Falling for Her Husband (3 page)

Chapter Four

Vince leapt from his chair at first sight of the doctor, practically running toward him on watery legs. He’d remained in the waiting room alone for hours, refusing his sister’s offer for her to come down and sit with him.

He didn’t think he could stand her uncomfortable chitchat. She only wanted to give reassurance, but listening to Stasia drone on about nothing wasn’t his idea of comfort.

Being alone with his racing, guilty thoughts hadn’t been a real comfort either, but it was all he had.

“How is she?” he asked the doctor, his gaze snagging on the man’s name stitched in blue on his white jacket. “Dr. Gilmore, is my wife all right?”

The pure, overwhelming panic he’d felt when he first saw Amber crumpled on the street, blood streaming from her face, all came back to him in a rush. For one heart-stopping moment, he’d thought she was dead.

Thank Christ that hadn’t been true. He’d said about a thousand prayers since that moment, all of them of him wishing for one thing only.

Please God, make sure my wife is okay.

The grim look on Dr. Gilmore’s face didn’t ease Vince’s overactive worries. “Your wife has extensive damage to her head, face and shoulders. She broke her right arm so badly we had to operate on it immediately. We might have to perform another surgery before she’s released.”

Hearing the word “released” was such a relief Vince almost collapsed onto the ground. “Thank God. That I can handle.”

“But, Mr. Renaldi.” The doctor reached out and grabbed Vince around the elbow, steadying him. He hadn’t realized he’d been swaying on his feet. “Your wife…she is in a coma.”

Vince frowned, unable to understand what the doctor just said. “A coma?”

Gilmore nodded. “At first we believed her simply unconscious. We operated on her arm, which we put her under anesthesia for, but she hasn’t come to yet. All signs point at a coma. I’m sorry.”

He was sorry. Vince’s entire world exploded at those simple words and all the doctor could say was “I’m sorry”.

“Did the anesthesia do this to her?” Vince asked tightly.

“No.” The doctor shook his head. “Her head injuries are worse than we thought. Or so we believe they are. We’ll know more once she comes out of the coma. We’ll perform tests.”

“What if she…” Vince paused, choking on the words. “What if she—never comes out of the coma?”

Gilmore’s eyes dimmed. “That’s something we’ll have to discuss if it indeed happens.”

Vince’s mind spun. What if it happened? What if Amber never woke up? If he never saw her pretty, laughing face, never kissed those lips, never heard that sweet voice whispering she loved him ever again…

He didn’t know what he would do.

“Thank you, Doctor,” Vince said, his voice wooden, his emotions in turmoil. He stepped back, letting the doctor escape, and he watched as Gilmore left, his soft-soled shoes squeaking against the shiny surface of the floor as he sped away. On to save another life, Vince supposed. Or devastate another family with horrific news.

He fell into a chair without thought, staring out the window at the night sky, the lights that still dotted the multitude of buildings spread out before him. His wife could end up in a coma for the rest of her life, and what then? What would he do then?

It was all his fault. He’d yelled at her, argued with her and made her angry. She’d run away from him. She’d been trying to escape him because of his stupid threats. Look where they had gotten him. Look where they had gotten her.

“Mr. Renaldi?”

He turned his head to find a petite nurse dressed in rose-colored scrubs standing before him, her short dark hair gleaming under the lights. “Yes?” he asked hoarsely.

“If you’d like to see your wife, she’s in the ICU.”

See his wife. Yes, he would very much like to see his wife. “Thank you.”

The nurse gave him quick directions and he walked slowly down the hallway, fear making his steps feel heavy. He wanted to see Amber. He needed to see her. But what if…

What if he didn’t like what he found?

And by that what if she looked terrible and had every tube possible stuck in her? And what if she looked damaged beyond repair? He knew the guilt would be worse. So much worse. He didn’t think he could handle that.

Amber probably can’t handle lying there in so much fucking pain her brain pushed her into a coma, so who are you to feel sorry for yourself?

Lifting his chin, Vince picked up his pace, the self-pep talk urging him on. He was being a pitiful, weak mess when right now, he was the one who needed to be strong. Not only for himself, but for Amber and for her family.

