Sebastian
Two hours later, we had finally hit London, and the rain was coming down heavily, the city illuminating the night sky. A call came up on the car screen with Aria’s name, and I let it ring out.
“You can’t ignore her forever.”
I glanced over to Hayden, who was sitting there with his eyes closed. I knew he’d be awake as soon as we arrived in London. He did this all the time when we travelled.
“Good sleep?”
He shifted in the seat. “What’s the time?”
“2 a.m.”
He pulled his phone out and scrolled through it. “Serfina’s going to have the worst hangover tomorrow. She’s been drinking at yours with Aria.”
I was glad Aria hadn’t been alone tonight. Hayden had told me earlier that Aria had asked Serfina over. I presumed she’d realised I wasn’t turning up for that chat.
That was the first call I’d had from her all night, though, and she was probably pissed that I hadn’t come home at all.
I’d make it up to her somehow.
“I’ll drop you off at yours so you can get your car and collect her from mine. There’s something I need to do back at HQ.”
“You need to go home and talk to Aria.”
I did need to. Hell, there were a lot of things I needed to be doing, but I couldn’t face her. Not tonight.
“Sorry, I can’t hear you.” I turned the music up.
He went to turn it back down, but I swatted his hand away as he tried to fight me for the button.
My eyes flicked over to him, and it was as if time slowed, the ticking on the hands of a clock unable to move forward to the next second. As my foot went to slam the brakes, it was too late, like a lightning strike of sudden, intense impact into the passenger side of the car.
The car flipped, not once but twice, as a spiderweb of cracks spread over the windshield. Then the shattering sound pierced through my ears. The airbag deployed with a whoosh, and my head slammed straight into it, like it was hitting a pillow.
An orchestra of shrieking metal from the roof of my car was forced further into chaos as the van screeched to a halt.
Finally.
The car stopped moving.
The music we’d been fighting over a second ago suddenly seemed a lot louder, filling the deafening silence.
The headlights from the van shone through, completely blinding my vision, until they started to pull away, fading into the distance.
Did this prick just drive away?
A sharp pain radiated through my neck.
Spinning like a carousel filled my head as I hung upside down.
The smell of burnt rubber hit me, and I retched with the acid that rose from my stomach. Slowly turning my head, I looked over at Hayden.
“Hayden.” My words came out shaky. “Hayden?” I called louder.
Nothing.
I reached over, my hand touching his shoulder, and I shook him. “Hayden? Wake up.” My heart started racing, fear running through my veins as I shook him again. “Hayden?” I shouted.
His lifeless body just dangled there.
“Hayden? Wake the fuck up.”
I was panicking now. My breathing became heavy, my hands fumbling to try and get my seatbelt off, but the fucking thing wouldn’t budge.
I needed to get out. I needed to get to him.
Why the fuck wouldn’t he wake up?
“Sebastian?” Logan’s voice caused my head to snap back to my window as he crouched down, peering in.
“Hayden won’t wake up. He’s not responding.”
I heard Logan’s footsteps, and he reappeared at Hayden’s window, the flashlight from his phone darting about before his eyes met mine.
“The ambulance is on its way.”
It was the way he looked at me, like all the blood had drained from his face, that sent chills down my spine.