Chapter 9
“I want answers, dammit!”
Dylan’s head was pounding, and he tried to move but he couldn’t. “Easy, Mr. Anders. Give us one more minute.”
Who was that?
“Test him! I want him tested for alcohol! He’s done this before!”
This time he tried harder to sit up. Who was yelling like that?
“Sir!” the nurse said firmly. “I’m not going to tell you again. You have to leave. You are not allowed in here!”
Whoever it was must have left because the yelling stopped, but Dylan could tell there were still a lot of people in the room. Opening his eyes hurt—the light was far too bright. Wait…where was he?
“What’s…what’s going on?”
An older man came up beside him and started shining a light in his eyes. “You were in an accident, Mr. Anders. You need some stitches in your head and we need to x-ray your arm.”
An accident?
“Where’s Paige?” he said frantically, trying to sit up and look around the room. “Where’s Paige? Is she all right?”
“We’re going to need you to calm down,” the nurse said from the other side of him. “Is Paige the woman who was in the car with you?”
“Yeah,” he said, feeling sick to his stomach. Oh God…what if something had happened to her? What if something bad had happened and the last things they’d said to each other were those snarky remarks? “You have to find her! You have to see if she’s okay!”
Nodding, the nurse walked away and was instantly replaced by another one. All around him, people were taking blood and checking his vitals while the doctor examined the cut on his head. Dylan blocked it all out. The only thing he could think about was Paige.
No, that wasn’t true, he was trying to remember what had happened. They were driving on the highway, and she’d snapped at him for going too fast. Was that what had happened? Had he been speeding and crashed? No, that wasn’t it, because he remembered getting off the exit ramp and getting to the light to turn onto the street where PRW was located. He was turning and then…nothing.
“Is he awake? Is that son of a bitch awake now?”
Great. Yelling guy was back.
But why is he looking to yell at me? Dylan wondered. He hadn’t done anything wrong. Someone must have hit them. That was the only explanation he could think of.
“Sir, we have asked you repeatedly. Please don’t make us call security,” one of the nurses said, and Dylan wished he could turn his head and see who she was talking to.
There was more yelling, and from where Dylan was, he figured security had indeed been called. Good. The last thing he needed was some crazy person yelling at him when his head already felt ready to explode.
“We’ve got someone coming to do your stitches, Mr. Anders,” the doctor said. “Once that’s done, someone will take you down to radiology so we can look at your arm. In the meantime, try to relax. Do you need anything for the pain?”
“No,” he said emphatically. The last thing he needed right now was anything to dull his senses. He could deal with the headache, and the pain in his arm was tolerable. “Can someone please tell me where Paige is and if she’s all right?”
The doctor looked across the bed to the nurse who, in turn, looked toward another.
Unease began to trickle down his spine. Why wouldn’t anyone tell him anything?
“Mr. Anders, as soon as we know something, someone will come in and talk to you,” the nurse beside him said. And there was something in her tone. Something…very sterile—almost void of emotion.
Oh God. Something was wrong. Something was really wrong!
“I’m going to be sick,” he said as he turned and retched.
It was an hour before the doctor showed up to stitch up his head, and then he was immediately taken to radiology. His left wrist was fractured and he was going to need a cast. He nodded and let them do whatever they needed to do, but still no one came to talk to him about Paige.
He was in the triage room when two police officers came in.
It was like he was in that hospital in Vegas all over again. Panic threatened to overwhelm him as he had a flashback.
Were they here to arrest him?
Had he killed someone?
Even though there was no alcohol or any narcotics in his system, Dylan still had no recollection of what had happened that morning. With no other choice, he sat and waited, willing to accept his fate.
“Mr. Anders,” the first officer said as he stepped forward, “the doctors said they’re going to release you soon. Can we ask you some questions?”
Dylan nodded, too afraid to speak.
He sat back and listened as the officer described the accident to him—someone had run the light. They had been speeding and hit the passenger side of Dylan’s car, which had caused it to spin and hit a light pole.
He hadn’t been at fault.
He hadn’t caused the accident.
Tears stung in his eyes. “Paige,” he said, his voice gruff and cracking. He looked up at the officer pleadingly. “No one will tell me what happened to her. Is she all right? How badly was she hurt?”
The officers looked at one another before facing him. “Um…last we heard, she was in surgery.”
For a minute, Dylan thought he was going to be sick again. “Does… Did anyone call her family?”
The second officer nodded. “They’re here. We had to escort her father out a little while ago.”
Ah. So it was Robert Walters who had been yelling earlier.
“Mr. Anders, I’m sorry but…we have to ask—were you under the influence of any drugs or alcohol at the time of the accident?”
“No,” he said firmly as it all started to make sense—why Robert was yelling and what he was trying to prove. “The doctors and nurses took my blood. I’m sure they can verify that. I’ve been clean and sober for six months.”
