Chapter Thirty-Four
ChapterThirty-Four
Elissa
Sunday rolls around and I’m utterly exhausted. I had a fitful sleep last night, wondering about Brandt and if he misses me; if he still craves me the way I crave him. Seriously though, what has happened to me? My mind hasn’t stopped racing since I saw that damn truck down the road, making me think about Brandt and how badly I miss him. And now my heart feels ripped open all over again, wondering how he could just finish things like that. Wondering how he could turn his back so easily after fighting for us so hard. After convincing me to give us a chance, even after he broke my trust by making a deal with my father.
The room is dim, and I feel as dreary and gloomy as it is outside. I roll over in bed, wishing I could go back to sleep, but a soft knock on the door lets me know it’s time to get up.
“Good morning, dear.” Brianne’s chipper words are muffled through the door. I groan, roll over, and stuff my pillow over my head, then hear a chuckle from the other side of the door and the sound of footsteps fading away. After a few moments, I toss the pillow off my face and across the room and rip the coral and green duvet off me. I quickly get ready, swiping on a quick pass of mascara and brushing my teeth before pulling on some cozy travelling clothes.
My hand palms the top of the banister as I take the stairs down, and I round the corner toward the kitchen.
“Morning,” I mumble, and Riley snickers. I shoot her my middle finger and it earns me a disappointed “Elissa,” and a tongue click. Riley snickers more and I glare at her, silently cursing her.
“Come sit and have some coffee and something to eat,” Connor offers. When I approach the island, his arm snakes around my shoulder and tugs me into a side hug for a minute. I rest my head on his shoulder, reciprocating the gesture. He squeezes my shoulder before letting go and passing me a plate. “What time are you ladies leaving?” he asks.
“Not sure,” I say, though it sounds a lot more like “Nut shurr,” because I’m stuffing my mouth full of Brianne’s delicious, freshly baked croissants. “Most likely soon,” I continue when my mouth is empty. “I want to try and get back before it gets dark, especially since this rain likely isn’t letting up anytime soon.” Brianne’s eyes are sad, but she nods approvingly. After breakfast, we stuff the trunk of my car as full as we can get it with all the shopping we did and our suitcases. We pile back into the house, chatting and making and eating lunch before we leave.
When Riley and I are getting ready to head out, Mrs. Jaimeson’s eyes are misty as she says her goodbyes, clearly not wanting Riley to be so far away while she’s pregnant.
“Oh, Mom…stop!” Riley complains, but her eyes are tearful as well. “You’re going to make me cry, and that’s not fair because my hormones are all over the place.” They giggle through the tears, and I hear Riley mumble, “Thanks for being so understanding” into her mother’s neck. Mr. Jaimeson and I stand there chuckling, and he gives me a quick hug.
“Drive safe, you hear?” I give him my best confident smile.
“I always do,” I confirm. His eyebrows lift in disbelief at me, and my stomach sinks as I laugh nervously.
“I seem to remember two teenagers stealing my Audi before they were supposed to drive and side-swiping another car,” he grumbles. I smile innocently at him and shrug my shoulders.
“I always do, now. Is that better?” He grumbles some more, but drops the conversation and gives me a wink.
Riley and I leave the house and climb into the car, the rain still pouring down outside. We slam the doors closed and sit there for a moment, shivering. I press the ignition of the car and it rumbles to life. I click the buttons for the seat heaters to warm us up from the bone-chilling rain. I flick the windshield wipers on and they spring up, swiping the windshield quickly to compete against the rain.
Riley twists the knob to the radio and turns the volume up as I back out of the Jaimesons’ driveway. Throwing the car into drive, I slowly speed up, giving us time to look around the neighbourhood when we pass the house on my left that had me up all night thinking about a certain something, or someone. I clear my throat.
“Riles?”
“Hmm?” she responds, looking forlornly out the window, her elbow propped up on the window ledge and her head being held up by her hand.
“Do you remember what Brandt’s parents did? Or where he was from?” She turns to me and cocks her head to the side in confusion.
“Um, no. I don’t…why?” Huh. I bite my lip, thinking for a moment before responding.
“Uh…no reason. Just thinking.” Riley nods her head and turns her attention back to the passing scenery as we drive down the road, heading out of town.
