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On the other side of me is a concrete barrier. Just past the barrier, it opens into green space with a few trees. That’s my opening, that’s my best chance. There’s only one problem: it’s a fucking ditch.
I close my eyes and picture Charlie’s face as my car’s rear quarter panel hits the end of the concrete barrier, throwing me into a spin as I hit the open space. My seatbelt tightens, holding me to the leather seats as it cuts into my shoulder.
“ANDREW!”
My eyes pop open. Everything is a blur, and I’m still going too fast. The spinning disorients me.
“Tell everyone I love them, and I’m sorry. Make sure they get the jump drive.” My voice is clear and strong, even though my heart is thrashing around. My insides ache from regret.
The car hits the first steep decline and turns sideways. I pinch my eyes closed again and brace for impact.
This is it.
It feels like I’m flying, weightless for a second before the earth opens and swallows the car whole. The impact jolts me to my very core. The sounds are loud as they mix with Colin’s panicked voice echoing through the speakers. I close my eyes and pray for the first time in my life. I pray for a chance to make things right. Pray for the chance to take my shot.
Years from my past flash through my mind. All the bullshit. All the pain. Then they morph into something beautiful and worth living for. I vow that if I make it out of this alive, things will be different. Better.
Metal crunches, bending to the will of the hard ground. The airbag punches my chest and face, pushing the air from my lungs. My arms become weightless as I feel the car flip. My hands hit the roof before being tossed again. Over and over until the car comes to an eventual stop on its side, rocking back and forth before stilling completely.
Warmth rolls down my cheek, and I can’t move my legs. Darkness seeps in from my peripheral. I fight to stay conscious, and my thoughts go to only one person. A beautiful fiery redhead who captured my heart without even trying to.
Right before darkness takes me, I whisper, “Tell her I love her.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Charlie
Andrew and I have spoken very little in the last few days. He was distant, different when we last texted. He has a lot going on, but I wish he’d open up to me. I’m on his side, and I might be able to help him with this Tessa mess.
My stomach pitches just thinking about her. That poor girl and her family. He won’t even tell me exactly what he is doing. He just says everyone will know soon enough, and he asked me to trust him. I trust him, I just want to know he’s okay.
Thankfully, I’m going to Jack and Andrea’s for dinner tonight. We haven’t gotten together at their place in a while. Addy, Nathan, and Sophia are coming, too. Irene finally caved to Andrea’s pestering today and agreed to grace us with her presence and bring Joe along with her.
I check the clock; I should’ve left ten minutes ago. I’ve had a sinking feeling all afternoon. I can’t seem to shake it. I check my phone in the hopes there’s a message from Andrew, but I find nothing. I put my phone in my bag, toss my bag over my shoulder, and head toward my front door.
Once outside, I lock my door and make my way over to my shiny red sports car. My baby. This thing has cost me a small fortune, but it’s worth every penny. I open the door and slide onto the leather seat. My phone dings as I toss my bag on the passenger seat. My heart speeds up, and hope fills my chest at the thought it might be Andrew.
I rummage through and find my phone at the bottom, because of course, that’s where it is when it was the last thing I tossed in. I unlock it and sigh.
Andrea: You better be on your way!
I smile at her text, knowing she means that in the nicest way. She commented on my mood, about how I wasn’t my usual snarky, fiery self today. She’s right. I haven’t been myself today. I just have a bad feeling, and I can’t shake it. It has my paranoia piqued, and all I can do is hope I can calm it down so I can enjoy time with my friends.
Me: Leaving now.
I press send and toss my phone back into my bag, where I imagine it sprouting tiny arms and legs like a mini-Transformer and burrowing deep into my purse to lie in wait until I hunt for it next.
Then it’ll laugh at me.
Another sigh escapes me. I need to stop hoping to hear from Andrew. He’s too consumed by whatever he’s working on. He mentioned he’d be out of town for the day. It must be important, whatever ‘it’ is.
Pushing all those thoughts from my mind, I start my car. It roars to life, and vibrations from every rumble of the currently idling engine thrum through my blood like barely lit embers in a fire. Just waiting for me to shove in the clutch, slam on the gas, and pour gas on the flames.
I let that image occupy my mind for a moment as peel out of my parking spot. I’m on my way to see my bestie, and that’s all I need to focus on right now. I have to talk to her about Andrew. I try not to put her in the middle, but she’s my best friend, so she has to listen.
I chuckle to myself at that thought. She’ll make sense of everything. She’ll make me feel better.
The drive to her house is short, shorter when you have this much horsepower under the hood. When I pull into Jack and Andrea’s driveway, everyone else is already here, including Irene and Joe. After killing the engine and hopping out, I walk to the front door.
