Page 25 of Leave Me Not: Nick & Elissa #2 (Badger Creek Duet #8)

25

NICK

I t’s nearly one o’clock in the morning by the time my plane touches down. I somehow managed to jag a last-minute seat on the last flight out, only just making it with my luggage and everything. It was all such a rush though and then there wasn’t any Wi-Fi onboard, so I haven’t even had a chance to tell Lis I’m coming home.

Still, I kind of like the idea of surprising her, even if it means I’m showing up to her and Judy’s house in the middle of the night. Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve done that and at least this time, I have a key.

As I stand at the baggage carousel though, switching my phone back on, I’m hit with a million text messages. There’s one from Lis, telling me she’s doing some kid’s lesson thing, but after that they are all from Max.

And they quite literally scare the shit out of me.

Max: Nick, call me asap.

Max: Dude, seriously, I need to talk to you. Please call me.

Max: Doesn’t matter what time, just ring me as soon as you get this.

Max: Nick, where are you?

I realize I’ve also got five missed calls from him and with shaking hands, I hit redial on his number, my heart pounding in my chest. This can’t be good. Nothing about this feels good.

“Nick, thank fuck,” Max says, answering on the second ring, sounding like he’s wide awake, like he’s been waiting for me to call.

“Is Elissa okay?” I blurt out, knowing this is the only thing I care about.

Max blows out a breath. “She is yeah, but there was an accident, a snowmobile?—”

“What the fuck was she doing on a snowmobile?” I yell, not missing the handful of people who turn to stare at me. I ignore them all, grabbing my duffel off the carousel as it comes past.

“She wasn’t, Nick,” Max says, his voice calm. “Just listen okay, let me explain.”

I nod, even though he can’t see me, as I hold the phone to my ear, trying to take in everything Max is telling me. How he and Lis did the kid’s lesson together and everything was fine. It wasn’t until after the lesson ended, when they were heading back inside, that some drunken idiot who’d stolen a snowmobile, lost control, plowing into the side of the lodge, right where Lis and Max were standing.

“It all happened so fast,” he says, and I hear the way his voice shakes, like it’s still affecting him, even hours later. “I managed to get in front of her, get us mostly out of the way, but she still got knocked over and there was broken glass and shit. But she’s okay, Nick. Elissa is okay.”

“Is…fuck, is the baby…?” I ask, as nausea churns in my gut.

“Yeah,” he says, breathing out. “Baby is okay too. They’re keeping her in hospital overnight, just precaution really, but she’s going to be alright.”

I let out a hard breath, my heart still pounding in my chest, my shaking hand now a clenched fist by my side. “Shit, and are you okay?” I ask, knowing it isn’t just my wife who was injured, but my best friend too.

Max chuckles a little. “Yeah, I’m all good. Got a kickass bruise, but I’ll be fine. Look it’s probably too late to call Elissa now, but if you want to call her in the?—”

“I’m going to the hospital,” I say, cutting him off, just as I see my ski bag come through. I grab it, dumping it and my duffel onto one of the luggage trolleys so I can keep talking. “She at Tahoe General?” I ask.

“Nick, whoa, slow down. How are you going to get to the hospital, you’re?—”

“I’m in Tahoe,” I explain, heading toward the exit. “I just landed; it’s why my phone was off.”

“You’re in Tahoe?” Max repeats.

“Yeah, look it’s a long fucking story and I really need to see your dad and Gerry, but first, I gotta go see Lis, Max. I have to. I don’t care what time it is.”

I feel fucking sick at the thought that Lis has been hurt and I wasn’t here. And I know Max says she’s alright and I am so grateful that he was with her when this happened, given all his training, but fuck, I should’ve been here. I should have been the one to be with her.

Really, I never should have left in the first place.

“Okay, I’m not sure they’ll let you in to see her but let me see if I can’t call in a favor for you,” Max says.

I flag down a taxi, shoving my shit into the trunk. “Thanks, Max, seriously, I really appreciate it.”

