Rules of Friendship: Friends-to-Lovers Standalone Romance Novel Read online

  It would appear we have two vehicles that descended over the edge of the road after a five-car accident. One vehicle’s passengers have been recovered, but the second vehicle’s condition is still being accessed. What started out as a rescue mission by LA Fire and Rescue has left us at a standstill. At 5:42 this morning there were reports of an earthquake at the magnitude of 3.8. This type of quake is prevalent in our area, but it has only furthered the severity of this mission. We have one of the rescue personnel that was brought in to retrieve the passengers of the second vehicle now trapped as well.

  My heart rate speeds up as I move slowly toward the television, my hands gripping the coffee cup tighter.

  Reports say that the shift of the vehicle during the quake now has one of the rescuers pinned beneath the SUV. They are working on securing the SUV so that it doesn’t shift further, trapping the man.

  The footage shows a helicopter hovering above and then pans to a man that is dangling freely near an overturned vehicle. The shot is too far in the distance to see much of anything, but something in my heart tells me the answer I don’t want to hear. Tears well up in my eyes as I sit on the couch, knowing that at any moment I could crash to the floor unwillingly.

  Just then, a closer shot fills the screen, and the only thing it shows is the lower half of a man. He is hidden mostly by the vehicle as a second man hangs freely near him.

  Lieutenant Dawson Layne, a rescuer with a team, sent in to bring the passengers of the vehicle to safety, now finds himself in a critical situation.

  An uncontrollable weep escapes me as I cover my mouth with my hand, lowering my cup of coffee to the table nearby.

  We are being told that both people within the vehicle have since been secured, but are unaware of their full condition. Teams are now working to ensure the safety of Mr. Layne as we all await the outcome.

  The camera flashes to another scene where it shows the road above, and I find myself angry that they’ve taken away my view of Dawson. I have to know if he’s going to be okay.

  I am lost. I don’t know what to do. I don’t know who to call. I can’t help but feel helpless as I pray out loud for Dawson's safety. My hands shake while my body vibrates with cries as I stare at the television, practically begging for it to once again return to the area where Dawson resides.

  The sound of my phone ringing has me moving toward it, as I practically trip over the rug in the hallway in the process.

  “Hello,” I say in a rush, not taking the time to even look at who is calling.

  “Have you seen the news?” Heather asks. By the tone in her voice, I already know she has. I nod my head as if she can actually see me, wiping away the tears that fall down my cheeks. “Reese, turn on the news.”

  “I’ve seen it,” I finally speak. A chiming noise dings in the background. “I’m on my way over.” Again, all I can do is merely nod in my robot-like state. “I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

  “Okay.” I don’t even end the call; I just lower the phone to my side and stand in the center of my bedroom. I look at the bed that Dawson and I slept in just last night. Closing my eyes, I can almost hear his voice.

  “Who would have guessed you were such a cuddler?”

  “I never had anyone worth cuddling with before now.” I smiled as I buried my head against his chest a little more.

  “So, it’s because of me,” I could already sense his arrogant grin without taking the time to look up at him. “Is that what you’re trying to tell me, Ms. Winters?”

  “Maybe.” It was most definitely what I was saying.

  “I’m glad this happened ya know.” I turned my head and tilted it upward—only to find him looking down at me too. “Us,” he added just as he lifted his hand and pushed my hair away from my face. “I’ve been worried for so long that me making a move would be the worst thing I could do. Fearful that you’d feel differently and it’d drive a wedge between us. But now that we’re here,” he confessed before swallowing hard, his throat bobbed. “I just wanted you to know.”

  “Me too,” I barely squeaked out past the burning sensation in my throat and chest.

  He dipped his head, gently placing his lips against mine. It was a sweet kiss, one that made the ache instead me settle. A soothing comfort filled its place as we curled in tighter to one another and fell asleep.

  I don’t know how long I stand there reminiscing, but the sound of the doorbell indicates it has been longer than a few minutes. On shaky legs, I move toward the door. The instant it opens, Heather rushes inside.

  “Any more news?”

  I don’t even know because I was lost in my thoughts, floating back to last night. Before all this . . . before the fear, it was a safe place free from reality for a moment.

  “I don’t know.” Tears fall, uncontrollable tears, and I allow Heather to guide me to the couch where we sit side by side, holding hands as we stare intently at the television.

  I’ve cried so much that my eyes are burning and my nose feels raw from blowing it so much.

  Dawson’s mother and father, Diana and Dirk, sit on the bench seat only a few feet away. After they received the call about Dawson, they’d gone straight to the hospital where we awaited Dawson’s arrival. They insisted I joined them, and I was so grateful for the offer. Heather is still here too, and the four of us sit quietly, focusing on the television like it is our lifeline. At this time, it is our only connection to him and the situation. The only thing we have is the news while we are forced to wait.

  Dawson’s father wanted to go straight to the scene to be there when they freed Dawson. I understand his need to be closer to his son instead of being trapped here with no answers, but the reality is he is still trapped hundreds of feet down by an SUV as helicopters hover above. It would be impossible to get to him, so awaiting his arrival here was our only option. Teams of rescue personnel still work diligently to free him and there is absolutely nothing we can offer to assist.

