“No …” Felicity’s hand covered her mouth as Lara and Tom hugged her.
“Luke …” Jessica whispered as she looked at her mom.
Tom looked up as he held Felicity, collapsed and sobbing in his arms. “He doesn’t know.”
“Go.” Sunny’s hand pressed to her heart as she fought back her own tears, the tears of one mother grieving for another.
Jessica nodded. “We’ll meet you at the hospital.” She kicked off her shoes and sprinted to the other side of the church.
“Luke?” She yelled through the hallway, not knowing for sure which room he was in.
“Jess?” Gabe peeked out the door of a room she’d already passed.
“What are you doing? He can’t see the bride before—”
“Luke!” She shoved open the door, knocking Gabe out of the way.
“Baby, what are you—”
Her tears spilled over, a lump swelled in her throat the size of a baseball. She wanted to acknowledge how handsome he looked. She wanted to remember the way his eyes took in her dress, seeing it for the first time, but none of that mattered. Those would never be memories of that day.
“It’s Lake … she’s been in an accident. We have to go now.”
Luke shook his head. “What? What are you talking about?”
“They life-flighted her to the hospital.”
Luke patted his pockets with his hands. “My keys … my keys … where are my—”
“Here.” Gabe handed Luke his keys. “You handed them to me earlier. Lane and Liam are ushering in the guests. I’ll get them and make sure they get to the hospital right behind you.”
Luke’s hands shook as he took the keys. Jessica snatched them from him then grabbed his hand. “Let’s go.”
Luke followed her to the car, his face blank like a zombie. She opened his door then hurried around to the driver’s side.
“Shit!” she grumbled, realizing her veil had been shut in the door. She opened the door and tore the clip from her hair and tossed it onto the ground before shutting the door and squealing the tires out of the parking lot.
“Is she alive?” Luke asked in a voice that sounded defeated—scared.
Jessica honestly didn’t know. “Of course she’s alive. They don’t life-flight dead people.” She didn’t know that. What if Lake died in transit? They didn’t know anything.
“My parents?”
“They’re with Lara. I’m sure they’re on their way.”
He nodded.
Within minutes they were there. Jessica parked the car and they hurried into the emergency room.
“Luke!” Lara called.
They rushed into the waiting room. Luke hugged his sister as she sobbed into his chest.
“Where is she?” he asked.
“They had to rush her into surgery. She was trapped in the car. That’s all they’ve been able to tell us.” Tom squeezed Felicity’s hand as she pressed a tissue to her nose with her other hand. Both Lane and Liam sat in chairs, hunched over with their heads resting in their hands.
“What about Ben?” Jessica asked, looking around for his parents.
Anne stood next to Lane’s chair, bouncing Gina on her hip. She frowned and shook her head slowly. “Ben …” She pressed her lips together and swallowed. “He didn’t make it.”
Felicity’s body folded over on to Tom’s lap. Reality lacerated her heart and everyone in that room could feel it. Best case scenario, she would have to tell her baby girl that her boyfriend died. How could that be the best case scenario? How had the most perfect day turned into a harrowing nightmare?
A doctor in navy scrubs emerged through two large doors. “I’m Doctor Stein. Lake has sustained life threatening injuries to her head and her left leg. It was severely damaged in the accident.” He paused for a second. “The prognosis for her leg is not good. She’ll never have use of it again and the extensive trauma to it will likely lead to infection.”
“What … what are you saying?” Tom asked.
Jessica squeezed Luke’s hand. He cleared his throat. “There is a good chance they’ll have to amputate it to save her life.”
Dr. Stein looked at Luke and nodded.
“No,” Felicity cried, her legs giving out. Liam helped her sit back down.
“We don’t have to do it now, but we can.”
“What would you do?” Luke asked.
“No.” Tom shook his head. “It’s not his daughter. Why would you ask him?”
“Dad …”
“No. You save her leg. You don’t know Lake. It would kill her—”
“Dad, she won’t ever use it again. We want her alive.”
“I need to get back in there.” The doctor gestured toward the doors. It was a statement, but also an unspoken question.
Luke looked at his dad. Tom shook his head. “No.”
Luke grimaced. “Do everything you can for now.”
Dr. Stein nodded.
Luke turned, focusing in on Jessica, her dress, and her bare feet. His eyes filled with tears. “I’m sorry—”
“Don’t you dare apologize.” She pressed her hands to his clean-shaven face. “I’m going to have Jude bring us other clothes. I don’t want anyone thinking about anything or anyone but Lake.”