Total pages in book: 161
Estimated words: 149338 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 747(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 498(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 149338 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 747(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 498(@300wpm)
“I don’t expect you to forget, Lexi. But I’m praying you can forgive.”
“I never took you for a religious man, Martinez. How has praying worked out for you in the past?” she viciously spewed, catching me off guard. “Is that what it will take for you to leave? Okay. I forgive you. Your conscience, or whatever the hell you have, is clear. You can go now.”
“I’m not leaving without you. You’re hurt.”
“No shit,” she gritted.
“No, cariño. The doctors…” I sighed, dreading to break the news I knew would only cause her more pain. Killing her a little more inside. She already hated me, I might as well be the one that broke it to her. “You can’t dance professionally anymore. The doctors did everything they could do, Lexi. I sent for the best surgeon. You have multiple fractures and breaks to your left tibia. The impact from your landing shattered that ankle. Along with several torn tendons in that knee.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about, I want to speak to a fucking doctor. You’re wrong! Get out! Just go, I don’t need you! You’re wrong!” she repeated, in hysterics. Furiously shaking her head. Fists clenched at her sides. “Why are you trying to hurt me? You’re wrong,” she continued to whisper over and over again.
“You flew through the air, Lexi! Your body was in the back of the guy’s truck. If you hadn’t been wearing a helmet you would have died, too. Half your ribs are broken, your arm fractured. Your hip dislocated. You’re lucky to even be alive with the injuries you sustained to your spine. Even luckier that you’ll be able to walk again. You have a long road to recovery that you can’t make on your own. You will need more surgeries in the months ahead, not to mention the physical therapy.”
I didn’t falter. I stood up and whipped the blankets off her broken body, making her see the truth in my words. All she did was stare down at her leg like it was the only thing that was important to her. Reaching for the cast that ran the length of her entire leg. The high dosage of pain medication didn’t allow her to feel any of the agony she would be in, if she weren’t on it.
“What the fuck?” she bellowed, sucking in air. Her chest heaving as she brought her hands up to her mouth. “My dominant leg. This happens to my dominant leg?!”
“Cariño—”
“Stop fucking calling me that!” she seethed, pounding her fists into the bed. “I’m not your anything! My name is fucking Lexi!”
There was only so much I could take. Cocking my head to the side, I glared at her, willing my temper to stay at bay. “There is no reason for you stay here any longer. You don’t even have your own place to live. Sabrina works all the time, you know that more than I do. There is no one here for you, no one to take care of you. Let me be the man to do that. I can get you the best doctors. Anything you need. Come back home with me until you’re better. If you want to leave once you are healed, I will let you go freely.”
She turned her face away from me, knowing I was right. I gently grabbed her chin, looking deep into her eyes. I coaxed, “I promise, but please give me a chance to help you, Lexi.”
She hesitated, weighing her options for a few seconds. Jerking her chin out of my grasp, she snapped, “I’m not going because you want me to, I’m going because I need to. Nothing more, nothing less.”
It was far from what I wanted to hear.
But it was a start.
I was devastated when Martinez told me I couldn't attend the funeral, still stuck in the hospital, not well enough to travel. Although, he did fly me to Will’s gravesite, allowing me to say goodbye before we flew back to New York. He sat there, letting me cry, taking a few blows to the chest, as I took all my frustration and sadness out on him. Will wasn’t close to his family, which was why he was working in England in the first place. I never met them, so I couldn’t expect his family to postpone the funeral for me. They didn’t owe me anything.
Martinez didn’t give me any grief for breaking down in front of him when I was sitting in the wheelchair in front of his tombstone, knowing it was for another man. I thanked Will over and over again. The only reason I was still alive was because he gave me his helmet, and it cost him his life. Martinez actually tried to give me his shoulder to cry on, attempting to comfort me. I pushed him away, proving to him I didn’t need him anymore. Ignoring the hurt look on his handsome face.