Horror and disgust dominate my heart and mind while I try to wrap my head around what has transpired. Another, even more dreadful emotion is beginning to gnaw away at me: regret. I should have kept my distance from those three. Not because they were bad in any way, but because we complicated an already complicated situation even more. Tonight’s incident will serve like a constant reminder of my recklessness. As if I don’t have any strong memories from them, I will remember every single moment of that horrific crash. Perhaps this is my punishment for acting like a spoiled brat who wanted everything for herself. Michael wasn’t enough for me. No, I wanted someone more easy-going and less romantic. Ray? Sure, he fits the profile, but he’s not the badass biker Dean is. Damn it, Stacy… How could you even consider doing this? As the minutes roll by though, it occurs to me that maybe tonight’s ordeal isn’t the worst thing that’s befallen me. Thinking about it makes me want to jump onto the first flight out and disappear. The destination doesn’t matter. It can be Athens, Rome, Barcelona, or Chicago for all I care. Anywhere that’s far away from them would be fine.

I stare at the green line on the monitor at my left, wishing I suffered from temporary amnesia. The sound of high heels fills the room, compelling me to avert my gaze from the machine. Emily and Karlie are wearing their brightest smiles as they make their way towards my bed. Emily bends towards me and kisses me on the cheek, stroking my temple.

“You scared the crap out of me, girl,” she whispers, gently pulling me in for a hug.

“Me, too,” Karlie admits, reaching down to pick up my hand. “I’m amazed you haven’t broken anything.”

“Thank God for that bush,” I respond in a faint tone, sitting up as I remember the sight of that vegetation on the side of the road. “I wouldn’t be here talking to you if it wasn’t for that thing. Anyway, where’s Dean? Have you heard anything about him?”

“He’s hurt pretty badly,” Karlie informs, her wobbly voice revealing to me much more than she intends to let me know. I can count the times she’s gotten emotional on the fingers of one hand.

A long, heavy sigh escapes me as I turn to her. “Go on. Give it to me straight.”

“He’s got head injuries,” Karlie explains. “The doctor said it’s touch-and-go. I’m sorry, Stacy. I’m really sorry.”

I don’t dignify her words with a comment of my own. Dropping my head into my hands, I feel guilt consuming my heart and soul. In a split second, the familiar sting of tears strikes back with a vengeance. I press my fingertips into my skin, my lips trembling as I recall my last discussion with him. And, sadly for me, this was another consequence of my agreement to that arrangement.

“Stacy, you’re shaking for crying out loud,” Emily remarks, trying to pull my wrist away from my face.

“Poor Dean…” I sob, sliding my fingers up my cheeks. “He just wanted to go for a ride with me.”

“A ride?” wonders Emily, leaning closer. “What, that’s it? I thought you guys were going out on a date tonight.”

“That was the plan,” I tell her, running my hands through my hair. “But after what happened with Michael and Ray, I just couldn’t do it. I knew how it was going to play out. Dean’s a great guy. Don’t let that macho posture fool you. I’m sure you remember what he did on the night I got drunk. Tonight?” I suck a deep breath into my lungs. “He blew my mind one more time.”

“What did he do?” Karlie asks, tension creeping into her voice.

“He wanted to take me someplace east, I don’t remember where,” I sniffle, staring into the void. “When I told him we couldn’t keep on doing this, he said: ‘Then let’s just go for a ride to Malia and back. You’re the only person I’ve ever enjoyed riding with.’ How could I say ‘no’ to him after that?”

“Stacy, I’d love to analyze your situation, I really would, but there’s something else you need to know,” Karlie states, her tone firm. “Michael and Ray saw a Range Rover pursuing you on the freeway. According to Ray, tonight was no accident. What’s your take on this?”

“They did?” I wonder, pitching my voice higher.

“Yes,” Karlie affirms with a nod. “What happened out there exactly?”

“A lot,” I murmur, dropping my gaze down to my lap. “Five, maybe ten minutes after we turned onto the freeway, the driver of a big SUV flashed his lights at Dean. He slowed down and let the guy catch up. But when he did, he pointed a gun at him. Of course, Dean freaked out. He floored it. At some point, we were doing more than a hundred-and twenty-miles an hour. The guy did chase us, but he never shot at us. And yeah, Ray’s right. It wasn’t an accident. He slowed down enough for us to bump into him. The Harley lost its balance. You know the rest.”

“Maybe that biker of yours isn’t as great as you think,” Emily voices her opinion. “I mean, why would someone try to kill him?”

“I don’t have a clue,” I shrug my shoulders, shifting my attention back to her. “All I know is that I want to get out of here, ASAP.”

“I thought you loved it here,” Karlie says, a touch of surprise in her tone.

“I do,” I confess, wiping my tears off my face. “Still, I’ve broken my own rule. Michael, Ray, and Dean helped me break it, one way, or another.”

“The ‘no strings attached’ rule,” Emily presumes, the certainty in her tone startling me.

“How do you know?” I wonder, my voice starting to wobble yet again.

“Oh, please, girl,” she scoffs, flashing me a scornful look. “You did it with Ray. After you came back from your date with Michael, I saw that same glint in your eyes. And I’m sure I’d see it again right now if you hadn’t been through this ordeal.”

“You have feelings for three men at the same time?” Karlie inquires, setting my forearm back down on the bed. “Is that…?”

“Possible?” I attempt to guess her question. “I guess it is. Guys, I never meant for it to happen. It’s just that they were all so good to me that I couldn’t help it.”

“Most people consider themselves lucky to fall in love with just one person in their whole life,” Karlie remarks, a smile of bitterness spreading across her face. “How could you fall for three in a couple of weeks?”

“I can’t blame her,” Emily says with a sigh. “They’ve done some amazing things for her, especially Michael. The guy probably spent a month’s salary just to organize something special for her. He confided in her. In fact, they all did. This shows they trust her, they value her. And don’t get me started on the sex. Hearing about it turned me on. I wanted to be in her shoes, just for one night. Still…” she pauses. “I’d hate to be in her shoes right now.”

“I couldn’t have said it better myself,” I mutter under my breath, lifting my gaze up to hers. “This is why we should leave Crete as soon as we can.”

“Leave?” Karlie cocks an eyebrow.

“Yeah,” I affirm with a nod. “I can’t choose between them. They’re all amazing in their own way. And I can’t come between three men. It’s just wrong. But even if I could, how long would it last? Six days?”

“What about Dean?” Emily poses a question, crossing her arms over her chest. “You can’t leave him now, can you?”

“No, I can’t,” I say, pursing my lips. “I can wait a couple of days, see how his condition develops. Besides, I can’t go anywhere until tomorrow night.”

“It’s wrong,” Karlie speaks her mind, her voice rising in volume. “We’re talking about just four days. Changing your flight ticket is expensive. It’s August; the chances of finding an available seat on an earlier flight are next to none. And last, but not least, I don’t want to go back to Miami just yet. You wish to end things with them? Fine: avoid them. Don’t flee.”

“I’ll try,” I whisper, understanding her point. “Can I get a hug?”

I close my eyes as they both bend down towards me. In an instant, their arms go around my shoulders and my upper back. More tears well up in my eyes as I find myself in a tight group hug. Karlie’s suggestion is the logical thing to do. Yet, logic and I haven’t been getting along. I’ve let my heart dictate my actions, even though I knew that I couldn’t have a future with any of those three. Now, I’m going to pay the price of my naivety. Am I ready? I don’t know, but I’m going to pay that price nonetheless.