“All good, Nick. I know this is a shock and I’m sorry I had to tell you all this over the phone, but I’m glad you’re here.”

“I know, me too,” I reply with a nod, as I sink into the backseat of the taxi, my whole body now shaking as everything that could have happened hits me.

When I get to the hospital, Max is waiting out the front for me and when he walks over and pulls me into a hug, it takes everything in me not to break down and cry like a damn baby. My hands are still shaking, and my heart is beating so fast I’m wondering if I’m going to have a heart attack.

“You okay?” he asks, pulling back.

“No,” I reply, shaking my head, trying to stay calm. “I’m going in, I’ve gotta see her, I’ve?—”

“It’s cool, Nick, I spoke to the nurse on duty, she’s going to let you in for a bit. I’ll put your stuff in my car and wait for you. Take you home when you’re done.”

I’m shaking my head before he’s even finished. “I’m not leaving, I’m staying with her.”

Max chuckles. “Yeah, not sure they’ll let you, but you can try.”

“Yeah, well they can try and get me to leave, but that’s definitely not happening.”

Max just laughs, gripping my shoulder tightly. “Alright, well she’s in room 240. I’ll take your stuff and wait for a bit. Text me when you know what you’re doing.”

“Thank you,” I whisper, so grateful for my friend.

He slaps my back once and then I head inside, leaving all my stuff with him as I make my way over to the elevators. Up on the second floor, I check the signs for where Lis’ room is, walking straight past the nurse’s station. I expect the older woman to stop me, but all she does is smile and give me a small nod and once again, I am grateful for Max and everything he’s done.

When I reach Lis’ room, I ease the door open. It’s quiet and dark inside, but with the small nightlight, I can make her out in the bed. My heart is still pounding, the beats loud in the silence of her room as I shrug out of my jacket, dropping it over the back of the chair before kicking off my shoes.

Then I carefully climb into the bed behind her, curling my arm around her waist as I pull her close, burying my face in her hair as I inhale her scent. Lis jolts awake, turning in my arms, blinking rapidly as she tries to figure out what’s going on.

“Shhh, babe, it’s just me,” I whisper, brushing my lips across her forehead.

“Nick?” she asks, her voice husky with sleep as she pulls back a little, putting a hand on my cheek, almost as if to check I’m real. “What are you doing here?”

I turn and kiss her palm, my eyes closing as I try desperately not to cry, suddenly overcome at the thought that I could have lost her. Lost her and our baby. Lost her for a second time, but in a way that is far more permanent.

“Nick,” she whispers when I don’t answer.

A sob falls from my mouth as I pull her closer, wrapping her in my arms as I bury my face in her neck. “I’m so sorry,” I whisper. “So fucking sorry.”

I feel Lis slip her arm around my waist, her hand on my back as I cry into her neck. I have never regretted leaving as much as I do right now. Never been so scared as I was when Max answered his phone and told me what happened.

“It’s okay, Nick,” she whispers, her hand sliding under my sweater, her fingers against my skin. “I’m alright, the baby’s alright.”

“I could’ve lost you,” I say, choking on the words, unable to stop the tears.

She presses kisses to my cheeks, her fingers combing through my hair as she gently eases me back so we’re facing each other. I watch as she runs her thumb along my brow, a small smile on her face as she leans in to press the softest of kisses against my lips.

“I’m okay,” she whispers. “Baby’s okay too. But what are you doing here?”

I kiss her again, not answering her question just yet, because I desperately need to feel connected to her. To know that she’s really alright, even as I’m holding her in my arms. Eventually I pull back, as Lis brushes the tears from my cheeks.

“The coach and team doctor lied,” I say, my voice croaky. “My knee’s fucked, I need more surgery and they lied to me about it. I just…I couldn’t stay, Lis. Couldn’t risk anymore damage, couldn’t risk fucking up our future any more than I already have.”

