Wrangled In Love

Chapter 1

Vivian

One year and seven months ago

Rain pours down, pounding against the window, filling the house with its rhythmic noise. Lightning lights up the sky, casting quick, bright flashes that make the darkness feel even deeper. I stand by the window, fingers touching the cool glass, watching the storm unfold outside.

Beside me, my three-and-a-half-year-old daughter Riley clings to my side, her small body trembling with each boom of thunder that rattles the windows and echoes through the rafters. Her wide eyes, filled with a mixture of wonder and fear, mirrors my own distress.

“It’s okay, honey,” I comfort her as she buries her head in my chest.

Tonight, anxiety has gripped me like never before. The news had sounded the alarm for dangerous weather, and with each passing minute, my husband Trevor remains absent. Despite my frantic attempts to reach him, each call goes unanswered or straight to voicemail.

“Where is he? He should be home by now,” I whisper.

He finished work almost an hour ago, usually takes him twenty minutes to get home. I don’t want to frighten Riley, so I just keep soothing her by rocking her on my hip as her eyes scan the room while she tightly holds her pink bunny stuffie.

I take a deep breath in and release.

Dread settles heavy in my chest as the minutes ticking by with excruciating slowness.

Where could Trevor be?

Is he safe?

As the storm continues to rage on, casting sinister shadows across the walls of our home, the sound of the strong gusts of wind whooshing through the gaps of the windows, my mind filled with worry.

Riley surprisingly manages to drift off, so I decide to sit on the living room couch with her, instead of putting her to bed as I don’t want to risk waking her up. She doesn’t like thunderstorms so it would only result in her being scared if she woke up in her room and I wasn’t there.

The knocking on the front door causes me to jump and Riley to stir beside me.

“Shh.” I caress her hair as she slowly closes her eyes again.

I slowly lift myself off the couch without waking her and walk into the hallway quickly.

I relax, knowing Trevor is home now.

But to my surprise, when I open the door to welcome my husband home and into my arms, I’m startled.

Two police officers, drenched from the storm, standing in my front porch.

“Hi, officers.” I smile but that feeling of worry and anxiousness kicks in again.

I cross my arms over my chest and watch them eye each other.

“Are you Mrs. Davis?” the officer on the left asks.

The knot in my stomach begins to tighten.

“Yes, that’s me.”

“I’m Officer Peter and this is Officer Dan. May we come in?”

I nod, opening the door wider for them. They take a peek inside the living room from the hallway, and they notice Riley sleeping on the couch.

“That’s my daughter Riley.”

Something in their faces change as they look at each other.

One rubs his beard and the other removes his cap.

“What’s going on?” I ask, my voice slightly trembling.

“We received a phone call about twenty minutes ago about an accident,” Officer Peter reports.

“Trevor was in an accident?” I panic, but try to keep my voice down. “Well, is he okay? Which hospital is he at? Oh my god, I need to go check on him.” My words stammering and voice trembling with fear.

I start to grab my coat, put on my boots quickly, but before entering the living room, one of them grabs my arm gently.

“Mrs. Davis.”

I stop and turn to look up at Officer Peter, time seems to have slowed down.

My eyes are blurry from my tears building up.

“I’m sorry, but they did everything they could.”

He begins to explain, but I drown out his voice. I’m watching his lips move but no sound comes through.

Ringing is filling my ears.

I can hear my heartbeat.

I feel the color washing away from my face.

My body urges me to sit down as I grab hold of the officer.

They both guide me to the kitchen as my legs threaten to give way beneath me, placing me down on a chair as they sit down with me.

Severe blunt trauma to the head.

Internal brain bleed.

I’m sorry.

I’m sorry.

The officer’s words echo.

Thunder still booming outside.

I’m numb, yet tears blurred my vision and stream down my face as I struggled to understand what I’ve just heard.

With trembling hands, I hug myself.

“Was anyone else involved in the accident?” I stare into the hallway.

