Page 47 of The Summer We Played Pretend

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just happened to be here when...well, you can see," I gesture vaguely at the accident scene.

“What the hell am I going to do about this damage?” the driver demands and I ease Chloe behind me.

“Let’s focus on making sure everyone is safe first,” I say firmly, standing between the agitated car owner and the driver.

The distant wail of sirens grows louder, promising help is on its way. Chloe’s worried gaze meets mine, and I offer her a reassuring smile before turning back to the men.

She grips my arm lightly and helps me reassure the driver as we wait for emergency responders to arrive.

The paramedics quickly attend to the driver's minor injuries and the car owner’s anger seems to have subsided when he recognizes how shaken the driver is. Once a cop car comes by, the drama quickly subsides and I tell them what happened and step aside.

“I thought something happened to you when I heard the crash,” Chloe says, slipping her hand into mine. “I’m glad you’re safe.”

“Just a minor accident, thank God.” I glance at the driver and motion to my car. “Shall we get going?”

She nods. “Yes, please. It’s been a long day.”

We cross the road, hand in hand and I can’t believe how much I like holding her hand. It’s the simplest of things but having her hand in mine makes me feeling like I can do anything.

I open her door, our eyes meeting for a brief, charged moment.

"My hero," she teases gently, but there's a warmth in her voice that tells me she means it.

I drum my fingers on the steering wheel, stealing a glance at Chloe as I pull away from the scene.

"You okay?" Chloe asks, catching me looking.

I nod, forcing a smile. "Yeah, just thinking."

She raises an eyebrow. "About the crash?”

“In a way.”

“Life’s short.”

I nod. “It could have been worse.” I try not to picture Chloe standing on that sidewalk, too close to the crash, and what I would do if something happened to her.

“You were amazing, Jackson. Not everyone would be so calm.”

I give a dry laugh. “I’m not sure I feel calm now.”

“Should we pull over?”

“Nah, I’m good.” I sneak quick looks at her, still feeling the rush of adrenaline from the accident. But it's quickly replaced by the overwhelming feeling of relief knowing that she is safe next to me.

She reaches over and squeezes my hand. This is going to take some getting used to. My previous relationships were pretty shallow and it's hard to believe that I have someone like her in my life.

“I, uh, got a text from Ethan,” I say after a few beats of silence.

“Me too,” Chloe says quietly.

“I’m guessing you know he’s coming home?”

She nods tightly, staring ahead. “Have you told him about us?”

“No, have you?”

I see her shake her head from the corner of my eye. “It doesn’t seem right over text.”

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