Just before noon the next day, with Chinese food in hand, I knock on the door of Amelia’s office. Waiting on pins and needles, I anticipate hearing some movement from behind the door, but silence is all I can detect.
I knock again, wondering if she changed her mind, if she thought long and hard last night about what I said, and she realized I wasn’t worth the effort. And if she did, what can I do about it?
I mean, it’s my fault we’ve been apart for nearly a month now. And if she decided that it was best for us to really part ways, there’s nothing I would be able to do but accept that.
But I honestly don’t think that’s what she wants because I sure as hell know I don’t, and every time we talk, I can see the same longing I feel for her reflected back at me in her eyes.
“Amelia!” I knock harder, wondering if she’s in the back room of her office and didn’t hear me the first time. But more time passes without any acknowledgment from inside. I step up to the glass door and attempt to see inside through the curtains, but that’s when I notice there are no lights on.
That’s strange. Amelia should be here. Did she have to step out? Was there an emergency of some sort?
Just then, footsteps behind me pull my attention to my left, and that’s when I see Nick striding toward me, his face sullen and his hair in disarray.
“Nick?”
He stops dead in his tracks. “Ethan.”
“What are you doing here, man?”
“Fuck, you haven’t heard?”
“Heard what?” My stomach drops as I take in his face. He has bags under his eyes, his eyelids are swollen, and his clothes are askew. My gut tells me something happened, and I’m not going to like what comes out of his mouth next.
“Amelia…was in a car accident last night. She’s…she’s in the hospital.”
I drop the bag of food to the ground and rush toward him, but he holds me away from him at arm’s length, pushing against my chest. “Is she okay? Fuck, tell me she’s okay, Nick!”
“She’s banged up pretty bad. A few broken ribs, a humerus fracture, and cuts all over her face from the glass. But she’s going to be okay.”
I let out a shaky breath as tears build in my eyes. “Fuck, Nick. I—” I choke back my desire to crumble right now. I can feel my legs starting to give out, so we walk over to the fountain while Nick holds me up before we sit on the edge.
“I know, man. It’s been a long night. I’ve been at the hospital with my family and the girls since seven. I haven’t slept. I came by her office to grab a few things for her, but then I’m headed right back.”
“I need to see her.”
Nick pushes a hand through his hair. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea right now.”
“Why not?”
“Because you upset her, man. Seeing you sends her into a tailspin. And she’s sleeping. They’ve had her on morphine to help with the pain, and she just got out of surgery to fix her arm.”
“I have to see her, Nick. She could have died, and I never got a chance to…” Fuck, I could have lost her. She could have died, and I would never have had the opportunity to tell her that I want to spend the rest of my life with her.
And like the flick of a switch, it all becomes so clear to me—I want Amelia to be my everything. I always have, and I always will.
He shakes his head, staring down at the ground. “I know, but she’s alive, man. She’s going to pull through this. I just—I’d feel better if I asked her how she feels about it first, okay?”
Even though it’s not what I want to hear, I have to respect his hesitation. However, I also know that I could just override him. “I could just show up, you know?”
And that’s when he scoffs. “You could, but you’re not family, so they won’t let you in.” And with an arch of his brow, he stands. “Bet you wish you were married now, huh?”
And with one last parting look, he unlocks the door to her office and steps inside, shutting the door behind him.
“Fuck!” I shout, pulling on my hair just as my eyes land on the gnomes in the flower beds by her door. And without thinking, I step toward them, crouch down and pick them up, and then send them sailing across the courtyard, shattering as they hit the ground.
“God damn it!” Huffing in frustration, I stare at the remnants of the gnomes and then spin and race toward my office. I don’t give a shit what Nick says. I’m going to that hospital. I’m going to see the woman I love and make sure she’s okay with my own two eyes.
“Cancel all of my meetings for the rest of the day, Yvonne!” I bark out at her as I run back to my office, grabbing my wallet and keys from my desk.
“Is everything okay?” she asks as she pops her head in the door, taking in my frantic state.
“No. Amelia was in a car accident last night, and I have to go see her.”
Her hands cover her mouth. “Oh my God. Is she okay?”
“She’s pretty banged up, but apparently, she’s going to be fine. But I’m not. I have to see her. I have to talk to her.”
She shakes her head at me. “It’s about damn time, Ethan.”
“Yeah, I know.”
My eyes run all over my office, making sure I didn’t forget anything. But then I remember that my phone is in my desk drawer.
“Good luck. I’ll hold down the fort as long as I need to.”
“Thank you, Yvonne.”
I watch her leave with a smile on her face before I open the drawer where I always place my phone. But it’s not there. Pulling open another drawer, I see that I put it in a different place this morning for some reason, but another object in the drawer catches my eye next.
Lifting the pamphlet from beneath my phone, I stare down at Amelia’s writing, and that’s when it hits me. I know exactly how to show her that I’ve had a change of heart. I know exactly what I need to do to move forward in my life with her. And I just hope she gives me the opportunity to prove it to her.