Page 73 of Falling for the Unexpected

“Is he…” she started, but her voice started to break. “Is he… still alive?”

“Yeah, he’s at the hospital right now. I didn’t want you to be alone when you found out. I also didn’t want you to drive yourself if you wanted to go to the hospital,” I added.

“I should go, but I don’t want to take Stella. I can drive myself. Thank you for coming to tell me,” she said and then started to shut the door.

I put my hand out to stop it from closing in my face. “I’m not leaving you alone,” I informed her.

She stood her ground and I could see the determination on her face. “I need to find someone to watch Stella. It might be a little while before I can get out there. Really, I’m fine. You should be there for Jim and Marla—and for Trent,” she said, not looking into my eyes.

I hated myself right then. Had I broken her so badly that she could barely stand to be in my presence? “Simone… please,” I said softly. Whatever was in my voice must have touched her a little. Her expression wasn’t as hard and closed off; still, she only gave a stiff nod and went back inside. She didn’t open the door wider for me, but at least she hadn’t slammed it in my face. It wouldn’t have mattered. I would have just waited outside for her.

Kayla agreed to watch Stella so we both sat on the couch awkwardly waiting until she arrived. Stella had been napping and I wished she had been awake. Not only did I miss her mother terribly, I really missed spending time with her. I knew I wanted to be a father figure to her. Even now, if Brad finally saw this as a wakeup call and became an excellent father, I would still be there for Stella. A child could never have too many people who loved them.

We remained silent on the drive back to the hospital. Simone spent the entire ride looking out the passenger window. I wasn’t sure if it was because of the situation or if she just didn’t want to look at me. That hurt, making my stomach twist as though a knife was stuck in me. I couldn’t handle the silent treatment anymore. I wanted to be of some sort of comfort to her. I wanted to start making up for my behavior, prove to her she could trust me. That I did love her. That she wouldn’t be alone in this. And then I’d keep proving myself to her until she forgave me and realized I wasn’t going away.

I placed my hand on hers, which had been resting on her leg. She flinched as soon as I touched her and that made what was left of my heart break just a little bit more. “Please, Kyle, I can’t do this with you right now,” she said quietly with her head still turned away from me. She pulled her hand away. That proverbial knife turned in me more.

“Honestly, I’m not trying to push anything right now, Simone,” I said. “I just want to make sure you are okay. Whatever you need, I’ll be there for you.”

“Nowyou want to be there for me?” she asked harshly before taking a deep breath. “Never mind, don’t answer that. I just want to get to the hospital.”

I didn’t want to upset her any more so I kept my mouth shut. For now. I deserved the silent treatment, her wrath and anger, her disappointment and mistrust—I knew that. But I was suddenly brimming with all these things I wanted to tell her, wanted to share with her. Beg for her forgiveness. I knew it wasn’t the right time, but when was it ever the right time? Still, I just drove, gripping the wheel for dear life.

After a few more minutes of silence she asked, “How are Jim and Marla?”

I exhaled, glad to hear her voice and that she was talking to me. I didn’t care what the topic was, just as long as she didn’t keep shutting me out. “They seem to be doing okay.” I chanced a look at her, but she averted my gaze. “Jim was the one who found Brad and he had to perform CPR. He probably saved his life.”

She sighed, and fell back against her seat. She shook her head. “Poor Jim. I can’t imagine having to find your own child like that,” she said sadly.

Now it was my turn to be silent. I knew how terrible it was to find someone you loved in that position. It had been much too late for any life-saving efforts in the case of my mother, but Brad at least had a chance. When I’d found her that day, she had been dead for several hours. The coroner report had determined that my mother had died just about an hour after Addie and I had left for the Thompsons’ house. Truthfully, it was never easy, whatever age you were.

I pulled my car into the parking garage and we were able to find a spot near the stairs on the second level. I got out and started to make my way to Simone’s side of the car so I could open the door for her, but she had gotten out before I got over there. She started toward the stairs and kept walking, not waiting for me.

I sped up so I could walk next to her once we were on the first level. I directed her to the emergency room’s waiting area. As soon as she saw Jim and Marla, she ran over to them and hugged them tightly

Trent moved over to make space for Simone next to Marla and I went back to sit on the other side of Jim. “Where’s Stella?” Jim asked.

“Kayla’s babysitting at my apartment. I didn’t think it was a good idea to bring her here,” Simone answered. She looked pale but was composed.

“Has there been any update?” I asked.

“The doctor said we could probably see him soon. Right now they are limiting it to immediate family members,” Trent answered. There was no emotion in his voice and he was in the phase of shock where he was just waiting for the other shoe to drop. The waiting was what made it worse.

As we sat in silence, I looked around the waiting room and noticed that Tiffany had left at some point while I had been gone. “Hey, where’d Tiffany go?” I asked.

I noticed Simone tense at the mention of the woman she had caught with Brad all those months ago.

“She got a text and said she had something to take care of. I’m not really expecting her to come back,” Trent explained.

I wasn’t surprised that Brad’s occasional girlfriend would abandon him in his time of need. Based on their on-again, off-again status, it was clear their relationship wasn’t built on solid ground. I could only hope that the fact his family was here, even when he had turned his back on them, would be some sort of wakeup call for him.

“I need to call my boss to let him know I won’t be making it for my shift tonight. I’m going to step outside for just a moment,” Simone said, grabbing her purse and heading out the sliding doors.

I couldn’t help but watch her the entire time she was outside. I wanted so desperately to go wrap my arms around her and hold her tightly through this ordeal. I had fucked up badly and I wasn’t sure I was ever going to be able to fix it.

After she hung up the phone, I saw her wave to someone just out of my line of sight. A moment later I saw Addie run up and give Simone a huge hug, followed by Erik and Ian. I assumed they all drove over together. The four of them walked into the waiting room and everyone began exchanging hugs with each other.

We sat around chatting about anything but Brad or being in the hospital for another hour before the doctor came out. He informed Jim and Marla that they could go back and see their son. The both released sighs of relief as they got up out of their chairs and followed the doctor through the doors and back to Brad’s room.

After about thirty minutes, Jim came back out to get Trent so he could go visit with his brother. The five of us remained in the waiting room making small talk. About twenty minutes later, Jim, Marla, and Trent had all come back to the waiting room.

Brad wasn’t completely out of the woods and the hospital staff wanted to limit the time with visitors to family only so he could rest. Since he was stable, Jim urged all of us to go home, get some rest, and come back tomorrow when we could actually visit with him. The three of them were going to stay for a little while longer.

I drove Simone home and she was just as quiet as she had been on the way to the hospital. “You can just pull up behind my car,” she said when we pulled into the parking lot of her apartment complex. She was making it very clear that she didn’t want me to come up, not even to walk her to the door. Even though it went against everything I was taught on how to treat a woman, I decided not to push the issue.

“Do you want me to pick you up on my way to the hospital tomorrow morning?” I asked, hoping she would at least let me do that for her.

“No, I’ll be able to drive myself. Thank you for the ride today, though,” she said as she got out of my car and closed the door behind her before I could say anything else. I stayed where I was so I could at least watch her walk to her door and make sure she got in okay.

She may not have wanted my help or even my company right now, which was painful to admit, but I was more determined than ever to get my girl back.