Page 54 of Three Not-So-Little Words (The Lawson’s #3)
fifty-four
Bumps and Bruises
Drew
“ A re you sure you’re okay?” Sandy asks, standing at the foot of my hospital bed.
“Yeah, I’m alright. Pretty banged up, but it could have been way worse.”
Colton keeps trying to climb on the bed with me, but she grabs him every time. “You don’t want to hurt Daddy,” she says. “He’s going to be pretty sore for a while.”
“Thanks for picking him up from school,” I say.
“No problem. If you need me to watch him at all or get him to and from school over the next couple weeks, just let me know. I know you’re going to be hurting.”
“Thanks, Sandy. You have no idea how much of a lifesaver you’ve been ever since we moved up here.”
She gives me a warm smile. “I’m just glad to have you guys closer.”
I shift in the bed and let out a groan. She’s right. I’m going to be sore as fuck for a while. That’s just what I need right now.
That’s okay. I’ll take being sore over being dead any day. This accident could have been a whole lot worse, and I’m thanking my lucky stars that I’m here to talk about it and still be here for my son.
There’s a knock on the door, and Ronnie pokes her head in. Immediately, I start cheesing like a fool.
“Hey, baby,” I say. “Come on in.”
She slowly walks in, and I see how white and scared she looks. Sandy must notice it too because she says, “Hey, Colton. Why don’t we go down to the cafeteria and see if they have any ice cream?”
“Okay!” As he’s walking out, he says, “Hi, Ronnie!”
In barely more than a whisper, she says, “Hi, Colton.”
When they are gone, she walks toward me a little more. Her arms are crossed over her chest, and for the first time since I’ve met her, I’m seeing Ronnie look genuinely terrified. She’s not loud and bubbly like normal.
“You’re okay?” She asks.
“I’ve got some bumps and bruises, but for the most part, yeah, I’m going to be fine.”
“What happened?”
“I was taking the shop pickup truck to grab parts, and there was a woman who was texting and not paying attention. She ran the red light and side swiped me.”
“Oh,” she says. “Dylan came over and said you were in an accident, and I didn’t know how bad it was.”
“I think Jack called him. I asked him to try to get ahold of you because my phone got destroyed in the crash. Sandy is going to go pick me up a new one later.”
When she doesn’t speak, I say, “Ronnie, baby, I’m okay. Really.”
She looks at me. “You’re okay? Look at you. You’re in the fucking hospital. I don’t think that’s okay. Is this woman going to be held responsible?”
“I don’t know. She was young and just not paying attention. I’m alive, and I think that’s what matters.”
“But you may not have been.” She starts to pace. “You could have died.”
“But I didn’t. Baby, come here.”
It’s like she doesn’t even hear me. “How is it that people can just drive while texting or drive while drinking, and they can literally take people’s lives? How fair is that? I’m sure she won’t have any type of consequences. They never do.”
I’m guessing now she is referring to Aaron. Maybe the drunk driver didn’t have any type of punishment when he was killed.
“Ronnie, I know this whole thing must be scary–”
She cuts me off. “No, you have no idea.”
“Actually, I do. I’ve gotten that unimaginable phone call before, too. Remember?”
That stops her for a second. “This isn’t right. None of this is right.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s all wrong. I shouldn’t be here.”
“Ronnie, just listen–”
“No. I let myself like you. I let myself get sucked into this whole thing, and it happened all over again.”
“Nothing happened, beautiful. I’m right here.”
She lets out a single sob. “But what about when you’re not? What about if something happens, and you leave me all alone? This is why I don’t do relationships. This is why I don’t let anyone get close.”
“And you really think that’s a good way to live your life?” I ask.
“It’s the only way I know. It’s been working for me for fifteen years, and I’ve been doing just fine. I just–” She looks at me with tears in her eyes. “I’m sorry, Drew. I just can’t.”