Dangerous Love Read online

  “How is she?” he asked.

  “The same,” Ned Wakefield said wearily.

  “But there’s no brain damage, thank goodness,” his wife added.

  “Yes, the tests showed nothing wrong,” Elizabeth’s father continued. “But she’s still in the coma.”

  “How long will she…?”

  As Ned Wakefield shrugged and shook his head, Steven entered the waiting area carrying a tray of food from the coffee shop. When he noticed his sister’s boyfriend, all the emotions he’d been holding in check through the long night came bursting forth.

  “What are you doing here?” he shouted. “I never want to see you again for as long as I live!”

  “It was an accident, Steve.”

  “And it was all your fault!”

  “My God, Steve, I love Liz. Do you think I wanted this to happen?” Todd cried.

  “I don’t know what to think. I mean, how am I supposed to feel when the doctors tell us how lucky Liz is to be alive—as if they call being hooked up to all those machines living. All I know is that you had no right to take her on that death machine. Look what you’ve done to her!”

  “Stop it, Steve.”

  Everyone turned around as Jessica came out of the intensive-care unit. The stress of the ordeal showed clearly on her tired, heavy-lidded face. Her makeup was streaked, and her satin jumpsuit was heavily wrinkled from the night of sitting by her sister’s bedside. But for once in her life Jessica couldn’t care less about how she looked.

  Her face was drawn tightly as she neared them. “If anyone’s to blame, it’s me,” she said in an unusually quiet voice.

  “Jessica, you don’t know what you’re saying,” her father exclaimed.

  “Yes, I do, Daddy. I didn’t have the guts to tell you this last night, but the only reason Liz went with Todd was because I didn’t pick her up as I promised. I thought I had more important things to do.…” She couldn’t go on anymore as she was suddenly overtaken by the tears she’d been unable to shed until that moment.

  “It’s OK, honey.” Alice reached over to comfort her sobbing daughter. “What’s done is done.”

  “Nobody doubts your love for Liz, Jessica,” Todd added. “And nobody blames you. The important thing is that we’re all here. We all love her.”

  “I know you do, Todd,” Jessica said, wiping her eyes. “During the night I remembered something Crunch said as the cops were taking him away. He told me he was going to buy your bike. You were selling it for Liz, weren’t you?”

  Todd nodded. “It was no fun without her. It wasn’t worth it anymore.”

  “Todd, why didn’t you tell us this last night?” Ned Wakefield asked.

  “What good would it have done? We were all upset, and it would have sounded like I was making excuses.”

  “Roger Collins came to talk to us last night,” Mr. Wakefield said. “He told us what happened. I know my daughter, Todd, and I don’t think there’s anything you could have done to keep her off that bike last night. I don’t blame you for anything.”

  “Thanks, Mr. Wakefield,” Todd said. “Unfortunately your forgiveness isn’t going to make a difference to Liz.”

  * * *

  Elizabeth’s condition remained the same throughout the day. Except for the IV tubes in her arm and the respirator hissing by her side, she looked as if she were sleeping peacefully. Jessica spent as much time as the nurses would let her at Elizabeth’s bedside, urging her, pleading with her to wake up. She talked incessantly about anything that came to mind. She told Elizabeth about the cheerful paintings in the hallway, about the equipment lining the walls of her room. She told her about the steady stream of friends who’d come by throughout the day to find out how she was.

  “You’ve got to wake up, Liz,” Jessica pleaded. “How can I live without you?”

  Only the immediate family was permitted in Elizabeth’s room, but that night Todd managed to sneak in. He joined Jessica at Elizabeth’s bedside. He tried to be encouraging, but the demands of the day were finally taking their toll on Jessica.

  “I overheard the doctor say that the longer she stays like this, the worse her chances will be.” Jessica’s voice sounded dry as dust.

  “She’ll pull through.” Todd took a chair and sat across the bed from Jessica. “She’s got to.”

  Jessica shifted her haunted eyes away from Elizabeth to Todd. “You still think it’s your fault, don’t you?”

