“What’s wrong?” I repeat.

“It’s Luke. Nat, he’s been in an accident. We have to go to the hospital.”

Oh, dear God, no!

Chapter Thirty-Three

“What happened?” I’m sitting in the passenger seat of Samantha’s SUV and she’s driving like a bat out of hell. I brace myself against the dashboard as she makes a sharp right turn.

“I don’t know the details. Dad called me about a half hour ago and said that he got a call from Harbor View Hospital to let him know that Luke is there. They had to wait for him to wake up to ask him who to call.”

Her voice catches on a sob and I instinctively grab her hand. Who cares if she hates me, I’m all she has right now.

“So he is awake?” The tears are rolling down my face unheeded. I just need to get to him, to hold him and make sure he’s alive.

“He was, I guess he keeps coming in and out. Mom, Dad and Mark are already there. I don’t know why none of us has your number. Well, I know why I don’t, but no one else does either, but Luke told me where you live once, so I went to your place and that’s when Jules told me you’d gone to Luke’s.”

“Thank you for looking for me. I had no idea.” God, drive faster!

“Natalie,

I’m

so

sorry

for

everything.” We’re both sobbing now.

“I didn’t realize until Saturday morning now much you mean to each other, and I was just looking out for him. That bitch Vanessa did a number on him, and I just couldn’t bear it if anyone hurt him like that again. But I can see the way you look at each other, you really love each other.”

“I know. Don’t worry about it, Sam.

Just get us to him, please.” Oh God, what will I do if I lose him? After all the horrible things I said to him?

What if he never sees his baby?

No, I mustn’t think like that. He’s fine.

Please let him be fine!

Samantha finds parking and scrolls through her text messages as we run into the huge Seattle medical plaza to find the text from her father instructing us where to go.

We hold hands in the longest elevator ride of my life. Finally we find his room. Neil and Lucy are standing outside the door talking with a doctor.

Lucy comes to us immediately when she sees us hurrying down the corridor.

“He’s going to be okay.”

Oh, thank Christ.

“What happened? Can I see him?” I can’t control the tears streaming down my face and I just want to push her aside and run to my love.

“Yes, you can see him. They have him sedated.” Lucy holds one of our hands in each of hers. “We could have lost him.”

I look down at her and see the circles under her blue eyes, her pale skin. I hug her close.

“What happened?” I ask again.

“He was in a car accident very early this morning, around two a.m. A drunk driver side swiped him and sent him into the median on Interstate 5.” Lucy wipes the tears under her eyes and I feel like retching.

It was after I sent him away. Oh, this is all my fault!

“Why was he out at that time?”

Samantha asks.

“We got in a fight,” I whisper. “This is my fault. Oh, God, I’m so sorry.”

“No, sweetie, no.” Lucy folds me in her arms and rocks me. “It’s not your fault.”

“Nat, you go see him. I’ll stay here with Mom.” Sam pats my shoulder reassuringly and I walk into Luke’s room.

My world stops moving.

He’s lying so still in the hospital bed.

There’s a bandage above his left eye and a large bruise on his cheek. He’s in a hospital gown very much like the one I wore yesterday. There is a clamp on his index finger, a blood pressure cuff on his arm and an I.V. in the crook of his elbow. His left wrist is bandaged tightly.

I walk over to the side of his bed and grip his right hand in mine, then sink down in the chair and begin to weep.

“Please, baby, wake up. I need to hear your voice.” I’m stroking his hand and staring him in the face, willing him to wake up.

Neil walks in the room and pats my shoulder. “They gave him some medicine to help him sleep.”

“Are there internal injuries?” I ask.

“No, he has some bruised ribs and a sprained wrist, and he got knocked around a bit, but he’s very lucky. If the car had spun in the other direction he would have gone over the bridge.”

I gasp and rest my cheek against Luke’s shoulder. “I’m so sorry.”

“Natalie, it’s not your fault, honey.

Couples fight.”

I look up at Neil in surprise.

“Lucy told me that you’d fought and that’s probably why Luke was out so late.” He smiles kindly and pats my shoulder again.

“I could have lost him,” I whisper.

“He’s going to be fine. He’ll just need some TLC for a few weeks. I’m going to take Lucy and the kids down to the cafeteria for some breakfast. Take your time.”

“I’m not leaving him.”

“I’m not asking you to.”

A pretty blond nurse bustles in and checks Luke’s vital signs and smiles at me. “He’s doing really well. Are you Natalie?”

“Yes,” I respond, surprised.

“He was asking for you this morning when he regained consciousness. He’ll be glad to see you when he wakes up.”