by Marlie May
Something moving to my left caught my eye. Another car. Coming right at me.
We were going to collide!
I swerved to the right.
My wheels bumped up onto the curb. Crap. Slow down!
Ahead, a telephone pole came up fast. I wrenched the wheel to the left, and tires squealed, but the pole kept on coming.
I slammed my foot on the brake, and the pedal sunk all the way to the floor.
A loud thud was followed by me jolting forward. Only my seatbelt and airbag kept me from soaring through the windshield.
My chest squeezed tight. I cried out in pain. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think. The world kept spinning.
A horn blared endlessly.
Then silence.
18
I was dragged down, down, down.
Soft music swirled around me.
I stood in the yacht’s main cabin. Brianna was here with me. Mom and Dad had gone down the hall to the galley to talk to the cook about a snack.
“I have to wait to open it,” Brianna said. Her feet danced on the carpet, and excitement sparkled in her green eyes.
And in her hands…
I’d handed her the gaily-wrapped box moments before. Taped up more securely than a bank vault, it was something special.
“You can’t open it,” I said, full-on tease in my voice. “Remember?”
She pouted. “Why not?”
“Because it’s for your birthday.” Which wasn’t for three more days. A lifetime of torturous days for Brianna.
I snickered. She was so funny. I was the one who could never wait for anything but this time, she was the one with the surprise and the eagerness to cheat.
I shook my finger at her. “Don’t open it until…”
Something tightened on my upper arm, squeezing until it caused me pain. I moaned.
“Hold still, sweetie,” someone said from beside me. “That’s just the cuff taking your pressure.”
Cuff? Pressure?
I opened my eyes to bright lights. I lay on a bed, covered in white sheets and an equally white blanket.
Aunt Kristy sat on my right, and a nurse wearing scrubs stood to my left, pushing buttons on a machine. After nodding at the red numbers displayed on the screen, she leaned over to remove the wrap from around my arm, the Velcro screech jarring down my spine.
My head. It was killing me.
“There you go,” the nurse said, patting my shoulder. “Wide awake, now, aren’t you?”
“What happened?” My tongue felt boggy. As if I’d stuffed my mouth full of peanut butter and forgotten to swallow.
“You hit a telephone pole, and you’re in the hospital. You’ve got a mild concussion and whiplash and I imagine you’re a bit sore overall, but you have no serious injuries.”
I shifted on the bed, glad my arms and legs worked like they were supposed to. No fractures. My brain seemed eager to pound its way out of my skill, however.
“Can I get you anything, sweetie?” the nurse asked. “Water? Crackers or toast?”
My belly rolled, telling me not to put anything inside it yet. I shook my head.
“Okay, then.” She lifted a cable she’d looped through the bed rail and pointed to the red tip. “If you need me, just push this button.” Turning, she typed something into her computer and wheeled the machine out of the room. The door shut behind her.
“You sure you’re feeling all right, Janine?” Aunt Kristy leaned forward, against the rail. “Janie, sorry.” So many lines covered her face, she looked at least ten years older than the last time I’d seen her. At this rate, I’d age her to seventy within a year. “I’ve been worried sick about you.”
That warmed my heart. If it had been her lying in the bed, I would’ve worried, too.
“I’m okay.” My voice croaked, partly because it was dry but mostly from emotion.
She sniffed. Had she been crying? That would make me feel even sadder. I patted her hand that lay on the bed and she turned it over to hold mine.
“Do you remember anything?” Aunt Kristy asked. “Anything at all?”
“From last night, or…?”
She directed her attention to the bed rail where she traced a finger along the rubber molding. “Sure. From last night.”
I told her how I’d pushed the car to make the green light, which brought on more scowls from her. I hurried on to explain that I’d swerved to avoid the car but then I’d crashed.
“So frightening,” she said. “I’ve been worried sick.”
I shivered, grateful I hadn’t been hurt badly.
“You were…upset at the scene.”
Rubbing my head, I scrunched my face. “That part’s a blur.”
“You were calling for your mom, your dad, even your friend.”
“Brianna.”
“Yes. They had to give you a mild sedative. That’s why you’re sleepy.” She patted my shoulder. “I imagine when you hit that pole, it triggered something in your mind from the yacht accident because you wouldn’t stop crying for them.”
This forgetting business was getting old. I didn’t like that I kept losing track of time. But in this instance, it could be from the concussion.
Someone cracked the door, and a nurse spoke in the hall.
My aunt straightened my sheet, smoothing out the folds. “Now that you’ve mentioned it, do you remember anything from back then yet?”
“I still don’t remember much about the night of the murder.”
She gasped, and her wide eyes flew to mine.
“I meant the yacht accident,” I said, covering up fast. “My brain’s jumbled, that’s why I’m not talking right. I didn’t mean to say murder.”
A complete lie.
While her face eased, she still frowned. “The police told me they’d ruled it an accident.”
Me, too, but my suspicions were only growing. She must’ve held back telling me that the report suggested homicide because she’d already been in touch with the police and they’d concluded their investigation.
“What do you remember from the night of the accident?” she asked. “Not much isn’t nothing.”
