Call Me Michigan (14 page)

“Michigan,” he whispered, steadying her against his side. It felt good to absorb his warmth. In the back of her mind, she knew there was no reason for her to freeze, especially because October had brought warm weather with it. Still, her teeth clattered together, giving off a weird staccato sound.

“Taylor!” Suddenly, she was pulled against Mason’s chest. She felt the weight of his arms settle around her, yet the touch was barely there as if he feared he’d finish what neither truck nor tractor had been able to do.

“He was texting,” she stuttered. “It wasn’t my fault.” She grabbed his shirt, holding on as if her life depended on it. “The second truck pushed me from behind. I wanted to stop. I saw the guy, but he was busy with his phone, too. Shouldn’t you be at least … I don’t know, looking at the street with one eye?” She all but sobbed now. “He was speeding, too. On a country road! I didn’t do it. I wasn’t being irresponsible. I swear it wasn’t my fault.” Her breath hitched. “I’m just so glad I had returned Becca already. I would’ve never forgiven myself if she’d been hurt. That beautiful little girl. God!” She felt his arms tighten around her at that.

She raised her face to his, but he just leaned in closer. “I wasn’t irresponsible,” she promised again as he stayed silent, his cheek gently pressed against her uninjured one. They were almost breathing the same air as he whispered nonsense to calm her down and stop her sobs, but she couldn’t relax.

A guy she didn’t know stepped toward them, and Mason pulled back, making Taylor ready to protest.

“Status?” the other guy asked, obviously being a doctor.

“Shock, heavily bleeding cut across the brow, definitely needs stitches. Swelling to the left side of her face, eye seems to be okay, maybe broken bones in her cheek. I couldn’t feel anything without hurting her. Possible concussion; has dizzy spells when moving her head too fast. No other obvious injuries, but we can’t be sure until we’ve done an ultrasound and x-rays,” Mason reported, his tone somber and professional, as if she was just any other patient to him.

Only then it registered with her that they wanted to take her to a hospital.

“Okay. Get her in the heli, we’re taking her,” the other guy decided.

“Yes, Doc,” Mason said, confirming her suspicion about the other man. That moment she didn’t care, though, starting to shake her head until she remembered the effect it had on her. Swaying on her feet again, she forced herself to speak.

“Home. I’m going home,” she gritted out, but Mason pulled his cell from his pocket, dialing before lifting it to his ear.

“Mom, get Timmy from the Collins’ farm. Tell him he’s having a sleepover and that you’ll drive him to school afterward. Make something up, but be sure he doesn’t start worrying. I’m taking Michigan’s stubborn ass to the hospital. I’ll call you later with updates and everything that happened,” he promised the person on the other end of the line.

“How am I ever going to prove to you that I can do that parent –”

She was interrupted when Mason picked her up, careful yet without hesitation. “What the hell are you doing, Stiles? I’m not exactly …” He placed her inside the helicopter and then strapped her in, all the while noticing that he still couldn’t look at her.

She took a deep breath. “I’m so incredibly sorry,” she stated and then was surprised when his stormy eyes finally lifted to hers and made her swallow. They were swimming with emotions.

“You are sorry? God, Michigan, no. I am sorry. I was wrong to scream at you the way I did. I was wrong to accuse you of not being a mother. Mostly, though, I’m sorry about not being able to press you against me to make sure you forgive me. As it is, it takes everythin’ in me to refrain from doing that. You’re fucking injured, and I could break a bone that so far was only fractured.”

She stared at him, noticing the way his hands shook, and his whole body trembled. “You’re scared,” she whispered in surprise. “Why?”

He paused his movements, resting his forehead against her bandage ever so lightly. “Why? Because I thought you were badly injured or dead. After everythin’ I said to you. My last words to you would’ve been hateful and my chances at making it okay were …”

Guilty. He was feeling guilty. Disappointment settled in the pit of her stomach. He probably thought his screaming at her had distracted her so much that she hadn’t paid attention.

“It wasn’t your words crashing into me, Stiles, so you don’t have to feel guilty. This wasn’t your fault. I’m fine,” she assured him, her voice shaking.

