Chapter 20

WHITLEY

Two days. It takes two days to get my apartment packed up, and for the shipping people to come load everything onto a semi-truck. We decide to make reservations at a hotel close to the airport, but there’s not a flight out for all four of us until the day after tomorrow.

So, we have a whole day to show Aubrey the city. She’s excited, considering she’s never been to New York before. Her favorite places are Central Park and the Met. Come to find out, she’s an avid art lover.

Our feet are killing us, and we decide to just order in for the evening. On our way back to the hotel, the guys stop for a second to grab beers while Aubrey and I keep walking toward the hotel.

The hotel is a couple of blocks away, but something has chills running down my spine. I look around and see nothing.

“Maybe we should have waited on the guys,” I say.

“Why’s that?” Aubrey asks.

“New York can be dangerous alone.”

“We’re not alone. Look at all these people.” She waves her hand toward all the people walking around us on the sidewalk, rushing to get wherever they need to be.

“Trust me, you’re still alone.”

I look behind us to see if the guys are anywhere back there. I don’t see them. Something is giving me the creeps. I hear Aubrey chuckle.

“What’s so funny?” I ask.

“It’s in the middle of the summer, and this chick in front of us has on blue jeans and a black hoodie. I know she has to be burning up in this heat.”

“What?” I start to turn, but the girl in the hoodie shoves me in an alley. All I see before everything goes black is a steel pipe coming at me.

AUBREY

I scream for help, and my instincts take over.

~This bitch has a steel pipe and is trying to beat my best friend with it! Not on my watch!~

You don’t live in Los Angeles and not take a self-defense class, or in my case, self-defense and kickboxing.

“Who the fuck do you think you are?” I scream at the crazy girl with the pipe.

I kick her in the stomach, and she drops the pipe. She’s trying to catch her breath, but her eyes look crazy, and I know she’s not done.

“I’m Gabriel’s woman. She’s in my way!” she screams.

“Oh shit! You’re the batshit-crazy girl!”

“I’m not crazy!”

“I disagree! You’re as crazy as a sprayed cockroach! Trust me, your wheels are still turning, but the hamster is dead.”

She comes at me like a bat out of hell, and I drive my knee into her jaw. She falls on the ground. The guys come running up and see the commotion.

“Call the cops! Batshit-crazy girl followed her!” I shout at them.

Both of them freeze. There’s a pool of blood under Whitley. I’m literally sitting on top of an unconscious woman who just tried to kill my best friend, and these men are standing there, worthless. I grab my phone and make the call myself.

***

We finally hear cops and ambulances arriving. Gabriel is holding a still bleeding, still limp Whitley, and praying. He’s covered in blood but refuses to let her go.

“Sir, please lay her down gently. She may have cervical damage. We need to get a collar on her and survey the damage,” the paramedic says.

“No! Not my baby! Not again!”

“Please, sir.”

Of course, Kendrick isn’t any help. He’s just sitting on his knees, frozen, and crying. They finally get the crazy girl in bracelets and in her own ambulance. Don’t know why she needs one. I walk over and put my hand on Gabriel’s shoulder.

“Gabriel, let them help her.”

I help them slowly lay Whitley down on the concrete. There’s a puddle of her blood soaking into the ground. They work quickly and move her.

“Where are you taking her?” I ask.

“Mount Sinai. One of you can ride with her,” the paramedic says.

“Gabriel, go. Kendrick and I will meet you there,” I say, pushing him toward the ambulance.

***

By the time we get there, Gabriel is having a fit. He doesn’t know what to do. The doctors are asking about living wills and advance directives. At that moment, Kendrick takes control.

“Yes, she does. I can get you a copy immediately.”

Kendrick has power of attorney for his sister to make any medical decisions in case she is not able to, and right now, she’s not able. There’s severe swelling on her brain, and she’s on a ventilator because she can’t breathe for herself.

If the pressure doesn’t come down within the next few hours, they’ll have to do a procedure to relieve it. She could have permanent damage and possible memory loss. She might not even wake up. That’s worst-case scenario.

We’re praying for her to wake up. The only thing that keeps going through my mind is how the whole time, not one person stopped to help. You really are still all alone in New York, even surrounded by tons of people.

The hardest part is watching Kendrick call his parents. It’s absolutely heartbreaking.

“I’m sorry, Mom! I couldn’t protect her! I should have protected her! I should have been there!” He’s sobbing like a three-year-old child. “They have a tube down her throat to breathe for her. There’s so much pressure on her brain, they may have to go into surgery to relieve it… Yes, ma’am. Yes, I understand. Okay. I love you too, Mom. See you soon.”

He looks over at me and takes me into his arms.

“You saved her life you know,” he says.

“I don’t know how much I did, but there was no way in hell that crazy-ass loon was going to get away with it,” I say.

He chuckles a small bit.

“I can’t lose her, Aubrey. I can’t lose my sister.” His phone rings, and he answers without even looking to see who it is. Then he covers his face as he tries not to break down again.

“Devyn. I miss you so much, sis… Nothing new yet. I just know as soon as she’s stable, Gabriel and I are going to try and have her transferred to California… That’s where she lives now, Dev… I would love it if you came. I’m sure Whit would too.” All of the sudden, he sobs.

“I love you too, sis. I’ll see you soon.”

I know him and his younger sister are distant. Looks like she’s come to her senses, at least for the sake of Whitley. I wipe the tears off this gorgeous man’s face.

A family man has always just flat out done it for me. I guess because I never knew who mine were. I know we haven’t been together long, but dammit, if I don’t love this man. I look at his green eyes and know there’s nobody else for me.

“Looks like I’m going to be meeting the family,” I say.

He smiles.

“Yeah. It’s about time anyway.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because you’re it for me, Aubrey. If you can handle all this. If you can handle a batshit-crazy woman going after my family and stop her, then I know you’re in it for the long run.”

“Is it bad timing to tell you I’m falling in love with you?”

He shakes his head.

“No, because I feel the exact same way. I think I fell in love with you the moment I looked into your beautiful, sky-blue eyes.”