  “I shouldn’t have taken her, especially without a helmet. I should have known there’d be some drunken jerk on the road on a Saturday night. If it hadn’t been Crunch, it could easily have been someone else.”

  “When I first saw her lying on the road, I was ready to kill you,” Jessica confessed. “All I could think was that it was Rexy all over again. But as I sat there last night, I began to forget about that and see that I’m to blame, too. I think I knew I was going to leave her stranded at the club when I left. And I didn’t care. Some sister I am.”

  “Jess,” Todd said gently, “Liz knew you weren’t going to pick her up.”

  “She did?”

  “Your sister knows you very well, Jess. And if she wanted to, she could have found another way to get to the Caravan. But she had this crazy urge to get on the bike. After everything she’d ever said about it, I was surprised, believe me.” He sighed wistfully. “It’s funny. It was the kind of wild, spur-of-the-moment thing I would have expected from you—but not from her.”

  “You’re right, it doesn’t sound like something Liz would ordinarily do. But I’ll tell you this, Todd. There are going to be some changes around here. The minute she wakes up, I’m going to start making up for all the rotten things I’ve done to her.”

  “Jess, Liz loves you very much. I’m sure she doesn’t think you’ve done—”

  “I’ve done plenty,” Jessica said, cutting him off. “I’ve really taken advantage of my twin, pretending to be Liz when it served my purposes, making her take the rap when I got into too much trouble to handle on my own. Remember that time she took the tour-guide test for me? I was too irresponsible to show up for that test myself. But do you think I thanked her?”

  “I remember,” Todd said. “She looked and acted so much like you she practically had me convinced.”

  “That’s just the point, Todd. She’s always doing things to please me—just because I’m her sister. I’ve thought about nothing else all day. She’s been a better sister than I’ve deserved. I don’t know what I’ll do if she doesn’t make it. She’s just got to come out of this coma. She’s got to!”

  “That’s why I came back just now,” Todd told her. “I’d like you to try something with me.”

  Jessica looked at him questioningly through tear-filled eyes.

  “I was talking to Mr. Collins,” he continued. “He told me that when he was around our age he had a friend who was in a coma. It was from doing drugs. The kid was in the hospital for days, and Mr. Collins and another friend tried this thing to bring him back. It sounded silly when he explained it, and there’s no guarantee it’ll work, but I think it’s worth trying.”

  “I don’t care what it is. I’ll try anything to get my sister back.”

  Todd understood how deeply Jessica meant those words. He realized, perhaps more than anyone else, just how much of Jessica’s spirit and soul were pinned to that bed. If Jessica lost Elizabeth, she wouldn’t only lose a sister. She’d lose part of herself.

  “Take her hand,” he ordered.

  She did, very gently cupping it in hers.

  “Now take mine.”

  She extended her arm across the bed, and Todd grasped her cold, trembling fingers in his left hand. He gripped Elizabeth’s fingers with his other hand.

  “Squeeze,” Todd said. “Squeeze as hard as you can.”

  She did as he asked.

  “Now, think of her as before. Think of how beautiful she looked last night and repeat over and over, ‘Wake up, Liz.’”

  Never before did Jessica wi
sh as hard for something to come true. Believing in her heart that it was going to work, she did as Todd said and pleaded with her sister to wake up and join all the people who loved her and needed her.

  Yet Elizabeth remained unresponsive, her eyes closed to the world around her.

  Will Elizabeth live or die? Find out in Sweet Valley High #7, DEAR SISTER.

  Other books in the Sweet Valley High series you may have missed:

  □ #1 DOUBLE LOVE Meet the Wakefield twins, Elizabeth and Jessica. They’re both popular, smart, and gorgeous, but that’s where the similarity ends. Elizabeth is friendly, outgoing, and sincere—nothing like her twin. As snobbish and conniving as she is charming and vivacious, Jessica thinks the whole world revolves around her. Trouble is, most of the time it does. Jessica always gets what she wants—at school, with friends, and especially with boys. Even Elizabeth, who is usually wise to her twin sister’s ways, has a hard time saying no to her.