He’d called her mother practically the moment it happened, trying his best to be calm while Amber’s mom, Barbara, fell completely apart. They lived in Oregon, a world away from New York, and she’d been frantic, hysterical, as she asked if she should hop on a plane and come be with her daughter. Vince didn’t want to deal with a hysterical woman he barely knew and had reassured her it wasn’t necessary, but now…he wasn’t so sure. Shouldn’t her parents be by her side? He might’ve made the wrong choice.

Amber was close to them and had always felt this heavy sense of obligation toward them. She took care of the entire Hall family even though both of her parents worked—or at least tried to, considering her father’s stints in and out of rehab. There was no money there. None. He didn’t understand, considering that Amber sent the majority of her income to her mother, but she never divulged a real reason why the money went so quickly. He didn’t understand it.

One of the many secrets his wife kept from him that drove him crazy.

He entered the ICU and questioned the nurse behind the desk where Amber was and she gave him directions. When he came to the room, he stopped, peering into the open door. A nurse was there, moving about the room, so he crept carefully inside, the beeping of the monitor low in the otherwise silent room.

As soon as she was out of trouble, he would demand his wife have a private room. For now, this would have to do. The bed was against the center of the wall and Amber lay there, covered in a snow white blanket, her hair a blonde, still-matted-with-blood, halo around her head, spread all over the pillow. A bandage was wound around her forehead and stretched across her right cheek.

The gash, the one that had made her face so bloody. He hadn’t even asked the doctor about it, but he remembered it was deep.

Career-threatening deep, possibly.

Vince went to her, pausing at the side of the bed. He was on her left side, which was best because her right arm was casted from her knuckles to above her elbow. A tube was in her mouth, there were bruises on her face, and he grabbed hold of the chair that sat against the wall near him, pulling it close so he could topple into it before he collapsed.

God. He’d done this to her. She looked so small, so fragile and damaged. He hated this. What he’d done. His carelessness, the stupid fight they’d gotten into. He both loved and hated her independent spirit, the one that believed she needed to take care of everyone and no one could ever take care of her.

She needed to be taken care of right now, though. Oh, how she would hate this. Knowing that she lay in a hospital bed, in a coma and helpless, unable to do anything, not even move.

“You will come back to me,” he murmured, grabbing hold of her cool, dry hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. “You must, Amber. Your life is not finished yet. You have a lot of living to do.
We
have a lot of living to do. Don’t give up on me now.”

Not a word, not a sound came out of her in answer. She just lay there, cold and quiet and still.

Vince bent his head and wept.

Chapter Five

There was a brief time when Amber wanted nothing to do with men or relationships or even dating. After casually dating plenty of gorgeous—and emotionally unavailable—men she’d met while working, she finally swore no more. She’d been too busy working. Working, working, working. Traveling all over the world, trying to make it, trying to be somebody, and she had so desperately wanted someone to sit up and take notice of her. A fashion editor, a photographer, a makeup artist, a publisher—she wanted to be a muse like the modeling greats of the nineties. Those girls had it all. Style and covers and media attention and the most gorgeous men fighting over them, whereas models nowadays weren’t as much of a celebrity as they were then.

She’d wanted all of that and more. It’s why she gave up dating and decided she needed to focus on her career. In a short time, she drew serious notice. Gathered important contracts, was hired for top tier shoots. And then she met Vincenzo Renaldi.

It felt like a dream, her memories of that first meeting. All golden light and perfection, as if the clouds had parted and a direct beam of sunlight had shone upon Vince at a particular moment in time, helping her notice him standing there in a crowd at an industry party. Just another one like usual, she’d been to what felt like hundreds of them but that one, that night had been different.

Vince had stood there in the center of the crowd, drink clutched in his hand, a sensual curve to his full lips. He’d been so handsome, so dark and sexy. His magnetism had drawn her to him without a word. She’d simply walked up to him and stopped, holding out her hand like they were business associates introducing themselves to each other.

“I’m Amber,” she’d said and his smile had grown, slow and sure and making her entire body quake with need.

“Vince,” he’d said, taking her hand and not shaking it at all. No, he’d brought it to his lips and pressed the lightest, sweetest kiss to her knuckles. A simple kiss she’d felt all the way down to her core.

Stupid. Exhilarating. Exciting.

“Have we met before?” she’d asked, squinting at him. That could be the only answer she had for the undeniable pull she felt toward him.

“I would remember.” He hadn’t let go of her hand. In fact, he’d pulled her in like a fish on a hook, until she was so close to him, his mouth was at her ear. She felt his lips brush her skin as he spoke and she shivered. “And don’t you think you would remember me?”

