Page 47 of Heatwaves

This is who they made me become.

Releasing the steering wheel with one hand, I dash away the tears from my eyes once more.

“Oh, fuck,” I scream as a horn blares, jerking my wheel to the right to avoid runningheadlong into a semi-truck, whose lane I was driving in.

I lose control of the car as it hits a puddle from the overnight rain, spinning out as it hydroplanes. I hit the brakes, trying to slow the car, but I don’t know how fast I was even going. I don’t have time to do anything else but hold on as I head straight for a tree on the side of the road.

I really wish I would’ve worn my seat belt.

With that thought, the car barrels into the tree, and I’m knocked unconscious.

Well, that hadn’t gone as we’d hoped it would.

I blow out a breath as I watch Lila stumble across the sand toward the parking lot.

Behind me, Ty’s sobs fill the air. My hands fist at my sides as I tear my eyes away from the woman I’ve wanted for the last ten years to one of the men I’ve loved even longer than that. Carter wraps his arms around the other man, eyes darting up to glance between me and Oliver.

The desperation and the fear in his eyes are the same exact feelings coursing through me.

I don’t know how much Ty can take until he just gives up.

Fuck.

I can’t lose himandLila. We have to figure out a way to get her to listen. For Ty’s sake, at least.

I just don’t know how to make her listen.

It had been Ty’s idea to follow her when she left her house and then to join her for her swim. In the ocean, everything felt so right with her at our side. It was everything we should’ve had—everything we could have if she would just hear us out.

“Shit, she just drove off,” Oliver grumbles. “She shouldn’t be driving in that condition.”

Ty’s head jerks up. “We need to follow her.”

Carter makes a face. “I don’t know, Ty. We already stalked her from her house to here. She says she isn’t ready to hear us out. If she realizes we’re following her, she might call the cops.”

“Carter, she’s upset! She could hurt herself or someone else. We just need to follow her home to make sure she’s okay. That’s it.” Ty pulls away, grabs the pants he’d dropped back into the sand, and yanks them on. He heads for the car, leaving his shirt and shoes in the sand.

“Ty, wait,” Carter calls after him, cursing to himself as he dips down to grab the rest of Ty’s clothes before sprinting after him.

Grabbing my shirt and shoes, plus Carter’s, Oliver and I hurry to keep up with them.

When Ty heads for the driver’s side door, Carter grabs his arm. “You’re not in anycondition to drive either. Take the passenger seat, and I’ll drive.”

Ty looks like he wants to argue but takes his clothing from Carter and heads around the car. I toss him his shirt and shoes before climbing into the back with Oliver.

“Seat belts,” Carter calls out as he backs out of the spot and heads back to the road. We’re not too far behind Lila, but I can’t see her car as we merge onto the road.

When Carter glances in the rearview mirror, giving me a pointed look, I roll my eyes before putting on my seatbelt.

“Yes, Dad,” I mumble, but he definitely hears me as he makes a face.

“Can you go faster, please?” Ty asks, hand shooting across the center console to grasp Carter’s knee.

Carter sighs before speeding up just a bit. “It won’t do us any good if we get into an accident trying to catch up with her. The roads are wet from the rain.”

“It’s okay, Ty. Carter will catch up.” Oliver reaches around the seat to grab Ty’s shoulders, fingers massaging his tense muscles.

Ty’s head falls forward as a moan spills from his lips. “That’s nice.”

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