Something Borrowed

Chapter 40: Of Course You've Come

"Goodness, Nathaniel!" I shouted, putting a hand over my racing heart.  "How did you get in here?  Why are you here?" I asked, my eyes roaming over his shadowed features, trying to fight the urge to survey him.  He looked different-older-tired.

Nathaniel shrugged, holding up a key ring, letting the metal keys jingle as he sent me a bitter smile.  "He was my best friend before he was my ex-wife's husband, I have had a key to his home longer than you have," he said, making me advert my eyes, focusing on a panting Lucie as she looked from Nathaniel to me.  She cautiously approached his upturned palm, sniffing his fingertips before he ran a hand through her coat.  "At least Lucie is happy to see me."

"What do you want, Nathaniel?" I asked irritably, crossing my arms over my chest, shifting on my feet uneasily.

He let out a long sigh, running his fingers through his hair.  "There has been an accident," he began slowly as I nodded, thinking of Rafael, my heart hammering in my chest as I waited for Nathaniel to continue.  "Jennifer asked that I bring you to the hospital-"

"How bad is it?" I asked, pushing past him, blindly making my way towards the stairs, stumbling up them as I stood in front of the coat closet, blindly reaching in, grabbing a long trench coat, tying it around my waist.  "Damn it!" I snapped as I tried to find a pair of car keys.

"I'll drive," Nathaniel said, standing behind me, stopping my erratic movements with his hands, holding onto my wrists.  "It's okay."

"I shouldn't have let him go on the plane-I should have called him back-I told him I'd never forgive him if something happened-" I whispered, my mind racing, speaking my frantic thoughts as Nathaniel ushered me out the front door, locking it behind me.  He opened an umbrella, clasping my fingers around the base as he walked us towards his car.  He all but had to drag me to the car as I drug my feet, too stunned to move.  I couldn't lose anyone else-I couldn't.

"He loves you," Nathaniel said after a moment, his voice almost drowned out by the rain, but I heard it, and I felt tears spring to my eyes as I finally looked up at him.  "He knows you didn't mean it," he whispered, his eyes holding more emotion than I was willing to acknowledge.  I knew his words didn't only apply to Rafael, but they applied to himself as well.  It was a small gesture, an indirect acceptance to my actions in Paris.

I'd spent so long avoiding him, hoping I'd never have to see him again, and here we were, still too far apart to be on the same page, but I felt a sense of understanding coming off of him that I'd never felt before.

He opened the car door for me, snapping me from my trance as I quickly sat in the carseat, patiently waiting for him to sit beside me before his car roared to life.

"Where is he?" I asked, breaking the silence.

"He's in a hospital in Jaen," Nathaniel said smoothly as we drove north down the empty streets of Granada.

"He was that close to being home?" I whispered.  Jaen was only an hour drive from Granada, he was nearly home safe.  The key word: nearly.

"The pilot didn't have clearance to land in Granada and when he was circling, he ran out of fuel and hand to make an emergency landing," Nathaniel said, sighing, tightening his grip on the wheel.  "I told Rafael that it was too dangerous.  I warned him not to fly-"

"When did it happen?" I asked.

"Around ten last night," Nathaniel said, peaking at me out of the corner of his eye as I turned away, looking out the window.  "Are you going to ignore me for the entire ride?" He asked.

I shrugged, dismissing him.  "Why did you come?" I asked.

"Rafael's parents wanted to stay at the hospital, and since the power was out in Granada and cell service was poor, no one could get ahold of you, so I got on the first flight that was flying into Granada."

"You came all the way here for me?" I asked.

Nathaniel shifted in his seat.  "Well, not entirely-I mean-I wanted to be here for Rafael, I haven't seen him-"

"Thank you," I whispered, effectively shutting Nathaniel up for the rest of the ride.

~

"How do I look?" Rafael croaked, giving me a pained, half smirk as his brown, teasing eyes stayed focused on mine.

"Horrible," I replied honestly as he let out a low chuckle.  I sighed, sitting down beside him, holding his hand, resting my head on the side of the hospital bed.  "You could have been killed in that plane crash, you know that right?" I asked.

"He made an emergency landing, Astoria-"

"In a vegetated field that wasn't fit for a plane to land!" I chided as he grinned at me.

"I'm here, Stor," he reminded me, squeezing my fingers in a weak gesture.  I sighed, nodding my head, sitting up.  I let my fingers trace the lines of scares down the sides of his face and the bruising around his hairline.  "I'm fine, honestly.  They said I will be discharged in a few days."

"And you better believe I'm going to be your nurse until you're back to health," I said in a stern tone, but a smile tugged at the corners of my mouth, defying my resolve.

"That's why I love you," Rafael teased, sitting up.  "When we get home-"

"You're going to rest," I said in a solute tone as he pouted.

"Astoria, really-"

"The doctor said you need to rest, Rafael, you were in a serious accident.  You need to take this seriously."

"Astoria, I'm fine, I promise," he said with a weak smile.  "How are you?" He asked.

"Fine," I lied, thinking about Nathaniel who'd been waiting outside of Rafael's room, waiting to speak with me.  I'd avoided his questions in the car, but he wanted answers, answers I wasn't ready to give him about what happened in Paris.

"You're a horrible liar," Rafael teased, letting his lips brush against the back of my palm as I blushed.  "You're beautiful when you are embarrassed."

"I'm okay," I replied, laughing a little, lightening the mood.  "I love you so much, Rafa," I whispered as he gestured for me to sit on the bed beside him.  I didn't hesitate to kick off my shoes, taking the empty space beside him, tucked under his arm, gently wrapping my arm around his waist.  "I was so scared when Nathaniel told me you'd been in an accident."

"I love you too, Astoria," Rafael whispered, kissing the crown of my head.  "Get some rest, I need someone to take care of me when I get home," he teased as I grinned, cuddling closer to him.  I felt at ease as I fell into a light sleep, thinking about Rafael and Nathaniel, knowing I'd closed one door and stepped into an even better life, with Rafael.