“Not enough.” Why was she quizzing me about it? At this point, it didn’t matter. I rubbed my head and winced when I touched my left temple. I must have a heck of a bruise.
Aunt Kristy settled back in her chair. “We don’t really know much about what happened that night and we may never know.” Her chest rose and fell, and tears sprung up in her eyes. “Your Dad’s car looks terrible. I don’t know how you made it through that horrible crash. It’s totaled, of course. You can maybe drive your Mom’s car.”
My heart twinged. I’d enjoyed driving Dad’s car. It made me feel closer to him. But just like everything else associated with my parents, it had been snatched away.
“What time is it?” I asked. What day is it?
She looked at her watch. “Ten after noon. You’ve been asleep for nearly twelve hours.”
I winced when my neck spasmed. So, it was Sunday.
She continued, “They plan to release you later, but we’ll make sure you’re okay first. You were pushed forward, into the airbag, which gave you a few abrasions on your face. And your head snapped forward as well. That’s why you have a headache.”
I reached up to touch my face. My chin and right cheek stung but they weren’t too bad. “Do you have my phone?”
Aunt Kristy cringed, slowly lifting her purse from where she’d set it on the floor. Opening the top, she pulled out something that was essentially in pieces. Half the screen was gone. It would never turn back on again.
Crap, the pictures from Mr. Somerfield’s office. And the text someone sent me before I crashed. Both were evidence.
I’d set up cloud storage for auto back-up at midnight. Since I’d left the party a little before one, the text would be gone, but the cloud would still have my pictures.
Sean shoved open the door and barreled into the room, his face tight with stress. “Da
mn, girl. You love to scare a guy, don’t you?” He raced to my side and hugged me. “When I heard about your accident, I wanted to come right away but your aunt said it would be better to wait until you got home.” His gaze grew desperate. “But I couldn’t do it. I took the bus.”
“I’m grateful I dropped you off before it happened.” My voice shook. “You could’ve been killed.”
“Lucky for me, but definitely not lucky for you.” He winced, probably realizing how that had sounded. “Sorry.”
“S’okay.” I was just relieved I was the only one involved in the accident. Or so I assumed. “The other car,” I said to my aunt. “I didn’t hit them, did I?”
“No, no, you didn’t. They called 9-1-1 when you crashed.” She rose. “If you can sit with her for a bit, Sean, I have a few things I need to do.” Her concerned gaze fell on me. “Now that you’re awake, will you be okay for a short time without me? I need to call the garage, the insurance company. Take care of a few other details.”
Sean dropped down in her chair. “Glad to.”
“I’ll be all right,” I said.
Sean rubbed my shoulder. “I’m not going anywhere. Take all the time you want.”
“Thank you. I’ll be back shortly, Janie.” Purse in hand, she hurried from the room.
“After your aunt called me, I called Manuel,” Sean said. “He should be here—”
The door burst open, and Manuel rushed in. His eyes pinned me to the bed. “Are you okay? When Sean called me…Shit, Janie, I was scared to death.” Leaning over the rail, he gave my shoulder a pat. “I’m glad you’re okay.”
“I’m fine.” Better, now that he was here.
As soon as possible, I needed to fill him in on that text.
19
The door to my room slammed open, making me jump.
While I struggled to control my breathing, my aunt bustled inside, the nurse hovering right behind her.
“The garage has your car,” Aunt Kristy said. “And the insurance company—” Her eyes widened when she took in Sean and Manuel, each holding one of my hands. “Anyway. The insurance company will send some papers in the mail.”
Sean stepped to the side, and the nurse took my blood pressure again.
“The doctor said you can go home as long as you agree to take it easy for the next week.” The nurse added to my aunt, “And if you agree to keep an eye on her to make sure she’s okay.”
“I will,” she said. “I’ll barely be able to sleep a wink as it is.”
“Then I’ll get the paperwork ready,” the nurse said.
I was soon on my way home. My aunt balked at two visitors hanging out once we got there, however.
“Since you’re out of school for a week, I’ll bring your homework over tomorrow afternoon,” Sean said, leaning inside the car to buckle my belt.
I’d barely returned to school, and I was getting behind already. At this rate, I’d never catch up.
He stepped backward, and said to Manuel, “Take care of her for me?”
Manuel nodded and climbed into the back seat of the car.
Once we arrived home, my aunt and Manuel each took one of my sides to help me into the house like I was some kind of invalid.
“You’re not walking on your own,” Aunt Kristy said.
Really, I was sore, but everything worked as it should. My neck spasmed whenever I looked right and my face stung, but I’d survive.
“Let’s take her into the living room,” she said. Inside the doorway, she pointed at the sofa like a general to the troops. “Lie down.”
After I’d stretched out, she fluffed a pillow and placed it carefully under my head. She covered me with a blanket and handed me the clicker, assuming I must want to watch TV. Stepping back, she stared at me while tapping her chin. “What else?”
There wasn’t anything else she could do other than encase me in bubble wrap. Before she got the idea, I asked, “Could I have some water?”
“Sure.” She sniffed and drifted from the room.
