“And everyone around town has been waiting for years for the two of you to finally admit what we all knew. I’d like to say I’m surprised it took this long, but that would be a lie. I know you too well.”
“Was there anything else you needed?”
I flicked on the turn signal for the gas station as I headed around the curve out of town, tapping the brakes as some asshole decided to ride my ass.
But nothing happened.
“Lizzy—”
“It’s so obvious, Liam. You’re in love with her. We all know it. Even Pastor O’Donnell asked if you’d decided to get out of your own way.”
I tapped the brakes again, but again, nothing happened. “Shit.”
“I know!”
The car in front of me slowed for a semi, but no matter how many damn times I hit the brakes, not a single fucking thing happened. I swerved toward the rumble strips, narrowly avoiding hitting the car in front of me, but was instantly swiped by someone passing on the shoulder.
Bailey’s car jerked to the left, right in the path of a second semi. I hit the gas, but there wasn’t enough time. The semi slammed into the passenger side, metal screeching as my body crashed into the driver’s side and my head cracked against the glass. The force of the crash pushed me right into another vehicle, smashing in the driver’s side door.
I barely registered the pain as the car spun, being pummeled by the semi as it screeched to a stop. When Bailey’s car finally finished spinning, smoke erupted from the engine.
Somewhere deep in my brain, I knew I needed to move, but everything in me was sluggish, fighting desperately to function in any way.
I rolled my head to the side as someone pounded on the window. Distant shouting urged me to move, but nothing seemed to work properly.
Bailey.
Fuck, she could have been driving.
She should have been driving.
“Hey!” The pounding continued, and I distantly realized someone was trying to get me out of the car. My fingers closed around the handle, desperately trying to get the damn door open, but nothing happened.
“Get the door open!” someone shouted. “The car is on fire!”
My eyes drifted back to the front of the car where smoke stillpoured from the engine. That’s when I saw the flames licking out of the side of the hood.
Fire.
I had to get moving.
With all the strength I had, I pushed my body forward, forcing my fingers to once again wrap around the handle. A dizzying sensation swamped me as I thrust my shoulder against the door, trying to get the damn thing open.
Red hazed my vision and I swiped it away, belatedly realizing the red was blood dripping from my head.
“The fuel is leaking! Get the jaws!”
“No sparks!” someone shouted from outside.
No sparks.
Fuck, my head was pounding now.
Lizzy. I was talking to Lizzy. I fumbled around the car, looking for the phone. I wasn’t sure why, but it seemed really fucking important that I find the phone. My fingers brushed against what felt like rubber from the case around my phone, but it was too far beneath the seat to reach it.
Exhaustion swept over me from the effort of trying to reach it. My body slumped forward, leaning hard against the steering wheel as I tried to stay awake.
“Don’t go to sleep!”