And what killed him was how neither looked like they believed him. It didn’t matter that the other guy had run the light—once an addict, always an addict.
“Will you need a ride home? Your car was towed,” the first officer said.
“No, but thanks. I’ll call a friend to come and get me.”
Once they were gone, Dylan found his phone and immediately called Riley—the first person he thought of. It didn’t take long for him to explain the situation before Riley said he was on his way.
That left Dylan with nothing to do but wait.
And wait.
And wait.
A nurse came in with his discharge papers and explained to him the importance of not being left alone tonight with his head injury and instructions to follow up with his doctor as soon as possible. When she turned to leave, he reached out and touched her arm and said the only thing he could. “Please.”
“She was taken to surgery for internal bleeding,” the nurse said. “Beyond that, I don’t know. I don’t have any updates.”
Emotion clogged his throat as he nodded and fought back the tears. “Thank you,” he whispered.
With his discharge papers in hand, he walked to the waiting area to wait for Riley. His head was pounding, his wrist was throbbing, but more than anything, his heart ached. Paige was somewhere in this hospital, and he had no idea where. And what was worse, knowing it had been her father carrying on and making a scene earlier, Dylan doubted that he’d be welcome even if he found out what floor she was on.
Carefully, he walked to the corner of the large sitting area and took a seat. His whole body hurt now that he thought about it, and he knew it would only get worse over the next few days. He’d survive, he knew he would, but the temptation to swallow something to take the edge off was strong. Closing his eyes, he tilted his head and prayed Riley would get there soon.
* * *
“Dylan?” Riley said as he touched Dylan’s shoulder.
Slowly, Dylan opened his eyes and his friend came into focus. “Oh. Hey. I must have fallen asleep. Sorry.”
Riley smiled sympathetically and sat beside him. “I would have gotten here sooner, but you know LA traffic.”
“I do, I do. I’m just glad you’re here.”
“Any update on Paige?”
Dylan told him what the nurse had shared with him. “I have no idea how she is, Ry. They’re not going to get updates down here and—I hate to admit it—but I’m afraid to go upstairs.”
“Why?”
“Her father was down here making a scene earlier, demanding I be tested for alcohol since I’ve done this before.”
“Holy crap.”
“Yeah, I know. So I think the last thing anyone wants is for me to go up to wherever she is and create a scene.”
“Dylan, you have every right to see her. You weren’t drinking. Someone ran a red light. I’m sure by now he knows that. He’s upset. Any parent would be in that type of situation.”
“I guess, but…” He looked at Riley helplessly. “I hate this. I hate that even when something’s not my fault, I’m the first one everyone looks to blame.”
“It’s not like that, Dylan. This was a bad situation. Come on. Let’s go find Paige and see what’s going on.”
“I don’t know if I can.”
Riley stood. “Then stay here and feel sorry for yourself. I’m going to find out what’s going on. If her old man wants to start a fight, I’ll gladly fight with him. You were hurt too, Dylan. You’re a freaking mess, and there’s nothing Robert Walters can do or say to keep you away from Paige. She’s a grown woman and you’re involved with her.”
Gingerly, Dylan rose to his feet. The room began to spin, and he immediately reached out for Riley.
“Whoa. You okay?”
“I need a minute,” Dylan admitted.
“They must have given you some strong stuff.”
He shook his head. “I wouldn’t let them give me anything.”
“Are you crazy? You’ve got about fifteen stitches in your head and a broken wrist!”
He shook his head again. “I can’t do it, Ry. I can’t take the chance of letting myself get addicted to something again. Right now, I’m weak, man. It wouldn’t take much to push me over the edge. I’ll deal.”
They walked slowly together through the emergency area and around to the main entrance of the hospital. At the front desk, they inquired about Paige and were directed to the sixth floor. Wordlessly, they walked to the elevators and rode up.
“I’ll handle Paige’s dad,” Riley said firmly. “You’re in no condition to go toe-to-toe with him, so promise me you’ll let me do the talking if it’s needed.”
“Sure.”
On the sixth floor, they followed the signs to the nurse’s station, and once there, they spotted Paige’s parents, Ariel, and Daisy in the waiting area. Robert immediately jumped to his feet, but his wife reached out and grabbed his hand before he could take a step.
Daisy got up and walked over to them. Dylan could tell that part of her was excited to meet Riley, but she kept her focus on him.
“How is she?” Dylan asked.
“She’s getting moved to recovery,” she replied. “A nurse came out a few minutes ago to update us.”
“Do you know the extent of her injuries?”
Daisy shook her head. “Not really. All we know is Paige suffered blunt trauma from the force of the crash—the airbag deployed so that saved her from it being worse, I think.” Then she registered how he looked. “And what about you? You’re a mess!”
