Backstage Pass: V.I.P. (3 page)

As the wreck came into view, our breath gasped and held as a collective. A tangled mass of metal lay between two tall trees, more scattered on the road. I could have stared at them for another week and still not have had an idea if they’d started the day as cars or trucks. Firemen and paramedics worked on the vehicle in the trees, sawing at the roof. I fumbled for Jesse’s hand and he gripped me tight against him.

The officer directing traffic shooed us along before the scene cemented itself any further into our psyche. The cars in front of us sped back up and Axel slowly followed, his knuckles white around the steering wheel.

I gripped his shoulder. “We’re almost there.”

He nodded and stared straight ahead, recommitted to the task of getting us there safe. “I think we better all stay buckled.”

Hours later, the last few miles seemed to take forever, but a soft glow finally illuminated the horizon and we crested the final hill into town. Jesse laced his fingers through mine. “Suddenly, I’m a little nervous about meeting your mom.”

I whipped my head around and our gazes collided. That hadn’t even occurred to me. Not that there was anything wrong with meeting my mom. I liked her a lot and she was normally cool around guys but I hadn’t let her meet a lot of them so sometimes it was hard to tell how she was really feeling—

Ohmigod, I am rambling. In my head.

I took a breath and smiled. My hand relaxed and I swept my thumb across his knuckles. “She’s going to love you.” I made sure to sound more confident than I suddenly felt.

His eyebrows rose and he smiled. “Little panic attack there?”

My shoulders dropped a few inches. “Maybe a bit.”

He kissed my cheek softly. “This changes nothing. I don’t even have to meet her if you don’t want.” He drew my fingers to his lips and pressed them against the back of my hand. “Still just a guy in your lit class.”

I melted and pooled against his side. “True.”

He smiled down at me and kissed me tenderly.

Axel pulled into the hospital parking lot and killed the engine. The LifeFlight helicopter gentled itself onto the roof as medical staff rushed beneath the rotor wash. We all winced and traded glances, wondering if it had taken this long to get the people we’d seen in the wreck to the nearest hospital. I said a little prayer that they’d pull through, took a deep breath, and yanked the door handle with my shaking fingers.

Jesse held fast to my other hand. “Come or stay?”

I paused with my good foot out the door. “Come.” My gaze bounced to Kerri and Axel. “All of you. Please.”

The elevator took forever and I couldn’t keep my foot from tapping impatiently on the off-white linoleum. We had to go to the third floor and down to the other end of the hall and between twin sets of glass doors to the nurses’ station in the ICU. Kerri and Axel split off into the first waiting room, with a promise that I’d come get them as soon as I could—or if I needed them. Jesse hesitated in the doorway and I wished that we could hold hands during this walk instead of me gripping these stupid crutches like my only support.

His hand found my shoulder again and I inhaled, drawing his calm in to still the butterflies in my belly. “I’ve got you.”

“I know.” It was barely a whisper, but I hoped he heard how much I really did know.

I found my mom in room 3122 and swept her into a hug before she could react to my broken foot. We clung to each other and her wispy hair tickled my nose. I felt her heart thunder against mine. Even though it wasn’t just us anymore, something about having our foundation shaken made me recommit in my heart that I’d always be here for her. Always. Her fierce grip echoed the promise. I clung to her for another minute and found a way to pull myself together. It wasn’t just the two of us. Dad would be okay.

Jesse stood back and waited.

In the dim light, my dad looked a little worse than I’d pictured him. Dark circles rimmed his eyes and his hair looked thinner than when I’d left him months ago. I hugged my mom tight again, then released her.

“What in the world did you do to your foot?”

I shook my head. “No big deal. It’s healing fine. I tripped.”

She scowled and I didn’t want her pulling the focus away from why we’d come. My stupid cast was nothing compared to what she’d endured. “How’s he doing?”

“He’s good.” She petted my hair. “I told you he’d be fine.”

Jesse stepped up behind me. “That’s good to hear. We came as fast as we could.”

She smiled and extended a hand. “I’m Charlise.”

“Jesse.” He actually lifted her fingers to his lips and kissed the backs. “My pleasure.”

“Not even dead a day and some young stud’s trying to make off with my wife.”

I spun and raced to the edge of the bed, barely stopping myself from catapulting into his arms. My crutches clattered to the floor and I leaned over and cupped his cheek, balanced on one foot. “Daddy.”

He covered my hand with his, impaled with the IV and dangling tubes. “Hey, honey.”

Tears sprang to my eyes and I leaned closer, kissing him gently. “Are you okay?”

He patted my hand and tried to sit up, but Mom rounded the other side of the bed. “No, sir. You will stay lying down just like those nurses told you. She can see you just fine.” Her gaze lifted to mine, pleading.

I pressed my hand against his shoulder. “She’s right, Daddy. You need your rest.”

He grumbled, but stayed. “Who’s the guy?”

I pulled Jesse beside me. “Mom, Dad, this is Jesse.”

Jesse jammed his shoulders back and thrust out his hand. “Sir.”

My eyebrows shot up my forehead. I’d never seen him so serious.

Dad took his hand and, even prone in a hospital bed and gown, managed to convey all sorts of that’s-my-daughter-what’s-your intention threats. Jesse did a great job of answering with all the appropriate submissive body language answers, because Dad gave him a curt nod and released his hand.

Jesse stepped behind me and clasped his hands tightly in front of his belt. I would have laughed, but the posturing was so clearly respectful I didn’t want to ruin it for him. I glanced at Mom and she was biting her lips to keep from laughing. Apparently Dad had caught her off guard, too.

