on the other side with the bulls. Fran had the day off. Chris was in the office reviewing the season's scheduled competitions. Ergo, I was the one who locked up the horses, and despite my mind being crowded with thoughts of Rosie, I'm one hundred percent certain I locked them in.
The only other staff members who have access are the veterinarians and sports managers. But right now, that doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is that Rosie is riding a horse chasing another one, and she doesn't have the expertise to do it. And all the horses are out.
"Let's split up!" I shout to Chris, Fran, and Diego. "Cover more ground!" I see their nods of agreement before they head in different directions.
In an instant, I'm alone with my fear.
"Faster, damn it!" I mentally scream at myself, pushing my body to its limit. The cool evening air burns my lungs, but I don't slow down. I can't. Trees whiz by in my peripheral vision as I enter the woods. "Rosie!" I shout, my voice broken from running and terror. Only silence answers me, amplifying the anguish that grips me.
I stumble on a root, falling hard. The sharp pain in my knee is immediately overshadowed by desperation.
I get up in an instant, ignoring the blood trickling down my leg. "Rosie! Where are you?" My voice echoes among the trees, desperate and trembling.
Every passing second is agony. My mind produces increasingly terrible scenarios.
Rosie hurt, Rosie in danger, Rosie needing me and I'm not there.
"Please, please, let her be okay," I whisper, a desperate prayer to whoever might be listening.
I try to force my mind not to remember past traumas.
I try to file away the memory of my father lying lifeless on the ground.
I try not to think about the fact that if Rosie had the brilliant idea to saddle a horse, it's because I taught her how to do it.
I try not to think about our last conversation.
I try not to think that the love of my life is terribly and frighteningly in danger.
I try to focus on finding her.
Then, in the distance, I glimpse something. A flash of color among the green undergrowth. My heart skips a beat. I rush in that direction, pushing myself beyond every limit. When I finally reach the spot, the world seems to stop.
Rosie is lying on the ground, motionless. A trickle of blood runs from her temple.
"No, no, no, no," I repeat like a mantra, falling to my knees beside her. My hands shake violently as I try to check her pulse.
It can't be.
Not again.
Not her.
"Rosie, princess, please, open your eyes," I beg, tears blurring my vision. "You can't leave me, not like this. We promised each other forever."
Panic threatens to overwhelm me as I wait, in endless agony, for any sign of life. At this moment, I would give anything to see her open her eyes, to hear her voice.
"I love you, Rosie," I whisper, my voice broken by sobs. "Please, stay with me. I can't lose you. I can't."
With trembling hands, I pull out my phone to call for help, praying it's not too late. Time seems to stretch while I wait for an answer, each second an eternity of terror and desperate hope.
"Hello, emergency," finally answers a voice on the other end of the line. The words come out in a chaotic torrent, my voice broken with anguish. "I need an ambulance, now! My girlfriend... she fell from a horse. She's not responding, there's blood... oh God, please hurry!"
While giving the coordinates, I don't take my eyes off Rosie. Her face, so pale and still, breaks my heart. I gently caress her cheek, as if my touch could bring her back to me. The voice on the other end assures me they'll send someone soon but meanwhile bombards me with useless questions.
"She's showing no signs of life, her birthday doesn't matter, just send someone now!" I shout desperately. After an eternity, I end the conversation with the assurance they'll arrive with a red code.
"They're coming, my love," I whisper, my voice trembling. "Hold on, please." The minutes drag like hours. Each of Rosie's breaths, weak but present, is both a relief and torture. I hold her tight, trying to protect her, to transmit my strength to her.
"You can't leave me," I murmur against her hair. "We still have so much to live together, Rosie. Please, fight. Fight to live... I only care that you live."
Tears stream down my face, falling silently onto her motionless face. Remorse grips me, mixing with fear. What if these were our last hours together? What if I never had the chance to make up for my mistakes, to tell her how deeply I love her?
"I'm sorry," I sob, holding her tighter. "I'm sorry for everything. I promise if you wake up, if you stay with me, I'll spend the rest of my life making you happy. Just... don't leave me. I can't live in a world without you, Rosie."
In the distance, finally, I hear sirens. Relief washes over me like a wave, but fear doesn't loosen its grip. "Did you hear that, princess? They're coming," I say, my voice broken with emotion. "Just a little longer, hold on just a little longer."
As the ambulance lights illuminate the woods, I pray like I've never prayed in my life. I pray for a miracle, for a second chance, for the life of the woman I love more than myself. I even pray to give my life in exchange if there's no other way. I pray without knowing who I'm praying to... because I'm not actually religious. I pray to the universe, to nature... I don't even know.
"I love you, Rosie," I whisper one last time before the paramedics reach us. "Please, come back to me."
The sound of sirens tears through the silence of the woods, growing louder and louder. Blue and red lights begin to filter through the trees, illuminating Rosie's pale face with spectral glows. "Over here!" I shout with all the strength I have left. "We're here!"
In moments, the paramedics emerge from the undergrowth, followed by Chris, Fran, and Diego. Their faces are masks of worry and shock when they see the scene before them. "Please," I beg the paramedics as they quickly approach. "Save her. Please, save her."
I reluctantly move away from Rosie, allowing them to work. My legs give way and I fall to my knees, unable to take my eyes off the motionless body of the woman I love.
Chris reaches me, putting a hand on my shoulder. "Hey bro," he says softly, "let them do their job."
But I can't move. I can't even breathe as I watch the medics check Rosie's vital signs, apply a cervical collar, prepare her for transport. "Weak pulse but present," I hear one of them say. "Possible head trauma. We need to move fast." Those words hit me like a punch to the stomach. Head trauma. Images of Rosie, smiling and full of life, violently clash with the reality before me.
"I'm coming with her," I ask, my voice barely a whisper. The paramedic makes a negative sign. "No accompaniers. You can follow us separately."
As they lift Rosie onto the stretcher, I stand up with Chris's help. My legs are shaking, and not just from the earlier fall.
"No way," I say, gathering all my remaining energy.
"Bro, look at me," Fran says. "We'll follow them by car, if you protest we'll only lose time."
I nod mechanically, unable to formulate a response.
I follow the stretcher out of the woods, eyes fixed on Rosie, afraid she might disappear if I look away even for a second.
The sirens scream into the night as we race toward the hospital, taking Rosie away from me. And meanwhile, my heart breaks completely.
The guys guide me to the nearest car. I follow them as if in an out-of-body experience.
Every second feels like an eternity. Every kilometer, an infinite distance.
Tears flow desperately down my face.
At this moment, I would give anything to see her eyes open, to hear her voice.