“Stupid, stubborn girl,” he cursed, brushing his lips over her uninjured ones in the softest way, more a peck than anything else. He moved to the front and jumped into the seat while next to her, doors were closed and orders shouted. Someone took the seat to her right, holding out her handbag to her.

“The phone’s busted, but everything else looks okay. I’m Seth. Good to see you sitting upright,” the EMT explained, and she reached out to shake his hand. Her fingers shook so hard, she pulled them back instead.

Her teeth hit together even harder, and black dots entered her vision.

“I nearly died,” she whispered.

“The lady’s going into shock!” were the last words she had heard before her whole body became blissfully numb.

***

Hours passed before Mason could finally break free from work to go and check on Taylor. He had written up the demanded report, wondering since when those couldn’t wait until the next shift, and then they had been called to another accident with a drunken driver and a tree. The tree was fine, but the driver needed a cast and some stitches. In fact, he was much better than anticipated or they’d never have called the helicopter in the first place.

“Stiles, you need me to come along and kick your shin when you start saying somethin’ stupid?” Seth offered, stepping to his side.

Mason just glared at him before his anger melted. “I thought it was her. I saw the truck, and I freaked. I could’ve gotten us all in trouble,” he mumbled, and Seth patted his shoulder.

“Dude, we’d have never involved you if we’d have known her truck was in the accident. No one expected you to think straight, but above all, you still managed to get us down safe and back here the same way. You did great,” Seth assured him.

“I didn’t even tell her I’m sorry until I realized that she thought I was still mad at her. I wasn’t. How can she even think that? She stood in front of me, bleeding, and she thought I was mad at her.” He shook his head. “I almost went crazy with worry about her. Seth, what the hell am I supposed to say to her when I see her? If they let me see her? She thought the only reason I apologized was because I felt guilty …” Set rested his hand on Mason’s arm, stopping his tirade.

“All you need to say is you’re sorry and that she’s your world. Everything else, the two of you can figure out once she’s left the hospital,” Seth promised.

They walked along the white halls, and people greeted them with smiles. Mason and Seth were the reason many lives had been saved in here. Reaching the intensive care unit, a nurse stepped toward them, telling the guys that Taylor already had been transferred to a normal room since she was just being kept overnight for observation.

Out of relief, Mason hugged Seth, smiling widely. “I guess I’m okay to go alone.” He grinned, almost light-headed. Taylor would be perfectly okay in no time at all.

“Fine. Just remember not to say anythin’ stupid. As soon as you open your mouth, monitor your words carefully. If it sounds like an accusation, don’t say it,” Seth instructed, and Mason punched him playfully in the side.

“Jerk. Just move.” Laughing, Seth walked back to where they had come from while Mason made his way to Taylor’s door. It was open, and he just wanted to rap his knuckles against the doorframe when a sob reached his ears.

“Stop, Michigan. Jesus,” a different voice reacted. Clearly, Stella had called Ashley, and Taylor’s former best friend had made her way up here. Instead of running, which was his first impulse, he knocked and then went into the room.

“Hey.” His voice was subdued since he had no idea what mood he’d find the girls in. His caution proved right when Ash shot daggers at him with her eyes. Taylor just closed hers, turning her battered face away from him.

Ash leaned over, giving her friend a gentle kiss on the top of her head. “I’ll go and score some chocolate and coffee. I’ll be back in a little bit.” The smile she gave Taylor was tender, yet as she pushed past Mason, she bumped her shoulder into him. It was clearly done on purpose.

“Taylor.” Mason couldn’t care less about the woman who had just left; his whole focus was on the one in the bed. He forced his feet to walk over to her, and he took a clipboard from its holder at the foot of her bed.

“Just a minor concussion, stitches, contusions, and bruises,” she reported, her voice hushed. He nodded. Her ribs and shoulders were fine, which was all he needed to know for now. Mason moved around until he stood next to her, sitting down before leaning in to hug her tight.

“God, Michigan, I was so worried that my last words to you were hateful instead of everythin’ I should’ve said like, for example, thank you for lovin’ Becca exactly the way you do.” Taylor was stiff under his hands, but he held her, burying his nose in the crook of her neck. “I’m sorry, Taylor, so sorry. There’s no way I could live happily in a world without you and seeing your truck –”

“I’m fine, Mason, and you’re hurting me,” she stated, and he leaned back. Of course, he was since his head pressed against her cut cheek. He wondered what went on in her head, but she seemed to have reached a decision that he was not yet prior to.

