Snowed In With You

Chapter Twenty-One

Sara

We made it to the Emergency room in just under fifteen minutes and Rob was sweating profusely by the time I pulled up.

I had been allowed to drive because they needed my, quote, ‘oh-shit’ driving, whatever that meant.

Either way, we’d brushed past two red lights in the nick of time and Fletcher was holding onto the handle of the car door like he was scared it was going to fly open.

‘Now I’ve seen you drive first hand, I can understand why nobody is that comfortable with you doing it,’ he muttered as we pushed through the doors and Rob led the way to the reception desk.

He was a doctor and I guessed all the hospital layouts were likely very similar, because he located it much quicker than I probably would have.

The red-haired receptionist didn’t look too keen on helping and moved at a snail’s pace, clicking her tongue as she waited for an ancient-looking computer to load the necessary documents.

She checked Rob’s ID and then mine and Fletcher’s for good measure.

Rob was allowed to go and see her but we had to wait by the reception for updates.

My brother hurried off to find his wife and Fletcher and I claimed seats in the eye-line of the hallway so we could see him return.

My thoughts were spinning as I remembered what Rob said about the electric box – we should have warned them, or reported it or done something to prevent this from happening.

Because now Tanya was sitting in a bed somewhere down the corridor maybe, hurt or–

Fletcher took my hand and squeezed it, ‘I can literally hear your mind working right now.

Take a breath.

Tanya is going to be fine.’

‘Do you think we did this?’ I wrung my hands together and jiggled my knee up and down.

‘If she got here at the same time as Rob got to your place that means they must have airlifted her or something.

Which means it’s bad.’

‘We don’t know that,’ Fletcher said soothingly, rubbing small circles into my back until I could breathe normally again.

‘And the fusebox was clearly faulty, but we had no way of knowing she would go down there and get hurt.

Don’t put this on your shoulders, gorgeous.’

We waited for another half hour before Rob emerged from down the hall, Fletch keeping up a solid stream of soothing chatter the whole time.

My brother looked simultaneously like he’d had the fright of his life and that a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

I jumped up from my seat and walked quickly towards him.

The waiting room was mostly empty but I didn’t want to make a scene by running.

‘Is she okay?’

Rob’s smile lit up his whole face, ‘She’s perfect.’

Relief welled up and I felt my shoulders finally move down from around my ears.

‘How comes they airlifted her here if she’s perfect?’

‘Well,’ Rob said and there was a definite hint of mischief to the spark in his eyes, ‘it seems my lovely wife has been keeping secrets too.’

‘Rob, I swear to God if you don’t hurry up and tell me–’

‘Tanya’s pregnant!’ He burst out, the grin on his face stretching so wide it literally was almost ear-to-ear.

‘She found out just before our trip.

The shock from the fusebox was pretty nasty and she had some bleeding that the doctors were concerned about.

Apparently there was an accident on the Highway so they flew her instead just to make sure the baby was okay.’

A smile broke out across my face and I jumped on the spot excitedly, ‘I’m going to be an aunt! Oh my God, you’re going to be a Dad!’

Fletcher slapped Rob on the back, an equally pleased grin overtaking the worry that had been there.

‘I’m so glad she’s okay.

Will they be releasing her soon?’ I couldn’t wait to see her and squeal over this together.

‘How far along is she?’

‘Literally just over two months, they want to keep her the night to observe her but they think everything looks good.’

I smirked, ‘I’m telling Mom you had sex before marriage.’

Rob laughed, ‘I think she’ll be so happy about grandkids that she wouldn’t care if the baby had three feet and came out singing.’

‘Okay,’ Fletcher said with a deep laugh that had my heart singing, ‘you’re getting delirious now.

Get back to your woman and call us if you need anything.

You can crash at mine if you need.’

‘I’m probably going to stay here with Tan, but thanks man.’ Rob smiled softly and suddenly looked very tired, I brushed a quick kiss across his cheek.

‘Congratulations,’ I murmured as I took him in a hug.

‘Give my love to Tanya, please?’

Rob nodded and gave a smile to Fletch as he strolled back along the corridor.

‘Wow, what a whirlwind,’ I said as we watched him walk away.

‘I can’t believe she’s pregnant.

Now I get to be the cool aunt I’ve always wanted to be.’

‘Just as long as you don’t attempt to drive that kid about,’ Fletcher said with a grin and I swatted him on the arm.

‘You had to ruin the moment huh?’ I smiled and moved closer, touching his arm gently.

‘Thank you for being there and for keeping me somewhat calm.

I’m not so good with hospitals and well, I just think you’re so amazing and I love you and –’ I froze.

No.

Tell me I didn’t say that aloud.

One look at Fletcher’s face was all I needed to know, and worse, he was still silent.

His beautiful blue eyes were completely round and his mouth had popped open.

