Chapter 82 The Accident
THEODORE
I couldn’t let her leave without claiming what was mine.
In my defense, I thought about it for a total of three, maybe five seconds before taking the other elevator down. The thought of letting her go without some assurance from my part made me sick.
I couldn’t change who I was completely or our connection wouldn’t feel as authentic.
Well, there was also the fact that I missed the taste of her lips.
Alice melted into the kiss and it filled my heart with relief. We were doing this. This was actually happening. Our relationship was going to get a much-deserved second chance and I couldn’t fucking wait to get home and straighten things out with Carmella.
I didn’t feel as shitty as I should’ve. I knew that made me a jerk, but I was too happy to care.
Thanks, Granny.
Thanks a fucking ton.
She was the first to pull away and we breathlessly stared at each other for a handful of seconds. “What happened to what we talked about?”
A smile curved my lips. “It’s still on. I just couldn’t let you go without a proper goodbye.”
Her cheeks turned red and she looked impossibly more beautiful. Her lips were just inches away from mine and I had to fight the urge to kiss her again. I was starving for her.
I was fucking mad.
“That was a goodbye, alright,” she smiled.
“As soon as it’s on the news, you’ll call me, won’t you?”
Alice nodded. “I promise.”
It took a lot of mental effort to loosen my arms around her frame and let her walk away from me. I watched her with this growing sense of despair that I had to squash. Alice was mine already. I had nothing to worry about.
I only went back upstairs once she was out of sight. I packed my shit as quickly as possible, then headed to the garage where my car was parked.
I was in cloud fucking nine. My ass wasn’t on the leather seat of my car. I was floating. This strong sense of rightness filled every crevice in my body. For once in my life, I felt like I was on the right track. Nothing felt forced or rushed. I spent my entire youth chasing this kind of high and I never found it. Maybe that explained why I was such a dick all the time.
Alice Rhodes was mine. All mine.
I reached my house and parked the car. I couldn’t wait to head inside and have a chat with Carmella. I’d have to brace myself for the tears, of course, but I’d take my time explaining. She deserved more than that and I was sensible enough to recognize that.
As for the deal with her father and Victor…fuck it. I didn’t need it.
“Carmella?” I called as soon as I walked through the door.
I found my mother and not Carmella inside. More specifically, in the kitchen. She had this look on her face that immediately made me think of the day my father died. She had the same expression.
“What happened?” I asked urgently. My heart started beating right out of my chest.
“I’ve been trying to call you, Theodore. You never answer your phone and sometimes it makes me wonder why you have one at all!”
I screwed my eyes shut and suppressed the wave of irritation that threatened to bubble to the surface. “What. Happened?”
“It’s Carmella!” she began hysterically. “She got in an accident and she hit her head. Oh, Theodore. She’s been calling your name for hours! I called the office but the porter told me you were long gone.”
That was what I told him to say to anyone who called after hours.
“Where is she now?”
“The hospital. You need to come with me. Quick!”
It was at that precise moment that I realized that I was a terrible fucking person because the only thing I could think about was why this was happening right when I needed to end things with her.
Out of all the days in the goddamned year, why this one?
During the drive there, Mom filled me in on what happened but I was hardly paying attention to anything. My only concern was how long it would take for her to heal, and if it would be too bad if I decided to break off the engagement at the hospital.
Dammit. What would Alice think? How would she feel?
This was fucked on so many levels.
Her whole family was standing in the middle of the hospital’s aisle and when they saw me approaching, they immediately headed toward me. Carl headed straight toward me, arms wide open.
“Son,” he cried. I walked up to him and he slapped my back. My arms were honestly limp. I couldn’t raise them for shit. “It’s so good to see you, son.”
Her mother smiled at me but couldn’t get a word out because of how hard she was crying. I was confused by their reactions.
Didn’t Mom say that she was alright and just bumped her head? The way they were acting, it was like she died or something.
“How is she?” I was obligated to ask.
“Better. The doctor said that she’s out of danger but one can’t be too sure with head injuries. She jumped into the ocean the way she always does when she’s on a yacht, but her foot slipped and she hit the railings.”
“What was she doing on a yacht?”
Mom came up behind me and said, “What matters now is that she’s out of danger and she’s eager to see you, Theodore. Go on in.”
Everyone had their eyes on me as I moved toward her door. I took a deep breath and opened the door. Carmella’s eyes had been closed moments ago, but now, they were wide open and filled with tears. She tried to sit up. “Theo!”
There was a bandage wrapped tightly around her head and she looked rough. I walked up to her and she immediately threw her arms around me.
“I was so scared,” she sobbed. “The whole time, I couldn’t stop thinking of how afraid I was of losing you! Don’t let go of me, Theo. Please, don’t let go!”
I shook my head and closed my eyes.
Great. Just what I fucking needed.