“I’m sorry,” he just repeated and then searched her eyes. It was hard to ignore the different hues of purple and yellow on her face. In fact, it was impossible for him because he could imagine how much pain she had to be in. “Why don’t I go and find somethin’ to take the pain away?”

She shrugged wordlessly, and he left her alone to hunt down a cooling pack and a towel. It definitely would help with the swelling, and it gave him something to do.

“Mason, do you ever stop to think before you talk?” Ash rounded the corner, almost running into him.

“My brain shuts off when she’s around. I don’t know how to change that. It’s like my body goes into survival mode. Breathe and just don’t appear stupid. There’s no time to think.”

Ashley didn’t seem appeased. She still glared at him, and he wished he could read her better.

“Could you make her more unhappy?”

“Not my goal,” he retorted, and she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

“What is your goal then? Because I thought you wanted to win her for you, and unless you changed your mind about that, you have a pretty weird way of going about it. Have you ever considered those words? The three magical ones?”

He watched her for a long moment and then decided to just throw a question out that bounced around his skull every time he heard that Ash and Tay hung out together again. “You’re really okay with this, Ash? Because Taylor won’t do anythin’ that could potentially –”

Ashley rolled her eyes. “She and I solved that already when you started to insult her, and she couldn’t stop cryin’. I want her to be happy, and frankly, I want you to be happy, too, even though right now I think you don’t want that!” It wasn’t exactly what he wanted to hear, but it was enough for now.

“You never deserved to be in that weird triangle that was me, you, and the ghost of her. You never should’ve gotten that baby. It was more a desperate move on my part than real hope. I thought you wanted it, and maybe that could fix us. I should’ve never allowed it,” he blurted out. “I would never give her up, but you didn’t deserve that. Any of it.”

He watched as she wiped away a tear, the hostility long gone from her face. “I fell in love with the way you loved her. It was stupid, but let’s face it, you can never love two people the same way. You’ll never love anyone the way you love her. I wasn’t okay with the way you loved me. I was jealous. I wanted her way. I thought giving you a child would get me that. Instead, you found a new, amazin’ way to love another human being, while I realized I wasn’t a mother and would never be. Good news, though. There’s a perfect mother just down the hall, and if you’re ever ready to pull your head from your ass, you might manage to say more than the bullshit you’re spitting out.” The fire was back in Ashley’s eyes, but he still noticed the teasing curve of her lip.

“What woman will raise her best friend’s daughter like her own?” That was his biggest worry and all it came down to really.

Ash smiled. “A woman like Taylor Collins.”

***

Returning after this shift was brutal. He no longer had any idea what to do or say to Taylor to make things right. Stella waited for him when he stepped out of his truck. It was the middle of the night, yet she sat outside on a rocking chair, sipping a glass of white wine.

She got up the moment she spotted him. “What happened today? Is Taylor okay? Will she be out soon? Are you okay?” She fired questions in such a rapid succession; Mason didn’t get a chance to answer any at all.

“Mom …”

“What am I going to tell Tim? Are you goin’ back tomorrow?”

“Mom!”

“Does she need anything? Clothes? Food? I could –”

“Mom, stop! I’m not gonna go back there, and no, she won’t stay long. She wanted you to know that she’s grateful you picked up Timmy. She doesn’t want Tamara informed, either.” He rattled off all she had instructed him to say. Even though that wasn’t really the right word. He’d asked her if she wanted Stella or Timmy to know anything. Manners, again, because his body didn’t really function anymore.

“Why?”

He couldn’t remember why. It was something about Tamara having grown up too fast. His mind was so crowded; it might as well be blank.

Maybe it’s best if we don’t see each other for a while. Taylor had uttered those words in a tone that made his bones freeze. There was no room left for debates or pleas, no room left for doubts. He’d been right about her having reached a decision.

You and I need to stop hurting each other. I need to stop being a disappointment to you and hating myself for it, and you need to take care of your daughter instead of me.