“Stitches, broken wrist, and all around banged up,” he said quietly. “But I’m still able to leave and Paige isn’t.” He muttered a curse. “I hate this. She’s going to hate me.”
Reaching out, Daisy touched his good arm. “Dylan, it wasn’t your fault at all. How could she hate you? We all know the other guy was speeding and ran the light.”
Unable to help himself, he glanced in Robert’s direction. “Really? Does he know that?”
Daisy looked over her shoulder briefly. “Dylan, it’s his daughter who was hurt. Of course he was going to be upset. I was sitting downstairs with them when the police officers arrived and talked to him. Everyone knows the accident wasn’t your fault.”
It should have made him feel better, but it didn’t.
He was about to comment on it when another couple around the age of Paige’s parents walked over.
“Daisy,” the woman asked frantically, “how is she? Is she out of surgery yet?”
“Hi, Mrs. Brown. Mr. Brown,” she said softly. “They’re moving her to recovery. The doctor will be out shortly to talk to us.”
Mrs. Brown’s hand rested over her heart. “That poor girl.”
Mr. Brown nodded solemnly.
“Mr. and Mrs. Brown, this is Dylan Anders. He’s Paige’s boyfriend,” Daisy introduced.
Dylan shook both of their hands. “Nice to meet you.”
“Oh, you were in the car too?” Mrs. Brown asked, and Dylan nodded. She took in his appearance and her expression turned sympathetic. “How are you feeling? Do you need to sit down?”
“He probably should,” Riley added, and motioned for all of them to sit down.
A minute later, they were all seated on the opposite side of the waiting room from Paige’s parents. The Browns asked about the accident, and Dylan told them what he remembered. Unfortunately, Daisy decided to relate Robert’s outburst but not why he specifically attacked Dylan.
“As a parent who’s been through a situation like this,” Mr. Brown said, “I can understand that. You need to find the person who hurt your child. I would imagine that, until he knew all the details, you were an easy target.”
All Dylan could do was nod.
Mrs. Brown put a hand on Dylan’s knee. “People say things in the heat of the moment they don’t mean. I’m sure once emotions aren’t running so high, it will be better. The important thing right now is Paige and her recovery.”
He nodded again, unable to speak because the thought of her lying unconscious and injured was too much.
“We’re going to go over and see how they’re doing,” Mrs. Brown said as she and her husband rose. “We hope you feel better, Dylan.”
“Thank you.”
Once they were out of earshot, Daisy leaned in so only he and Riley could hear her. “The Browns’ daughter, Marni, was killed in a car accident several years ago. She and Paige were best friends. So really, they completely understand this situation. I’m sure they’ll talk to the Walterses and calm them down. But they were right—we need to focus on Paige right now.”
Dylan knew that, but all he wanted was to get an update on Paige and see her.
It took another fifteen minutes before the surgeon came out to talk to them. Everyone rose and walked over to hear the news. He looked at the group as a whole before focusing his attention on Paige’s parents.
“She did great,” he said. “She suffered blunt trauma, which caused the internal bleeding, and once we were able to go in and assess the extent of it, we did a partial splenectomy.”
“What does that mean?” Robert asked.
“It’s a partial removal of the spleen,” the surgeon said before he explained the whole procedure to them.
“Is she awake yet?” Ariel asked.
“No, not yet. I expect it could be a couple of hours before she’s awake, and then we’ll move her to a room.” He looked at the group again. “The procedure was done laparoscopically, so she has several small incisions she’ll need to take care of while they heal, but this is less invasive than traditional surgery, and her healing time will be a little shorter.”
“How soon until she can go home?” Robert asked.
“We’re going to keep her here and monitor her for about three days. The recovery time from the procedure is generally four to six weeks. However, the internal bleeding wasn’t her only injury from the accident, so I’d say Paige is looking at a six- to eight-week recovery.”
“What other injuries?” Daisy asked, and Robert glared at her.
The surgeon smiled at her before mainly addressing the Walters. “She has a concussion, and her right ankle is broken. Considering the circumstances, it could have been a lot worse. She’s going to be sore and bruised for a while, but because of the surgery, she’ll be forced to take it easy and rest.” He paused. “Any other questions?”
“When can we see her?” Robert asked.
“A nurse will come out when Paige is awake. Until then, why don’t you grab something to eat? I’d say it will be at least an hour before she starts to wake up, and at that point, we’ll need to check on her and talk with her before we let any family members visit.” He gave them all a reassuring smile. “Paige is young and in good health, and we’re confident she’ll be on her feet in no time.” Then he waved and walked away.
Now what? Dylan wondered.
Ariel was the first to step away from the group, announcing she was going to make some calls before getting something to eat. The two sets of parents stood off to the side talking while Dylan, Riley, and Daisy stood together.
