Stardust (The Starlight Trilogy #3) (21 page)

“What do you mean?” He combed his fingers through her hair. “We can stay as long as you wish, little dove.”

Her lips formed an alluring pout. He preferred her smile.

“Oh, how I wish that was true.” She slipped from his arms and stood, brushing grass and dirt from her dress.

Aidan linked his hands behind his head and squinted against the sunlight. A grin stretched across his face. “You’re beautiful.”

Beth averted her gaze. A frown decorated her mouth. “It’s time.”

Without another word, she dashed toward the house.

Aidan leapt to his feet and ran after her. He took only a few steps and then halted midstride.

“Mother?” His voice carried on the wind, lost amongst the rustling foliage.

It impossible. There was no way…

He blinked once. Twice. Beth vanished, as though only a mirage. His mother remained. She stood in the meadow, her wavy auburn hair and flowery frock shimmering in the sunlight.

Somehow, he managed to walk up to her. She welcomed him with a smile. Before speaking, he took some time to commit her youthful appearance to memory. He wanted—no, needed—to remember her this way. Healthy and carefree.

“I’m sorry.” Tears flooded his eyes.

“There’s nothing to be sorry about, my son. I love you and I am with you always.” Her smile adopted a wistful twist. “She’s exquisite.”

Beth.

A grin tugged at Aidan’s lips. “Yes, she is.”

“Go to her.”

Dread catapulted his heart against his ribcage. “What about you?”

She cupped his cheek. “You cannot have both, my son.”

A knot formed in his chest.

“I love you.” Aidan placed his hand over hers for a moment, relishing their reunion, and then sprinted toward the house.

Inside, Beth hummed the tune he wrote for her. His heart swelled. He was home.

A blinding white light greeted him as he yanked open the back door. He winced and swung his arm across his face, shielding his eyes.

“Aidan…”

He dropped his arm and blinked rapidly to try to clear his vision. Disoriented, he stepped into the light. Hopefully, he wasn’t too late.

“Aidan…”

“Aidan…”

“Aidan…”

Fighting against the haziness that enveloped him, Aidan opened his heavy eyelids and met a dark brown, watery gaze that looked familiar. Beth leaned over him, her features drawn together, exposing prominent lines of worry.

A thick piece of her hair danced in front of his face. He attempted to lift his hand to brush it aside but was unsuccessful. His arms felt like they were cased in cement. In fact, now that he was more lucid, he realized that his nose hurt, his chest hurt. Damn it. It even hurt to move his eyes.

Aidan racked his brain for answers. He remembered confronting his father, leaving the house, wishing to return to Beth right away, and then…nothing. As he blinked hard, the details of his surroundings came into focus. Olivia, Connie, Nathan, and Matthew gathered behind Beth, their expressions alight with hope. His mother was not among them. His time in the meadow had been a dream.

Then where exactly was he? He was lying on an uncomfortable bed—that much was clear—but his thoughts were jumbled and he couldn’t put the rest of the puzzle together. Maybe this was a dream and the meadow was his reality.

Beth wiped away her tears. Aidan moved his fingers, but it was still difficult for him to lift his arms. It pained him not to be able to hold and comfort her. Nathan said something to Matthew, which Aidan couldn’t make out, and then Nathan disappeared from his field of view. He heard a door shut soon after.

Aidan swept his gaze down his body. Something was taped over his nose, and a tube ran into the back of his hand. The blankets draped over him secured him so tightly he didn’t have room to maneuver—which explained why he could wiggle his toes but not raise his legs—and wires slipped under his bedspread, connected to a machine that had a screen with green peaks traveling across it.

He opened his mouth to speak, but his tongue felt thick and dry and his voice wouldn’t cooperate. He closed his eyes as dizziness overcame him.

“It’s all right, Aidan.” Beth touched the top of his head. Panic eased out of him, even though his mind raced with questions.

He moved his mouth in a chewing motion, desperate to wet his palate. Beth’s hand disappeared. Fear plowed into him; something nearby emitted a rapid series of beeps. The machine with the green peaks, maybe?

“I’m here,” Beth said from somewhere in his vicinity, and then he sensed her beside him again. The beeping ceased. “Have some ice chips.”

Aidan licked the ice greedily, tasting not only water but also a coppery tang that reminded him of…blood? His lower lip stung, but his dehydration prevailed and he finished everything she offered him.

