Loves A Thief

51

Lando

Evie had been gone for hours, and it was nearing midnight. The house felt eerily quiet, the ticking of the clock on the wall becoming more and more oppressive with each passing minute. I stared at my phone, willing it to light up with a message or call from her, but the screen remained dark. Not a single word from her since she'd left, and my gut twisted with anxiety.

I knew it was a bad idea for her to talk to Mason. They'd broken up a while ago, yet he kept reaching out, asking for a chance to explain himself. I knew Evie—she wasn't the type to leave things unresolved. She needed closure, and though every fiber of my being wanted to stop her, I couldn't say no to her. I let her go, hoping it would be the last time Mason tried to worm his way back into her life. But now, that decision was gnawing at me, and I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

I tried to reassure myself. Mason was an ass, but I didn't believe he would hurt her physically. Still, as the hours dragged on, doubt began to creep in. The silence was unbearable, each tick of the clock a reminder that she still hadn't come back.

Then, suddenly, my phone rang, breaking the stillness. My heart leapt, thinking it was Evie, but when I looked at the screen, my breath caught. It was a private number. I hesitated for a moment before answering, my voice tight with unease.

"Hello?"

There was a brief pause before a soft, unfamiliar voice spoke on the other end. "Hello, is this Lando I'm speaking to?"

"Yes, this is Lando," I replied, standing up from the couch, my pulse quickening.

"I'm Opal, calling from the hospital. We have Mason Mount and Evie Ambrose here at the moment," she said, her voice measured, but I could hear the gravity in her tone. My heart plummeted, and I felt like the ground was slipping from beneath me. "I can't say much over the phone, but... I recommend coming in."

The room seemed to spin around me. "I'll be there in a second," I managed to say, barely able to keep my voice steady before hanging up.

I grabbed my keys with trembling hands and rushed out the door, the rain pouring down in sheets as I sped through the streets. I didn't care about the wet roads, the slickness beneath my tires. All I could think about was her—my Evie.

It felt like an eternity before I finally reached the hospital. I parked the car haphazardly and bolted toward the entrance, the rain soaking through my clothes as I made my way to the front desk.

"Hi, I'm here for Evie Ambrose," I said, my voice trembling, my heart pounding so hard it felt like it might burst out of my chest. I didn't care about Mason—I only cared about her.

The receptionist glanced up at me, her expression somber as she looked through some documents. "Evie and Mason were in a car accident. Mason is stable, with a broken arm—" she began, but I cut her off sharply.

"I don't give a shit about Mason! What happened to Evie?" I demanded, my voice breaking as I struggled to keep my emotions in check.

She paused, her eyes widening slightly before she nodded. "Evie was thrown from the vehicle. She has severe injuries—multiple fractures, including her back, arm, leg, and femur. She also has a concussion and extensive lacerations. She's in a coma, and... her chances of survival aren't high. She took most of the impact."

Her words hit me like a sledgehammer to the chest, and I just stood there, staring at her as tears welled up in my eyes. I've never been one to cry, but now, I felt like I was drowning in grief, unable to breathe, unable to process what she was telling me.

"No, this can't be happening," I whispered, my voice cracking as I shook my head, refusing to believe it. "I have to see her."

The receptionist's face softened with pity as she came around the desk, trying to help me up, but I pushed her away, overwhelmed by the tidal wave of emotions crashing over me.

"No, please... I can't," I choked out, looking up at her with tear-streaked cheeks, my vision blurred from the tears.

"Please, let me see my baby. Please," I begged, my voice barely above a whisper.

She nodded and led me through the corridors, the sterile smell of the hospital filling my senses as I stumbled along beside her. We passed by a room with the door slightly ajar, and through the crack, I caught a glimpse of Mason, lying in a hospital bed. He was awake, his arm in a cast, a few cuts on his face, but otherwise fine.

I felt a surge of anger and resentment but pushed it down, focusing on what mattered—Evie.

When we reached her room, the nurse opened the door and stepped aside, allowing me to enter alone. The door clicked shut behind me, and the room fell into an eerie silence.

My breath caught in my throat as I approached her bed, my knees nearly buckling beneath me when I saw her. She was almost unrecognizable, her face pale and bruised, her body swathed in bandages and casts. Tubes and wires were everywhere, and the steady beep of the heart monitor was the only sound in the room.

I moved closer, my eyes locked on the ring she still wore—the promise ring I had given her. My hand trembled as I reached out to touch hers, but it was cold, the warmth of her touch that I cherished so much now gone.

"My love," I whispered, my voice breaking as tears streamed down my face. "I should've never let you leave."

I cradled her hand in mine, bringing it to my lips as I sobbed uncontrollably. I had never felt so helpless, so broken. The pain in my chest was unbearable, like a vise tightening around my heart, squeezing the life out of me.

"I love you so much," I whispered, my tears falling onto her hand as I pressed it against my lips, wishing I could somehow transfer my strength to her, wishing I could take her place, wishing I could do anything to bring her back.

I sat down beside her, resting my head on the bed as I clung to her hand, refusing to let go. I didn't care how long I had to stay here—I wasn't going to leave her side. I'd be with her every day, telling her my stories, sharing my thoughts, even if she couldn't hear me. I would stay by her side until she woke up, because she had to wake up. She had to.

And when she did, I would never let her go again.

"Please, wake up," I whispered, my voice barely audible through the tears. "I can't lose you. I can't live without you."

The room was silent, save for the rhythmic beeping of the monitor and the quiet hum of the machines. But despite the darkness, despite the fear, I held on to the one thing that kept me going—the promise we had made to each other.

I would keep that promise, no matter what. And when she woke up, we would make all those promises come true.

But for now, all I could do was wait, pray, and hope that she would find her way back to me.

"Please, my love... come back to me," I whispered, my voice breaking as I echoing through the sterile room. "I need you."