“No, ma’am, the car was found in a ditch by the bridge. There were signs of loss of control on the bridge, but no cause as to why yet,” Officer Dan answers.

More tears.

I bury my head in my hands trying to control my breathing.

“Will you be okay tonight?” one of them asks. “Do you have anyone that lives close by?”

I appreciate their concerns; I’m sure breaking the news is difficult no matter how many of these situations they’ve been involved in.

I look up and nod.

Mindy, my best friend. She lives in town, her house isn’t far from mine, but I wouldn’t make her drive in this weather and risk something happening to her too.

“I don’t—” I stutter, my breathing unable to be controlled. “I don’t think it’s a good idea,” I manage to say.

They nod slowly, understanding why I wouldn’t want anyone to do that.

My arms are folded tightly on my chest, unable to keep still.

Images of Trevor in that ditch flooding my mind.

“I’m sorry for your loss, Mrs. Davis,” Officer Dan says softly, his hands rubbing his thighs.

Looking at him, I notice his eyes are watering too.

“Well…” He gets up, wiping his eyes quickly, thinking I wouldn’t see. “We’ll be in contact when we find out more information.”

Peter follows and stands up too. “He was taken to Ivys Hospital, they will follow up on any further steps.”

I try to push myself off the chair but I’m weak and dizzy.

Their hands wrap around my arms, holding me for a few seconds.

I nod, indicating I’m okay to walk.

But I’m not.

I’m fucking not okay.

I want to rip this place into shreds.

I want to scream until my lungs collapse.

But I can’t, because Riley is there, sleeping on the couch. She has no idea what has just happened and my heart breaks even more at the thought of having to tell her myself.

We slowly walk toward the front door, and they reach for the doorknob.

Officer Dan turns back, his eyes looking at the doorway of the living room.

His lips form a straight line and he looks away quickly, placing his hat back on as he opens and exits into the cold, wicked storm.

Both officers are walking down the driveway of my house.

The rain, thunder, and emptiness fills my surrounding.

Just like that, I’ve lost the love of my life, the person I thought I’d spend the rest of my life with.

Closing the front door slowly, I make my way into the living room.

I sniffle, trying to steady my breath while making sure I don’t wake Riley. But it’s no use, my breathing begins to increase, and I can taste the tears that have now reached my lips.

I stand up quickly and run to the bathroom, closing the door behind me.

I lean over the toilet and vomit, but the knot in my stomach doesn’t fade the slightest.

More throwing up.

More tears.

Trying to catch my breath but it feels impossible.

My body gives out and I’m latched on the toilet.

Breathe in, Vivian.

Hold.

Breathe out.

After a few minutes, I wipe my mouth, flush and use all my strength to stand up. I grab the sink, tilt my head up, and see a reflection. Red, swollen eyes filled with tears, snot running down my cheeks, and what seems to be my face yet it doesn’t feel like it. This can’t be real, but it is.

The rage is kicking in; the anger I feel at the fact that he was taken away from us. I watch as my cheeks fill up with color and the ringing begins in my ears.

The pain rips through my chest like it’s trying to claw its way out. I dig my hands into my damp waves, fingers tangling in the mess as I squeeze. Trying to stop myself from screaming all the pain and anger out.

More sobbing, more tears.

I press my back against the bathroom tiled walls and let myself fall to the ground, placing my hands on my thighs and digging my nails into my thighs.

“This can’t be real,” I whisper, clawing my nails into my skin and dragging it up my thigh.

Wake up, Vivian.

“This has to be a fucking dream.”

Blood appears on my thighs.

But I feel no pain.

How am I supposed to tell Riley her dad won’t be coming home ever again?

So many questions run through my mind, but I know one thing for sure.

“I promise, Trev…” Tasting the tears as I speak, I continue. “I will make sure our little Riley is happy and reminded of the kind of father you were.”

I bring my wedding ring to my lips.

“I’ll love you forever.”