Page 72 of Final Temptation
Blood drained from my face as the tears continued to fall from my eyes, my vision becoming blurry.
Throwing the name tag to the ground, I continued to shake his bloody body, praying for any sign that he was still alive.
“Wake up, man! Please!” I continued to plead. “You have a family! You need to wake up! Fuck, Anthony, I’m so fucking sorry!” Logan’s hands found my shirt once again, tearing me away with an aggressive pull.
He fisted the ID card in his hand, an evil glare in his eyes staring back at me.
“If you don’t come with me now, I’m going to have to force you.” He pulled against my shirt harder, jerking me back toward the car.
I put up a fight, shoving him back.
“You’re fucking delusional if you think we can leave this man here to die! Get fucked, Logan. You can’t be for real right now!” I spat out.
“That man in there,” he pointed to the beat-up truck, “is my fucking ex-girlfriend’s father. No way in hell I can go down for this.”
I didn’t have any time to process what he said. I didn’teven have time to turn around to see if Anthony had moved at all. The last thing I saw was Logan’s fist aiming straight for my face.
The last thing I saw was red.
Red blood.
The red truck.
The inside of my eyelids.
Everything burned red.
I could feel the punch to my face like it happened in real time. The pain. The throbbing. The wetness from the blood that streamed down my face.
Except the blood wasn’t there. I laid on the couch, my body drenched in sweat instead.
My breathing picked up—the pounding in my chest so loud it boomed—the panic setting in. How was it possible to be soaked in my own sweat but have chills covering the length of my body all at the same time? The urge to vomit sank in, the bile rising in record time.
I stood up on shaky legs, the kitchen only a few steps away. The moment I made it to the sink, anything left in my stomach from earlier came up, leaving me feeling completely empty.
Slipping my phone out of my pocket, I checked the time. It was just after midnight, and Sophie still wasn’t home.
Her blonde hair, soft tanned skin, and warm brown eyes flashed through my mind. Everything about her was so goddamn comforting. I knew she’d be here in a heartbeat if I called. She wouldn’t judge me or tell a soul. But all I felt was shame. I was so fucking ashamed. What was supposed to be an amazing day between us ended so horrifically for me.
Every time I had this same dream, it was clear as day, amemory so embedded in my head it was like living it on a continuous loop. I got bits and pieces of the night I experienced, even though portions of it I couldn’t fully remember from all those months ago. I replayed the same memories in my head every time I had a meeting or went to bed.
The specks of memories were always there, lurking in my mind.
But this time? The entire night came flooding back to me like it happened yesterday.
The dreams were supposed to be gone. I was a changed man. I was climbing the ladder to a better life, one step at a time.
The cries for help, the rumble of the crash, the crunch of the glass, and Logan’s voice all grew louder in my head, the silence becoming so loud I could hardly take it.
I couldn’t be this way when Sophie came home.
The need to get out of here was overwhelming.
Before I could think twice, my eyes shifted through the apartment, locating my keys and wallet. With my limbs trembling, I headed straight out the front door and right for my Jeep. The driver’s side door slammed behind me, the eagerness to get away from here growing by the minute.
I cranked up the music, hoping it would drown out every sound screaming in my mind.
My body worked on autopilot, I didn’t give a shit where I was going, all I knew was I needed to leave.
