31. LYCA
Chapter 31
LYCA
O h, God! Please let him be okay.
He’d undergone some surgery. He was alive, but not completely out of danger. I couldn’t help crying as I prayed hard in the hospital’s chapel.
Please heal him. Help him to recover fast.
Later I heard the good news. He was resting in a private room, and could already accept visitors. But I didn’t want to impose. His family was there, so I decided to stay in the chapel for the meantime.
It was Drake who called me after their visit. He poked his head in and smiled at me, motioning for me to come out.
“How long have you been praying here?” he asked.
“I don’t know. Since I got here.”
He ruffled my hair and patted my shoulder. “I’m here for you, Lyca. We’re all here for you, you know that. Even if you’re not working in Steele Motorsport anymore, I’ll always be your friend.”
“Thank you, Drake. But I’m not the one in need right now.”
“Oh, I just came from Xander’s room. He’s alright. He’s trying to stay positive, and the doctor said he could race again after a full recovery.”
My spirits began to rise, only to be weighed down by the memory of how I'd pushed him away that morning, igniting his reckless behavior on the tracks. It’s my fault , I thought with agony. I shouldn’t have pushed him away like that.
“You can go up and see him now, Lyca,” Drake told me.
I nodded. “Thank you,” I said, my voice almost breaking. I could feel the tears filling up my eyes again.
I knocked on the door of Xander's hospital room, my heart pounding in my chest. His voice called out, telling me to come in, and I slowly pushed open the door. The sight before me sent my heart plummeting.
Xander was lying in the hospital bed, his face pale and his body covered in bandages. It was obvious he could hardly move. Yet despite the pain and discomfort he must have been feeling, he managed to give me a weak smile.
“Hey, Lyca,” he said softly, his eyes brightening when he saw me. “Come in, please. I never thought I’d see you again.”
I stepped closer, my hands trembling at my sides. “Xander, I... I'm so sorry,” I whispered, tears welling up in my eyes.
He reached out and took my hand, squeezing it gently. “It's not your fault, Lyca. It was just an accident.”
I nodded, trying to hold back my tears. "I know, but I can't help feeling guilty. This morning… when I…” I couldn’t go on anymore as fresh tears streamed down my cheeks. I quickly brushed them away and took a few deep breaths, trying to calm myself and be strong for him.
Xander shook his head, his expression pained. “No, Lyca, don't blame yourself. You've been through enough already. This is all my fault. I wasn’t thinking straight. I was careless. I should have known better.”
I rubbed his hand with mine, wanting to throw myself at him and embrace him tightly. But I stayed put and simply squeezed and caressed his hand. “I just want you to know that I'm here for you, Xander. Whatever you need, I'll be here.”
“Thank you, Lyca. I’m so glad you came.”
“I was there at the racetracks when they carried you into the ambulance,” I told him. “You weren’t moving at all. I thought you were gone!”
“Nah, you can’t get rid of me that easily,” he joked, making me chuckle through my tears.
He placed a hand over mine and gazed longingly into my eyes. “So… I just learned that Arianne had lied to me. I’m not going to be a dad yet.”
I smiled at him. “I know. How are you feeling?”
“Happy. Relieved. I’m not ready for that yet, you know? And certainly not with Arianne.”
I felt a rush of relief hearing Xander's words. “I'm so glad, Xander. That must have been a huge weight off your shoulders.”
“It is. And there's something else I need to tell you,” Xander said, his voice serious. “Being here, facing the possibility of losing everything, made me realize something.”
“What is it?” I whispered, my heart pounding.
Xander took a deep breath. “I love you, Lyca. I have for a while now. It took me some time to realize it, and even longer to figure out how to say it.”
My eyes welled up with tears again as I felt my heart constricting, not because of pain, but because the strong emotions were too overwhelming. “Oh, Xander! I love you too," I confessed, feeling as if a burden was getting lifted off me. I could sense my heart leaping and soaring. “I've cared about you for such a long time, but I've been terrified to admit it. The fear of being hurt, of being deceived, has held me back. I've seen it happen before, and I've been scared of history repeating itself.”
Xander reached out and gently wiped away my tears. “We don't have to be scared anymore. We can face whatever comes together.” His eyes locked with mine, twinkling with deep meaning and love. “I’m sorry for everything I put you through. I’ve never been in love before, and now that I’ve said it out loud, I feel so relieved and joyful! Is this really how it’s supposed to be?”
I laughed, nodding. “Yeah, I guess so.”
“I mean, if this isn’t love, I don’t know what else it could be.”
“You know I promised myself I’d never fall for a race car driver…” I began in a teasing tone. “But now I’m eating my words.”
“I’m so glad!” he said, chuckling. “I promise you won’t regret it.”
I leaned in then, and we shared a tender, heartfelt kiss, sealing our love for each other.