“It’s almost dark, you have to go. We can’t have you see me turn into a pumpkin, now can we?” She made a scoot motion with her hands. “Go on now.”
Mariela looked around. “But I still don’t know where the water is.”
“Listen to your heart, it won’t steer you wrong.” She smiled. “And listen to that Andie woman, she’s pretty smart, too. I would have liked to have spent time with her.”
Mariela knew she wouldn’t see Winnie again and suddenly her heart ached like when she’d lost her the first time. “I’ll miss you.”
“I know, sweetie. Like I said, I’m a hard woman to get over.”
Mariela laughed and flipped her the bird.
Winnie blew her a kiss. “Go take care of your man.”
• • •
SHE HURT EVERYWHERE.
Mariela refused to open her eyes. If she kept them closed, maybe she’d find her way back into the forest. It had been cool there and peaceful. But most of all, nothing had hurt.
“I think she’s waking up,” a voice she didn’t recognize said.
A warm hand touched her forehead. “Marie?”
Lennox. What was he doing? Hadn’t she left him at the cottage?
“Are you awake?”
“No,” she tried to say, but it came out as a moan.
“Don’t try to talk,” Lennox said.
But why? If she didn’t talk, how would she know where she was? Or why everything hurt so fucking much? And what Lennox was doing here?
She opened her eyes just enough to make him out. He looked horrible, but he tried to smile when he saw her open her eyes.
“You scared me,” he said.
She licked her lips. “Hurts,” she managed to get out. “Why?”
His smile disappeared. “You’re in the hospital. You were in a car accident. Do you remember?”
She tried to think back, but she could only remember the forest. “Winnie.”
A look of shock mixed with grief crossed his face. “Like Winnie, but you’re here.”
She shook her head. He didn’t understand. “I saw her.”
His mouth opened but nothing came out. Her eyelids were growing heavy, and she didn’t have the strength to keep them open.
“Stay,” she mumbled before the darkness swept her away.
• • •
THE NEXT TIME she woke up, someone was holding her hand. She took a quick assessment of her body. She still hurt, but the pain was localized to her legs now. Her mind seemed clearer and though she could remember Winnie and the forest, they both seemed further away than before.
She opened her eyes and discovered it was Lennox holding her hand. His head was down.
“Hey,” she said to get his attention.
He jerked his head up and her heart caught in her throat because his eyes were red, like he’d been crying.
“You’re awake,” he said with a weak smile that did nothing to erase the sadness in his eyes.
“Yes,” she said. “Why were you crying?” She was in a hospital, was something wrong with her? “Tell me.”
“It’s nothing,” he said, confirming her fear. Something was wrong with her.
“Liar. Tell me.” She struggled to sit up, but found she couldn’t because her right leg was too heavy. Why would her leg be heavy? She looked down, but her legs were covered. “Is it my leg? Is that why it hurts so much?”
“Marie,” he said. “Calm down.”
She saw it in his eyes. Something was wrong. “Lennox, please.”
He took a deep breath and looked toward the door as if hoping someone would come in and rescue him. No one came, and when he turned back to her, there was no emotion in his expression.
“You broke your leg,” he said. “In the car accident.”
A broken leg? Well, that wasn’t the end of the world, unless there was more he wasn’t telling her.
“I had a broken leg before,” she said. “It’s a pain, but not a big deal.”
He shook his head. “Perhaps break isn’t the right word. Your right leg was crushed. You were in surgery for hours.”
She blinked, shocked by his words. “But I’ll be okay, right?”
He didn’t say anything.
“Lennox?” She couldn’t keep the panic from her voice.
“The doctors said you should be able to walk after therapy. You’ll probably always have a limp. . . .”
She couldn’t catch her breath. She should be able to walk? Did that mean there was a chance she wouldn’t walk again?
“Dance.” It was only one word, but at this point, it was all she had.
Lennox took her hand.
Oh my god.
“In time, Marie,” he said, looking her in the eyes. “But I know you and I know you can do it. You can push through this and I bet you’ll be twirling around us before you know it.”
She couldn’t speak. What would she do if she couldn’t dance? Dance was her entire life and without it, she was nothing.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
As she watched, he dropped his head again and stroked her hand. She knew exactly what he was doing and she could hit him.
“Don’t you dare blame yourself,” she said.
“Why shouldn’t I?” he asked. “It’s my fault you left the cottage all upset. If I hadn’t said those things I did, you never would have gotten in the car angry and the accident wouldn’t have happened.”
“Do you ever get tired, Lennox?” she asked.
He cocked an eyebrow. “Tired of what?”
“Being responsible for every damn thing that happens in the universe.” He started to say something, but she spoke before he could. “Don’t even try to deny it. To listen to you, it’s your fault Winnie died and your fault I got into a car accident.”
“Isn’t it?”
“No, it’s not.” She sighed. “Believe it or not, you could not have stopped me from getting in that car. I doubt you could have stopped Winnie either. And you sure as hell can’t take responsibility for my car accident or the telephone pole Winnie wrapped her car around.”
She hadn’t convinced him of anything. The weight he’d carried after Winnie’s death was back, and from the looks of it, he’d doubled that weight. Because of her. He now blamed himself for her accident and whatever lasting effects it will have on her.
“You were never meant to carry that much guilt, Lennox. At least let me carry my share. I shouldn’t have gotten into the car in the mood I was in. But I was hell-bent on getting out of that cottage and nothing short of a war would have stopped me. Certainly not you.”
“Then we shouldn’t have argued.”
Was he fucking serious? That was the most asinine statement