“I think I’m going to head to the office,” Daisy said quietly. Then she looked at Dylan. “Will you call me when she wakes up and let me know how she is?”
He nodded and noticed she was still cautiously keeping her gaze averted from Riley, so he took pity on her. “Riley, I don’t think you’ve ever met Daisy before. She’s Paige’s assistant.”
Riley gave her his famous grin as he took one of her hands in his and shook it. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Daisy. I’m sure Paige appreciates you taking the time to be here.”
She blushed to the roots of her hair and let out a small giggle. “Thank you. It’s so nice to meet you. I just wish it weren’t…you know…like this.”
Riley nodded. “I agree.”
With one last giddy look at Riley, Daisy looked at Dylan again. “Are you going to be okay? You look like you should have been admitted.”
“I’m more banged up than anything. Nothing life threatening. And as soon as I know Paige is awake and all right, I’ll feel much better.”
“Still,” she replied. “You need to rest. Do you need anything? Can I do anything for you before I go?”
He smiled at her. She was a sweet woman. “I appreciate the offer, but I’m good. I’m sure if I need anything, there are plenty of doctors and nurses around to help, and when I leave, the hotel should be able to get me what I need.”
“Dude,” Riley said, “you can’t stay by yourself tonight. You’ll come home with me and stay for a couple of days.”
Normally, Dylan would have appreciated the offer, but right now, he wanted to be alone. No. He wanted to be with Paige. He wanted to turn back the clock and go back to this morning, before their argument.
Right now, he’d settle for sitting next to her bed and holding her hand until she woke up.
Robert Walters walked over and looked at Daisy. “Will you talk to the staff and let them know what’s going on when you get back to the office?”
“Of course, sir,” she replied. “No problem.”
“Thank you.”
Squeezing Dylan’s good hand, she said goodbye. When she was out of sight, Robert turned to Dylan.
“May I speak to you for a moment?” Then he looked at Riley. “In private.”
“You can talk to me in front of Riley,” he said with as much bravado as he could muster at the moment.
Robert sighed and gave Riley a look of annoyance before focusing on Dylan again. “The police officers explained to me the cause of the accident.”
Dylan nodded and waited for the apology.
“However, after some careful consideration, I think it would be best for Paige if this…affair the two of you are having came to an end.”
Dylan’s heart simply stopped for a moment.
“Um…excuse me?”
“Paige has a long recovery ahead of her,” Robert explained. “And to be honest, she needs someone who is stable and reliable and able to be there for her.”
“And you don’t think I’m capable of that?” Dylan asked incredulously.
“No, I do not. I think you are someone who requires help and assistance. I think Paige has spent a lot of time taking care of you, and I haven’t seen that reciprocated.”
Riley went to speak, but Dylan cut him off.
“If you’ll remember correctly, you assigned her to take care of me and babysit me even though no one asked you to,” Dylan countered.
“The Literacy Now people asked,” Robert said smugly. “You have a reputation, Dylan, and we needed to make sure you didn’t embarrass anyone.”
“And have I?”
“No, but that was Paige’s doing. We’re at a point in the campaign where your commitment will be done, and then how you behave will no longer be a concern,” he went on. “So there’s no reason for you and Paige to keep seeing each other.”
“I hate to be the one to break this to you, but Paige and I weren’t seeing each other only because of the campaign. I’m spending time with your daughter because she’s an amazing woman. I like her, I respect her—I love her!”
Robert gave a snort of disgust and looked around to make sure no one was paying attention to them. “I’m sure you think you’re in love with Paige, but in time, you’ll realize it would be a mistake.”
“And why is that?” Dylan sneered.
“Because you could never fit in with her life. Paige is a girl who works a nine-to-five job. She goes to a book club and has a small circle of friends, and she’s happy that way. You, on the other hand, are a recovering addict who plays in a rock-and-roll band and travels the world and is promiscuous,” he added with disgust. “I’m sure my daughter was infatuated with you, but it will pass.”
“Now wait a minute,” Riley interrupted. “Who are you to pass judgment on us?”
“I didn’t say—”
“Yeah, you did,” Riley snapped. “What you just said went beyond insulting. Do you think we’re sitting here looking at you and assuming you’re a closed-minded tight ass because you wear a suit and tie and work in an office?”
Robert sighed. “Mr. Shaughnessy, I don’t know any such thing about you. Nothing in all my recollections tells me that’s the type of person you are. In Dylan’s case, however, it’s all public knowledge. Any Google search of his name will bring up his every indiscretion for all the world to see.” He paused. “That’s not the kind of man I want for my daughter. She deserves someone better.”
“That’s Paige’s decision to make,” Dylan said, anger and adrenaline coursing through him.
