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“Yes, yes. We’re fine. It was just a fender bender. You need a new rear bumper. Jake McCreary lost control on a patch of ice. It’s fine,” she says soothingly. “You drove?” she asks against my chest.
“I did,” I say, still a bit in shock that I did that.
I look around for this Jake McCreary man that I’m most definitely going to pummel, but aside from the small cluster of townspeople on the sidewalk, the only other person there is a kid who can’t be more than eighteen.
He looks terrified.
Isa pulls back as Bastian steps over to me. “How…” He starts but trails off as his eyes find my SUV. “You drove?” he asks.
I swallow and nod.
“Shit. You drove,” he says his serious demeanor switching to one of exuberance. He grabs my shoulders over Isa’s head and gives them a little shake. “C’est incroyable!” he yells with a giant grin on his face, but his excitement fades as he sees my pained expression.
“Adam, this is good, no?” he asks in confusion.
“I thought…” I trail off unable to speak my worst fears.
“Oh, merde,” he replies. “I’m sorry. I was talking to the sheriff and poor Jake was a mess. We were just wrapping up here. So, we can all head home now. Do you want me to drive you back?”
I take a deep breath and look over at my other car. Bastian has it pulled into a street parking spot.
“No,” I say, my voice low and vibrating with nerves. “I’ll drive us all back in my car. Tomorrow we can call to have that one towed for repair.”
Jake comes over to us and I stare down at the pimple-faced teenager who looks on the verge of tears. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Wellington. I didn’t see the black ice, I swear. I’m so sorry,” he says. I look over and see his car has a lot more damage.
I want to scream at him that he could have killed the two people I love most. Love? Yes, I love them. Shit, I love Isa. Fuck! This is not the time to have that epiphany. But I look down at Isa and I know I can’t be that person, not right now.
“Have Jake’s car towed as well. It’s not your fault, kid, but if I ever hear of you being reckless with your driving, so help me…” I trail off as I glare at him.
“Th-thank y-ou, Mr. Wellington, s-sir,” Jake stammers. I don’t give him a chance to say more as I lead Isa back toward my SUV. I open the back seat for her, realizing as I’m helping her buckle in that it’s the same seat I was sitting in on the day of the accident, right behind the driver. That seat saved my life.
Bastian gets in the passenger seat, and I open the driver’s door and stare inside for a long moment, feeling the adrenaline leaving my body.
I clear my throat and take a seat, closing the door and turning on the car. I drive home even more cautiously than I had driven there. As I pull into the driveway, I realize Felipe isn’t with us.
“Felipe?” I ask.
“Elisha is watching him tonight. He didn’t finish his dinner yet, so she said she’d check in on him and again in the morning before she opens the café,” Isa explains as I park the car.
“I see,” I say. I get out of the car in a bit of a trance and walk into my home where I promptly pour a double of scotch and toss it back in a single swallow, letting the amber-colored liquid burn my throat as it slides down.
I feel Isa’s arms wrap around me and she presses her face against my back. “I’m so proud of you,” she says softly.
I put my glass down and turn to face her, looking her up and down again for injury, but she’s fine.
“I swear. I’m perfectly fine. He didn’t even hit us hard. It was like bumper cars at an amusement park,” she swears.
I let out a shaky breath. “You scared me to death. I…” I trail off, lost for words.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I didn’t think to call you right away, so you wouldn’t be worried. Sheriff Wallace was right there and then once we figured out it was mostly just the fenders and Jake’s front grill, I just figured it wouldn’t take long to get a police report and exchange insurance information,” she assures me, but nothing about it feels reassuring.
I’m about to tell her that when Mrs. Potter throws open the door and walks over to Isa.
“Are you alright? Bastian said you were alright, but I had to check with my own two eyes. You poor dears. And you, I can’t believe you drove. I’m…” She bursts into tears, and I stifle a groan. Great, just what I need, a weepy Mrs. Potter.
Isa hugs her.
“We’re both fine. It was such a minor thing. I promise,” Isa says.