His confidence had been her weakness. Yes, she would’ve remembered. And no, she knew she’d never met him before, but what else could she say? Her body felt like it was on fire just being in his presence. Her panties had grown wet when his lips were on her skin. She wanted more. She’d wanted him.

So she had him. That very night. Loud, passionate sex at his hotel room, his hard, sweaty body above hers as he pushed himself inside her again and again and again.

They hadn’t been apart. No, they were in the honeymoon stage. She had the most gorgeous, most loving, smartest husband in the whole wide world, and she couldn’t wait to see him.

So where was he?

Chapter Six

Her head felt like it had been stuffed with cotton balls. Everything fuzzy and muffled, as if she was conscious but not…quite…yet.

She’d had the strangest dream. No, not quite a dream—it had felt so real. Like she’d gone back to when she and Vince first met. What a wonderful time that had been. She’d felt young and carefree and so madly, desperately in love.

Now she felt strange. Confused.

Amber heard voices. Voices that talked about her. Or at least she thought they were talking about her.

“Her vitals are stable. Though no one knows the extent of the damage to her head or brain…”

The man with the deep, soothing voice sounded like a doctor. Yes, and the beeping noises, the hushed quality of the room, maybe she was in a hospital? And they were talking about…

Her?

“I need to know exactly when my wife is going to wake up, Doctor. It’s been two days.” Vince’s voice. She’d recognize it anywhere. He sounded angry, frustrated, scared. Her heart ached at the sound and she wished she could say something to reassure him.

I’m all right. I’m fine. I can hear you. I love you.

She did. Her heart felt ready to burst with love for him. What happened to her? He sounded so worried. She couldn’t imagine how scared she would be if something horrible happened to him.

“Mrs. Renaldi is in a coma, sir. We don’t know how long it will last. You know this.” The doctor sounded just as frustrated as her husband. She could understand why. When Vince wanted something, he expected it to magically happen at his command. She loved that about him. His sheer determination, his belief that he could do whatever it took to make his wants and wishes—and hers—come true.

Trying her best to lift herself out of the fog, she strained against the binds that seemed to hold her back. Her lids felt like there were two-ton bricks resting on each of them, making it impossible to open her eyes. Her entire body ached, as did her head and she curled the fingers of her right hand, her fingertips brushing against…plaster?

A cast. Her arm was in a cast. God, what happened to her?

Parting her lips, she tried to speak but her throat was so dry. She rasped her tongue against her upper lip, swallowed hard and then croaked, “Vince.”

They weren’t listening to her, though. Her husband was too busy arguing with the doctor, expressing his worry that his wife wasn’t receiving the best possible care.

“Vince. Please.” She cracked open her eyes to find the two men standing at the foot of her bed, deeply engrossed in their conversation. The doctor had a white coat on and wore glasses. He looked like a typical doctor. Her husband was dressed in jeans and a wrinkled white button-down shirt, the sleeves shoved up his forearms, his expression full of despair. His face was covered with shadowy dark stubble and there were circles under his eyes.

He looked both wonderful and terrible all at once.

“Hello,” she whispered. Her throat hurt it was so dry and she could hardly talk. The beeping on the monitor began to speed up—mirroring her frustration, no doubt—and she closed her eyes, trying her best to work up the will to speak louder.

“Wait a minute.” The doctor paused and she felt him draw closer. “Mrs. Renaldi? Can you hear me?”

Another rustle of clothing and someone took her left hand. She recognized his touch anywhere. “Amber. Sweetheart. Wake up.”

She opened her eyes once more to find Vince standing there, her hand in his. His eyes widened as he glanced up and met the doctor’s gaze for a brief moment before returning his attention to her. “Hi,” she whispered. It hurt to speak. It almost hurt to see. She wanted to close her eyes. She needed quiet. Everything felt so bright and loud.

The smile that broke out on his face, though, was beautiful. “You’re awake.”

“Where am I? What happened to me?” She tried to look around but the movement hurt her head too much.

Vince opened his mouth, ready to speak but the doctor interrupted him. “How are you feeling, Mrs. Renaldi?”

“My head is fuzzy.” She ignored the dirty looks her husband gave the doctor. “And my arm…” She tried to lift it but failed. The cast was so heavy, she wondered if it was made out of concrete.

