CHAPTER SEVENTEEN - DEAN
Dr. Henfield’s office was cold and clinical. My mother and I walked in on Thursday morning, both shivering from the temperature and our nerves. I hadn’t yet seen Daniel today and my mind was with him as I sat down to await Dr. Henfield’s news. He walked through the door with a professional smile on his face, nodding to us as he moved to sit behind his desk. With a folder in his hands, he sighed and looked up at us, a look of disappointment in his eyes. Before he spoke, I knew what the answer would be.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “Neither of you is a match for Daniel.”
“How?” Mom asked, tears brimming in her eyes. “I’m his mother, shouldn’t I be?”
“As I explained to you before, Ms. Evans,” Dr. Henfield said kindly. “A parent isn’t always a match. We usually look for a sibling but Dean didn’t match either. I’m very sorry.”
“What do we do now?” I asked. My heart was pounding, and I felt my stomach cave in, but I pushed forward. There was no use in falling apart. Daniel still needed me he still needed me to be strong.
“He’s still on the donor list,” Dr. Henfield said, his tone reassuring. “I’m not confident we will find a donor in time but there is a chance. In the meantime, if you can think of any other family members who might come forward, that would be best.”
“We don’t have any other family,” I said. “It’s just us.”
Dr. Henfield nodded. With a sigh, he shook his head and once again expressed his apologies. I knew it wasn’t his fault but I still felt a surge of anger as I watched his face. He was the doctor, why the hell couldn’t he do more? My brother was fucking dying and this guy was just sitting here, staring at us.
“What are the chances that another family member will be a match?” Mom asked softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
“The same as with you and Dean,” Dr. Henfield said.
Mom nodded and listened while Dr. Henfield continued to speak. I tuned them both out, unable to listen for another second. When the meeting ended, Mom and I stopped by Daniel’s room to see him. He was sleeping, so we didn’t stay long. I drove Mom home in silence.
“I’ll see you tomorrow?” she asked.
I nodded. She smiled but I saw that her hands were trembling. When she jumped out of the car and hurried toward the front door, I knew she would be buried inside a bottle within the minute. For the first time in my life, I didn’t blame her. As I pulled out of the driveway, I too longed for the numbing effects of alcohol.
It didn’t take me long to find a bar that was open. It was lunchtime and there was a grill in town that had a bar inside. I parked and hurried through the doors.
“Table for one?” the hostess asked.
“No,” I said. “Just the bar.”
She nodded and gestured behind her. I hurried forward, eager to get a beer in my system. When I stepped into the bar area, I froze. There, sitting at the bar beside Stephanie, was Caroline.
My entire body felt hot as I took in the sight of her. Her blond hair was shorter now, falling just below her shoulders. It fell in easy curls like always, and in that moment, I remembered exactly how it felt to run my fingers through it. From where I stood, I could see her profile and my eyes trailed down her perfect body. Even after all these years, I still felt my dick twitch when I saw her.
I swallowed hard and glanced around. It had been seven years since the last time I saw Caroline. I didn’t know what to do. Should I talk to her? Should I just leave? My heart was pounding in my chest as I tried to think of something. I couldn’t move. My feet were cemented to the floor and my eyes were locked on her face. I could see the brilliant blue of her eyes, and I immediately lost myself.
Suddenly, it was seven years ago, and we were back in that abandoned cabin. Caroline was naked beneath me, her gorgeous tits calling me to her. My dick rubbed against her wet core, and I searched frantically for a condom. When I was ready, I lowered myself down to her entrance, eager to slide inside her.
Back then, we were interrupted by a phone call from my mother. Now, standing in that bar, lost in a fantasy, nothing interrupted us. I pushed my rock-hard cock inside of her juicy pussy and felt my entire body tremble with need. Caroline gasped as I filled her and soon, her gasps turned to moans of pleasure. I took her right there on that cabin floor, pounding against her with a gentle force that sent waves of ecstasy through my body.
I could practically hear Caroline cry out my name when I made her come. Her nails dug into my back, and I took her harder, watching her tits bounce in rhythm with my thrusts. In my mind, I fucked her senseless that night. When I came, it was with a rush of love and adrenaline that I’d never felt before. I saw myself collapse on top of her perfect body, both of us drenched in sweat.
