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Excerpt:
Carter sat on the bed
next to her, staring into her eyes, feeling a strong urge to stroke her hair,
but if she couldn’t tolerate his gentle touch to her forearm, she certainly
wouldn’t be comfortable with hair strokes. So feeling disconnected, Carter used
words to relay his genuineness. “So I can take care of you.”
“I don’t need you…to…to
take care…of me,” she said between coughs. “I’m in a hospital. There are plenty
of doctors and nurses here to take care of me. What are you doing here…anyway?”
Carter frowned. “What do
you mean? I’m here because I care.”
“You care?” She huffed.
“Nobody cares. People pretend to…to care about people like me only
because…because they feel like they’re doing the universe a favor. I mean,
don’t put yourself out.”
“Believe me, if I didn’t
want to be here, I wouldn’t be. I’m here because I do care…thought you were going to die in my arms this morning.”
“Well, unfortunately, I’m
not dead, so…”
“What’d you say?” Carter
glared at her. He couldn’t have heard her correctly. How could this delicate,
little woman be so unappreciative of her life?
“Just go,” she told him.
“Run off and save somebody who wants to be saved. I’ll be…fine here, and
even if I’m not, that’s…that’s okay too.”
“Wow,” Carter said beside
himself. “Why are you so ungrateful? I could’ve left you lying on the
sidewalk…”
“Then why didn’t you?”
“Because I cared enough
to stop and help you,” he said, raising his voice. “I had a very important
meeting to attend today, but instead, I’m stuck here with you.”
“You’re not stuck.
I don’t see any chains on you. Go…I don’t need you here. Go to your—” She
coughed, then continued, “—meeting.”
“You know what,” Carter
said, lowering his tone, trying not to let his feelings get in the way of what
he wanted to accomplish with her. “I’m just gonna step out of the room. Why
don’t you rest and sleep off your anger?”
“Why don’t you go home?”
she said so softly, Carter couldn’t completely make out what she’d said.
She closed her eyes after
she watched Carter leave the room. Finally, peace and quiet. That, coupled with
a soft bed and warm blankets were enough to put her to sleep, but she laid
there instead, remembering the last moments with her fiancé’, Jacob, eight
months ago:
“Hey babe,” she told him as he stepped into the kitchen,
briefcase in hand. She hadn’t been home too long, but was there long enough to
get started on dinner. She had just slid a meatloaf in the oven. The blended
aromas of onions, green peppers ground beef and spices filled the kitchen. “How
was job hunting? Find anything?”
Jacob was perplexed about something. That much she could tell
from the worried expression on his face. She studied him closer, looking him up
and down, noticing his smoke-gray suit, the crisp shirt and loosened necktie.
He might not have had a job, but he was still dressed to the nines while he
looked for one.
Jacob walked up to her and tasted her lips while holding her
head firmly between his strong hands. “You know I love you, more than anything
in this world. You know that don’t you, Shayla?”
Her face glowed as she stared into his eyes. “Yes,” she
replied. “I know. That’s why I’m marrying you.”
He kissed her lips again, but this time it was more potent.
More needful. She couldn’t recall an instance when he kissed her so vigorously.
Her hands found the back of his head. He mumbled how much he loved her while
they smooched. Said he would always love her, even if something bad were to
happen to him…
* * *
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