  This is the hardest part. The waiting. The uncertainty. The anguish of it all. Seeing the matching looks on Dawson's parents’ faces, I know they feel it too.

  I’m empty. My stomach is so tight with anxiety that it leaves me feeling ill.

  I know nothing will ease the hollowness inside me except Dawson. His safety is all I want. Nothing means more. No one means more.

  Dawson

  “How are you holding up?” I look up toward Walter who has never once left my side. A concerned look on his face matches the feeling I have inside.

  “Just wondering how many clowns it takes to free one man?”

  He chuckles as he tilts his head back and looks up at the guys above. “We’re gonna do this fast.” I watch as he places one foot against the large rock behind us. “Their gonna lift and I’m gonna pull. But I need you to push away too. The last thing we need is this thing coming down on the both of us.”

  I nod, even though on the inside, I’ve never been so scared.

  “We’re going on three.” Again I nod. Walter signals to the guys above that we are set to do our part. “Okay?” he asks, pausing before he grabs for the sides of my jacket. “One, two,” he counts, taking a deep breath, “and three.” My body jerks forward, a screeching sound echoes above. Together, both Walter and I swing outward and away from the car. Another jerk and the copter above wrenches us upward. I watch as the car I’d just been trapped by drops about ten feet, making my heart feel as if it were dropped too.

  The passengers were removed only a few moments before me. Knowing they are safe too gives closure to the situation that could have easily claimed their lives and my own.

  “We gotcha, kid,” Walter pats my back as he holds me close. I hold on securely with my uninjured arm, my injured one hanging limply at my side. My eyes remain focused on the car beneath us, the thought that I could have gone down with it still residing heavily on my mind.

  “Let’s get you outta here,” he says, signaling to the copter above. “I’m sure you got people lined up worried about your
safety. So what do ya say we ease their worries?” I nod, still blown away by the situation, as he chuckles before giving me a brotherly squeeze while carefully avoiding my injured arm. Together we ascend. The closer we get to safety above, the more my heart races. Reality sinks in, an overwhelming feeling striking me. My body shakes and my chest pounds so hard that it literally aches.

  After a while, I’d grown numb to the pain in my shoulder. But now that I’m free, the adrenaline starts to subside. Once I am safely in the copter, I take the chance and look down at my arm, blood now soaking the sleeve of my once blue shirt. Lightheaded and dazed, I allow my head to fall back against the headrest behind me so I can concentrate on my breathing.

  “We’ve stitched you up in two places.” I look up at the doctor standing over me. “You have a Proximal Humerus Fracture,” she states while pointing to her arm, as if to show me in case I did not understand the medical term. I know this means I’ve broken the upper bone in my arm. It is one of the two most common places for the arm to break. “You’ve also suffered a major tear in your rotator cuff that requires surgery to repair. However, we believe you will make a full recovery from this injury after some time to heal followed by some physical therapy.”

  “Which means I’m out of work.”

  She looks at me, a smile on her face. “I think that you deserve some time off after what you’ve gone through. I understand the need to fulfill that urge inside you to be there when people need you, Mr. Layne, but you should consider yourself a fortunate man.”

  “Thanks,” I reply, nodding in understanding that no matter how hard I push, nothing will make me heal faster. The doctor is right; the outcome could have been so much worse than a few months off work.

  “I’ve been told that we have a few very eager people waiting to see you.” My gaze immediately shifts toward the door. “If it’s all right with you, I’ll allow them to come back now.”

  “Yes,” I nod while still watching the door.

  A few minutes later, my father steps inside, followed closely by my mother, and then Reese. I can see she’s been crying and the idea of that pulls at something deep inside me, straight to my heart. She stands back, allowing both of my parents to hug me. My mother wipes away her own tears as she kisses over my forehead and cheek.

  “Damn good to see you, son,” my father replies in relief, looking me over, his gaze focused on my now casted arm. “Out there playing hero and you almost got yourself . . .” he pauses, clearing his throat while doing his best to hide his emotions.

  “I’m okay,” I assure him, and his nostrils flare as he nods his head, choosing to say nothing more.

  “You scared us half to death.” I look past my mother as she continues to touch me. Reese still stands back, entirely too far in my opinion. Her chest rises and falls with a consistent rhythm as if she is fighting to remain calm.

  “Hey you,” I say to her, causing her to finally look up, her eyes meeting mine. “You gonna stand over there all night or do you plan on coming over here and offering me a hug? Because I could really use one from my girl right now.”

  Immediately her lower lip trembles and she moves in closer, placing her palm against my outstretched hand.

  “We’re gonna step out for a few minutes,” My father softly says, placing his hand on my mother’s shoulder to give her a gentle squeeze. I can tell she doesn’t want to leave, but he offers her a nod of his head, and she looks over at Reese. Acknowledgment flashes in her eyes as she delivers a smile.

  When they step out, they pull the door closed, and instantly Reese places her head on my good shoulder. Her body shakes against mine. I imagine the things rolling around in her mind, memories of losing her mother, the pain she’s felt since that horrific night, the not knowing if I’d make it today . . . all reminders of the grief of her past.

