“Fuckers,” I growled to myself, knowing that left me to turn right and take the most isolated back roads. It wasn’t a major issue, but if the lights through Babylon were kind to my brothers, there was no doubting they’d get to the repo job before me. I had to hope for a few red lights along the way slowing them down while I tore down the more scenic roads that held less traffic.
I cranked up the volume on the radio and allowed myself to get lost in a bit of Motorhead, throwing my head back against the seat with a screwed on smile on my face. I put the window down and let the cold air bite at my skin. A part of me contemplated letting them win and get there first, just so I could take a five-minute break on my own and enjoy some time in the truck.
I glanced at the time and noticed it was past nine now—still early for us as a club, but late enough for the world around us to have come to life. Even though it shouldn’t have surprised me to see someone walking down the long, winding, and desolate roads on their own… it did. The small figure grew the closer I got until I noticed the recognizable cheerleading dress, white pumps, and familiar denim jacket.
Sitting upright, I narrowed my eyes and scowled, turning down the volume on the music as I drew closer. The figure was slumped, walking slowly, like they were carrying the weight of the whole world on their shoulders and couldn’t physically lift their head.
It was only when I got within touching distance of her that my heart dropped into my stomach and I slammed on the brakes, coming to a grunting stop all at once.
She didn’t look up.
She kept on walking.
Lost in her own thoughts, a million miles away from the rest of us.
I jumped out of the truck, landing on the ground with a thud before I slammed the door shut and jogged over to her from behind.
“Sloane?” I called out.
She didn’t respond.
All of Howard’s concerns about his daughter attacked my mind at once. Why was she out here? Why didn’t any of us know? Was she okay?
I didn’t get too much time to analyze any of it. The second I reached out to grab her shoulder and turn her around, she flinched and stepped back, crying out all at once like a lamb that was about to be taken to slaughter.
I jumped back, eyes wide as I sucked in a breath and looked down her body. Her chin was dipped to her chest. Her hair hung limply in straggly sections, and her arms had the edges of her denim jacket tucked tightly closed. She was curled in on herself, scared and almost feral-looking. Her knees were covered in dirt, and the edges of her dress looked frayed.
It was at that moment that the gut-wrenching, paralyzing fear struck me.
“Sloane,” I said again quietly, gently, more cautiously than before.
She froze still—at least her feet did. The upper section of her body was trembling. Only slightly, but it was fucking trembling, and so was her chin.
My heart rate climbed higher and higher, my chest bouncing as I tried to remain calm and drag in enough air through my flared nostrils. My hands balled into fists at my sides, and my jaw ticked as all light seeped out from my skin and blew away with the February winds.
I tried to open my mouth to say something warm and kind, but nothing came out. Not until I saw her begin to slowly lift her chin and look up at me through the thickness of her brows, then her clumped-together lashes.
When our eyes met, hers were red, bloodshot and mascara-stained. Mine were wide, raging, and fucking confused.
“Sloane,” I eventually pushed out, not wanting to reach out to her again.
I shook my head, unable to understand what was going on, and hoping to shit my gut instincts were wrong for once.
As she sniffed back the tears and looked up at me fully, Ifelt her guard begin to slip away.
“D-Drew…?” she said shakily.
“Yeah.” I nodded once, swallowing.
“Is that really you?”
“It’s Drew, Sloane. You okay?”
She gave me a single nod in return, holding on to some semblance of control before it all slipped away and crumbled to the ground. Her knees buckled. Her head sagged. Her body dropped to the earth with an almighty thud, making me push forward just in time to catch her head before it made contact. Then there was, just she and I on the roadside. One guy without a goddamn clue what had happened or what to do. One girl who I feared was about to tell me something I’d never be able to forget.
Her sobs came in fits, making her whole body shake before she rolled her head back against my arm and let out an almighty cry to the skies. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say it sounded like a howl.
If it was help she needed, I was there. Without thinking about it, I scooped her up into my arms and carried her back to the truck, relief flooding me when she curled against my chest rather than pushing me away.
