Collide
Copyright © 2013 by Gail McHugh
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
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ISBN-13: 978-1481837125
To my mother. You were right.
Table of Contents
Chapter One: Chance Encounters
Chapter Four: Unexpected Details
Chapter Seven: Friendly Intentions
Chapter Eight: To Hell with Self-Control
Chapter Eleven: Sea of Uncertainty
Chapter Twelve: Out of My System
Chapter Thirteen: Confessions of Every Kind
Chapter Fifteen: Letting It All Go
Chapter Sixteen: The Opening of Floodgates
Chapter Seventeen: Master of Trickery
Chapter Eighteen: Swallowed Whole
Chapter One
Chance Encounters
She calculated the flight from Colorado to New York at three hours and forty-five minutes, after which, she knew her life would be forever changed—more so than it already had. Gripping the sides of the seat, palms sweaty, Emily Cooper closed her eyes as the engines prepared for takeoff. She had never been fond of flying; in fact, it scared the living shit out of her. Though she did remember times where the torture of being 30,000 feet in the air was actually worthwhile—the first time she left home for college, an escape to a tropical island, or a visit to see her beloved family. However, this trip included none of those enjoyments—it only held feelings of loss and grief.
Looking at her was one of the reasons she still woke up every day—her boyfriend, Dillon. She could tell he noticed the look on her face was filled with the uncertainty of what lay ahead.
As he held her hand, Dillon leaned over and stroked a piece of hair away from her face. “Everything’s going to be alright, Em,” he whispered. “Before you know it, we’ll be on the ground again.”
She forced a smile and then hesitantly turned, watching the snowcapped mountains disappear beneath the clouds. Her heart sank further as she inwardly said goodbye to the only true home she had ever known. She rested her head against the window and let her mind drift over the past several months.
In late October of her senior year in college, she received the call. Until that moment, life had seemed…good. Dillon had come into her world the month before, her grades were where they should have been, and her roommate, Olivia Martin, had turned out to be one of the closest friends she would ever have. Picking up the phone that day, she never expected the news she received.
“The tests came back, Emily,” her older sister, Lisa, said. “Mom has Stage Four breast cancer.”
With those last six words, life as Emily knew it would never be the same. Not even close. Her rock, the woman whom she adored most in her life, and the only parent she had ever known had less than three months to live. What followed after was something she could have never prepared for. Long weekend trips from ‘The Ohio State University’ back home to Colorado to aid in her mother’s last few months would become Emily’s norm. She watched her mother wither away from the strong, vibrant soul she once had been to the weak, unrecognizable woman she had become before she died.
With sudden turbulence jolting her nerves, Emily gripped Dillon’s hand and looked over to him. He gave her a quick smile and nod, essentially letting her know they were fine. Resting her head against his warm shoulder, she started to think about the role he had played through everything. Countless flights from New York to Colorado to be with her. Beautiful gifts he sent to take her mind off the madness that consumed her life. Late night calls talking with her to make sure she was okay. Even down to arranging for the funeral, giving her advice on selling her childhood home, and ultimately moving her out to New York. It was all part of why she adored him.
As the plane descended into New York’s La Guardia Airport, Dillon looked at Emily while her hand was white-knuckling his. He gave a light chuckle and leaned over to kiss her. “See, that wasn’t so bad,” he said, stroking her cheek. “You’re now officially a New Yorker, babe.”
After what seemed like forever navigating their way through the airport, Dillon hailed a taxi, and they made their way to the apartment Emily would share with Olivia. That had become a sore topic with Dillon. When he and Emily spoke about the move, it was his wish to have her live with him. Emily thought it was best, at least for the time being, that she move in with Olivia. Making the trek across the country was a hard enough adjustment by itself, and she didn’t want to add more pressure to her situation. Even though she loved Dillon—and she loved him something fierce—there was a tiny voice in her head telling her to wait. It was something that would come further down the line for them. He eventually gave in to her decision but not without putting up a decent fight of his own.
Once they arrived, Emily stepped out of the taxi, the sounds and sights of the city immediately hitting her in the process. Car alarms blaring, brakes grinding, and sirens wailing shattered through the air. People talking and yelling with their footsteps pounding against the busy concrete sidewalks and the frantic flow of tightly packed cars consisting of a sea of yellow taxis were unlike anything she had ever seen or heard before. Steam billowing from potholes looked like ghosts floating up from the hot pavement.