  This time Jessica has her sights set on Todd Wilkins, handsome star of the basketball team—the one boy Elizabeth really likes. Todd likes Elizabeth, too, until Jessica starts interfering. There’s nothing she won’t do—from intercepting Todd’s phone calls to wangling a date with Todd for the big dance. She even comes close to ruining her sister’s reputation by letting the police think she’s Elizabeth when she’s picked up with troublemaker Rick Andover. Elizabeth is heartsick. She doesn’t want to lose Todd, but it looks like he’s falling for Jessica. Or is he?

  □ #2 SECRETS Beautiful and ruthless, Jessica Wakefield is determined to be chosen queen of the fall dance at Sweet Valley High. If she can win the contest, she’s sure to win Bruce Patman, the most sought-after boy in school.

  The only person standing in Jessica’s way is Enid Rollins. When Jessica discovers the truth about Enid’s past—a secret so shameful Enid is terrified at the thought of anyone finding out—she knows the crown is within her grasp. She doesn’t care that Enid is her twin sister Elizabeth’s best friend—or that revealing the secret may cost Enid both her reputation and the boy she loves.

  When Jessica lets the cat out of the bag—anonymously, of course—Enid is doubly stricken. Elizabeth was the only one who knew, she thinks; it must have been Elizabeth who betrayed her! Can Elizabeth convince Enid it wasn’t her fault? Or will her scheming twin once again get away with murder?

  □ #3 PLAYING WITH FIRE Watch out, Sweet Valley High! Jessica Wakefield is at it again. This time Jessica proceeds to sink her hooks into rich, handsome Bruce Patman, the most sophisticated guy at Sweet Valley High.

  Or is it the other way around—has Bruce gotten his hooks into Jessica? Elizabeth notices a big change in her sister. In the past, Jessica had only to give a boy one of her dazzling smiles, and he would come running. Now suddenly she’s following Bruce everywhere and dropping everything, including cheerleading, just to spend time with him.

  Elizabeth doesn’t trust Bruce one bit—he’s arrogant, demanding, and way too fast. Jessica can usually hold her own with any guy, but this time Elizabeth’s afraid her sister may be going too far.

  □ #4 POWER PLAY Chubby Robin Wilson has been following Jessica around for months. First she wanted to be her friend—now she wants to join Pi Beta Alpha, Sweet Valley High’s snobby sorority.

  When Elizabeth nominates Robin for the sorority, Jessica is furious. Robin may be friendly and smart, but she’s certainly not beautiful or popular enough to be a Pi Beta. Worst of all, she’s fat. Jessica and her snobby friends are determined to find a way to keep Robin out.

  But Elizabeth is just as determined to make Robin a sorority sister. Soon the twins are locked in a struggle that develops into the biggest power play at Sweet Valley High. But Robin has the biggest surprise of all in store for her enemies.

  □ #5 ALL NIGHT LONG Elizabeth Wakefield knows her beautiful twin can handle almost any guy—most boys are just no match for Jessica’s seductive charms. But Scott Daniels, Jessica’s latest love, is more of a man than a boy, much older and much more experienced than anyone Jessica’s ever dated. He drives too fast, drinks too much, and doesn’t like taking no for an answer—especially when it comes to girls.

  When Jessica sneaks off to a college beach party with Scott, Elizabeth is afraid of what could happen. And when her twin isn’t back by morning, Elizabeth’s fears turn to alarm. Where’s Jessica? Why has she stayed out all night?

  Little does Elizabeth know she’s once again about to become a victim of her twin’s irresponsibility. When Jessica doesn’t show up at school in time for an important test, Elizabeth is torn between her own conscience and her desire to protect her sister—a choice that nearly costs her everything that’s most important to her, including her boyfriend Todd.

  Copyright © 1984 by Cloverdale Press Inc.

  A special bonus for fans of Sweet Valley High! Here’s more about some of the people you’ve met in Sweet Valley and would like to know better.