  “I swear to God, Dawson, if you ever scare me like that again . . .” Her words are muffled, but I hear them clearly. Though she is crying, she threatens me through the tears, her way of holding herself together. “I told myself when I saw you I was going to beat you senseless, but the only thing I want to do now that I’m here is to hear your heartbeat. It’s reassurance that you’re here.”

  I feel my own emotions kick in as I squeeze her into me as tightly as my one arm allows.

  “I was so terrified that I’d never get the chance to do this again.” She turns her head to the side, her ear now pressed firmly over my heart. “I tried to imagine it,” she whispers, “remembering the sound, trying to recall the rhythm.”

  “I’m here,” I tell her as I kiss her forehead.

  Silence passes over us as I remain beneath her, our hearts aligned and beating as one, and give her what she needs without making a move. Just having her in my arms this close gives me everything I need. Reese is all I need. She is everything to me.

  “You okay?” I finally ask, and she nods. “Think maybe I could get a kiss now?”

  Her body shakes against mine, only this time in laughter. When she lifts her head and her red-rimmed eyes lock on mine, my chest tightens. “No more crying , babe.” I can’t take it.

  “You are such a big part of my life,” Reese says with conviction while tears pool in her eyes. “I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you.” I know what she means because her feelings mirror mine. She leans in, pressing her lips to mine, and I run my fingers through her hair as I hold her close. I need this, the closeness. I’d spent what felt like forever pinned beneath that car thinking that I’d never again get the chance to kiss Reese or hold her in my arms.

  “I think I could get used to this.” I lounge back in the recliner, with the footrest kicked out before me. With my hand comfortably placed behind my head, I wiggle my eyebrows suggestively when Reese looks back over her shoulder. “While you’re waiting on me, I think you should wear one of those naughty nurse uniforms instead of those tight little shorts you have on. You know so you can make this nurse gig more authentic. Or you can just wear sexy lingerie.”

  “Right,” she responds with her signature eye roll before disappearing behind the wall that separates our kitchen from the living room. “Keep dreaming, because that’s about as close as you're getting to that fantasy, lover boy.” Lover boy? If I weren’t in so much pain, I’d pick up Reese, hoist her over my shoulder on to the bed, and give her a refresher on how I’m all man.

  I’ve been home for four days now, and the first two were the hardest. Sleeping is next to impossible. I’ve woken up with a throbbing pain in my shoulder every few hours. Not to mention I sleep on that side, so more than once I’ve attempted to roll over, which leads to me yelling out in pain. Pain that startles Reese, which triggers her own surprised scream. We are a pair if I’ve ever seen one.

  “I say you go completely nude!” I holler out and am immediately met with her laughter.

  “Now you’re really reaching for the stars, dreamer.” She rounds the corner and comes into view once more wearing a wide grin on her face. “Maybe I’ll just dress in a nun’s cloak and coif instead.” She cocks her head to the side, pursing her lips and arching her brow, trying to be funny. The only thing it manages to do is excite me more as a sassy Reese is a turn-on for me. I love this playfulness between us.

  I’d been in relationships before, one, in particular, that lasted a decent amount of time. Renee was my first real love. She was catty and bitchy, and most people called her out on it, but with me she was different. Now don’t get me wrong, I noticed how my ex could be, but when it was just the two of us, Renee was so different and even kind. She had a soft side she hid well from others.

  Reese is different all around though. She has always been the one I could lean on no matter what. That hasn’t changed. I’ve always loved her, adored her even. That love is changing, growing to something so fierce and intense that the thought of going without it is crippling.

  “You’d still be sexy in nun’s clothing,” I challenge her, but again she doesn’t falter. She doesn’t take my shi
t but instead gives it right back.

  “I wouldn’t dare me,” she challenges me right back, crossing her arms over her full chest, which gains my full attention. I think she is catching on to the fact that her signature movement only brings further attention to one of her many assets Those assets have quickly become one of my favorite parts of Reese. She’s just the type of girl to tease me just because she can, and I enjoy every minute. “I’ll trade in all my boy shorts for sweats, all my yoga pants for full body sleepers with built-in feet, and those sports bras you obviously love may just disappear too.”

  “Does this mean you’ll walk around topless?” I can’t help but sound hopeful or maybe desperate.

  “Again, buddy, you are so dreaming. I was thinking more of big baggy t-shirts and even sweatshirts.” She shrugs, her mouth turning down at the sides. “I have this big oversized robe buried in the back of my closet. I’ve only worn it once, but I’m thinking that I may need to dig it out and go for the granny look.” My hardened soldier down below that was excited about topless Reese retreats in agony. Mission over, buddy.

  “You think that robe is big enough for both of us to fit inside?” Again I express excitement just to dig back at her. My buddy below begins to perk up again at the thought of one robe and a very naked Reese. “Imagine our bodies completely naked, pressed together with a robe binding us together. Wait . . .” I hold out my good arm, halting her from replying. “Does it have that strap thing around the waist the cinches it together?”

  She arches her brow, not answering me, but the smile on her lips is enough to tell me it did.

  “Go get it so I can tie you up with that strap.”