“You really okay?” Manuel asked. He dragged over a high-back chair and sat, taking my hand in his.
“I am. Really.”
My aunt returned before I could say anything else. She set my water on the coffee table, and Manuel helped me take a sip through the straw. The sensation of it sliding down my throat sent welcome icicles through my bones.
“Need anything else?” she asked.
“No, thanks.”
She fidgeted, glancing back and forth between me and Manuel. “The nurse said you’re not to get excited.”
I held in my snicker. Because, short of making out with Manuel, that was unlikely.
“You can’t stay long,” she told him. “She’s supposed to rest.” When he squeezed my hand and his eyes twinkled, she said, “No stimulation.”
His lips twitched.
“You should close your eyes,” she said to me, and to Manuel, “And you should go.”
“Can’t he stay?” I asked. “I feel like I’ve been sleeping forever. Besides, he makes me feel better.”
He grinned.
I glanced around frantically, looking for a valid reason for him to be here. If my aunt drove him from the house, she might take his spot in the chair, holding my hand. While I was thankful she cared, I wasn’t up for family bonding time.
Dad’s cribbage board sat on the coffee table, but my aunt might consider playing cards too much of a challenge for my injured brain. But what would work?
“What if he read to me?” I asked.
“Yeah,” he said. “Then she could close her eyes and listen. I doubt that would…stimulate her.”
I pinned my lips in place so I wouldn’t laugh. My aunt was taking this very seriously. I doubted she’d appreciate me rolling around on the floor.
“There are books in the office.” Her nose pointed toward the ceiling. “I guess that would be all right. But nothing volatile. No suspense or horror or anything that might excite her.”
Romance was obviously out, then.
“I’ll see what I can find.” Manuel left the room and returned with a book, but I couldn’t see the title. He sat, flipped through the pages, and cleared his throat.
My aunt drifted from the room when he started to read.
She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that's best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes.
Lord Byron, and one of Dad’s favorites. He’d read it to me years ago when I was sick with the flu. Dad said Lord Byron wrote the poem for a woman he met at a party. In mourning, she’d worn a black, sequined dress.
I tried to stay awake, but Manuel’s soft voice lulled me.
I woke to silence. And opened my eyes to find Manuel watching me. So intently, it made me squirm.
The book lay on the coffee table.
He’d stretched out his legs and crossed his arms on his chest. When he saw I was looking, he grinned. “You snore.”
I slapped his thigh. “Do not.”
He held up his phone. “Wanna see?”
“You didn’t.”
His snort rang out. “Yeah, I didn’t. But I wanted to.” Leaning close to me, he whispered, “You’re cute when you sleep.”
That stole my words and made my pulse flop around. I could only smile.
Until he said, “Does this mean we’ve slept together?”
I rolled my eyes. “Not if you weren’t sleeping, too.”
Frowning, he tapped his chin. “And here I was, thinking there was a lot more to it than just sleeping.” His grin grew even bigger. “I was worried about my reputation.”
“Your reputation is safe.” His jokes kept me on my toes, and I liked it. Liked him, too. I didn’t know where he and I were headed but I intended to relax and let the moment take me.
“You hungry?” he asked. “I could get you something.”
“A little.” My stomach growled, and his gaze drifted i
n that direction. “Maybe a lot.”
Rising, he started for the kitchen. “I’ll be right back.”
My aunt had made chicken soup. Meaning chicken, rice, and veggies. Our neighbors’ usual offering, only in a liquid form.
It tasted wonderful. After I’d finished the entire bowl, I yawned. How could I be tired again already?
“You should go upstairs and lie down,” my aunt said, lifting the bowl off the coffee table.
“I’m already lying down,” I said.
“In your bed.” She put the bowl back on the coffee table and tugged at my blanket. “Come on. I’ll help you upstairs.”
“Got it.” Manuel jumped in, assisting me to a sitting position. It reminded me of the night I’d helped Aunt Kristy up to her room. Other than me not being drunk. Although, my head was spinning. Either from the accident or the lingering effect of the medication they’d given me.
Aunt Kristy wrung her hands and darted her gaze back and forth between us. “You two shouldn’t be alone in her bedroom.”
This, from a woman who’d handed me a bunch of condoms?
“Mom and Dad used to let me take a boy to my room.” Not that we’d done anything up there outside of studying, but still.
“I run a tighter ship than that.”
I sighed, fearing I was about to be presented with more rules.
“We can keep the door open,” I said. “That’s all Mom and Dad insisted on. Can’t Manuel stay a little longer?”
Her pause extended so long, the air grew thick. She studied my face while her chest lifted and fell. “I guess for a while.” She tapped her watch. “But not past eight.”
Talk about a super-early curfew. “Nine?”
“Eight.”
Growling and stamping my feet would get me nowhere and only make me look like a toddler. And if I behaved like that, she might make Manuel leave immediately. Eight was only forty-five minutes away but it was better than nothing. “Okay.”
Upstairs, I slipped into the bathroom to change into leggings and a tee. My rubbery legs moved like I’d been drinking, but they held up while I brushed my teeth. If only my head would stop pounding. I drank more water and returned to my room, where I climbed into bed.