Page 18 of Crimson Promises
I spent two more days at the hospital before I was cleared to go home. Dad took time off work and slept on an uncomfortable chair that slightly reclined. Part of me was still angry with him. Mad that he didn’t believe me. When I woke up, he showed me photographs of the crash site. It aligned with everything he had said. But I know what I saw, and no moose had shredded steel and broken glass. My injuries were more than just scratches. The more I brought it up, the more they said I was “confused” or “disoriented”. After that, I decided not to bring it up anymore. What was the point? No one believed me. Whatever that thing was never came back for me, and I didn't see those piercing green eyes again. I learned it was better to keep my mouth shut lest I be pricked with more syringes.
A part of me did wonder if I was crazy. Why was I the only one seeing these things? No one else did. It was easier to go on as if they had never happened.
There was a glimmer of potential the night of the accident—with Riley. I hadn’t heard from him since the accident. Not like I was checking my phone every half an hour or so. Or maybe I was. He probably thought I was an asshole for standing him up that night. It’s not like I had someone who would’ve filled him in on what happened.
Dad insisted on helping me settle before returning to Cannon Beach. He pulled the car right to the front of my building. After more than a week in the hospital, the coddling was getting a little suffocating—I wasn’t in a cast. All I had were cuts and bruises. While I was sore, it wasn’t anything that required full-time care. I would just be a little slower getting to places. Dad disagreed.
Vic pulled open the door before I could unbuckle my seatbelt. His arm was outstretched to help me out of the car.
“Hi, Ms. James. Nice to have you back. You gave us quite the scare the last few days.”
Once on my own two feet, I closed the door with my ankle.
“Thanks, Vic. Hospitals are depressing.” I let out a minuscule sigh. It was nice to be home.
Vic headed to the trunk of the car to help Dad with my bags.
“Nice to see you again, Mr. James. Ideally, it wouldn’t have been in these circumstances, but I’m sure Ms. James is happy to have you here. Shall I park you in the long-term visitor parking? There’s a spot not too far from Ms. James’ Nissan.”
“Thank you, Victor, that is very kind, but I won’t be staying long. If you could park it somewhere, I’ll need it again in half an hour or so, once Aurora is settled.”
“Absolutely, sir. Do you need help with her bag?”
Dad shook his head. “It’s Stephen. And it’s just the one—and luckily, it has wheels.”
“My pleasure. I’ll take the keys and have this moved for you.”
Victor extended his palm face up. Instead of placing the keys there, Dad took his hand and shook it. “Thank you for always looking after my daughter. From one father to another, it helps to know that someone out here is looking after her. Whether she wants it or not.” He broke eye contact with Victor to narrow his eyes at me.
The crack in the sidewalk was suddenly thrilling.
“You are very welcome, Stephen. Don’t you worry. Darlene and I will have Ms. James over for a home-cooked meal next week. Whatcha say, steak and potatoes?”
I looked up, and Victor's eyes were crinkled at the side. He winked.
“I was thinking some hearty vegetable soup. You know, good for the bones, recovery, and all that.”
He grimaced. “Sure, kiddo, whatever you want. But steak is good for your iron. I have some time to convince you otherwise.”
“Nothing will change my mind. The chance to see you eat Darlene’s fantastic vegetable creations is priceless.”
Dad laughed at our exchange. “Ready to head up, Aurora?”
“Yeah.” I waved to Victor. “See you later, Vic, and please tell Darlene I can’t wait for dinner next week.”
“Can’t wait.” He waved to Dad. “See you in a bit, Mr. James.”
Dad’s chin dipped in response. His hands were too busy navigating my bag through the revolving door.
* * *
The loft smelled musty and stale, like mothballs. I immediately headed to the windows to let in some fresh air.
“Are you sure you don’t want to come home for a few weeks, honey? I can look after you there if you need anything. There’s no one here.” I could hear him turning the suitcase over on its side and bending down to unzip it.
I took a deep breath before turning around. We had the same iteration of this conversation a dozen times over the past few days. “Dad, I love you and appreciate that you want to look after me.” I waved my arms in the air and did a sumo squat. “I can get around fine. I’m only a little bit sore, that’s all. Plus, I need to catch up on a boatload of schoolwork and get back to work. I’m excited to start my work at the library. To build a life here.” And to see what happens with Riley.
“I can’t convince you otherwise?” He began pulling out the piles of clothes from the suitcase, strode across the reclaimed hardwood floors, and left them on the white duvet. It only took him a few trips, and the suitcase lay empty. Apparently, he had come while I was unconscious to grab me a few things. My face turned red as a ketchup bottle when I realized he had to bring me bras and underwear.
