Chapter Twenty-Eight
I jolt awake, breathless and wide-eyed. My gaze darts around the room, filled with confusion.
Raina sits up beside me, gently placing her hand on my chest. “Shh, it’s okay…
I’m right here,” she murmurs, her voice soothing.
I lean back against the pillow, rubbing my forehead with my left hand as I try to calm myself down.
In through my nose, out through my mouth.
I focus on steadying my breath. Raina rests her chin on her hand, gazing up at me.
She doesn’t pry for details, and truthfully, I don’t have any answers to offer.
I don’t recall what I was dreaming about at all.
I glance out the glass window behind the couch. It’s still pitch dark outside. Turning to Raina, I ask, “What time is it?”
“I need to get home and check on Mango.” A wave of anxiety washes over me as I think about the cabin. I can’t even remember if I locked the door or where I left my phone. What if I left the door wide open and Mango slipped out? I tug at my hair in frustration, feeling the weight of my worries.
Raina gets up off the couch, handing me the clothes that Blake laid out for me.
I clench my jaw as I slide jeans on, but I’m thankful Raina bandaged me well.
“I want to go with you,” Raina blurts out.
I stand up in front of her, ready to protest, but I stop myself.
I’d rather her be with me, anyway. And with everything that happened, I’m still unsure what’s going on.
He crosses my mind again, but I shake it off, focusing on leaving to get back home.
I grab my things from the counter, glancing at the mess I made.
I’ll come back later and clean everything up.
As Raina and I approach the back door, I come to a halt. “Damn it, I forgot my helmet,” I say, frustration creeping into my voice.
Raina tucks her hair behind her ears and replies, “It’s okay, I trust you.
” After a moment of thought, I realize that she’ll have to ride on my bike regardless because there’s no way I’m leaving her behind.
With a nod of agreement, we step outside and hop on the bike.
I remind Raina to keep her face tucked behind me.
The air is chilly, and the light breeze is even nippier while riding.
I’m grateful that she’s dressed properly for the cold, I just wish I could offer her more layers.
She wraps her arms around my waist, carefully avoiding my left side. Before we take off, I look back at her.
“Don’t worry about me, Raina. Just hang on tight.” I see her nod lightly, her grip around me tightening.
The cold air whips against my face, making my eyes sting as I navigate the winding roads up the mountain.
I struggle to remember yesterday’s events, especially the drive to the bar.
The details are hazy, but one thing stands out to me: Jesse is my father.
That realization sends a chill down my spine, layering over the briskness of the air.
I’m not proud of how things spiraled out of control yesterday, and my thoughts drift to the twins and the turmoil I caused them.
This was never their fault. They never deserved any of this.
All they’ve ever tried to do is support me and be there when I needed them.
My thoughts get interrupted when I spot headlights approaching from behind.
I quickly glance over, squinting as the bright beams flood my vision.
I brush it off and return my attention to the road ahead.
Suddenly, I hear the engine revving. In my side mirror, I catch a glimpse of the vehicle, and I can see it steadily closing the gap between us.
It’s hard to make out the details with those blinding headlights in the dark.
I decide to pick up my speed a bit, trying not to dwell or think too much into it.
After all, I’m going slower than usual considering Raina’s on the bike without a helmet.
The vehicle speeds up again, closing in on the back of the bike. I feel Raina shifting behind me. “Who is that?” she shouts.
I shake my head, glancing in the side mirror.
“I don’t know, just hold on tight.” I try to stay calm, focusing on the sharp twists of the road while brainstorming a plan.
Once we’re up the mountain and off these curves, I should be able to lose whoever it is.
These roads are very familiar to me. I’ve known them since I was a young kid.
I cling to that thought, gripping the handlebars tightly as I hit the throttle.
For a moment, relief washes over me as I glance back and see no sign of the car.
But just as quickly, I spot headlights approaching again.
The driver is picking up speed and heading straight for us.
Damn it! I push the bike faster, smoothly navigating the sharp turns.
