She couldn’t have it. It would ruin him.
He lunged for it, snapping it out of her hand before she could stuff it into her pocket. She unbuckled her seatbelt and came at him, her features a blur of rage as she tried to take it back. Her fingernails carved five hot trails from his forehead to his chin as they raked over his face. Her sudden weight on his knee forced his foot into the accelerator, and he ripped the wheel left in an attempt to keep the car on the road. He barely had time to register what was happening as she clawed for the phone, shrieking for him to, “Give it back! Give it back!”
“Evelyn, stop!” He took her by the shoulder and flung her into her seat. Blood dripped into his eyes as he went for the brakes. He saw the intersection with the stop sign—and the car beyond it—too late.
Chapter 41
REED
Seattle, Washington
Age Thirty
Snaps of light flashed behind Reed’s eyelids. The acrid smell of smoke filled his nostrils. A groan came from … somewhere.
Came from him.
Reed’s eyes flipped open to a spider web of glass. Tendrils of fog swirled beyond it as he pressed the pads of his fingers to his forehead and groaned. He struggled to remember what had happened, why his face was covered in … something sticky. Something warm.
Blood.The smell of iron hit him along with the harsh tang of burning metal. He’d been driving. It came back to him now; he’d been heading …
Where?
To the airport. He’d needed to get away.Wasgetting away when …
Oh god, Evelyn.
He cranked his head right with a wince—and he saw her. It was as if the entire world stopped in that moment. A high-pitched ringing filled his ears.
No, no, no, no, no, please, god, no.
He shot toward her and placed his hand on her cheek. It was already growing cold. A stream of blood creased her nose like candle wax. He snapped his fingers in front of her face. “Look at me! Please, Evy, look at me!” he begged.
She didn’t. He already knew she’d never look at him or anyone else again. Not with the way her head rested on the dash in such an impossible angle. He had no doubt she’d broken her neck.
A sob crawled up his throat and he started hyperventilating.Why? Why had this happened? Why hadn’t her airbag gone off?
He couldn’t remember. They’d been driving one moment, arguing about something, and then—
His phone.She’d tried to get his phone. She’d leaped at him, and he’d shoved her off, right before they’d hit.
Hit …what?
Another car.
Ice filled his veins. Smoke rose in front of him through the splintered windshield—or was it the fog? He didn’t know. He eyed Evelyn again and bit off a sudden sob. He had to get out of the car.
Get out! Get out now!
The voice that screamed at him felt disembodied—like it was coming from someone other than him. He fumbled out of his seatbelt and tried to open the door. It wouldn’t budge.Go! Get out! Get out!He pulled the handle and then rammed his shoulder into the door. It didn’t budge, so he did it again. A bolt of pain surged up his arm this time, but it was enough. The door swung open with a metallicbang!And then he was tumbling out of the BMW and lurching into the wet blanket of mist outside. His head swam as he spun a slow circle. Flashes of green farmland floated through the fog along with—
Oh, fuck. Oh, Jesus.
Crumpled blue metal.
Reed felt like he would come apart then, like he would disintegrate.
The sedan, or what remained of it, rested on its side at the base ofan embankment beneath the shoulder of the road. The entire length of the passenger side was a canyon of crushed metal. Shards of glass littered the road and the grass. Both the front and back windows were blown out, and through the front passenger side, Reed could barely make out what looked like a man’s face.
