Page 229 of The Forbidden Note

And then it all goes black.

CHAPTERFIFTY-EIGHT

ZANE

I…

See…

It…

Happen…

The truck that appears out of nowhere.

The way it rams into Grey’s car.

The way her head slams on the steering wheel.

I hear the crunch of metal.

I feel the roar of pain that tears out of my chest and rattles through the mountains. And it’s even a little louder than the squeal of the attacker’s car as he backs away and speeds in the other direction.

I want to chase him, but I can’t leave Grey behind.

I’m running and then full on sprinting toward the wreck.

I don’t feel anything.

The wrist in a cast.

The exhaustion from hiking all the way down the mountain and then turning and heading back up to reach her.

Inside, my heart is pounding.

No, no, no.

Grey.

Please, God.

No.

With each step I take, the pain increases.

A shedding.

A trial by fire.

Somewhere, something—the little kid I was before I met her, the boy I was before I fell in love with her, the person I was before fate gave me something as precious as a person I could cherish…

It seeped away like the blood staining her leather steering wheel.

I died.

There is nothing,nothingworse than watching someone you love get hurt and not being able to stop it. As I cradle her face and watch her limp body, it all becomes crystal clear.

I amnothingwithout her. Damn. She’s my everything.

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