Prying his eyes open, he finally found his voice. “Beth.”

Her hand flew to her mouth. “You know who I am.”

His eyebrows furrowed. “Where am I?”

Beth set down the cup of ice and leaned over him, grazing her hand to side of his face. “Chicago Memorial Hospital.”

The machine with the green blips exploded into a chorus of high-pitched beeps again as Aidan struggled to sit up, haphazardly reaching for the wires and tubes connected to his body.

Matthew darted to his side. “Whoa. Easy there, buddy.”

He placed his hands on Aidan’s shoulders and tried to ease him onto his back again.

“Why…hospital? No.” Aidan struggled against Matthew’s grip. The effort left him winded.

Beth’s chin quivered. “Please, Aidan. Don’t strain yourself.”

His heart shattered at her sorrowful expression. The back of his head found the pillow and Matthew released him. Aidan was much too exhausted and sore to fight him anyway.

With his resignation, the machine next to him stopped beeping. The peaks traveling across the screen—did they correlate to his heartbeat?

He blinked rapidly, fighting against the fluorescent lights above him. “I…don’t…understand.”

Beth’s eyes shimmered with tears again. “You were in a car accident.”

He flinched. A car accident? Was that why he couldn’t remember anything after he left his father’s house?

He cleared his throat. “How long have I been here?”

Beth wrapped her arms around her midsection. “You’ve been in a coma for almost three days.”

Chicago Memorial Hospital. How ironic that he was brought to his father’s workplace following their confrontation. He didn’t have to worry about running into the man again, though. It wasn’t like his father would stop by with a get-well card and flowers or anything.

Aidan screwed his eyes shut, hoping to clear his thoughts. After a few moments, he opened them slowly. Beth’s angel pendant glistened like a prism, casting a rainbow of colors across the sheets covering his broken body. His gaze jumped to his left hand. He blew out a sigh of relief. The ring she gave him was still on his middle finger.

“Your car hit a tree.” Beth’s voice wavered. “Your nose is broken as well as two of your ribs. You also have many cuts and bruises.”

With a sob, she collapsed to her knees, grasping his hand and bowing her head to the mattress. Connie and Olivia dropped next to her, whispering words of solace Aidan wished he had the strength to utter himself.

Beth tightened her grip on his hand, her face hidden by her hair as she wept. Aidan inched toward her, desperate to get closer, regardless of the pain that surged through his body with the movement. He forced his other arm to swing across his body and drove his hand into her hair, finding her face and cradling her wet cheek in his palm.

“Don’t cry, baby,” he said hoarsely. “I’m here. I’m okay. Please stand up.”

Beth lifted her head and sniffed. Aidan caressed her cheek, searching her bloodshot eyes for any signs of comfort. There were none.

Olivia and Connie also cried, and their puffy eyes suggested the tears weren’t new. Even Matthew looked distraught, when he was usually the one to offer comic relief, finding the bright side of even the darkest situations.

It didn’t make any sense. What the hell had happened to yield these reactions?

“Matt, help them up.” Aidan’s orders sounded shaky, but Matthew obeyed immediately, assisting the women to their feet.

When Connie and Olivia stood, Aidan took a good look at them. They didn’t have any makeup on their faces, which he had never seen before. They wore no jewelry, except Connie had on her engagement ring, and their outfits and hairstyles weren’t fussy. Matthew was dressed down, too, in an oxford shirt and trousers. Aidan didn’t think he owned anything other than designer suits.

The incident in Mr. Mertz’s office and the events that followed had stripped them all down to the essentials. Sure, they still had their material possessions in L.A., aside from his Porsche—which he assumed was nothing but scrap metal now—as well as money in the bank. However, when it came down to right here, right now, all they had was each other. Really, that was all they needed. It meant they could start fresh and do things right this time.

Aidan scanned the room—the white walls, fluorescent lights, and medical equipment. He recalled Beth’s visit to the hospital in Los Angeles and his fright when he got the call from Nathan that she was hurt. Then there were the memories of his mother passing away in the hospital outside of Fairfield, succumbing to injuries brought on by a vicious stranger who had manipulated her good heart and trusting nature and brutally beat her to death.

