CHAPTER TWENTY

It was a dream all over again. The hospital lights blinding her eyes and the smell of disinfectant defiling her nose. She twitched, noticing that it was somewhere warm this time and not cold and alone like the other time she had woken up in the hospital.

She willed her eyes to open but they were so heavy and her voice so dry. She counted stars, wishing someone would hear her thoughts and know that she was here and alive.

She twitched her fingers and the warmth around them increased, she smiled. This meant that whoever it was had been there for her, not letting her be alone.

After what seemed like an eternity, she finally opened her eyes, blinking several times when the hospital lights burned them.

Suddenly someone was in her view, Damien. His head was wrapped with a bandage but he was alive and that was all that mattered to her. she smiled or at least she tried to. He engulfed her in a hug careful not to hurt her.

“I was going to lose my mind if you didn’t wake up sooner,” he said, unable to stop smiling.

Lauren smiled, there was just one thing she needed to know. as if sensing her question the door opened and Jane walked in with Nathan holding Harry.

Lauren squealed in joy happy they had all made it out alive. She sat upright with Damien’s help and carried Harry who kept giggling and pinching her cheeks.

“We’re finally complete,” Damien said. She panicked when he said that and she saw Nathan standing there beside him.

“We already talked about the whole marriage and engagement thing and it’s all null and void so you love birds can go ahead and be together forever,” Nathan said, with a smile.

He would’ve been devasted if it didn’t work out. He looked at Jane, and his heart filled with warmth. They hadn’t talked after what she’d told him in the car. He could feel her nervousness when she was around him and the discomfort right now that she knew Lauren was the one Damien truly loved.

It was a good thing that he had a gateway planned for them when Lauren fully recovered, they would all travel together to cool off, they deserved it.

Nathan watched Damien embrace Lauren and together they were one perfect happy family that had survived all odds all thanks to him. He knew that he would forever carry the guilt of what happened with him but that was his burden to bear.

He touched Jane slightly on the arm and she understood what they meant. They left the room to give them privacy and not intrude on their moment.

Nathan walked her to the car and opened the door for her. She got in despite not wanting to be in the same car as him. Since she had told him about the engagement, he hadn’t spoken a single word to her despite clearing everything up with Damien.

She put all her attention outside the window as Nathan fiddled with the radio before setting on good old country music.

Jane decided she was going to say anything to him about it. He understood that it was awkward for him. She respected that, but it didn’t stop her from hurting.

A tear slid down her eyes but she didn’t bother wiping it, she just let it flow. She’ll wait around a few days then fly back to her home where her family was waiting for her. the relief they felt after learning that she was actually still alive was overwhelming for both parties.

Her ticket was already booked so she could be out as soon as possible. her sister Patty had even threatened to come here and drag her back, she had missed her family so much.

So deep in thoughts that she didn’t realize that Nathan had stopped the car and they were parked by the roadside, calling her name.

He finally touched her arm and she turned around startled. Nathan was surprised when he saw the tears on her face.

“Jane…” he said softly. She cried harder at that hearing him say her for the first time in five days.

“Why are you crying?” he asked, unable to tear his eyes away from her.

She shook her head, there was no need to cry over spilled milk. She already made up her mind to walk away so there was no need to bother anymore.

“Just take me home,” she told him, wiping her tears furiously with the back of her palm.

“We need to talk Jane, about us,” he tried to explain, but she wasn’t having any of it.

“Just take me home Nathan, you had five days to talk to me but you didn’t.” She turned back to the window, signaling the end of their conversation. She opened her phone and rescheduled her flight as they drove home, she was leaving first thing in the morning.

Immediately they got home she opened the door herself and slammed it shut not waiting for him to open it this time. She passed Paula in the hallway but didn’t even offer as much as a greeting to her.

Jane threw her box open immediately after shutting her down close. She threw in her clothes, not minding the disarranged state that they were in. She packed everything that she could lay her hands on and told herself that in a few months, she wouldn’t feel the pain that she currently felt.

*****

Nathan paced his room, Damien sitting on the bed with a beer in his hand. Nathan knew that he had screwed up. He should’ve talked to her after Damien had cleared the air, but he hadn’t.

If he had, everything would not have gone to shit. He had even made her cry. That was something he couldn’t forgive himself for. Watching the pain that flashed through those beautiful eyes of hers before dropping to her cheeks.

