My thoughts were interrupted when a nurse walked in.
“Ok hun, looking good. You will be out of here in no time. He is a trooper,” she said looking at me. Her long blonde hair was pulled to the front of her left shoulder, and her big blue eyes were warm and made me feel better, even though I wasn’t the patient. No wonder Marty was doing so good. “My name is Ashton and I’ll be taking care of you tonight. If y’all need anything just hit the call button,” she said this while removing the mask from Marty’s face, then turned and left.
“I should have said I needed a sponge bath,” Marty said hoarsely. He smiled at me and I got up and walked towards him. I couldn’t help it, as soon as I saw his face, tears welled up in my eyes.
“I’m so sorry,” I whispered, tears flowing down my face and onto Luke’s hoodie. I felt like a train had hit me. He was here, all because of me. This was my fault and if ever I wanted revenge, it was now.
“Don’t,” Marty said, laying his injured hand on top of mine.
“I’m gonna step outside a minute,” Luke said from the door. I had not even noticed he got up. I could have kissed him at that moment for giving me this time, but I couldn’t take my eyes off of Marty.
“I want to tell you a story,” Marty said, holding my hand. I nodded my head at him, wiping my face on my long sleeves. “When I was twenty-three, I met this girl. She was beautiful, smart, kind, sweet… Everything I would want in a woman. I was nothing but a thug. I worked in a mechanic shop and hustled a little on the side, but she loved me. She was my good. My better. She deserved a life of happiness, one that I couldn’t give to her. I knew I would never be more than what I am, a man with grease on his best jeans and a Harley. I never thought to ask her what she wanted. I just pushed her away, assuming what I was doing was best for her. I broke her heart.” He seemed to be somewhere else and I started to offer words of encouragement, thinking he was finished, when he began speaking again. “What I done was selfish and un-fair. I should have asked her what she wanted. See, material items didn’t matter to her. She deserved a life of happiness and she had it, with me. No one could love her like I loved her. She came looking for me. She was hurt and scared and confused as to why I just stopped answering her calls and hanging around. I use to hustle on Friday nights in a bad area of town and out of desperation she went there looking for me. She was shot, twice in the chest by a group of gang bangers who mistook her for someone else. I have re-worked the scene a million times in my head wondering what-if. I asked God every day to give me an opportunity to make it up and he did when he gave me you. He gave me a chance to save someone to make up for the life that was lost on my behalf.”
I stopped breathing. Tears were pouring out of my eyes, but even through the blurriness, I could see Marty’s smile. He seemed to be at peace with something.
“Dallas, I should be thanking you. You saved me. I know that things are not where they should be with you and Luke, but don’t make the same mistake I did. When God gives you an opportunity, embrace it. He loves you, Dallas. Let him.”
I didn’t know what to say to him. I didn’t know if he knew all the details of me and Luke, but what I did know was that Marty was right. I loved Luke and I knew he loved me. I was tired of playing these stupid “he loves me, he loves me not” games. I also knew that my life would not be complete without Luke in it.
“Thank-you,” I said to Marty, once again. I leaned over and planted a light kiss on his scruffy cheek.
“PROSPECT,” came a boom from the door. Both our heads turned around to see Luke standing there with a smile on his face. “I will be happy to add another year if you don’t get your hands off my girl.” Marty smiled in response and shook his head.
“I couldn’t help it, Pres. She’s beautiful.”
“That, she is,” Luke said eyeing me with admiration. It made me melt. I stood up, shaking the thoughts of Luke and his blue eyes, and hard muscles and “my girl” comment from my head.