“So what’s next?” I asked, looking from Mom to Dad and back again.

Grateful for the topic change, Mom latched onto it. “They say he can go to a regular room in the morning if everything still looks good, then they’ll keep him for a day or two.”

Dad raised his arm and searched for my hand. “How long are you staying?”

I settled my palm into his still-strong one. “As long as we need.”

“What about school?”

“It’s fine, Daddy.”

His eyelids drooped and the rise and fall of his chest quickened. For all tough-guy act he was portraying, he seemed tired.

Mom waved me toward the door. I nodded and kissed Dad’s cheek. “I’ll let you rest, but we’ll be here for a while.”

His eyes stayed closed, but he nodded. “Love you, honey.”

Tears burned the backs of my eyes. “Love you most, Daddy.”

I gently squeezed his hand and he released his grip. Jesse handed me my crutches and I followed Mom out of the room. We walked silently to the waiting room, my crutches squealing and squeaking the entire length of the hall. Kerri and Axel jumped up and Kerri raced to hug my mom.

“Oh good! I hoped you’d come with her,” Mom said into Kerri’s hair.

Kerri kissed Mom’s cheek and gripped her shoulders. “Everything okay?”

“It will be.” She smiled and hugged Kerri again before stepping toward Axel. “And you’ve brought your own boy with you?”

Axel repeated the posturing from the hospital room, throwing his shoulders back and standing up straighter and taller than I’d ever seen. They seriously looked like soldiers ready to charge into battle and defend our honor. He held out his hand and engulfed mom’s tiny pink one in his. “Axel, ma’am.”

She smiled and shook his hand. “Pleased to meet you.”

Against Axel’s size and breadth, she looked even tinier and I noticed for the first time the strain around her eyes, and the gaunt pull of her skin across her cheekbones. I stepped closer. “Have you eaten?”

Axel faded into the background, taking Kerri and Jesse with him. Mom lifted her fingers to her chin, pondering my question. “Maybe yesterday sometime.”

“Do you want us to go grab something?”

“I don’t want to leave.” She glanced back toward Dad’s room.

“How about the cafeteria?” I glanced at my trio. “These guys can stay here and call me if we need to rush back. Then you can eat but we’ll be close.”

Her shoulders sagged in relief. “I’d like that.”

I turned to Jesse. “Is that okay?”

He smiled and stepped closer, kissing my cheek. “Of course. Everything will be fine.”

I smiled in thanks and Mom and I headed toward the bowels of the hospital for the cafeteria, my crutches once again squeaking out our progress.

***

The cafeteria food wasn’t as awful as I’d imagined. Mom found a salad and they actually had a waffle maker, so I built myself a wicked Belgian, which made Mom smile. And made me forget that we were in the basement of a hospital, at least for the moment.

On the way down, I’d caught her up on my foot and Jesse and she reserved judgment on both.

We settled in a small booth in a far corner even though the cafeteria was mostly empty. Tall glass windows opened to a well-tended atrium, lending a glow of moonlight and snow.

She stabbed a forkful of lettuce and chewed, swallowing on a sigh. “Gosh, I think I am hungry.”

I gave her a weak smile and twirled the end of my fork in an extra deep puddle of syrup.

She took another bite and tapped my plate with her fork. “What’s up?”

“Huh?” I jerked my gaze to hers and tried to smile.

“He’ll be fine, Sash. But I’m glad you came.” She reached across the table and patted my hand. I flipped it over and squeezed hers.

“I saw Dad.”

It took her only a few seconds to realize I wasn’t talking about the guy upstairs. Her fingers clutched mine and then she composed herself, leaned back, and stabbed a cherry tomato with an uncharacteristic vehemence. “Really?”

I shouldn’t have told her. But she was the only one who could really understand what seeing him meant. Even so, this was crappy timing. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have—”

“No. Don’t ever apologize for telling me things. You know better than that.” She drew a sharp breath, held it, and let it slide from between her barely parted lips. “You’d think he wouldn’t affect me like that anymore.”

I cut the corner off my waffle, releasing the dam of syrup. Without looking at her, I forked the square and lifted it to my lips. “Will you tell me the story?”

She tossed cucumbers and lettuce like a washing machine on spin, then sighed loudly. “I remember it like yesterday.”

The mechanical noises of the cafeteria and over-sterile stench beyond the opening and closing doors faded away and we were just two girls telling stories about boys. I shoved my waffle away and leaned both elbows on the table, chin cupped in my hands.

My mom looked wistfully out the window and dipped a hard-boiled egg slice into her ranch dressing cup. “We’d been drinking . . .”

I blinked, but didn’t interrupt. My mother had a fierce no-alcohol policy and I wondered how many other dark secrets I was about to learn. And was I ready for it?

“Sandi and Ainsley were with me. We’d skipped school, and even though we already had tickets for the concert, I wanted to go early and see if we could sneak backstage. Ainsley wanted to interview the band for her music magazine, so we used that as an excuse, but every one of us had a crush on your dad—every girl alive did.”

Gross. Just gross. I took a giant swig of water to wash the sour taste from my mouth and followed with an oversized bite of waffle even though I wasn’t even a tiny bit hungry anymore.

“We got lucky and one of the security guards was a friend of Sandi’s dad’s. He let us backstage and gave us VIP passes. We frolicked and danced and drank with all the groupies and the band before and after the concert. I don’t even remember if we ever made it out to our seats. Most of the night was a complete blur.” Her face stained red, creeping all the way into her blonde bob. “Well, not all of it.”