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I take a swig of my coffee and settle it in the holder before answering him. “I look like hell because I had to survive a family dinner where the table conversation involved my ex-girlfriend’s family blackmailing my father out of thousands of dollars.”
He nods in understanding, but his words are the opposite of that. “A—quit being so dramatic. I know it fucking hurts to be lied to, but it happened. B—listen to her side of the story. You’ve only heard your father’s, who’s a man you can’t stand, by the way.” He sighs. “Do you remember what happened when Lauren hid secrets from me and wouldn’t explain herself?”
“Yes, you skipped town for years.” I grab my coffee and bump his shoulder with the side of the cup. “Is that what I’m supposed to do?”
“No, that’s what I don’t want to happen. Skip that part. From experience, I can tell you, it’s miserable. Talk to her. Maybe you can work shit out.”
“Even if we do work shit out, what am I supposed to tell my family? They hate her.”
“Your family is understanding and forgiving.”
“And you’re usually not, so what gives? Why are you all of a sudden Team Chloe?”
“Let me make this clear; I’m always Team Motherfucking Kyle.Always.As for that, I see this is tearing you apart. You liked her, or still like her, but won’t listen to her side of the story. No matter what, you owe her that.” He inhales a deep breath. “When everything came to the surface with why Lauren did what she did, a heavy weight was lifted off our shoulders. It was the push we needed to move on and be happy. Be grateful Chloe isn’t making you wait years.” He blows out a breath. “I’m not telling you to get back with her. All I’m saying is, clear the air. You’re pissed, I get it, but all of this is because of your father.”
“I hate when you’re right,” I grumble. “Maybe—” I’m interrupted by the dispatcher’s voice on the police radio, informing us of a car accident report.
“On it,” Gage replies to her. “We’re only minutes away from the scene. Call the medics just in case.”
He flips the lights, and the car sirens blare through the dark streets and pouring rain. It becomes difficult to see once we hit the unlit back road.
“There,” I say, pointing to the view of bright headlights.
He swerves over to the side of the road, and we both jump out as soon as the car is in park. An old sedan is crashed into a tree, the lights shining bright, and smoke is coming from the hood. We sprint through the field to the car, hostile rain showering down on us.
I’m there first, and I shine my flashlight into the driver’s side to find a woman. She’s motionless, her forehead resting on the steering wheel. A bottle of opened vodka and drug paraphernalia is in the passenger seat. I hold the light while Gage manages to open the door.
He rushes to take her pulse. “Still alive.”
A rush of relief hits me. “Thank God.” I move my attention to the backseat. “There’s a passenger.”
I’m soaked, blinking away the drops hitting me, and the door creaks when I open it. I flash my light on the backseat, and fear twists through my stomach. A chill colder than the icy rain pelting my face runs through my veins. My heart sinks into my stomach while an intense pain hits me.
“No!” I scream with a shaky voice while crawling to the body slumped against the backseat. She’s half off the seat, and her cheek is resting against the floor. “No!”
“Motherfucker!” Gage yells behind me, and I hold a breath before checking her pulse. “Kyle, talk to me!”
I cradle the body in my arms, my chin trembling, and I look back to see EMTs running our way with a gurney.
“Here!” I scream at the top of my lungs. “Here now! Help me!”
I crawl out and carefully help them pull the limp body from the car.
The EMT looks at me with dread and confirms what I already know. “DOA.”
I step in front of them, and my breathing is ragged as I attempt to do CPR.
Gage comes to my side, grabs my elbow, and stops me. “Brother, don’t.”
“No!” I yell, my hands going back to her chest. “Let me try! I can fix this!”
“I’m sorry,” the EMT says. “Even with CPR, which will do more damage to her body, there’s nothing we can do to save her. There’s severe blunt force trauma to the head, and she’s lost too much blood.”
She looks at me with wide eyes filled with sadness. “Trust me, if there was anything I could do, I’d be fighting for it right now.”
I scrub my hand over my face and scream before looking at the EMTs helping the driver onto another gurney.
“You stupid bitch!” I yell, advancing toward her.
