Chapter Twenty-Two
Colson
She should be here by now.
Pacing back and forth in the living room, I can’t come up with a single excuse for why Lucy isn’t home yet. Even if she had taken the long way here, she would have been home fifteen minutes ago.
“She’s still not here?” Ren asks, walking to the couch and sitting.
I stop moving as I look at him. “No. She should be here by now.” My tone is harsher than I intend, but I say nothing else.
“She’ll be home soon. She probably took the long way.” Ren’s eyes track me as I start pacing again. I shake my head.
“No, man. Even if she had, she would have been here by now. Something is wrong.”
“Everything is fine, Cole. Stop pacing. You’re making me dizzy.”
I rub the back of my neck, walking back and forth for a few minutes before I can’t stand being here anymore. “I’m going to find her.” I walk towards the front door, grabbing my keys and wallet from the shelf by the door. I already have my phone on me, so I grab the door handle when I hear Ren.
“I’ll call you when she shows up!”
I hesitate. Do I feel dumb going to look for Lucy?
Yes. But the anxiety twisting in my gut tells me I need to find her.
I’ve only had this feeling once before, and that day didn’t end well for anyone.
I turn the handle, walking out and slamming the door behind me.
I jog to my truck before I throw myself in the driver’s seat and start it.
Think, Cole. Where is she?
I may have been avoiding her, but I still listen.
She loves chocolate donuts and watching the sun disappear behind the distant mountain range.
She hates the color purple but loves the wildflowers that grow behind her house.
Her favorite scent is the smell of the air during a thunderstorm.
She loves to have her windows down and the music volume up while driving, although her music taste is questionable.
THINK COLE!
It’s a beautiful day out, and she was in a good mood when we left her at her place.
Putting the truck in drive, I peel left out of the driveway, leading to the long way around between houses.
The pit in my stomach is growing rapidly the farther down the road I get.
Memories of the last time I had this feeling try to invade my brain, but I push them down as hard as I can so I can focus on finding Lucy.
I slow down going around the corners, seeing if there are any tracks leading off the road.
It’s the only explanation I can come up with as to why I haven’t passed her driving down the road.
Coming around a sharp turn, a small red truck is halfway in my lane.
Slamming on the brakes, I honk my horn, causing the truck to swerve back to its side of the road.
The driver is hidden behind a baseball cap as they pass, but an alert in the back of my head goes off.
Before I can think too much more of it, my stomach turns again, bringing me back to the task at hand.
I floor the truck, taking off, keeping my eyes peeled for any sign of Lucy or her car.
A few minutes pass before I see something lying in the road.
Pulling up next to it, I see it’s a small piece of a bumper from a car.
Putting the truck in park, I get out and look around.
Not many people travel this road, so while this piece could be old, it doesn’t look like it.
I hear something very faint coming from the area I just passed.
With the bumper piece still in my hand, and my truck still parked, I walk towards the noise.
The closer I get, the clearer it becomes.
Is that music?
I pick up my pace, closing the space between myself and where I think the music is coming from.
My heart is beating out of my chest, and my stomach threatens to release everything I’ve had to eat today when I see the tracks in the gravel.
Tracks that lead right off the road, into the small ravine.
My breathing stops and I freeze. The music is coming from there.
Sweat forms along my forehead as I place one foot in front of the other, the panic inside of me growing to an almost unbearable amount.
I make it to the edge of the road and look down before adrenaline takes over, pushing me over the edge.
I drop the piece of bumper that was still in my hand.
Lucy.
“LUCY!” I yell loudly. I make my way down to the back end of the car and quickly take in the scene. The music is loud, and when I look forward through the driver’s window, I see a bundle of Lucy’s hair hanging out. Carefully making my way to her door, I look at her.
“Lucy?” My voice cracks when I see the blood on her head. Her eyes are closed. I push the panic trying to overtake me down as I reach for her face. “Lucy, baby. Wake up, Lucy.”
Lucy’s eyes open when I run my thumbs across her cheeks. “Colson, you came for me.” She gives a small smile as her eyes close again. I reach through the window and push past the airbags to the button for the radio, stopping the music.
