Page 79 of Final Temptation
Ring.
Just when I thought her voicemail would pick up, her groggy voice answered. “Soph?” she questioned. “Is everything okay?”
“Paige…” Tears continued to roll down my cheeks; they were completely unavoidable at this point.
“Sophie, what’s going on?” She sounded more awake by the second.
“Babe, what’s happening?” I heard Declan from the other end of the line.
My heart snapped in two, having to be the one to deliver the news. I swiped at my tears, soaking the sleeves of my crewneck.
“It’s Myles.” My voice cracked. “He relapsed. We’re on our way to the hospital in an ambulance. Meet us there. I’ll tell you everything.” I could hardly get the words out.
“Soph, everything is going to be okay; you hear me?” I didn’t answer, I only continued to cry, her voice becoming more distant as my thoughts drifted away from me.
Saturdays quickly went from wildflowers and coffee to tequila and neon lights.
I was backat the crash site on Old Creek Road, only this time there was no smoke, no blood, and no broken glass. I didn’t wake up in a car, sitting next to Logan, with a front row seat to a smashed-up truck.
I stood on the side of the road next to a small iron cross that could withstand any snowstorm. Fresh white roses were scattered about, and the name Anthony was written across the tree it leaned against.
I wasn’t dreaming, and this wasn’t a year ago. It was real time, and the only chance I had at seeing the cross on the side of this dark mountain road was due to the headlights lighting up the exact spot. Headlights that belonged to a car looking a hell of a lot like Sophie’s.
Her car wasn’t the only one out here; she was parked behind me…
What was she doing here?
My back faced the bright lights, giving myself a better view of what she could be doing.
“Sophie,” I croaked.
She couldn’t hear me.
Why was she running away from me?
Her body ripped away from my Jeep at lightning speed. My eyes drifted back and forth between her andwhere I stood. A panicked Sophie came running back, her phone glued to her ear as she rambled to the person on the other end, tears staining her pink cheeks the entire time.
My hand begged to reach out, to help wipe her tears, but it was impossible.
I knew it wasn’t feasible when I looked to my left, my lifeless body slumped over the seat.
“What the fuck did you do?” I screamed at myself with no chance of anyone hearing.
The last thing I could remember was thinking of Sophie—her gorgeous smile, her bright colors, and all the little things in life that she found joy in. I texted her, telling her how badly I hurt. I hurt so fucking bad. There was so much pain that I was desperate not to feel anymore.
Not like this, though. I just needed one night. One night away from the pain, a way to shut it all off for just a few hours.
The pain kept getting worse. Just when I thought my last dream—the flashing images, the whole truth—was as painful as it could get, nothing would top what I felt right now. Seeing Sophie pound on my chest and shake my body, trying her hardest to wake me up with no success, it fucking gutted me.
As a ghost in the night, I listened in on her conversation.
“I can feel short breaths coming from his nose,” she said, speaking in a stutter.
So, I wasn’t dead?
Was I living in some alternate universe?
Was this just another nightmare?