  One of the nicest teachers at Sweet Valley High is ROGER COLLINS. He’s also the handsomest. With his strawberry-blond hair, gorgeous blue eyes, and athletic build, he could easily be a movie star. A lot of girls have crushes on him, but Mr. Collins knows how to handle those situations with grace and a sense of humor.

  He teaches English. Also, he’s the faculty adviser for The Oracle, for which Elizabeth Wakefield is a reporter and gossip columnist. Mr. Collins and Elizabeth are close friends. She goes to him for advice whenever something is really troubling her. She knows she can count on Mr. Collins to help her make the right decision without lecturing or judging her. He’s that kind of person—easygoing, sensible, caring. He never treats her like a kid, either.

  Roger has problems of his own, but he’s careful to keep them to himself. A while back he went through a very messy, painful divorce. He loved May, his wife, but he couldn’t ignore her wild behavior. She didn’t even bother to hide it when she cheated on him. And often, he would arrive home to find May passed out in the bedroom next to an empty bottle of wine.

  Roger was most concerned about their young son, Teddy, who is the dearest person in the world to him. He hated what all this was doing to Teddy. Also, he was afraid that one of these days, May’s neglectfulness would cause Teddy harm.

  After the divorce, May moved out of town, but she still came back once in a while to visit Teddy. She wanted Teddy to live with her, but Roger was firm on that subject: Teddy’s safety came first. May took him to court, and it developed into a big custody battle. She pulled out all the stops, weeping on the witness stand and accusing Roger of trying to get back at her by robbing her of her child. In the end, the judge saw through her manipulations and awarded Roger custody.

  Unfortunately, it didn’t end there. Recently May took Teddy on one of her regular visitation days—but she didn’t bring him back. Roger was frantic. He was sure his ex-wife had kidnapped their son. The police and Roger spent hours searching the area, but May and Teddy were nowhere to be found.

  The next two days were like a nightmare. Roger phoned everyone he could think of who knew May and asked if they’d seen her. Finally, one of her friends broke down and confessed she knew where they were.

  Roger raced over to the address, an apartment house in the next town. Teddy was there! Roger was so happy to see his son, he didn’t even try to stop May as she crept out the back door.

  It’s been four months, and he hasn’t seen May since. She still phones Teddy, but she’s keeping her distance for the time being. Roger doesn’t trust her, though. He’s afraid she’d try it again if she ever got the chance.

  Nevertheless, things are going well for Roger. For a long time after the divorce, he was too heartbroken to think about falling in love again. Lately, though, he’s begun dating Nora Dalton, the pretty, raven-haired French teacher at Sweet Valley High. He thinks he could get serious—they always have a fantastic time when they go out—but he senses she’s holding back in some way. Is there someone else? He knows she once dated George Fowler, one of the richest men in Sweet Vall
ey, but that’s over now. She’s very secretive about her past, too. It’s driving him crazy. What is she hiding? He can only hope she’ll trust him enough one of these days to really open up to him.

  Elizabeth suspects something is going on between Mr. Collins and Ms. Dalton, but she hasn’t told Jessica. If Jessica knew, she wouldn’t be so eager to baby-sit for Mr. Collins, on whom she’s always had a semi-crush. And she wouldn’t hesitate to break up that relationship by telling the entire school. Be careful, Mr. Collins!

  Also by Francine Pascal

  SERIES

  Sweet Valley High

  Sweet Valley Twins

  Sweet Valley Kids

  Fearless

  NOVELS

  Save Johanna

  If Wishes Were Horses (La Villa)

  My First Love and Other Disasters

  Hanging Out with Cici

  NON-FICTION

  The Strange Case of Patty Hearst

  DANGEROUS LOVE. Copyright 1984 by Francine Pascal. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.

  Sweet Valley ® is a registered trademark of Francine Pascal

  ISBN 1-250-03052-8

  EAN 978-1-250-03052-8

  First published in the United States by Bantam Books.

  First U.S. Edition: March 1984

  eISBN 9781250030528

  First eBook edition: November 2012