The sprawling trees and clear lakes in Colorado were now being replaced by steel and concrete, loud noises, and a clusterfuck of traffic. This was definitely something she would have to get used to. Drawing in a deep breath, Emily followed Dillon into the building. The doorman tipped his hat and buzzed Olivia, letting her know that they were there. They made their way up to the fifteenth floor, thankful for the elevator.
Upon entering the apartment, Olivia let out a high-pitched squeal when she saw Emily. She raced over and gave her a hug. “I’m so happy you’re here,” Olivia said, cupping her hands over Emily’s cheeks. “How was the flight?”
“I got through it without needing any drugs or alcohol,” Emily smiled. “So I would say it went well.”
“She was fine.” Dillon walked over and snaked his arm around Emily’s waist. “I wouldn’t have let anything happen to her anyways.”
Rolling her brown eyes in Dillon’s direction, Olivia crossed her arms. “Right, because you’d be able to stop a plane from crashing, Dill-Pickle. I mean, Dillon.”
Dillon shot Olivia a hard look and placed Emily’s luggage on the ground. “That’s right, Oliver Twist. I’m fucking Superman, so don’t forget it.”
“It’s been a while since I’ve been around you both at the same time,” Emily sighed. “I forgot how fond you two are of one another.”
Olivia smirked and reached for Emily’s hand. “Come on, I’ll show you around the place.” Pulling Emily down the hall, she turned around to Dillon. “Make yourself useful and unpack her belongings or something, Donkey-Dick-Kong.”
Effectively ignoring Olivia, Dillon sank himself into the couch and flipped on the television.
“Oh my God, Olivia,” Emily giggled, following behind her. “Where the hell do you think up these names for him?”
“Pfft,” Olivia waved a dismissive hand. “He makes it easy.”
“Well, you both are going to drive me nuts now. I can feel it.”
“I make no promises, but I’ll try my best to refrain from doing so, friend.”
As Olivia gave a grand tour of her new home, Emily noticed it was a sleek modern apartment that included two bedrooms and two bathrooms. Although modest in size, the kitchen held white antique cabinetry, granite countertops, and stainless-steel appliances. A large window in the living room paraded the direction of Columbus Avenue, a nice area in New York’s Upper West Side. The apartment was breathtakingly beautiful to Emily, and if it weren’t for Olivia, she would have never been able to afford something like it—at least not without Dillon’s help. Although Olivia worked and took care of herself, she came from a well-to-do family, so money was never a problem. Despite growing up on Long Island’s North Shore, Olivia and her brother, Trevor, were two of the most down-to-earth people Emily had ever met.
After helping Emily settle in, Dillon left the two women to themselves, letting Emily know he would be back later that evening. Promptly grabbing a bottle of red wine and two glasses, Olivia dragged Emily to the couch.
Tossing her champagne blonde hair to the side, she gave Emily a bittersweet smile. “I know you’ve been through a ton, but I’m really happy you’re here.”
Emily cast a smile that matched Olivia’s. Her emotions levied between the sadness of the circumstances that landed her in New York to happiness that she was taking a huge leap in her relationship with Dillon by moving out there—even if she wasn’t living with him.
She took a sip of wine and propped her feet on the ottoman. “I’m happy, too, friend.”
Olivia wore a curious expression. “Did Dick give you anymore hell about the living arrangements?”
“No, he didn’t,” she remarked, “but he definitely wants me to move into a place with him by the end of the summer.”
“Well, you tell him that he’s going to have to fight me off during that battle,” she huffed.
Shaking her head, Emily laughed at Olivia’s statement.
“I’m serious, Em; he needs to give you some space right now with this move.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere for a while.” Emily glanced around the apartment, her eyes resting on the stacks of moving boxes in the corner. “I’m really not looking forward to that,” she said, gesturing toward them with her head.
“I don’t have to work tomorrow,” Olivia replied, pouring her second glass of wine. “We’ll do it then. For now, let’s just relax a bit.”
Over the next few hours, that’s exactly what they did. Relaxed. No talks of cancer. No talks of death. No talks of life’s expectations. Just two close friends sharing a bottle of wine in their apartment. One friend returning to the city she grew up in and one friend beginning a new chapter in her book of life.