He never wanted to see her cry again; it didn’t suit her beautiful face. She deserved love, laughter, and everything that would make her happy.

Yes, he had felt a pang of pain when he saw Lauren with Damien, but he was ready to move past all that. He wanted to start anew, and he wanted that with Jane.

“Can you just calm down for a second?” Damien told him.

“She doesn’t want anything to do with me anymore. I fucked it up, Damien,” he said. Pulling at his hair as he thought of how to win her back.

“The vacation is tomorrow, and she’ll be there. You’ll have your chance then.”

“You think she’ll come?” Nathan asked.

“Sure, Lauren made her promise that she would, so don’t worry.” He patted Nathan on the shoulder and left.

Nathan stared after him, happy that his friend had finally found peace. He didn’t stay away from his son Harry and Lauren for long; it was like he couldn’t breathe if they weren’t close to him. That bond was what Nathan wanted to share with Jane.

He packed his bag. Tomorrow was the day that he’d finally see her. After the car incident, everyone had woken up to Jane gone with no explanations. It was only a few days later that she’d called Paula and apologized for leaving the way that she had, promising to come for the family vacation.

Now Nathan was here, hoping that he would finally have the chance to apologize to her and hope that they would be able to work things out.

He didn’t sleep the entire night, he was up thinking of all the possible scenarios for when they would finally meet, and in every one of them, it ended badly.

Tossing and turning in the night, he was the first person out the door when they were going to the airport. Up until he arrived at the resort Damen had booked for him, he was nervous.

Nathan took the room that was opposite Jane’s even though she was yet to arrive. He took a bath and put on his beach shorts since it was still afternoon and everywhere was hot. They all decided to chill by the beach.

He laid out his towel and laid on it. The book he had brought with him to distract him from his thoughts was open on his face, shielding his eyes. He must’ve slept at some point because when he woke up the cool evening air was biting into his skin and it was getting dark.

He sat up, placing the book beside him. He heard Lauren greet someone and he turned to see who it was.

He shouldn’t have looked. He had just woken up and was totally unprepared for the scene in front of him. It was Jane.

She was wearing a red bikini that complimented her now tan skin, but that wasn’t his problem. It was the hand hers were attached to. He followed the hand to see a tall guy, whose hair was almost whiter than snow.

Nathan felt his heart plummet to the ground. Was that how fast she had replaced him already? That was totally impossible. He had seen it in her eyes and how she had cried that day. She loved him—or at least had strong feelings for him.

Unable to bear it, he stood up, leaving his book and towel on the floor. He trudged to the closest bar, the cold slapping against his bare chest, but that was the least of his problems.

He ordered shots for himself, slowly losing count as he gulped glass after glass. There was a mini beach party going on by the side of the bar so there was loud music. He watched people dance but he didn’t see them.

He swirled the current glass that he was holding before pushing his head back and taking it in a swoop.

The next glass was in front of him when someone pushed it away. “At this rate you’re going to end up with alcohol poisoning,” a deep sultry voice said.

He looked up to see a girl with hair cut so short they fell a little below her ears. She wore black baggy clothes with boots so it was hard to tell what her body looked like.

“Mind your business,” Nathan said and took back his drink.

She pushed it away again. “It’s not worth it.”

Nathan was becoming agitated at this point, but he kept his cool because she was a girl. He was about to grab the glass again when the girl swooped in and took it. Before he could ask her to put it back, she drank it in one go and gagged.

“This is the grossest thing I’ve ever tasted. Why do you guys punish yourself like this?” she asked making a face that showed her distaste for the drink.

Nathan laughed at her expression. “Never had alcohol?” he asked.

She took the seat beside him and hoisted herself up. “Only the sweetened drinks. I can’t stand anything that is not sweet.”

Nathan nodded. “This is the first time I’m hearing someone say they only drink sweet alcohol,” he laughed again.

He called to the bartender, “Bring us something sweet.”

“You should take a break. I’ve been watching you drink for so long,” the girl said. “And by the way, the name’s Lisa.”

“Nathan.” He put out his hand for a handshake, but she ignored it and hugged him instead. Her body kept him warm before she pulled away. She turned back to the counter and take her drink, making the colored lights from the party illuminate her face and, boy, was she beautiful.

They spent the rest of the evening together and Nathan found himself laughing and enjoying her company. He made up his mind as they staggered to his room to move on, just like Jane had, and Lisa was the first on his list.