For a moment, Robert studied him. “How is it going to look when your name is dragged through the headlines for causing yet another accident? What if your sobriety is brought back into question? The public is only willing to be forgiving so many times.”
“Everyone knows I didn’t cause that accident,” Dylan argued. “The cops, the doctors, everyone!”
“The press hasn’t caught wind of it yet. But one phone call could start the speculation,” Robert said with deadly calm. “Tell me, Dylan, are you willing to deal with all of that again? Are you willing to put your band back in the spotlight for your bad behavior? Will your record label be willing to have you associated with them? Or your insurance companies? Tell me.”
Dylan had never known rage like this before. His hand was clenched at his side, and it took every ounce of strength not to lash out, but that would add fuel to an already out-of-control inferno. Robert Walters was good at what he did—he had proven that to Dylan already. And there wasn’t a doubt in his mind that he would do his best to destroy Dylan in the public eye and succeed.
“Leave, Dylan,” Robert said. “Finish your commitment to Literacy Now as you’re contracted to do, so we don’t have to go after you legally for that. I’d hate for your hours of community service to come into question too. That could lead to jail time, right?”
Son of a bitch.
“I’ll talk to Paige,” her father went on. “I’ll tell her this all became too much. That you’re injured and need to go heal someplace and can’t come and see her. She’ll understand. She doesn’t argue with me.”
“Dylan, don’t go along with this,” Riley said urgently. “We can fight this! He’s threatening you with slander!”
“Mr. Shaughnessy, I have a great many connections, and I’d hate to have to drag you into this too. I think we both know that with Dylan’s past, it wouldn’t take much for people to believe he’d fallen into his old ways.” Then his eyes narrowed as he continued to look at Riley. “You have a daughter, don’t you?”
Riley went stock-still.
“Wouldn’t you do everything in your power to protect her? To make sure no one hurts her?” When Riley didn’t respond, a smug smile crossed Robert’s face. “You know you would. Don’t fault me for doing the same.”
For several minutes, they all stood in silence and Dylan was at war with himself. He didn’t want to leave Paige—not like this. Not ever. Unfortunately, he knew Robert would make good on his threats.
“If I leave,” he began gruffly, “if I stay away from Paige…”
“The topic of you being at fault will never come up from me. And I’ll handle the press to make sure it doesn’t go any further. Are we clear?”
Even though it killed him, Dylan nodded.
“Good,” Robert said. “Good day to you both.”
Without a word, Dylan turned and made his way to the elevators. Riley was at his side. As they rode down to the main floor, neither spoke.
Walking out to Riley’s car, the only conversation was about getting some of Dylan’s things from the hotel and then Riley taking him to stay with him and Savannah.
At this point, it didn’t matter to Dylan where he stayed or what happened to him.
Nothing mattered.
Because he’d just lost everything.
* * *
For four days, she waited.
Every time someone walked into her hospital room, she hoped it would be Dylan. Every time the phone rang, she thought it would be him.
But it wasn’t.
Now, as a nurse was wheeling her down to her mother’s car, she felt nothing but an overwhelming sense of sadness. Everyone had told her about Dylan’s injuries, and she ached for him. She knew that right before the accident, she’d been mad at him, but she also knew she would have gotten over it.
Now? Not so much.
On top of all her other injuries, her heart was broken too.
The entire way down to the car, the nurse chatted with her about the weather and current events. Paige knew she answered when she needed to, but she just wanted to get out of the hospital and go home. After many conversations on the subject over the last several days, she had finally convinced her family that she wanted to spend her recovery in her own home. They had argued how it would be better for everyone—meaning them—for her to stay with them, but Paige had held firm. So her father hired a home health aide to stay with her for the next week.
Between the cast on her foot and the discomfort from the incisions, she knew she was going to need the help. But the doctors had confirmed that as long as she took it easy, there was no reason she couldn’t be on her own after that.
The weather was a cool sixty degrees and the slight breeze felt glorious after being in the hospital for four days. Paige breathed in deeply, and even though LA didn’t have the freshest air, it still felt wonderful.
Getting into her mother’s Mercedes wasn’t easy or graceful, but with a little help, she finally managed to sit in the passenger seat. Letting out a breath, she closed her eyes and waited for her mother to join her.
“Are you sure you don’t want to come and stay with us for a couple of days?” her mother asked as soon as she sat behind the wheel.
“Mom, we’ve been over this. I want to be in my own home and sleep in my own bed. I know you’re worried, but with the aide Dad hired coming to stay with me, it’s going to be fine. I’m sore more than anything, so I think it’s going to be better for me to be someplace where I’m comfortable.”
“I know, I know. I worry. It’s a mother’s natural instinct and right to want to take care of her children.”
That made Paige smile. If only her father were this compassionate, they’d be the perfect parents. “Honestly, Mom, I am so tired from not sleeping well in the hospital, I’m probably going to sleep for days.”