“You were hit by a car,” the doctor said, his voice soft and calm. “We were worried about you. You’ve been in a coma for almost three days.”

Shock coursed through her. “Three days?” She couldn’t believe it. How could that be? She didn’t remember getting hit by a car or whatever he said. Yes, her body felt stiff and sore, but a car accident? And a coma?

“I’ve been worried sick.” Vince knelt by her side of the bed, bringing her hand to his mouth so he could press a kiss to her knuckles. A shiver moved through her at the first touch of his lips. “I sat by your hospital bed this entire time. I couldn’t leave your side.”

“I’m so sorry I worried you.” She stared into his familiar brown eyes, her heart overflowing with love when she saw the relief that flooded his gaze. “Were you with me when I was hit by the car? Were you hit too?”

He frowned, looking confused. “You don’t remember?”

Amber slowly shook her head. “Not—not at all.”

“The human brain has a way of protecting itself by blocking out traumatic experiences,” the doctor explained. “Perhaps that’s what happened to you, Mrs. Renaldi.”

“I suppose so,” she said, closing her eyes, shutting out the doctor, the room, the low beeping sound and, regretfully, her husband.

“Amber.” Vince squeezed her hand but she wouldn’t open her eyes. She was so tired. She spoke for maybe five minutes if that and she was exhausted. “Do you remember what happened before the car hit you?”

“I don’t even remember where we were or…what we were doing.” Her voice faded, as did her mind and she lay there, drifting off. It felt nice, floating in the clouds. Took her away from the pain and the confusion and the sadness she could hear in her husband’s voice.

“Sir, I advise against pushing your wife at this moment,” the doctor urged. “Let her rest. The brain is a delicate thing. She might remember more, and then again she might not. Give her some time. Be patient with her.”

“Is she going to be okay?” Vince asked.

“Only time will tell,” the doctor answered just before she drifted off into oblivious sleep.

Maybe Vince didn’t want his wife to remember what happened right before she was hit. He knew he sure as hell didn’t want to remember what happened between them either, but unfortunately, the memory hung right in front of his eyes, a taunting daily reminder.

Their argument, his stubbornness, had driven her directly into the path of a speeding car. She could’ve died. And it would’ve been all his fault.

Bad enough her arm was broken and her face marred. Her beautiful, gorgeous face…the cut across her cheek would scar, the plastic surgeon had told him yesterday. They could try to operate on it, but most likely that scar would never fully go away.

The scariest thing was the possibility of brain damage. The idea that Amber would never be the same again, that she might not be able to function normally…worried him. He would always stand by her side. He loved her. She was his wife. He had to believe she was just fine.

Just. Fine.

Her modeling career was most likely ruined, though. Again, all of it was his fault. She would hate him for this. Might never forgive him either. She’d been so angry when they argued. And then that anger had turned into resolve. Like she’d known exactly what was best for their relationship and he had no say in the matter whatsoever.

And what she wanted was a divorce. She’d flayed his chest wide open with those words. He still couldn’t believe she said it. Had no idea she’d even contemplated such a drastic end to their short-lived marriage.

When she’d finally awakened, the relief he’d felt had been overwhelming. She’d seemed so confused, so lost yet so incredibly happy to see him, he’d been thrown. He figured she’d be furious with him.

But she acted like nothing was wrong. Like she was relieved to see him.

He’d escaped the room after dropping a kiss to her forehead, surprised to find her already breathing deep in sleep. He lingered out in the hall, waiting for the doctor to emerge and when he did, Vince went to him, full of questions.

Dr. Gilmore held up his hands, stopping Vince’s barrage of questions. “I don’t have the answers yet. We need to give her more time, Mr. Renaldi.”

Time. That scared him. He was afraid to give her time. The more she had, the more she could remember and then he didn’t know what would happen.

But he knew it wouldn’t be good.

“I don’t understand,” Vince said, frustration making his words come out sharper than he first intended. “Why doesn’t she remember anything? Is this normal? Could something be wrong with her brain that she would lose her memory?”

“As I said to your wife, her lack of memory when it comes to the accident could be a way of her brain protecting itself. The mind is a wondrous and mysterious thing. It does things that the medical profession often question, but we sometimes don’t find an answer.”

Vince wanted to call bullshit but he restrained himself. He knew yelling at Amber’s doctor would get him nowhere. “Are you saying she has some sort of amnesia?”