By the time I snapped back to reality, Stephanie noticed me. Her eyes locked on mine from across the bar and she smiled nervously. Waving me over, she leaned forward to whisper in Caroline’s ear.
Caroline’s head spun around, her eyes finding my face. I tried to take a step forward but I couldn’t move. Her gaze held me in place as fireworks went off in my head. Just looking at her was enough to make me remember everything we’d had. I could feel the passion and the heat between us, even from across the bar.
Finally, I cleared my throat and pushed myself forward. The closer I got, the more nervous Caroline became. She seemed scared when I finally stepped in front of her. I glanced at Stephanie who was just watching us with rapt attention.
“Hi,” I said weakly.
I trailed off, not sure what to say. Caroline watched me closely but didn’t speak. I could tell she was thinking, and I wondered if she wanted to leave. Stephanie probably told her I was back in town but that didn’t mean she expected to see me today.
“Why don’t you sit down?” Stephanie said kindly. “I’m going to run to the ladies’ room.”
“Stephanie,” Caroline said, shooting her best friend a warning look.
“I’ll be right back,” Stephanie promised.
With that, she jumped up and hurried away. I laughed nervously and sunk on to Stephanie’s abandoned barstool. Caroline smiled and shook her head.
“She’s not very subtle,” Caroline said.
“No,” I agreed. “She’s not.”
“Can I get you a drink?” the bartender asked.
“Just a beer,” I said. He nodded and poured me a draft. As I took a sip, my eyes found Caroline’s face again. She was watching me closely, an emotion I didn’t recognize brewing behind her eyes.
“So, what brings you back to town?” she asked.
“My brother,” I said. “Daniel. He’s pretty sick. He hasn’t been taking care of his diabetes, and now his kidneys are shutting down.”
“Oh my God,” Caroline said. “Dean, I’m so sorry. I had no idea.”
“It’s bad,” I said honestly. “They’re saying he needs a transplant and without it, he’ll die. Mom and I both got tested but neither of us is a match. I just… I honestly don’t know what to do for him.”
“That’s awful,” Caroline said. I could see genuine pain behind her eyes and the sight made my heart ache for her. Despite everything that happened between us, she still felt something for my family. Her heart was just as pure as ever.
“I came home to be here with him,” I said. “And Mom. But, it looks like I’m just here to watch him die.”
As I spoke, the truth of my words crashed down around me, and I suddenly couldn’t breathe. My chest felt tight, and my eyes burned. I took a sip of my beer, trying to wash down my pain. When I looked back up at Caroline, her own eyes were full of tears.
“I’m sorry,” she said again. “I wish there was more I could say. I’m just really sorry.”
I nodded and tried to smile. Just then Stephanie appeared at my shoulder with a wide smile on her face.
“So,” she said. “How’s it going over here?”
I glanced at Caroline. As much as I liked Stephanie, I wasn’t ready to tell her the details of my family’s crisis.
“I think we should get going,” Caroline said, looking pointedly at Stephanie. “I have a lot to do today.”
“Okay,” Stephanie said, clearly confused.
“Listen,” I said quickly, jumping as Caroline stood to leave. “Can I have your number? Just to catch up while I’m in town?”
Caroline considered me for a second, her eyes narrowing slightly. I knew her sympathy for me was strong but the doubt behind her eyes was even stronger.
“I’m sorry,” she said softly. “About your brother and everything. But, Dean, I can’t just open myself up to you again. You broke my heart seven years ago. That doesn’t just change.”
“I only did that to protect you,” I said, desperate for her to understand. “I knew you would wait for me, that you would put your entire life on hold just for me. I couldn’t let you do that. I couldn’t let you give up going to Yale to wait around for me.”
Caroline scoffed. “That’s pretty ironic,” she said. “Since I dropped out of Yale anyway.”
With that, she grabbed Stephanie’s arm and together, they hurried away. I watched them disappear into the parking lot, my head spinning and my heart aching worse than ever.