Chapter 40
FORTY
REID
That drive was too long, and my truck couldn’t go fast enough.
I ran every worst-case scenario through my head.
She got in an accident, or she decided to go to a different beach instead.
I tried to push all those thoughts away and drive.
It wasn’t until I saw her little red car that I threw my truck into the park and took off toward the beach. She is here. I still have time.
I run faster than I’ve ever run in my whole life.
I’ve only come to the beach up here a handful of times, but I get winded every time I make my way through the dunes.
I don’t even care today. I need to reach her.
I need to catch her before she slips away again.
I run until I reach the top of the second to last dune and see her standing out in the middle of the beach with her feet in the water.
She’s standing with her arms at her sides, occasionally wrapping them around her shoulders.
I can't stop running. I kept thinking over and over what I was going to say to her. Now that I see her, I don’t know. I just need to get to her.
I slide down the dune to the beach and make my way over to her. I wait until she sees me before jogging.
The moment she looks up and registers it’s me, she collapses.