“That’s not the worst idea, Paige. Your body needs rest. I know you normally get antsy and want to get up and run around and work, but you have to force yourself to stay put and let your body heal.”
“Trust me, no forcing will be necessary. I’m so sore that I plan to move as little as possible.”
Her mother reached over and patted Paige’s knee. “My poor baby. I hate this for you. Do you have your prescriptions?”
“They’re all called in to the pharmacy and being delivered later this afternoon. I told them not to come until after three.”
“It’s only noon now, so you’ll be home and settled in by then. Your father said the aide should be arriving by four. I’ll stay with you until then.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
They drove the rest of the way in silence, and Paige couldn’t wait to be alone in her own home. Even though there was going to be an aide there, Paige didn’t think that would be an issue. More than anything, she wanted time alone to call Daisy. The few times they had spoken, her mother or her sister or her father always showed up, so Paige didn’t feel free to talk. They would yell at her for trying to work from her hospital bed.
What they didn’t realize was she wasn’t trying to work.
She was trying to find out information about Dylan: Where was he? Was he okay? And why hadn’t he contacted her?
The day after the accident, her father had come to see her and tell her Dylan wouldn’t be coming back. He’d been so apologetic and sympathetic, but…Paige knew her father and something didn’t sit right with her about the whole thing. For starters, there was no way Dylan would break up with her through her father. Never. They had talked about her family issues enough times that she was confident in that fact. Then there was the way her father told her. He was never sympathetic about anything. He was kind, sure, but he was never particularly compassionate about things like this.
The whole situation stank, and she wanted to find out what was going on.
It was possible her fight with Dylan had been a breaking point for him. She also knew that even if it were, he’d still tell her to her face that it was over. Dylan didn’t shy away from anything. Over the last several months, she’d noticed that about him—it didn’t matter if a situation made him uncomfortable or if people made him feel like an outcast; he stood his ground and took whatever they had to throw at him.
So either he was injured more than anyone was telling her, or something else was going on. And if anyone could find out for her, it was Daisy.
Soon they pulled up to her town house, and Paige almost wept at the sight of it. Getting out of the car was a little easier than getting in was, but it also put a lot of strain on her abdominal muscles. Together, they got into the house and Paige immediately went to her bedroom door and froze.
Her bed was still unmade.
Dylan’s things were still scattered around the room.
Not that there was a lot of them—he didn’t believe in keeping too much there—but there was enough that it made her heart still for a moment.
A brush, a shirt, a jacket…
“Oh dear,” her mother said as she came up behind her. “I guess we should have sent somebody over to clean up and put fresh sheets on your bed.”
Probably, Paige thought to herself. But…the thought of sliding between the sheets they had last shared together gave her a little peace too.
“What can I do for you, Paige? Do you need help getting changed? Or are you going to take a nap right now? Tell me and I’ll help you.”
“I…I think I’m going to change into some pajamas and sleep for a little while if that’s okay.”
What she wanted to sleep in was Dylan’s shirt. What she ended up sleeping in was one of her own. Her mother had pulled a nightshirt out of her drawer and helped her change.
“You know, when you’re feeling better, we can take you to a plastic surgeon and I’m sure he can do something about those incisions,” her mother said very matter-of-factly.
Paige didn’t respond. She carefully slid under her blankets—no easy feat with her casted foot. Her mother fussed around and stuffed a pillow under the blankets to keep her foot elevated, but she knew in a matter of minutes, she’d end up moving it away.
“Thanks, Mom,” she said instead, and within minutes, she was sound asleep.
* * *
She slept much longer than she thought she would.
When Paige woke up, it was dark out. Turning on her bedside light, she saw it was after eight. She called out and smiled when a middle-aged woman in scrubs poked her head into the room. “Ms. Walters?”
Paige carefully sat up and said, “Hi. You can call me Paige.”
The woman stepped into the room and smiled back at her. “I’m Kathy, and I’m going to be your roommate for the next five days.”
“I’m sorry I wasn’t awake when you arrived. I didn’t get much sleep in the hospital and it felt good to be in my own bed.”
“I’m sure. Why don’t I help you up, and you can use the bathroom? Your mother mentioned you needed fresh sheets on the bed, so if it’s all right with you, I’ll change them now.”
It was on the tip of her tongue to say no, that the faint smell of Dylan’s cologne helped her sleep, but she didn’t want to seem pathetic. “Sure,” she said instead. “That would be great.”
The next few minutes were spent navigating around her bedroom and bathroom on crutches and making an attempt to freshen up by brushing her teeth and washing her face. Her reflection was enough to make her shudder, but really, who did she need to impress?
Out in the living room, she met up with Kathy.
