Page 24 of Unraveling Fate

“Ungh!” She groaned at her unruly thoughts.No, I couldn’t. Because it doesn’t matter.

Headlights bounced in her rearview mirror, making her squint, but the turnoff opened on her left soon after, and she pulled onto the service road. Her own headlights drew a circle on the road, showing foothill pines along the gravel track, and scrub oaks filling in the shadows.

The other car turned in behind her.

Weird.Then again, Norroway’s couldn’t be the only private drive connected to the service road.

The headlights dropped out of view as she rounded a curve, and Cadenza relaxed back in her seat.No more people tonight, please.Least of all, headlights chasing behind her. The vehicle came around the turn, and she caught a glimpse of its silhouette. A truck. Not surprising around here.

The truck revved up behind her and honked.

Great. One ofthosekinds of trucks.

She ignored it, focusing on navigating the road.

The horn blasted into the night again.

“What do you want me to do?” She threw up a hand in exasperation. The hill dropped off just a foot from the edge of the one lane road. There was no place to pull over and let them pass. Cadenza sped up, hoping to put some space between them.

The other driver kept pace, engine snarling right at her bumper.

She swallowed, scanning as far ahead as her headlights permitted. The gate had to be close.

The truck lurched forward and nudged her bumper.

“What the—” She glared at the rearview mirror. “Seriously?!”

The driver leaned on the horn and rammed her harder. The sedan rocked sideways and her head hit the driver’s window. Her seatbelt cut into her chest as the truck slammed into the back of her car once more. The driver accelerated, pushing her sedan down the road.

The lane widened on her left, a metal shape showing out of the trees. The gate!

Cadenza smashed the gas pedal to the floor and cranked the wheel, detaching from the truck. The truck swerved after her and hit the edge of her rear bumper, sending her spinning.

Glass shattered. Metal buckled. The car hit something, a pop like a gunshot exploded in her face, and the airbag deployed. The truck fishtailed, spinning up gravel, horn still blaring.

“Drunk hick!” she screamed. “Che cavolo fai?! Idiota!”

The tell-tale shape of fake testicles dangled from the truck’s trailer hitch as her attacker sped off into the night.

“Figures,” she spat in disgust.

Pain lanced through her forehead, and she winced. Blood trailed from a lump above her left eyebrow where she’d hit the side window. Norroway’s gate stuck out from under the frameof her sedan, mangled by the impact, and her door refused to budge when she pushed on it.

She took a deep breath as she retrieved her phone from where it had fallen on the floor of the passenger seat. “Ok, bright side. Phone’s not broken. You made it to the gate. Your boss owns a tow truck, and a body shop.” Not that she could pay for repairs.

“Jerk-Face-Testicle-Truck.” She muttered curses on the driver’s parentage as she scrambled over the gear shift and out the passenger door. The world wobbled, and she grabbed the roof of the car for balance. Goosebumps rose on her skin, and she wished she’d brought a jacket.

Why am I cold? It’s technically still August.She rubbed her arms, then rolled her eyes as it dawned on her that she was going into shock. For the second time this week.

One week. One week back in her hometown. She was thousands of dollars away from her goal, the music that no one else heard and that she’d fought so hard to control her entire life had gone haywire, her best friend was a Ferrari, she couldn’t convince Canon they weren’t dating, and now some crazy yokel whose ego was tied to his four-wheel drive had run her off the road.

But it’s ok,she told herself.Because I’m not staying. I’m leaving and going to Italy.

Norroway Auto’s private road ran blue through the night, piccolo notes stretching along with it. The oaks and willows by the creek waved a darker blue, vibrating deep string tones.

Cadenza breathed in—It’s ok. I’m not staying—breathed out.

Her fingers buzzed, another shiver rocking through her.