Adam was crushed. When Maddie left him, it was as if his heart had been ripped out of his chest. How could she have done this to him? Why would she leave him when he needed her most?
Try as he might, he couldn’t make sense of her final words to him as he mulled them over again and again…I do love you with all my heart. And for that very reason, I have to leave you. After today, you won’t see me again.
He held on to hope for three or four days after she left, but it soon became apparent that his hope was in vain. He sank into a deep depression.
On the day of Adam’s discharge, Zach and Claire offered to drive him home and help him get settled. Claire stuffed pillows behind his back while Zach situated his casted leg on the ottoman. Once everything was situated, Zach sat down on the edge of the ottoman, careful not to disturb Adam’s leg, and blurted out, “Okay man, spill it. Don’t think we haven’t noticed that Maddie is MIA. And you’ve been moping around like someone knocked you sideways. What’s going on?”
Claire shot Zach a disapproving look but said nothing.
Adam sighed, slouched down farther into the couch, and raked his hand across his face.
“Zach, I don’t want to talk about it.”
“You don’t have to tell us,” said Claire.
“Oh, hell, he doesn’t,” retorted Zach. “I’m his best friend. We tell each other things. I’ve given him enough space. Now he needs to talk about the elephant in the room.”
Claire glared at Zach and then looked at Adam apologetically. Adam sighed loudly again and rolled his eyes as he raked his fingers through his unkempt hair.
“Fine,” he said. “I’ll tell you. But first, get me a beer.”
“Aren’t you on painkillers?” asked Claire.
Adam shook his head and said, “Only prescription-strength ibuprofen, as needed. I’ll be fine.”
Zach shrugged and headed to the kitchen. Claire followed closely behind. Adam could hear their whispered arguing. He couldn’t hear what they were saying, but he honestly didn’t care. He didn’t care about anything.
They eventually returned with three beers, each kept one and Zach handed Adam the third.
Adam grabbed the beer without a word of thanks, popped the top, and proceeded to chug it down in less than thirty seconds. He then proceeded to release a rather large belch as he pointed at Zach’s beer and said, “Are you going to drink that?”
Stunned, Zach and Claire looked at each other quizzically as Adam yanked the beer from Zach’s hand and chugged that one down as well.
“Damn, man,” said Zach. “That’s enough beer for you for now. Now get on with the story.”
Adam belched even louder and said dejectedly, “What’s there to tell? You’ve already figured out that we broke up. What more do you want me to say?”
He couldn’t bring himself to even say her name. He wished Claire would quit with the look of pity.
“What happened?” asked Claire softly.
“She had to leave,” said Adam as he stared blankly ahead. “We were having a great day skiing before the accident and the next thing I know she tells me she’s sorry but she has to leave.”
“What a flake,” said Zach angrily.
“Zach!” reprimanded Claire. “Please stop.”
Zach stared at her, aggravated.
“Why did she have to leave?” said Claire.
“She had to leave on a work assignment,” Adam lied. “She didn’t know how long she would be gone so she thought it would be better if we broke up.”
He didn’t want tell the real reasons she gave for leaving because he didn’t want them to think she was crazy, although he was beginning to wonder if she was.
“She couldn’t even fuckin’ wait until you got out of the hospital?” spat Zach. “Her job is more important than you? How selfish is that?!”
Adam cringed. Zach was his best friend, after all, so of course he would side with Adam. He didn’t respond. Instead, he stared straight ahead. He realized that maybe he should’ve thought of a better lie. He could have said her father was ill and she had to leave to be his caretaker. That would have been more palatable. As upset as he was about Maddie leaving, he still loved her and felt the need to protect her reputation. Even so, a small part of him sided with Zach and felt she deserved whatever was coming to her.
“If she ever shows her face here again, I’m going to give her a piece of my mind,” said Zach.
Adam stared straight ahead.
“Babe, maybe we should let Adam rest for a while,” said Claire as she rested her hand on his shoulder.
Zach looked as if he wanted to say more, but he took Claire’s hint and nodded.
Claire said, “Adam, we’ll be back to check on you tomorrow. Call us if you need anything.”
Adam nodded but didn’t look at them.
Zach patted him on the back and said, “Try to get some rest, man. We’re here for you if you need us. I’m just glad you’re home and on the mend. You had us all really worried for a while there.”
Adam looked at them both and said, “I appreciate it. I really do.”
They both hugged him before they walked out and left him to wallow in his sadness alone.
Chapter 17
Adam found it difficult to resume his life—life before Maddie. He couldn’t muster up the will to do anything. All he wanted to do was lie in his bed and feel sorry for himself. The pain in his chest never let up, and he knew that he would never learn to live with it. Zach assured Adam that the pain would subside over time, but Adam doubted it. How could Zach know? He had never lost someone so dear to him.
Zach and Claire dragged Adam to his physical therapy appointments so he could slowly learn to
