Chapter 6
Douglas finally woke up.
He lay in his hospital bed, staring at the ceiling. His leg-encased in a plaster cast-was suspended high above the
sheets.
I stepped inside.
He saw me, a flicker of light in his eyes, but it quickly faded.
“Maddie.” His voice was hoarse.
I set a folder down on his nightstand.
“These are the preliminary findings from the unit. Once you’re healed, you’ll have to start the paperwork for perma- nent grounding.”
He closed his eyes, saying nothing.
“The police investigated the accident. You were speeding. You’re fully responsible.”
Still, he said nothing.
“Sarah’s in the ICU next door. She hasn’t regained consciousness.”
At last, he reacted-turning his head to look at me.
“The baby…?”
“Gone.” I said it calmly.
A single tear slid from the corner of Douglas’s eye.
“Maddie, I’m so sorry.”
I looked at him. “The person you should be sorry for isn’t me. It’s yourself. Your parents. And that uniform you
wear.”
I turned to leave.
“Don’t go.” He called out suddenly.
“Maddie, would you… Would you ever give me another chance?”
I stopped, but didn’t turn around,
“Douglas, the moment you walked out of our engagement party, that was the end of us.”
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Chapter 6
“Is it because of the baby? That night with her-it was a mistake! I was drunk!”
“It’s not about the baby.”
I said, “It’s about you choosing her, over and over. You left me, left our engagement, gave up our home, fought with me, shut me out-all for her.
“And now, for her, you’ve thrown away your career.
“Douglas, what is it about her that’s worth all this?”
He fell silent.
After a long time, I heard his voice, thick with tears.
“I don’t know… I really don’t know, I just feel like I owe Gilbert, and I have to pay him back.”
“What you owe Gilbert isn’t my burden to carry.”
I opened the door and walked out.
Bradley waited outside, handing me a hot cup of coffee.
“You heard everything?”
He nodded. “A man like that isn’t worth your tears.”
I took a sip. The coffee was bitter.
“I know.”
“When his leg heals, there’ll be lasting damage. He’ll have a limp.”
My hand paused.
Bradley watched me. “Does that hurt?”
I shook my head. “No. I was just thinking-he’ll never be able to catch up to anyone again.”
Whether it’s a fighter jet in the sky or someone on the ground.
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