I felt hot and then cold and the saliva in my mouth seemed to double as we both stood there, staring at each other.

Should I take it back? Laugh like it was a joke? I wasn’t sure I was capable of making any sound at all right then.

Stupid idiot, Sara! You finally find a guy you like and you tell him you love him after only being official for like three days? No wonder Rob had thought I was such a mess – turned out, he was right.

Fletcher’s mouth opened and closed, like he was searching for the words, but it didn’t matter.

There’s only ever one response you want to hear when you tell someone you love them for the first time and shocked silence definitely wasn’t it.

I span, dashing for the exit like my life depended on it without any real idea of where the hell I was going.

I stumbled out of the main entrance and the cold air hit me like a balm, clearing my head but allowing the sting of rejection to settle in.

I’d told Fletcher I loved him and he hadn’t said it back.

Hadn’t said anything at all, and I wasn’t sure which was worse.

Oh God, this was so humiliating.

I spotted a taxi rank off to the side and quickly dashed over, feeling my breaths starting to rasp in faster and tears starting to cloud my eyes.

There was a vaguely startled-looking driver sitting and waiting in the front seat, jumping as I threw open the door and bundled myself in.

Was that Fletcher calling my name? No.

You’re imagining it.

You said I love you and he said… Nothing.

He’d said nothing.

‘Do you want to go somewhere?’ the driver asked hesitantly and I released a loud breath as I tried to quiet my tears with little success.

They started pouring down my face as I looked at the driver, I offered him a curt nod and the tight set to my mouth clearly told him not to ask.

‘Can you take me to Ninth by Delaney?’

‘Sure, no problem.’ He had a sort of grandfatherly air about him and I was relieved to have climbed into a car with a half decent person and not some ass who was going to pepper me with questions the whole way home.

Fuck.

I didn’t even have any of my stuff.

Luckily I kept a spare key in the fake hanging basket by the door, but I hated sticking my hand in there for fear of spiders.

How was I supposed to come back from this? Fletcher wasn’t just some guy off the street that I’d met and fallen for – he was my brother’s best friend, he was in my life for good one way or another.

I groaned, Rob.

Fletch would tell Rob, obviously, and then Rob would inevitably tell our mother, leading to at least four phone calls a day while she ‘checks-in’’– which was basically just her asking how I was and if I was okay with increasing worry as the day went on.

I was going to have to move and change my name.

No, I needed to move to a convent and take a vow of silence so nobody would have to be on the receiving end of another impromptu and ill-timed I love you ever again.

Or, well, at least not from me anyway.

Fuck, I hoped this taxi took apple pay because I had zero cash on me right now, what with my wallet being with rest of my bags at Fletcher’s and it wasn’t like I could go back there.

Goodbye favourite fuzzy socks, goodbye special facial exfoliator brush that I paid $40 for.

We passed Delaney park and I directed the old man to my place, thanking him when we pulled up out front.

‘Do you take apple pay? If not, I’ll have to run inside and find some cash for you.’

The man looked startled, ‘Oh, I’m not a taxi driver.’

I stared at him for a moment before bursting into laughter.

‘Very funny, how much do I owe you?’

‘Nothing, dear,’ he said, reaching back and petting my hand gently before letting go.

‘You just go ahead and feel better soon.

I hope whoever you were visiting is okay.’

Oh.

Oh no.

This was a new low.

I’d accidentally kidnapped someone’s actual grandpa and he thought I was crying over a dying relative rather than some guy.

I shook my head in disbelief as I climbed out and gave the guy a friendly wave through my sniffling.

I just needed to get inside, put on my baggiest and comfiest tee and then cry on my sofa for the rest of the night.

I patted through my pockets when I got to the door, crying harder when I remembered for the second time that all I had on me were the keys to the rental car and my cell phone.

Great, you also left Fletcher stranded because you have the keys to the car.

Judging by the utter shock on his face, I was willing to bet that he was probably still stood in the hospital waiting room.

Then he’d tell Rob what I’d done and that would be it, I’d never hear the end of it.

Like, yes, maybe I was an idiot, but I couldn’t help the way I felt.

Yes but you didn’t need to blurt it out so soon.

My place was dark and a little cold as I walked in, the key in my hand was probably covered in cobwebs but I refused to look at it, instead I placed it down on the window ledge and went immediately to wash my hands.

It felt… empty.

I’d only been at Fletcher’s for a couple of nights but I already missed his absurdly gigantic bed and his grey furball.

I’d screwed up and it hurt to admit it.

Maybe I’d overreacted, maybe this wasn’t the death knell for relationships that I thought it was.

He had to love me one day, right? So, we could just ignore that I’d said it and… and have it be the elephant in every room and conversation.

I sighed as I kicked off my shoes.

On the bright side, at least I didn’t have to unpack.