“Are you hungry?” Kathy asked. “Your mother went shopping and stocked your refrigerator with some of your favorites.” She walked over to the refrigerator and opened it so she could tell Paige what was there. “I’m sure you’ll have a hard time choosing from all these wonderful dishes.”
Somehow Paige doubted that. Her mother was a health-food fanatic and thought everyone was. “Did she get any cake?”
“Um…no.”
“Any ice cream?”
Kathy opened the freezer. “No.”
“Anything to make a sandwich? Cold cuts? Cheese?”
“Um…I don’t see any.”
“Frozen pizza?”
With a chuckle, Kathy closed the refrigerator and turned toward her. “So this was a case of your mom buying her favorites.”
That made Paige laugh too. “Bingo!”
“Okay, I can go to the store for you, or I can call in an order for some takeout. Which would you prefer?”
Paige hobbled along on her crutches into the kitchen and over to her pantry. She pulled out a bag of tortilla chips and handed them to Kathy. Then a jar of salsa and another of queso dip. Next, she went over to the refrigerator and pulled out a can of soda and turned and smiled. “Chips and salsa—not exactly the loaded nachos I prefer, but in a pinch, it will do.”
“A girl after my own heart,” Kathy said with a grin. “Why don’t you sit down on the sofa, and I’ll make you a tray and bring this out?”
“Thanks. I appreciate it.”
Once on the sofa, she reached for the remote and turned on the TV. Flipping through the channels, she ended up on HGTV and settled in to hunt for houses with tonight’s couple.
“I love these shows,” Kathy said as she came in and put the tray down beside Paige. “Some of the houses these people look at are amazing.”
“Oh, I know. I love my home, but I wouldn’t mind some of those million-dollar houses,” Paige said as she reached for a chip.
“If I had that big of a budget, I would want a swimming pool, a gourmet kitchen, and a guesthouse for relatives. What about you?”
“Definitely with you on the pool and kitchen, but I would need a spa-like master bathroom. Something with a huge soaking tub and a shower that had a dozen jet sprays.”
“Now that does sound nice. Very decadent.”
They watched the show and commented on the couple’s choices, and when it was over, Kathy changed over the laundry. Paige asked for her cell phone, and while Kathy was doing her thing, she took advantage of the time alone to call Daisy.
“Oh my God! Are you home? Are you okay? Do you need anything? I could totally go on a bakery run for you! Do you want me to? It’s not too late, I can—”
“Daisy,” Paige interrupted.
“Oh, right. Sorry. How are you?”
“Sore but so happy to be home.”
“I’m sure. Your mom picked you up from the hospital, right?”
“She did. And now I have a very nice home health aide staying with me. I fell asleep as soon as I got home, and my mom left as soon as the aide got here I guess. Not that I mind, but I feel bad that I slept for so long.”
“Don’t feel bad. It’s good for you.”
Paige asked about work and the campaign and general business stuff before she asked what she really wanted to know. “Have you heard from Dylan?”
On the other end of the phone, Daisy sighed. “Only when I called to give him next week’s change of schedule.”
“What change of schedule?”
“Ariel figured with his injuries, he wouldn’t be up to doing the appearance at the Fishing for Books event at the pier. So she asked me to call and let him know he didn’t have to do it.”
“Oh.”
“You haven’t heard from him?” Daisy asked, concern lacing her voice.
“No.”
“What did he say to you when you saw him at the hospital? Did he act funny?”
Paige paused. “I…I didn’t see him at the hospital. He never came to see me.”
Daisy was quiet for a moment. Normally that was a good thing, but right now Paige had to wonder why.
“Okay, I’m going to apologize if I’m out of line…”
“But…?”
“Your dad made a huge scene at the hospital. Seriously huge. He was yelling at the doctors to test Dylan for alcohol, and then he was yelling at the cops to arrest him for drunk driving, telling everyone how Dylan had done this sort of thing before.”
Paige gasped in horror. “No!”
“Unfortunately, he did,” Daisy said. “It took a while to calm him down and the nurses threw him out at one point. The police officers came and explained what had happened, and I thought he seemed okay with it…”
Paige sighed. “But…?”
“But when Dylan and Riley came up when you were having surgery, your dad was just…glaring at him. After the surgeon came out to give us an update, I was standing with them when your dad came over and sort of…you know…prompted me to leave. Last I saw, the three of them were standing together and Dylan promised to call me with any updates. When he didn’t, I thought it was because he was recovering too.”
“Do you… I mean… Do you think my father is the reason I haven’t heard from Dylan?” Paige asked weakly.
“Honestly, Paige, it wouldn’t surprise me at all. Things were tense, and while I don’t blame your dad for being upset, he was sort of rough on Dylan.” She paused. “Have you tried calling him?”
“No. I was so upset that he didn’t come to see me, even though I know he’s hurt too. I thought he would have at least called or…something.”
