Page 44 of Phantom’s Mate

Olivia, Britt realized. Her sister’s name was Olivia.

She’d planned to explain to Chaz that was why she’d been so distant and secretive. How it was all going to be better once she delivered the letter.

It would never have been better; she knew that now. She let herself feel the emotions, replayed the things she yelled at him, his smarmy excuses.

She’d thought she loved him, but she never really had, just like he’d never really loved her.

That wasn’t what she was holding on to.

There had to be more.

She saw herself walking out of the party, opening her car door…

Throwing her purse on the passenger seat. She’d still had it, then.

She was driving away from the house, down this road…

She began to see light at the edge of her vision, and willed it back. This was for Nick. She was going to do it this time.

Determinedly, she got up and walked out to the middle of the road, into the glare of headlights.

The car took the curve too fast, bearing down on her. As it drove through her, she was swept up into the driver’s seat. She saw the tree coming at her and braced herself. It’s already happened, she told herself. It’s just a memory. It can’t hurt me again.

She felt the impact, rending metal and shattering glass. The searing pain in her legs and chest. Once again, light flickered at the edges of her vision, but she forced herself to stay present.

There was blood, so much blood. She could smell it. She knew she was dying—it was so cold and she couldn’t breathe.

No one would find her. She was going to die alone. She’s always been alone, really. She’d never let anyone in. Gramma and Gramps had been amazing, but somehow it never quite made up for her mom leaving her. She’d always picked the wrong guys, so she could leave them—or so they’d leave her.

And deep down inside, she’d been afraid of seeking out her sister, afraid Olivia would abandon her too.

She stepped out of the car, out of her body, looking down at herself. She saw the shine of headlights from the other direction, and a sleek, expensive car came around the bend and slid to a stop.

It was a kid, probably just barely old enough to drive. Eyes wide, he ran to her car and wrenched open the passenger door.

“Hey, lady… oh, fuck, oh my god.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket with shaking hands and dialed 911, telling the dispatcher what had happened. Then he crawled halfway into the car, kneeling on the seat, and hesitantly tried to feel her neck for a pulse.

“Oh, fuck, she’s dead… oh, fuck…”

The costume was in the way and he was touching the wrong place, but it didn’t matter. He wouldn’t have been able to save her.

But at least she wouldn’t die alone.

He backed out of the car and looked down, realizing he’d been kneeling on her purse. He picked it up and, looking around as if someone might be watching, he reached inside and grabbed her wallet. He opened it and saw there was cash and credit cards, and shoved it in his pocket.

She felt the sense of betrayal all over again. No one had ever stayed. Even the stranger who could have comforted her in her last moments stole from her instead.

And he was going to take the locket—her great-great-grandmother’s only legacy, that should belong to her sister.

There was a faint sound of sirens in the distance, and the boy looked up, eyes wide. He moved to put the purse back in the car, then seemed to realize someone might miss the wallet. He ran across to the other side of the road and flung it as hard as he could into the woods, far from where anyone would think to look for it.

She knew the rest. They cut her out of the car with the Jaws of Life, but she was already too far gone.

Mom had left her; Gramma and Gramps had died. She’d almost found a sister, but that had been snatched away from her too, before she could even have it. That feeling enveloped her—the one she’d had ever since she was a little girl.

It was her. There was something wrong with her; she wasn’t enough. She didn’t deserve love or family or happiness. And suddenly, in her last moments, she wanted so desperately to connect with her baby sister, so that Olivia wouldn’t feel the same way.

So she wouldn’t make the same mistakes.