“I’m so sorry. I’m sorry…,I didn’t mean to fall on you.” Her eyes fill with tears.
“It’s okay, don’t worry. I pulled you onto me. It’s my fault. But what happened with the crash?”
Tillie exhales. “The lady ran a red light. Hit me right on the side and flipped the car.”
“Glad she didn’t flip hers with the kid in the car,” I murmur, and Tillie nods.
“Me too. I hope you’re okay,” she whispers.
“I’m so tired,” I admit.
“Close your eyes,” she says, so I do.
***
In the emergency room, I wake to a doctor looking over me while Tillie is on what looks like my cell.
“Sorry to wake you, Ryan.”
“It’s okay, Doc. Have I done any damage?”
“I don’t think so, just some bruising. I want to keep you in overnight to be sure, but you should be able to go home tomorrow.”
“Great, thanks.”
He walks out, and Tillie gets off the cell as Danger and Lunar walk in.
“You big cock! Going and rescuing damsels in distress, only to ruin all your good progress in the process. What will we do with you?” Lunar says, and I want to laugh, but I’m drowning in memories of Katie and Maddie. Their faces are all I can see, and Tillie’s is joining theirs in a mishmash kaleidoscope of fucked up images.
Then, an image of her headstone next to theirs chills me to the core.
Losing her would end me.
And I nearly lost her today in the exact same way.
I can’t let that happen.
I can’t be around to watch her leave too.
So I have to do the only thing I can think of to save myself.
“Tillie,” I murmur.
She steps up to me with a smile and caresses my face, but I flinch away from her, gritting my teeth. “Yeah, baby?” she asks.
“Leave,” I demand.
Danger looks at me, shaking his head like he can already read my mind.
“What? Why?” she asks, sounding shocked.
“I don’t want you here.”
“Ryan,” Lunar chides.
“Stay out of this, Lunar!”
“Ryan, I don’t understand,” Tillie says as I turn my face from hers.