Every so often, I catch a glimpse of the car, which seems to handle the curves just as well. They’re staying right on our tail.
The vehicle speeds up, colliding with the bike tire and forcing us to swerve wildly to the other side of the road.
Panic sets in as I realize we’re trapped on this winding path until we reach the top of the mountain, with still about three miles to go.
I keep my eyes glued to the road while watching the rearview mirror closely.
Each time the car swerves our way, I dodge instinctively, veering to the opposite side.
“Ezra, I’m scared,” Raina murmurs from behind me.
“It’s going to be fine—” I begin, but my words are cut short as the vehicle suddenly turns sharply, clipping the rim of the bike’s back tire.
The bike starts to wobble, and despite my frantic efforts to regain control, it tips over, sending us skidding across the road at a high speed.
I gently tap the brake. The headlights of the bike catch the railing along the edge of the curve.
“Hold on!” I shout to Raina as we crash into the railing, throwing us off the bike.
I hear a loud thump, followed by Raina gasping, as branches and leaves crackle beneath us.
My eyes dart around, struggling to see in the dim light.
I catch a glimpse of Raina in front of me, rolling unconscious and hitting small branches.
Panic sets in as I scramble toward her, desperately flailing my arms and legs to move faster.
Suddenly, I notice something alarming—a ledge right in front of her.
She’s about to tumble off the edge of the mountain.
“No, no, no!” I scream at the top of my lungs.
This can’t be happening. I reach out for her, but she’s falling faster than I can react.
My heart races as I search for a way to save her.
I just need a little momentum. I spot a sturdy tree rooted in the ground nearby.
Gathering my strength, I slide past it and kick off, using it to propel myself forward.
With my left arm stretched out, I widen my eyes in horror as the ledge looms closer to her.
“NO!” I shout, my voice filled with panic as I feel a sharp tear in my left shoulder.
The same one I hurt on the roof of the apartments.
I grip Raina’s leather jacket tightly as she dangles from the ledge, my heart racing.
Straining to lift my head, I glance down and see my boot wedged firmly in a small root, holding me in place.
A wave of relief washes over me, and I let my head drop back to the ground, trying to catch my breath.
My grip is slipping, and I struggle to keep hold of her weight.
I concentrate, knowing that one wrong move could cost us both, and if she falls, I will go down with her.
The thought torments me. I can’t bear the idea of failing her again. Her life is literally in my hands.
I carefully place my right palm on the ground, twisting my body so my upper half is pressed against the earth while my lower half remains positioned forward.
My boot barely clings to the root, and it’s the only thing preventing us from plummeting to our deaths.
Taking a quick, deep breath, I reach out with my right arm and grab Raina’s jacket tightly, securing my grip with my left hand.
My upper body begins to shake uncontrollably from the strain.
I grit my teeth and shout as loudly as I can while I slowly pull her back over the ledge.
I can feel every muscle in my body straining, battling through the pain.
I gasp as I pull her close, resting my head against her chest in an attempt to regain my strength.
A sharp burning sensation radiates from my left shoulder blade, making me wince.
I lift my head, trying to assess her in the darkness.
Grabbing Raina’s face gently, I call out her name, but there’s no response.
I swipe sweat from my mouth and taste blood—though it’s not mine.
Panic starts to set in as I search through Raina’s pockets and finally find her phone.
Turning on the flashlight, I shine it on her face.
Her lip is split, and there’s a deep gash above her eyebrow.
She must have taken a hard hit. I cradle her face, careful not to touch the injuries.
“Raina, wake up!” I shout, my voice echoing in the silence.
Suddenly, I hear rustling above us, the sound of boots scraping against the pavement.
I quickly point the light up, but can only see so far.
I flinch when I spot a large figure standing near the railing by the road, just watching us silently.
Resembling the dark figure from my night terrors.
“What the fuck do you want?” I growl, tightening my grip on Raina.
I notice a flicker of a cherry and a puff of smoke before the figure turns and walks away, melting into the shadows.
Moments later, I hear an engine start up, the car fading into the distance.