Page 101 of In the Dark

Right before I exit the school’s parking lot, I see Rhys and Wes sprinting to the Defender in my rearview mirror, but I keep going. The voice in my head is screaming at me to drive. Fast.

Tears are running down my face. Tears of anger, tears of embarrassment, tears of frustration, tears of betrayal, and tears of self-pity.

Why me?

I need to be alone.Just driving through town, being surrounded by the people who go about their lives is too much. I end up driving past Magnolia’s, a place that used to be welcoming and a second home; now it fills me with dread. As I pass the café, the guy who approached me weeks ago steps out of the entrance, and our eyes lock. The instant feeling of something being off about him returns. His eyes are...lifeless. Finally, breaking out of the stare-down, I have to slam on the brakes. I’m about to run straight into the side of a car in the process of parallel parking.

Shit.

The driver gives me awhat-the-fucklook, and I just sit there, too mentally exhausted to apologize. It seems like he purposefully takes forever to complete the maneuver. Getting irritated, I peer in the rearview mirror to check that Rhys has not caught up to me. Instead of the Defender, I see the creep standing in the middle of the street, staring at me. A shiver runs down my spine, and I hit the gas. The slow parker is almost in his spot, and I only have to move halfway into the opposite traffic to get around him. The oncoming car beeps at me, but I keep going. Two more turns and I’m finally on the back road to Fallsbrook. Not that I have any intention of stopping there, but it’s a start.

I’mon the way out of town when an SUV shows up in my rearview mirror—notthe Defender. At first, I don’t think anything of it, but then it comes closer. Not too close, but close enough that I can make out the driver—or more accurately,notmake out. He is wearing a baseball hat and glasses, paired with a hoodie that covers most of his face.

It’shim.

I push the gas pedal to the floor, and my Jeep roars to life. The SUV accelerates as well but remains several car lengths away. I’m speeding down the narrow road, a field on one side and the Westbridge Forest Preserve on the other. If I just make it to Fallsbrook, I’ll be good. I can take Main Street back home. Heather is working from home today because Natty’s school has teacher conferences. I’ll be safe there.

Just as I finish that thought, something shoots out of the field and across the road. Of course, I do the one thing you’re not supposed to do in that situation—I yank on the steering wheel. I immediately feel how my Jeep tilts too far to one side and—

Slowly coming to,my head is pounding, and something is digging into the crook of my neck and shoulder—the seatbelt. I’m upside-down.

I try to turn my head, but it hurts. All I can do is focus out the front of my cracked windshield. I notice red speckles on it but can’t make out if they’re on the inside or the outside. Are they from whatever I hit, or are they from...me?

Something is moving toward me—no, not something...someone.

I start struggling against the seatbelt, but excruciating pain shoots through my shoulder, and that’s when everything goes black.

I should’ve stayed in bed this morning.

Epilogue

We’re home.

I’m standingin the doorway to Lilly’s new room, watching her curled up on the top of the white comforter. She is still wearing the clothes she wore to school yesterday, which are now dirty and bloodstained from the cut on her forehead caused by the airbag and me dragging her out of the wrecked Jeep. I’m grateful she was driving such a sturdy car. This was definitely not part of the plan. When I saw the fox run across the road, followed by Lilly losing control and the car rolling twice before it came to a halt on its roof, I was close to a panic attack. Not again!

Getting her out of there and home was more difficult than I had planned. I had to adjust my meticulously organized trip.

I made sure she wasn’t seriously injured and patched up her cut before we left Virginia but didn’t dare change her out of her clothes. That would have been a violation of privacy. Well, not that I haven’t violated her privacy in other ways, but still—touching her that way just wouldn’t be right. Not if she can do it herself when she wakes up. Plus, time was of the essence. I had to pull a lot of strings to get the plane ready on such short notice.

I’m still in thought when I notice small movements on the bed. She is waking up. My heart starts pounding, and I’m actually...nervous. I wait, not daring to move. She slowly moves one limp arm after the other, like she’s taking stock of her injuries. A groan escapes her, and I hold my breath. I hope she is not in too much pain. That’s when her eyes open. She blinks a few times against the light of the small bedside lamp and moves her head side to side. When she seems satisfied with her assessment, she pushes herself into a sitting position. I had purposefully added more pillows to the bed earlier, so she is automatically propped up.

Still squinting, she scans the room. Her gaze settles on me, and her eyes widen.

"You!"