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“Absolutely,” Katie says, then we walk outside.
The clouds are rolling in, and I wave goodbye to Gemma and Katie as they go in the opposite direction. I pull out my phone and call Archer as I head down the sidewalk. My heart is full, and there’s a wide smile on my face. Hanging out with my friends is exactly what I needed.
“Hey, baby,” he answers.
“Hey! Just finished eating at the deli. How’s your day goin’ so far?”
“Just fine. How was your lunch?” he asks while I cross the street.
I hear tires squealing, and when I look over, my adrenaline rushes and heart pounds.
“Oh my fucking God,” I mutter. “The Escalade…” I barely get out the words as the SUV speeds toward me.
I scream as I try to move from the middle of the road. Everything seems to happen in slow motion before I trip and fall.
Chapter Eight
ARCHER
I take my lunch break and walk toward the boutique, ready to surprise her with a kiss in the parking lot. I stare up at the sky and hope it doesn’t start raining.
As I’m walking and chatting with Everleigh on the phone, I notice her tone change.
“Oh my fucking God,” she mutters, then continues, “the Escalade…”
At first, I feel as if I’m living in a nightmare when I hear an engine revving and tires squealing in the distance. Everleigh’s screams fill my ear, and then the line goes completely silent. A crashing metal sound bounces against the buildings, and I burst into a full sprint toward the deli.
No, no, no.
My mind races, and I’m not sure I can handle Everleigh getting hurt again. Every fucking terrible scenario fills my mind, and it’s torture as I run the few blocks toward her. When I see Everleigh lying on the ground, I think the absolute worst has happened.
My body goes into autopilot. I can’t think about anything other than getting to her and making sure she’s okay. I pick up my pace, running faster than I’ve ever run before.
People rush out of the deli as smoke escapes the hood of the SUV.
“Did anyone call 911?” I shout over the chatter of the witnesses to the accident. I push through the horde of people on the street and sidewalk. I bend down to help her up and feel a bit of relief when I realize she’s conscious.
“Baby.” I steady her and force her to look into my eyes. “Are you okay?”
She breathes out and nods. Bending over, she picks up her purse and phone that are lying on the pavement. “It happened so fast. I saw it come toward me. I ran. Then I tripped and fell, but I managed to get back to my feet before it could hit me. Holy shit. It’s—”
She slurs some of her words as shock takes over.
“Are you hurt?” I examine my eyes over her body, looking for blood.
“No, no, I’m fine. I think,” she says, looking down at the road rash on her palms. It pisses me off that she’s going to have to suffer from this now too.
“Is it on fire?” a woman asks as sizzling sounds come from the Escalade. It sideswiped at least four cars before it crashed into a pole.
“It’s gonna explode!” someone shouts when smoke billows out.
Everleigh and I walk closer to see who’s driving. Two men surround the door and try to open it. It looks like the airbags have deployed, but the whole front is bashed in. A screeching sound echoes out as the door is forcefully pulled open.
They help a woman step out, who then pushes them away when she stumbles to her feet. Her face is bloody from the shattered glass. Though her red hair is messy, I get a flash of recognition.
It’s her—the woman who attacked Everleigh.
“You fuckin’ bitch,” she screams in a high-pitched tone. Her eyes are just as crazed as before. “You skank! You deserve to be dead because you’re the reason my husband is no longer alive!”
That’s all the confirmation I need to know that this is Natasha, Eric’s wife. We all assumed right.
I move Everleigh behind me, trying to block her from this psychopath.
“You deserve to feel the same pain I felt the night I learned he was gone,” she yells. With the large crowd surrounding us, it becomes more of a showdown than anything.
Someone tries to grab Natasha’s arm, but she yanks it away. “Don’t fucking touch me!”
“You deserve to be in jail,” I hiss.
“And that slut deserves to be dead!”
Gasps are heard all around.
“You’re insane, Natasha!” Everleigh shouts. “I didn’t know he was married!” Everleigh’s body trembles against me.
“Yes, you did,” she seethes. “You’re a goddamn liar!”
“I’m not lying. It was a fling, and it would've never happened had he told me he had a wife,” Everleigh tells her, but there’s no way she’ll ever convince Natasha otherwise.
