“Love you too!”
I hung up the phone and finished my drink, throwing some cash down on the bar. I glanced up at the television, but the story was gone. I knew it would occupy my brain space for a while, but there was nothing I could do for her. I just had to go back to my own life and keep moving forward. I just couldn’t help but feel worried for her.
“Thanks, man,” I said, waving to the bartender. “See you next time.”
I grabbed my carry-on and headed out of the airport, forcing myself to think about getting home to Mia. I had to do my best to stick to the decision of stopping my self-torture over Emma. It would only ever be the same thing over and over again.
Stepping out of the airport, I took a deep breath, happy to be back in the city. As usual, the sidewalks were filled with people waiting to hail a taxi or waiting for their loved one to pick them up. I wheeled my carry-on toward the curb, knowing it would take a second to grab a cab, but that was okay. With Mia at my parents for dinner, I could take my time getting home.
I stood there, one hand in my pocket, watching the people in front of me as cabs came and went. To my right, there was a big gap in the crowd, a good area for me to head over to so I didn’t have to wait smashed in with the passengers coming and going. I had been doing it long enough to know if I didn’t maneuver my way to the curb, it could take an hour or more to grab a cab.
Pulling on my jacket, I looked over behind me, ready to turn and head away from the people. However, as I did, my heart stopped in my chest. Standing on the sidewalk was Emma, in her wedding gown, the train of her dress wrapped around her and piled in her arms. Her eyes were wide, and she looked completely lost. I blinked my eyes several times, just making sure I wasn’t hallucinating her standing there.
People were giving her side glances, as she stuck out like a sore thumb, but she wasn’t a famous actress or model and was only known here and there because of her father owning a huge conglomerate. I took a step toward her and stopped myself. What was I even going to say to her? Hi, Emma, I know you hate me, and I ruined your first experience with love, but you look lost. My brain was telling me to turn around and keep walking in the opposite direction. However, my heart was screaming even louder. She looked just like the girl I knew from eight years ago, and she sent butterflies into my stomach just standing there.
I couldn’t just leave her there, not without at least making sure she got wherever she was going okay. I took a deep breath and put on my captain’s hat, picking up my suitcase. I walked slowly over to her and carefully reached out, tapping her on the shoulder. She spun around, almost fearful and then just stared at me for several seconds, obviously already confused and out of it from taking off from her wedding.
After a few seconds, though, I could see the recollection come over her. Her lips began to pull into a smile, but that quickly reversed. Her jaw clenched, and her brow furled. I cleared my throat and nodded. “Hey, Emma. I know you probably don’t have any interest in talking to me, especially right now, but I saw you standing here and figured I should come over and make sure you didn’t need any help.”
As soon as the words left my mouth her eyes narrowed. She shook her head angrily. “Gabriel. Jesus Christ. Of all the people I could run into today, it had to be you. Like I don’t have enough crap on my plate right this second. I’m fine. I don’t need your help. I don’t need anyone’s help. I think you’ve done enough for me in this lifetime to span several more.”
She began to take a step back, and I reached my hand out. “I know. I just…I saw the story on the news, and then I saw you…Can I get you to a counter to buy a ticket?”
She stepped back again. “No. I can find it myself. I don’t need your help. Just go.”
Part of me wanted to push the issue; she didn’t look okay at all. The other part of me knew it was best to just do what she was asking. As I pulled my hand back, she backed up again, not paying attention to where she was going. The heel of her shoe slipped off the curb, and she stumbled back into the road. As I reached for her, a cab pulled up, slamming on his breaks as she tumbled out in front of him. He wasn’t going very fast at all, but when he hit her, her ankles wobbled, and she toppled over. The smacking sound of her head on the pavement echoed through my bones.
I raced forward and dropped down next to her, checking her pulse. People gasped and hurried over. “She’s breathing. Someone call 911.”
Pushing the hair away from her face, panic started to set in. First I broke her heart, and now I broke her body. Maybe she was right; I should have just left well enough alone.
The next couple of hours moved by in a blur. I didn’t think twice about jumping in the back of the ambulance with Emma. She was completely unconscious, but her vitals were holding strong. When we arrived at the hospital, they sent me to the waiting room, holding her wallet, with no idea what to do. I sat there for two hours, shaking my leg, jumping every time someone came through the door.
“Excuse me,” a nurse said, walking up to me. “Are you the gentleman that came in with the woman who fell and hit her head?”
I nodded. “I am. How is she?”
“She’s groggy but starting to wake up a bit. She was asking for you. Gabriel, right?”
I was shocked she would be asking for me. Then again, there was a good chance she wanted to punch me right in the face. I wouldn’t have blamed her at all. “Yes, I’m Gabriel.”
“Oh, good.” She laughed. “We have so little information on her. Having her boyfriend here is a big help.”
Standing up, I paused, confused. “No, I’m not her boyfriend.”
The nurse looked even more confused. “Oh…she said…It doesn’t matter. She hit her head pretty hard. She’s still trying to put two and two together. I do need some basic information from you.”
“Right,” I replied, following her to the back and up to the nurses’ station.
“Her name?”
“Emma…” I paused, knowing full well she was hiding from her family. If I were to give them her real name, she wouldn’t even have a chance to think straight before her father came barreling down on the hospital. “Smith. Emma Smith.”
It was a lie, and I knew that, but I just needed to know more information from her before I tossed her to the wolves. I owed her at least that after everything I had put her through. I answered as many questions as I could, lying about her having an ID or insurance information. Letting her sort that out later seemed like a better option.
Another nurse walked up, setting a folder down and picking up another. “Oh, good. The boyfriend’s here. She’s been waking up, and you’re the first person she asked for. She’s so sweet.”
I shook my head. “She’s asking for Gabriel?”
“Mhmm,” she replied with a smile. “I want to see my boyfriend, Gabriel.”
“Oh, boy,” I replied. “We might have a problem.”
The nurse looked at me curiously. “I haven’t been her boyfriend in eight years.”
Chapter 5
Emma
When I first woke up, lying in a hospital bed, staring out the window at what I was pretty sure was Chicago, I was a bit confused. I tried to replay how I got there in my head, but it was just a blank space. The meds they were giving me made me a bit loopy, but I felt okay, besides a killer headache. However, the longer I laid there, the weirder things got. The nurses were very friendly, but I couldn’t help but notice that no one really answered any questions for me, and each time someone passed by my room, they glanced in curiously.