Just a Click Away

Chapter 19

 After their date, Leslie was filled with conflicting emotions. She knew she loved Greg, even though she had yet to tell him what her feelings were. There was no more denying it to herself either; she loved him dearly, and for reasons she couldn't understand, he loved her back. Every time her mind went to Adam, she was plagued with guilt. She still had a strange peace in her heart that messaging him was the right thing to do. Her mind was in turmoil every time she considered ending things with Adam. He still had never asked to meet her, which she thought was odd. "Oh, what should I do, Lord?" She sent a quick prayer to heaven as she drove to work for a twelve hour shift on Monday afternoon.

Greg would be officially moving in with Will and Jenna this evening, and she was thrilled at the prospect of seeing him every day. She was dying to tell him how deep her feelings for him were, but every time she came close, guilt sent sharp pains through her chest. "I can't tell him that I love him until I have the Adam situation taken care of. Oh why did I ever let my friends talk me into online dating? What if the reason God has given me peace about continuing to talk to Adam is because Adam is the one God has for me and not Greg?" That last thought send a rush of air from Leslie's lungs leaving her short of breath. "How could I ever break up with Greg? I couldn't bear to see the hurt in his eyes, if I told him that I have been talking to another man online all this time! I know it would tear me apart to lose him!"

As Leslie parked her car, she cried out to God for wisdom. "Dear Father, I don't know what is happening here, or what Your will for me is right now. You know that I love Greg, but You still have Adam in my life as well. I can't keep things up with both of them, so please give me wisdom to do what You want me to do. Either way, it will be a hard thing, so please give me Your all-sufficient strength."

Bracing herself for the day, Leslie took a deep breath and got out of the car. When she arrived at the reception desk to check in for her shift, Mrs. Blevins handed her a vase filled with two dozen red roses. "These were just delivered for you, sweetie. Looks like you may have an admirer!"

Breathing in the fragrance of the beautiful blooms, Leslie closed her eyes and thought of Greg. "He is so thoughtful!"

A smile spread across her lovely face as she found a little card on a plastic holder. She couldn't wait to read what Greg had written her. Her smile quickly faded and a chill slithered up her spine as she read the note that was most certainly not from Greg. The card read, "To my girl, Leslie. I can't wait to make you mine. See you soon."

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Greg's heart was filled with excitement as he loaded up his pickup at the old construction site for the last time. Everything was settled with Will and Jenna's apartment manager, and he was all set to move into their spare room for several months. He whistled a made-up tune as he put his last load of boxes in the back of his pickup and started the short drive to the city. The autumn days were definitely getting shorter, and before long the sky was growing dark.

As he drove down the interstate toward his new home, he happily made plans for how he would spend his time with Leslie now that he would be able to see her almost every day. He had a few surprises up his sleeve for her as well, and mentally worked on the logistics of those plans as he passed the mile markers along the road.

Knowing that Leslie was working overnight, he decided to take a different route into the city than he normally drove. He wanted to surprise her at the hospital if she wasn't too busy, and hopefully be able to talk with her a few minutes before heading to Will's.

As he drove on a two-way street, he noticed the giant headlights of a semi that looked to be dangerously close to the center lines. To Greg's relief, it looked like the truck had veered back into it's own lane, but just as Greg was about to pass the semi, the driver made a sharp turn into Greg and the oncoming traffic.

Greg heard a crash of metal and glass, and felt the airbag hit him forcefully in the chest. Then he felt himself being swallowed by a warm, swirling darkness as he slipped into unconsciousness.