Chapter Three
"Cousin?" Lucy called out.
The weather kept the customers away. Rafe was in the gym alone.
"Hey Luce." Rafe said, his voice lifeless.
She ran to him and grabbed his arm. "I need you to come with me."
He recognized from the look in her eyes that a plot was underway. He had been expecting this – specifically so near Christmas. "No." He insisted as he turned away.
"Rafe. I'm ashamed of you." Lucy said, her voice bitter.
He glared at her in response.
"If you can convince me that you care nothing at all for your wife and child then I promise I'll leave you alone."
He started to deny that he had either, but despite it all he had a feeling that the baby was actually his. He didn't let himself believe it for long though. It hurt too much.
"Lucy…" His eyes pleaded with her to leave him alone.
"I can't waste anymore time with this. I'm here because there's been an accident, Rafe…She's at the hospital…."
She barely got the last sentence out before he ran past her and out the door.
***********
He sat at her bedside and looked at her, the sound of a monitor beeping beside him. She looked tired and pale but he'd be lying if he said she looked anything but beautiful to him.
Love washed over him, panic coursed through his veins. It had been hell living away from her but at least he knew she was here on this earth. To lose her forever was something he was not at all prepared for.
She'd hurt him, but he couldn't deny that he'd wounded her too and now – there she was – so small and still. Watching her, he suppressed the urge to pull her close. He wanted to grab her and hold her tight. He promised himself he would as soon as she woke up. None of it – none of what had kept them apart meant anything anymore. Lucy's words made him realize the truth. It hit him like a slap in the face. He needed her, he would always need her. He couldn't survive alone.
Tentatively, he reached for her hand, almost afraid to touch her. The feel of her skin was as soft as he'd remembered as he traced a finger over her palm, bringing her hand to his lips. The scent of flowers clung to her skin, bringing a thousand memories rushing into his mind – of how sweet she tasted and how he felt just being near her. How he fell for her in the first place.
He'd been wrong to even try to stay away. She was part of him – she held his heart and soul and always would. He was kidding himself to think otherwise.
It was as if she knew. Her lips moved and she murmured his name. Rafe inched closer and brought a hand to touch on her cheek his fingers carefully running over her face, which was bruised from the accident.
"Rafe…" she said again still not opening her eyes.
He squeezed her hand and replied. "Right here, Angel."
She wanted to wake up, but she was too afraid. She could feel his hand in hers and it had been so long since she'd been able to feel anything, subconsciously, she didn't want to let it go.