···
It’s been one hell of a long drive. The long stretch of the 401 seems to never end. The rain turned into freezing rain as we approached the city outskirts, and we’ve been crawling along the highway to get back to Toronto. So far, we’ve been on the highway for six hours, including two breaks for the pregnant lady to pee. It’s been a boring drive as well. We’ve both barely spoken, and we’re both gloomy. It’s like this weather has put a damper on our mood.
“What are you going to do about Rhys?” I ask her. She sighs, fumbling with the black Canada Goose coat draped across her legs.
“I don’t know, E…I’m dreading the talk he’s wanting to have. Part of me hopes he’ll say that he’s going to be in the baby’s life and that he’ll help. But I have this sinking feeling that he’s going to tell me to screw myself and that he’s out.”
“Aw, Riles. I don’t think he’ll do that.”
“Doesn’t matter what you think, E. It matters what he’s going to do. And there’s just something telling me something bad is going to happen. I don’t know how to explain it, but I can’t get rid of this feeling,” she says, looking down and rubbing her belly as tears brim in her eyes. “I don’t know what I’m going to do if he chooses not to be in our lives. I think…I think I might actually have to move home, E, because I don’t know how I am going to raise a baby by myself, and I cannot ask you to help or support me. I know that’s the last thing that matters to you, but what kind of person would I be if I did that to you? No, I can’t do it. I need to do what’s best for all of us, and that would be moving home. Hell, I wouldn’t even have to live with my parents. I could buy a small place for just me and the baby, since it’s much cheaper back in Chatham.”
I say nothing and let Riley get everything off her chest. She rambles on nervously about what she plans on saying or not saying to Rhys. I nod along, but I get lost in my own thoughts. My heart aches. I don’t know what I’ll do if I lose Riley at this point. If she moves home, it won’t be the same. We’ve always been together, and if I lose her after losing Brandt…I just don’t know.
We’re nearing Toronto as we take the exit to the Don Valley Parkway and continue heading toward the Gardiner Expressway. Itching to get off the highway as we’re so close to being home, I press the gas a little harder, and the sound of Riley snoring as she’s just drifting off makes for competition with my engine revving. I chuckle to myself at her little snores. Up ahead, I see a car swerve a little, but I think nothing of it. They’re probably just avoiding something.
I think back to Brandt and how tomorrow is the bi-weekly board meeting, and he personally confirmed his attendance. The beating of my heart picks up, racing as fast as my car on the highway. I’m going to see him tomorrow. Part of me is dreading it because it’ll be so hard keeping my distance, keeping myself restrained from running over to him, jumping into his arms, wrapping my legs around his waist, and devouring him with hungry lips. But another part of me is nervous and excited to see him. It’s been a little over a month, and I’m craving him. Even just a glance of him will help fix part of this ache…I hope.
The car in front of me swerves again, but bigger now. I tap my brakes, slowing my speed and trying to prepare for anything. The other car straightens out and keeps going. I don’t even realize I’m holding my breath until I let out an enormous sigh. With shaking hands, I grip the steering wheel tightly and transfer to the other lane, trying to avoid the car in front of me as much as possible. My heart is racing, but it’s only a few clicks until our exit, and then I can relax. I glance at the radio and turn the volume up a bit more to help me settle my nerves when bright red lights flash into my eyes and the car. My eyes snap ahead and the car in the next lane is swerving again, all over the road. I slam on my brakes to avoid the car that comes skidding toward us, but my car glides and the brakes lock up. I throw my hand out to brace Riley, and she jolts awake. She screams as we spin around and around toward our exit ramp. I turn the wheel opposite to our direction, trying to straighten us out, and lightly tap the brakes to slow down and try to regain control of the car. Riley is screaming loudly and crying, and it doesn’t help my nerves or focus.
“Riley, please,” I plead with her. One of her hands wraps around the door’s handle and the other wraps around her stomach, bracing herself for impact. The car finally stops spinning and I get us straight, but we’re still sliding until we crash into the exit wall ramp head first. Time slows, and my head smashes off the steering wheel, then bounces off the window, and when the airbag deploys, my head is thrown backward into the headrest. My vision bursts with stars and Riley is screaming hysterically. I try to tell her it’ll be okay, but my mouth won’t move, and everything fades to black.