He’s not wrong. When I first moved back, I went to my old home. I asked around town to find out where it was. Most of them knew my parents. They couldn’t believe I was back after all these years, and honestly, neither could I.
“So, what do you think?” Mark asks.
“What?”
“Tomorrow night.”
I must have zoned out, or my world is skipping again. It’s happened a handful of times since I woke up from the coma.
“Umm…Sure.” I watch his eyes light up with excitement.
“Perfect! It’s a date.” He stands and walks back toward the kitchen, leaving me stunned. What the hell did I just agree to?
Once he is fully in the kitchen and out of eyesight, I grab my jacket and keys and bolt out the door. I need to find Myles. I don’t know why he reacted that way. I hop in my truck and turn the key.
*Click* *Click* *Click*
“Fuck! Not today. Please!”
Another bolt of lightning strikes off in the distance. The earth shakes. It definitely hit something. I hope to God it wasn’t Myles.
“Please….Please work….”
The engine sputters to life on the third try. The burning smell of oil fills the cab, and I have to roll down the windows. Rain blows into my truck as I speed out of the parking lot. He couldn’t have gotten too far walking back to town, unless someone picked him up.
The rain feels like razors slicing against me as it whips in through the window. Fuck this truck. Fuck this weather. And fuck him for taking off in the middle of a storm.
The rain is finally starting to slow. The early glow of the sunrise is starting to peak through the clouds. There’s a black SUV stopped on the side of the roadway up ahead. A man is standing next to the passenger side. I think it's Myles.
As I get closer, I can make out more details. It’s definitely Myles. I honk twice for him to hopefully see it's me. He opens the door and climbs into the black…black Range Rover.
Fuck!
That’s Declan’s car!
I step harder on the gas pedal as the passenger door closes and the car spins around to speed away. My truck is practically choking as I speed up to seventy miles per hour.
Declan must see it’s me because he picks up speed. They’re heading to Badlands. They have to be. I pick up my phone and try to call Declan. After three rings, it goes to voicemail. I try again, but it immediately goes to voicemail this time.
“Fuck!” I scream as I hit the steering wheel. He’s going to kill him. I should have told Myles that Declan was after him.
I can hear a clunking noise followed by a loud hiss.
“No, no, no! Don’t do this! Not right now!” The car begins to slow. It smells like burnt rubber and oil now.
I watch Declan’s taillights disappear further into the distance. My truck slows as I steer it to the side of the road. The engine gives one last sputtering clunk noise before the motor completely stops.
“Fucking piece of shit!”
I grab my phone and try to call Mark. I need to get to Badlands before Declan kills him.
“Hey. Where’d you go?”
“I need you to come get me. I’m just outside of town. My truck died.”
“I’m off in ten. Can you hold on till then?”
“No. I need you to come get me now. I need to get to Badlands.”