“Lucy. Stay awake, baby. I need you to open your eyes for me. Lucy. Please!” The last word comes out as a plea. I reach into my back pocket, grabbing my phone and unlocking it.
“Stay with me, Lucy. Open your eyes, baby.” I hit Nash’s contact and bring the phone to my ear. He answers on the first ring.
“Cole? Where are you, man?”
“I found her. Call Chief Lawson. Twelve miles down Moonlight Road. I’ll meet them on the road when I hear the sirens.”
“Shouldn’t I call Deputy Fitz?”
“No. I don’t trust that fucker as far as I can throw him. Lawson. NOW.” I hang up without another thought, my focus solely on Lucy.
“Lucy? I need you to wake up.” I try to keep my voice low and calm.
Her eyes flutter open again and lock on mine. “Don’t leave me, Colson.”
“I’m not going anywhere, baby. I’m right here. I’m not leaving you.” I find her hand and hold it in mine. I bring it up to my lips, placing a gentle kiss on the top of it.
“You came for me. You hate me, but you’re here.” Her voice is barely above a whisper.
“I don’t hate you, Lucy,” I whisper back to her. I run my thumb across her cheek, and she smiles once more. I look at her closely, noting that her eyes are bluer than normal, and the blood is coming from somewhere in her hair that I can’t see from this angle.
“Can we go home? I want to go home now.”
“We will soon, okay? We’re going to get you checked out first. Then we’ll go home.” I feel a tear fall from one of my eyes onto my cheek. I don’t let go of her to wipe it away.
“I’m tired, Cole.” Lucy’s eyes slip closed again.
“No, stay awake. I’m right here.” I kiss her hand again. “Please don’t leave me, Lucy.”
I hear sirens in the distance, and it takes everything I have to let go of her. I place her hand on her lap and quickly make my way back up the ravine to flag down whatever sirens are close.
“Where is she?” Chief Lawson asks, jumping out of his rig.
All I can do is point down to where her car is.
A lump in my throat causes my voice to be useless.
The chief starts yelling orders at everyone, and all I can do is stand here.
I look at my hands which have some of Lucy’s blood on them.
When I look up, I see Nash and Ren jumping out of a truck, making their way to me.
They stop and stare at me. I’m not sure what I look like, but judging by their faces, it’s not great.
Ren breaks out into a run, closing the distance between us quickly.
He wraps me in his arms tightly, Nash joining in when he gets close enough.
“Is she okay?” Ren asks, worry lacing his voice.
“I don’t—” I shrug and shake my head.
“We got her!” Lawson’s voice is loud as he and two other men handle the stretcher carrying her.
We all spin around and stare as they make their way to the ambulance.
I hear Ren’s sharp intake of breath as he sees the blood on her face and chest. He brings his hand up and covers his mouth, his eyes wide.
Lawson shuts the back of the ambulance and they take off. I know we are all holding our breath as he walks up to us.
“She’s alive. Pretty beat up, but it could have been worse. You guys can meet them at the hospital. I already told them to let the doctors know you’re with her. What do you want done with the car?”
“Junk it,” Nash says. “Not worth payin’ for the repairs at this point.” He reaches out and shakes Chief Lawson’s hand.
“Alright. You guys better head out. I’ll take care of this.”
“Thanks, Chief,” Ren says. Lawson gives us a small salute and walks away.
I let out a breath as the adrenaline starts to wear off and my body tires. I go to scrub my hands down my face until I see the blood again. “I should go clean up before heading to the hospital.”
“Yeah. Sure. Meet us there?” Ren asks with a note of disbelief in his voice.
“Yeah.” I turn away before they start asking more questions and head for my truck.
Sliding into the driver’s seat, I look at my hands again.
Memories threaten to surface once more, but the flashing lights of the police cruiser catch my attention.
Glaring out my window, Deputy Fritz passes by with a matching expression.
I watch in the side mirror as he pulls up to the scene.
He gets out of his cruiser, and I see Lawson’s body lock up at what I’m guessing is Fritz’s voice yelling at him.
Lawson turns and I see them start to argue, which makes me chuckle.
Poor Lawson.
I start the truck with the intention of going home to shower and then heading to the hospital.
And I do make it home to shower, but decide to skip the hospital.
There’s something I need to do first.