She smiles, giving me another quick kiss. “First of all, you haven’t fucked up anything, Nick. Secondly, I’m sorry about your knee, I know this isn’t the news you wanted to hear.”

I shrug, not giving a shit about my knee right now. “I don’t really care anymore, Lis. All that matters is you. You and the baby.” I drop my hand to her stomach, resting it over the small bump she has. Lis smiles, covering my hand with hers.

“Me and baby are just fine,” she whispers, resting her forehead against mine.

And just as she does, I feel it. A flutter beneath my hand, like a tiny movement beneath her skin. “Oh my god,” I breathe out, knowing I never got the chance to feel this when she came to visit me. “Was that…?”

“You felt that?” Lis asks, a huge smile on her face.

I nod, unable to speak, desperate to feel it again. And it’s like the baby knows I need this, almost like it’s telling me it’s okay, because it happens again and fuck me if I’m not crying all over again.

The next morning, Lis and I are woken by a nurse coming into her room. It’s pretty obvious she is not happy to see me in here either, but just as she starts to tell me off, Judy walks in, laughing when she sees me and Lis in the bed together.

“No point telling them off, this boy has been sneaking into my house since they were teenagers,” she says, smiling at the nurse as she takes in the two of us.

“It’s against hospital policy,” the nurse says, shaking her head at us.

Judy lets out another laugh, dropping a kiss to the top of Lis’ head, before leaning across to do the same to me. “It was against my policy too, but that never stopped them,” she says, taking Lis’ hand in hers. “How you doing this morning?”

“A little sore, but I’m okay,” Lis answers, squeezing my arm, which is still wrapped around her waist before she sits up. The nurse comes over now, hitting me with a stink eye that I ignore before she turns her attention to Lis, wrapping a blood pressure cuff around her arm.

I slide out of the bed to give her some room. “And you, Nick,” Judy now says, smiling as she walks around to my side of the bed. “How on earth did you get back here so quickly?”

I blow out a breath, shoving a hand through my hair as I turn to my mother-in-law. “I was already on a plane,” I explain. “Found out when I landed, so came straight here.”

Judy’s eyes widen as she glances at Lis and then back at me. “I didn’t realize you were coming back for a visit so soon?”

“I’m not,” I tell her. “I’m back for good.”

“You got out of your contract?”

I watch as the nurse writes some things in Lis’ chart before hanging it on the end of the bed, and I move closer, taking her hand in mine as I lift it to my lips and press a kiss to her wrist. “No, it’s a little more complicated than that.”

I’m about to explain everything that’s happened to Lis and her mom, having only told Lis the bare minimum before she fell asleep in my arms this morning, when a lady in a white coat walks in. After she introduces herself, she gives Lis a quick once over before telling her she’s free to go, provided she takes the rest of the week off work and takes it easy.

“She will, I promise,” I assure the doctor, Lis’ hand in mine still.

She smiles at both of us and when Lis has signed her discharge papers, the doctor and the nurse both leave the room.

“So,” Judy says, smiling at us. “Is it home to our place or to Nick’s?”

Lis turns to me. “Is it okay if we go home to my place?”

“Babe,” I whisper, lifting her hands to my lips. “I don’t care where we go, as long as I’m with you.”

Judy laughs, putting a reassuring hand on my back as she teases, “Just as well my policy on you spending the night is a little more relaxed these days.”

Lis laughs, squeezing my hand. “Mom, we are actually married now.”

Judy waves her daughter’s comments away with another laugh as I now help Lis out of bed so she can get changed. As she grabs her things, my phone chimes out with a text.

Max: Hey, hope all is good this morning. Mentioned to Dad that you’re back and had stuff you wanted to discuss and he said to swing by the house this afternoon around 2 – Gerry will be there too. Lmk if it doesn’t work.

“Your coach?” she asks, a worried look on her face.

“No, Max,” I say, shaking my head. “He said I can go see his dad and Gerry this afternoon about everything that’s happened.”

“Good,” she says with a determined nod. “I’m coming with you.”