Aidan cursed. He despised hospitals. Doctors and nurses were nothing but bearers of bad news. If not for his determination to avoid frightening Beth further, he would’ve ripped out all the tubes and wires shackling him to the bed and bolted from the room, regardless of his condition.

The door to the room swung open, revealing Nathan and an older man with gray hair dressed in a white coat. A doctor. Aidan’s face tightened in defiance.

“Mr. Evans.” The physician flashed a wide smile. “It’s wonderful to see you awake. You gave us all quite a scare.”

“He knows who I am,” Beth said. “And Matthew, too. He also responded to his own name, so he knows who he is as well.”

Aidan’s eyebrows pinched together. Of course he knew who they were. As for his own name—well, that was obvious, wasn’t it?

“Excellent.” The doctor approached the bed. “Mr. Evans, can you move your arms and legs?”

Aidan’s eyes narrowed.

The doctor frowned. “Mr. Evans, can you understand me?”

“Yeah, I understand. I just don’t wanna be bothered by you right now.” A series of coughs racked Aidan’s body. He winced from the pain that detonated in his chest.

“Aidan, please.”

His gaze shot to Beth.

“This is the man who saved your life.”

The physician blushed. “Nonsense. The boy is strong-willed, that’s all.”

Aidan rolled his eyes.

“My name is Doctor Billings, Mr. Evans. It’s a pleasure to meet you officially.”

Aidan lifted his hand in a dismissive gesture, but Dr. Billings misunderstood.

“Please. A handshake isn’t necessary.” The expansive grin never left the physician’s face.

Aidan opened his mouth to spit out a cutting reply but closed it when he caught a glint of sincerity in the doctor’s eyes. Huh. Maybe the guy wasn’t so bad, after all.

“We’ll leave you alone.” Olivia took Nathan’s hand. “I’m sure you’d like to speak to Beth and the doctor in private.”

“Aidan, do you know who that is?” Beth peered at him hopefully.

Aidan’s eyebrows came together again. “Olivia.” Man, now he was more baffled than ever. “And before you ask, the blond woman is Constance Murphy, and the other guy is Nathan.”

Beth clutched her hands to her chest. “Isn’t that great, Dr. Billings?”

“Indeed.”

Connie placed her hand on Aidan’s forearm, her blue eyes sparkling with tears and…kindness? No question. This had to be a dream.

“It’s lovely to have you back. Truly.”

“Uh, thanks.” Aidan’s reply came out sounding more like a query.

Olivia stepped forward. “Aidan, it’s nice to see you, well, talking and stuff.”

“Okay.” He dragged out the word on account of his confusion.

His friends made their way to the door.

“Oh, and Aidan…” Matthew tossed a smirk over his shoulder, displaying the jovialness Aidan expected from him. “Don’t die again while we’re gone, all right?”

Beepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeep

The machine went crazy as the blood drained from Aidan’s face. Dead? He couldn’t have heard Matthew correctly.

His friends laughed, but he could tell it was forced. Beth didn’t even crack a smile. Once they were gone, leaving Aidan with Beth and Dr. Billings, a young nurse—probably straight out of school—arrived.

“Miss Sutton, you’ll have to leave.” The nurse shot Beth a stern look. “It’s not proper protocol—”

Dr. Billings lifted his hand. “Miss Sutton can stay during the examination, and for however long she likes afterward.”

The nurse still didn’t look pleased but said nothing as she stripped the sheets from Aidan’s body. He cringed at the flimsy gown covering him. This was not the image he wanted to present to Beth. Maybe she should’ve left with their friends.

“What did Matthew mean with the comment he made on his way out the door?”

Although Aidan looked to Beth for a response to his inquiry, Dr. Billings answered instead.

“Last night, you were clinically dead, Mr. Evans.” The physician delivered the news as if it was no big deal. “By some miracle, you came back to us, just after we stopped our resuscitation efforts. You remained in your coma until now.”

Beth collected a fresh blanket from the linen closet. It seemed like an avoidance attempt so Aidan wouldn’t catch the fresh batch of tears pooling in her eyes.

Thinking of what she must’ve gone through killed him all over again. Now it all made sense: his friends’ strange behaviors, Beth’s excitement over him not forgetting anyone’s name. They had assumed the worst—like the car crash might’ve tampered with his mind or something. Man, he hadn’t realized how serious everything was until this moment.