Page 64 of Say Hello, Kiss Goodbye

“Your poor dad, though. Both girls far away.”

“Yeah. He misses us, but it gives him an excuse to travel.”

“What about you? Do you visit Sarah often?”

Is he trying to tease out of me when I might be back? Leia ran a hand through her unruly hair. “Dad’s here more frequently than I am. The last time I visited was”—she looked up at the ceiling, calculating dates—“eighteen months ago.”

Tarquin widened his eyes. “Oh.”

“But we talk all the time. Sarah’s my best friend.” One he’ll be working with closely. And they’ll chat—they’re bound to. I didn’t want to share so much, but I don’t really have a choice. He’s already seen my scars…

Leia cleared her throat. “It’s hard to believe we almost lost her.”

Tarquin’s brow furrowed. “Lost her?”

“Yeah.” Leia tightened her robe. “Sarah was nine—almost ten. I was eleven.”

Tarquin nodded attentively.

“Skating was our thing. If we weren’t at the rink, we were helping Mom sew our costumes or practicing choreography at home. I was pretty good on the ice, but I had to work at it. Sarah, though, was a natural. I swear, every month she came home with something—a ribbon, a trophy. That afternoon, she added another first-place medal to her collection.”

A warm smile brightened his face. “Was she an ice dancer, too?”

“No, singles. She was like a ballerina on ice, so graceful. Her artistry blew everyone away. Mine, not so much!”

“Oh, come on! I saw you gliding about, putting everyone to shame.”

Leia shook her head. “I was okay at best. Not like Sarah. She had the potential to be world-class. And her jumps! God, she could leap rings around everyone in her age group. I was all long legs and wobbly ankles back then. It’s a miracle my partner didn’t ditch me after our first comp.” She smiled at the memory. “Anyway, one weekend we had a skating competition about ninety minutes away from where we lived. Mom and Dad were there, cheering us on as usual. Saz and I wanted to hang out with the other kids after the competition, the last big meet of the season. It was getting colder and a snowstorm was forecast for later that night, so Mom and Dad headed home in the car, letting me and Saz take the bus back with the other skaters as a treat.

“Our team hung around for a bit to celebrate, said goodbye to the kids from the other skating clubs, and then we set off. We were singing, yelling, having a great time in the middle of nowhere. Our coaches had the driver pull over at a diner on this country road so we could pick up dinner—burgers and fries for our celebration trip back. Half our team wasn’t returning in the fall so we wanted to make the most of it…” Leia paused, pulling Tarquin’s robe tighter. “So, we got our food. Climbed back on the bus, heading home to our rink. Eating, singing songs. Then, maybe ten minutes later, a truck strayed into our lane and hit us.”

Tarquin flinched. “Oh, god!” He blinked several times, his mouth falling open, searching for words. “Who…?”

He looks horrified. “A drunk trucker. The impact rolled the bus, tossed us around like dolls. I can still remember the sounds—the metal crunching, glass shattering. Screams. I smashed into the ceiling and blacked out.”

“Oh, Leia…” His brow tense, Tarquin scooped up her hand, holding it tight.

“When I came to, the bus was on its side and I was wedged between seats. I was dizzy and nauseous, had a crushing headache. It felt like I’d been stabbed in the stomach and hurt to breathe. And I was gagging. I had this thick, metallic taste in my mouth.”

“Blood?” He winced.

Leia nodded. “I looked for Sarah, but it was so dark, and still. I could only see a few feet ahead of me. I thought the crumpled shapes nearby were torn up seats…until they moaned. I called out for Sarah, but she didn’t answer. That’s when I started to panic. I had to get out of there. I had to find her.

“My leg was killing me, bleeding pretty bad, but I dragged myself into the aisle. All our stuff was scattered: skates, iPods, burgers—everywhere. I heard friends crying, scrambling to get out. And that’s when I spotted Sarah’s new medal, wedged under me. Just seeing it made me feel less panicked, like it meant she must be close by, you know? I picked it up and put it in my pocket to keep it clean. I remember thinking she’d kill me if I got blood all over it.”

Tarquin squeezed her hand. “Where’d you find her?”

The sting in Leia’s eyes begged her to blink. “I didn’t. It was only when the fire department rescued me that I heard where they found her—alone in a snowy ditch. She’d been thrown clear.”

“Holy shit.”

“I wanted to see her, but she was surrounded by paramedics.” Leia’s voice wavered as she gulped back a sob. “I-I heard her crying…” Tears spilled through her lashes and trickled down her cheeks.

Tarquin drew her in and rubbed her back softly.

“I still feel guilty that I wasn’t there for her. I should have been with her.”

“But you were hurt, too! You were trapped—it’s a miracle you both survived. Did anyone…”