“I’m so sorry,” Daisy said quietly. “I really am.”
“Yeah. Me too.”
“So what are you going to do? Are you going to call him or…?”
“I don’t know. Part of me wants to, but now that I know what happened, I’m even more confused about it.”
“Why?”
“He should have called me and talked to me about this—about my dad. We’ve talked about how…complicated my relationship with him is, and I thought he would understand that by now. We…we fought about it that morning. If he’s still mad about our fight, that’s fine. But he should respect me enough to at least call and see how I am.”
“I agree,” Daisy said. “But…in his defense, he’s hurt too, Paige. And not just physically. That had to be hard on him—another accident and then having your dad throwing accusations at him like that.”
While Paige knew Daisy was right, she was still torn. And as much as she wanted to go to him and comfort him, as well as confront him, she couldn’t. She was a mess in her own way right now and needed to think about all this and figure out what she was going to do.
“I can’t believe I’m going to miss the big launch,” she finally said, deciding to change the subject.
“There’s no way you can do it,” Daisy agreed. “I think if it were only your ankle, it would be one thing, but you need to take it easy for a while.”
“What’s going on with the campaign? Is everything set for the launch?”
Daisy sighed. “I don’t know. Ariel took it over and I’m out of the loop. But I can find out for you tomorrow if you’d like.”
Did she even want to know, or was it better to put this whole thing behind her? By the time she was able to go back to work, the Literacy Now campaign would be a done deal and PRW would be onto something else, another cause, another campaign.
“You know what? It doesn’t matter. It’s probably best if I take myself out of work mode and focus on getting better.”
“I think that’s a great idea. Hey, how about I pick up lunch from your favorite deli tomorrow and bring it to you and we can eat together? It’s been a while since we’ve done that.”
Paige couldn’t help but smile. “I would love that. Thank you. But are you sure? It would mean taking an extended lunch break.”
Daisy laughed. “Are you kidding? I’m not even clocking out! I’m going to tell everyone I’m coming to see you to do work stuff.” Then she paused and cleared her throat. “I mean…if that’s okay with you.”
“Tell you what, you bring me some cake pops and a Frappuccino and I’ll tell payroll you need to take a four-hour lunch at least once a week while I’m recovering!”
“Yeah!” Daisy said excitedly. “It’s a deal!”
When they hung up, Paige reached over and munched on her chips and salsa and thought about what her assistant had shared with her.
If her father had done what Daisy had said—caused a scene and accused Dylan of causing the accident—then she could understand Dylan being distant.
If Dylan was still upset over their argument from that morning, her father’s accusations certainly hadn’t helped matters.
But if she meant something to him—anything at all like he meant to her—shouldn’t he have called by now?
“That’s the million-dollar question,” she said with a sigh.
Kathy came into the room with a smile. “I still think you need something a little more nutritious than nachos,” she said and winked. “But we’ll start to worry about that tomorrow.”
That made Paige grin. “My assistant will be bringing me lunch tomorrow, and it’s somewhat on the healthy side—turkey and avocado on whole wheat.”
“And…?”
“And what?” Paige asked innocently.
Studying her for a minute, Kathy gave her a look that said she didn’t think that was all.
“Okay, fine. It also has bacon.”
“And…?”
Paige told her about the cake pops and Frappuccino. “They’re my weakness.”
Kathy’s smile grew. “Mine too. Ask her to bring extra for me and I’ll pay her when she gets here.”
“Not a problem,” Paige replied. “Did my mom show you to the guest room?”
“She did, and it’s a beautiful room. I almost feel a little guilty sleeping in there.”
“I wish I could go up and show you where everything is,” Paige said. Her home was two stories, with the guest rooms upstairs. She loved the floor plan because it managed to give everyone privacy. “I know the bathroom is totally stocked, but if there’s anything you need and can’t find, let me know.”
“It’s all good, Paige. I brought everything I needed with me and you keep your guest rooms stocked like a five-star hotel. This is almost like a vacation for me.”
Somehow she doubted that, but she appreciated the sentiment. And as Kathy went about doing her thing, Paige sat and only half listened to the television, her mind immediately going back to Dylan. Should she call? Text? Wait him out?
“No,” she finally said. From the beginning—or close to it—she had vowed to go after what she wanted where he was concerned, and she wasn’t going to shy away now. Grabbing her phone, she pulled up his number and dialed. Her heart was racing madly in her chest as she silently prayed he’d answer and tell her this was all a mistake—his staying away.
But he didn’t answer.
It went directly to voicemail.
“Hey, this is Dylan. You know what to do.”
Even with the mental pep talk, Paige couldn’t seem to make herself speak, and reverting to her old ways, she simply hung up and prayed that he’d at least see the missed call and know she was thinking of him.