“Possibly. She only spoke to us for a few minutes so we can’t be sure. Next time she wakes up, she might remember everything,” the doctor said.

Dread filled Vince’s gut. That was the last thing he wanted. At least, not yet. He needed time to prepare. To convince Amber that getting a divorce was the last thing they should do. “Is it okay for her to sleep?”

God, he couldn’t stand it if that happened. The last three days had been some of the worst of his life. He’d never left her side, he’d hardly slept or ate. Had no idea how he was standing and talking like a normal human being when all he wanted to do was find a comfortable bed and relax.

But he couldn’t. Not yet. He needed to ensure Amber was on the mend.

“We checked her vitals and they’re strong. Normal. We’ll do a CAT scan on her tomorrow to monitor her brain activity.” The doctor smiled, clutching his clipboard in front of him. “I’ve seen this sort of thing before. Your wife will need lots of rest so she can recuperate properly.”

“I’ll make sure she does,” Vince said with a nod. “I swear.”

“Her face…I know she’s a model.” Dr. Gilmore frowned. “I hope she’ll be okay when she sees the wound. Sometimes that sort of thing…when someone is injured and it affects their livelihood, it can have an adverse affect on their mental stability. It’s best if she not look in a mirror quite yet. We don’t want to upset her any further. Her mind is in a delicate state at the moment.”

“I understand.” He didn’t want to upset Amber anymore than she already was. “We’ll keep her calm and quiet for the next few days.”

“Good.” The doctor smiled. “If you have any more questions, don’t hesitate to ask.”

Vince had what felt like a million more questions, but he kept quiet. He didn’t want to barrage the doctor and besides, most of his questions were the type that the doctor couldn’t answer.

Exactly when will my wife get her memory back?

Will she still want a divorce?

Will she hate me forever?

Yeah. Those were definitely questions that no one could answer.

“Thank you, Doctor,” he said instead, offering his hand out for a quick, firm shake. “I appreciate all that you’re doing for my wife.”

The moment the doctor walked away Vince’s phone vibrated, and he pulled it out of his pocket to find his sister, Stasia, was calling. “She’s awake,” he said as answer, striding toward the small waiting room that was on this floor of the hospital.

“Oh, Vince, I’m so glad.” The happiness in Stasia’s voice was unmistakable. He could always count on his sister. “I’m sure you’re relieved.”

“That’s an understatement.” He settled in a chair in the far corner of the room, not wanting to disturb anyone and not wanting any of the few stragglers in the room to overhear him. “She was awake for a few minutes but went right back to the sleep. The doctor said not to worry, though. Her vitals are strong and we hope she’ll be okay.”

“Good. This entire thing is so scary. I’ve been worried for you both.” Stasia paused, sounding hesitant when she finally spoke again. “Did she remember your argument?”

The only person who knew the truth of what really happened before Amber was hit was Stasia. He hadn’t told his brothers and he definitely hadn’t told his mother. The only person he could trust not to judge was Stasia. They were the closest growing up since they were only a few years apart and though they fought like cats and dogs when they were younger, they also took care of each other. Always.

“No. She seemed perfectly happy to see me,” he answered as he leaned back against the wall behind him and rubbed a hand over his tired eyes. Damn, he needed some sleep. His brain felt sluggish, his thoughts turbulent and his reflexes slow.

“I’m sure she was! She’s just gone through such a traumatic experience. And you’re her husband. Despite all the trouble between you two, you know she still loves you,” Stasia said.

“And I love her.” Would that be enough to convince Amber they needed to be together? He wasn’t sure.

That was the part he hated the most. The doubt that lingered. He had no idea if she would turn on him or when.

“Then live one day at a time with Amber. Remind her why she fell in love with you in the first place. The two of you moved so fast…but I knew when I first met her that you two were madly in love,” Stasia said. “Take her back to that place. Make her feel special, wanted, loved. If you do that, how can she resist you?”

“You’re right,” Vince said, and Stasia immediately started to laugh. “What’s so funny?”

“You said I’m right, and you never say that. I need to revel in this.”

“Well, revel away, and know that I’m going to take your advice. I think it’s sound. I do need to remind Amber of why she fell in love with me.” And he needed to remember why he fell so head over heels in love with his wife.

He couldn’t wait to get started.