Page 62 of Final Goodbye
“Well…” He struggled to get this next part out.
“You were right. He convinced me I was less drunk than him, and the drive wasn’t far. He said I just needed to worry about getting us both back to his house and I could crash there. But I don’t remember anything that happened that night. I’m pretty sure I fucking blacked out.”
“Okay, so what’s up? I know you didn’t admit this last night but it’s over with. That was in the past. You don’t have to keep partying with him and hanging around him.”
“That’s not the point…” He looked up to the ceiling, trying his best to hold back the tears that escaped anyways. He let out a sob and slid from my grip. He was now sitting on the cold hard tile, with the wall supporting his back. His head found his hands as he let out sob after sob.
I knelt down in front of him trying my best to get some answers—doing my best to control his drunken emotions. “Myles, talk to me,” I whispered.
“Logan hasn’t stopped texting me. He’s trying to blackmail me. He said if I don’t tell you, he will go to the police. He cornered me at the bar last night and told me I had a week to admit what I did.” His head found the wall after he leaned back, giving it a hard knock in frustration.
“Hey, man. Come on, don’t do that to yourself.” I cupped the back of his head so he wouldn’t bang it into the wall again.
“What does Logan want you to tell me that you’re struggling to say right now? This doesn’t make any sense... And what the fuck would he go to the police for?” Myles looked me in the eyes, all emotion gone, like his soul had left his body. He was no longer there.
“I blacked out behind the wheel on October 8th.” His stare didn’t budge. He was waiting for my reaction to what he admitted. It took me a minute to make sense of the significance of that date.
Paige.
Her dad.
The hit and run.
My face paled as realization washed over me and my thoughts ran a mile a minute. How could this be? Was he saying he killed the father of the girl I loved? I swallowed the lump in my throat, trying to figure out what to say or do next.
I reared back, my heart feeling like it had dropped into my stomach. We both sat there in silence. Him in shock of his admission and me trying to take in everything that was just said. What the fuck was I going to do?
I told Myles I would be there for him. I told him we would fix this shit storm.Together.But how could I do that when Paige was on the other end of it? I was torn between two people I loved. I had to tell Paige. She deserved the truth. Her and her family deserved closure. This couldn’t be fucking happening.
“I have to tell Paige,” I whispered.
“You can’t, Declan. Please,” he pleaded. “I’ll go to fucking jail. Our family will beruined,” he added selfishly.
“Fuck, Myles. I’m put in an impossible position. What the fuck am I supposed to do? Continue to play house with Paige and act like I know absolutely nothing? Listen to her talk about how much she misses her dad and how she wishes she knew who fucking killed him?” My voice rose in frustration.
“I’ll do better, I swear,” he begged. “I’ll go to fucking AA or rehab. I’ll stop drinking and sober up. I’ll make this right. Please!” His cry was desperate.
“Fuck, Myles. Don’t you see that either way, I’m fucked here? I’m fucking heartbroken either way. Ilovethat girl. Why would she want to be with me, knowing her father’s murderer is my brother? How can she even look at me without seeing you?” I said in disgust.
“I fucked up. I know. I will never forgive myself for this. Why do you think I’ve been losing it the last few months? I can’t handle how I feel inside. Every morning when I wake up, I’m faced with the decision I made. Logan won’t let me forget it. I don’t know why he cares so much when it’s my life here at stake and not his. Sure, he knows about it because he was with me, but it wasn’t him behind the wheel,” he goes on as a light bulb goes off in my head.
“Wait… you said you were driving his car, right?” I asked.
“Yeah. The accident was right down the road from his place,” he answered in defeat.
“It was a hit and run, Myles. How did his car get home? Has he been hounding you to pay for the damages?” Suddenly, so many questions were running through my mind at warp speed.
“I asked him some of the same questions. I blacked out and couldn’t remember anything he was saying. I’ve hounded him with questions every day, trying to force any bit of information to come back to me. None of it makes sense. Even in my drunkest state, I’m not an asshole at heart. Drunk or not, I could never leave someone there to die.” He took a deep breath to try and calm down.
“What did he say happened to his car then?” I questioned.
“He said it was drivable. Fucked up, but able to drive. I clipped the other car just right to where it was sent skidding into a tree. Apparently, I was still able to drive away. He said he’s been hiding his car in the garage ever since. He didn’t want to draw attention to his vehicle while the police have an open case against the hit and run. He didn’t want anyone asking questions. That’s why he’s been pressuring me to tell someone. I guess he figures if I tell you, then you’ll tell Paige and he doesn’t have to get his hands dirty by telling the cops.”
“Well, he’s a fucking idiot because there is no world in which I wouldn’t let that guy go down for what he’s guilty for. It’s hisfucking car and he deserves to be held responsible just as much as you would. He pushed you to get behind the wheel, man.”
“I know… I just wish I could remember how this all went down. It just doesn’t feel right. Fuck!” He let out an aggravated grunt.
“You’re not wrong. Something definitely feels off about this. I’m going to figure this out, okay? You need to trust me and don’t do anything stupid in the meantime.” I stood up, trying to compose myself. Reaching out my hand, I gave him a boost up.
