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After picking up my bike, Ryan heads over to Abigail’s to dispose of some rabbit Colin messaged us about earlier. What sick fuck half decapitates a rabbit and leaves it outside someone's window. A sick motherfucker, that's who, and if I find out someone is messing with my girl, I’ll kill him in cold blood. I will make damn sure she never finds out about this.
This time, I drop my bike off in my garage and take Ruby, my Camaro, out for an evening drive and clear my head. I may not be the most talkative, but I have my demons to deal with. Like for starters, a conversation I am desperate to have with Abby when she gets back from her adventure with Colin. I know she deserves an explanation for why I was so cold to her initially. I know it wasn't her fault for leaving. We were just kids. But having lost the two most important people in my life just days apart was traumatizing.
I head down Chatman’s Hill Road. When I step on the brake pedal, my foot goes down easily.
There’s no tension or pushback on the pedal.
My brakes are fucked, and I am picking up major speed on this decline that bottoms out into a tight curve.
I stomp the pedal as if that will magically fix the issue. Desperate for a miracle. I glance at my speedometer, my hands gripping the steering wheel for dear life, sixty miles per hour and climbing.
A semi-truck comes around the curve, and I know I’m going to crash. I spin out the steering wheel, trying to miss the semi, and my Ruby crashes head-on into the side rail. My body catapults against the five-point harness. Forcing the air from my lungs. My world flips. Through the windshield, the ground and sky spin over and over. I try to brace myself, my palms pressing against the roof and feet digging into the floorboard, but it’s useless.
I’m a doll being tossed around without any control. Glass falls like rain around me. The screaming sound of metal being ripped apart drowns out my own.
I blink through warm liquid running into my eyes. Sirens wail in the distance, and someone shouts at me, but I can’t see anything. The harness digs into my shoulder, and blood rushes to my head. I get my bearings enough to know I’m upside down.
Black spots fill my vision, and my ears ring. My last thought is Abigail’s green eyes staring at me; her lips move, and I hone in on them. Using every ounce of my strength to concentrate on them and nothing else.
“Don’t leave me.”
thirty-two
abigail
Islamthecardoor and run inside the hospital to the elevator while Colin parks the car. On the way here, Ryan told us that Parker’s brakes went out, and he crashed after top-rolling three times. He has a concussion, a shit ton of bruising and lesions all over his body, but that is the extent of it. Thankfully for him, he swapped out his car's normal seats for racing seats so he was fully secured in a harness. I don’t want to think about how bad it could’ve been.
Trying to control my breathing, I finally get to his floor, and the moment the elevator doors crack open enough for me to slip through, I dart and turn left toward his room. Ryan sits on a chair in the hallway and leans his head into his hands.
“How is he? What the hell happened? Is he going to be okay? Can I see him?” He tightens his arms around my body and holds me close.
“He’s okay. Pissed off, but okay. The police came by earlier after inspecting the car and said that someone punctured a hole in his break line. They are trying to find a lead. He is going to be okay. He’s not going to be playing football the next few games, but he will be okay.”
I let out a deep breath. “Who would have done that? Why would anyone want to hurt him? It’s Parker.”
“I don’t know, Abbs. I know he wants to see you, go inside. I’ll go find Colin.”
I make my way into his room and find him sitting up in the hospital bed. Cuts and bruises all over his face and arms. “Parker?” His eyes meet mine, and a smile forms from his lips.
“Hey, bunny. I was wondering when you would come.”
“Parker, I am so sorry. We were in the woods, and we left our phones turned off in the car and didn't see Ryan's messages until morning. I think Colin broke every law to get here. I would have stopped at the gift shop, but I just had to see you, to see that you're okay. How are you? Can I get you anything?” I say in one breath.
He reaches out his arm for me to come closer, and he grabs ahold of me, pulling me in and sitting me down on his bedside. I quickly get into the bed with him and lay my head on his chest. Listening to his heartbeat, realizing he is, in fact all right, I let the tears fall.
“Hey, stop that. I’m fine. My car, not so much, but I am fine.” He runs his fingers through my hair and kisses my forehead. I lean my head up to look at him, pushing myself forward to kiss him. No matter what has happened between Colin and me, Parker is still mine––just as Colin is now. I will not lose either of them, and when I find out who did this to him, I will unleash holy hell, and everyone will see just how dangerous I truly can be when pushed. I will leave no stone unturned. I will find out, and they will have my hellfire to deal with.
“Bunny?”
“Parker?” I reply, stroking my hand along his.
“I need to confess something to you.” He says, adjusting himself in the bed so I do the same. I sit upright, looking at him.
“I know you had no control over leaving when we were kids, and I know it was not fair of me to treat you how I did when you first came back. I owe you an explanation.”
“Parker, you don’t owe me anything. We were both kids, and wounds take time to heal. I am here. I am not going anywhere. I promise.”
“Abigail, the day after you hugged me when we were kids, my uncle died. He was stabbed by a patient who was high on drugs, and the damage was too much for them to fix. I lost the man who I looked up to all my life. He was more of a father to me than my own. When I got back from the funeral and back to Latchkey, all I wanted was to see you, and hug you. You were the only other force in my life that, when I was around, I knew I would be okay. But you never came back. It was like I was losing him all over again. The two most important people in my life, I lost in the same week.”
