Page 39 of The Late Hit
“Nothing progressed after the dance. Bryce saw us kiss and was pissed. He had words with Asher. I was so mad at my brother. I thought he had ruined my chances of having a boyfriend. Then in eighth grade, I got my first boyfriend, but it wasn’t Asher. Asher was pissed, so he got his first girlfriend. This cycle continued throughout the whole year. You know how dating was in junior high. So at the eighth-grade end-of-the year dance, he cut in while I was dancing with someone and kissed me. Anyway, that was the day everything changed. Asher and I started dating. Fast forward to sophomore year. My cousin, Thad, had gotten three tickets to the Indianapolis Colts–New England Patriots game in Indy.”
“Thad?” Quinton interrupts.
Ignoring his comment, I continue. “It was supposed to be Thad, Bryce, and me going to the game. But Asher loved Tom Brady, so I told him to go in my place. And that’s the night everything changed.” I pause, too shaken up to continue.
Quinton gives me the time I need, squeezing my thigh and my shoulder with his hands, letting me know that he’s here for me. Inhaling a deep breath, I turn to face Q.
“Thad was driving them home, and when he stopped to get gas he took a cocktail of pills. He had a reaction to them while he was driving with the cruise control set. Thad was overdosing as the car went through the median and into oncoming traffic. A semi hit the passenger side. Bryce was in the passenger seat, and Asher was in the backseat, passenger side.”
“Oh god,” Quinton says quietly, wiping the tears from my face.
“Ash and I were supposed to be endgame. He gave me a promise ring for my sixteenth birthday. It was supposed to be forever. And I know,I knowwe were young, but it was like the stars had aligned for us.”
All the emotions come rushing back to me, hitting me like a tsunami. I turn my head into Q’s shoulder and let the sobs take over.
FIVE YEARS AGO
The sound of the doorbell wakes me. Rushing down the stairs to open the door, I don’t bother looking to see who’s at the door. Asher had texted me that they were on their way home, and we had been texting on his ride home until I fell asleep. Assuming Bryce forgot his key again, I open the front door. A huge smile is on my face, as I anticipate the stories from the game. I’ve been jealous of them, but I know I made the right decision letting Asher go see his idol.
I jump as I take in the two uniformed policemen standing on our front porch. Immediately, I know something is wrong. Clutching the door, I stare at the two men.
“What happened?” I croak out the words.
“Miss, are your parents home?” one of the officers asked.
“Is it my dad or my brother?” I ask in a whisper.
Dad was staying in the city, which he often does during the week. My parents have a condo in the city where they often crash, depending on their schedules.
The other officer removes his hat and lowers his head.
“Miss, is your mom home?”
“Yes, I’ll go get her,” I responded, opening the door wider. “You can come in.”
The officers come into the house, closing the front door, while I turn and run up the stairs to my parents’ room.
Mother was asleep with her sleep mask covering her eyes. Going around to her side of the bed, I start nudging her shoulder, trying to wake her, hoping that tonight wasn’t a sleeping pill night.
“Mom! Mom, the police are here.” I rush the words, trying to get her to wake up.
That does the trick, and she jumps up with a start. Glancing at me beside her, she climbs out of bed, slipping on her silk robe. The two of us descend the stairs, not saying a word.
The first officer acknowledges us first.
“Ma’am, we are sorry to stop by so late. Unfortunately, there’s been an accident.” Mom grabs my hand, squeezing it, as the officer continues. “Your son was involved in an accident on Interstate 65. He’s been airlifted to—”
I zone out, feeling like my head's underwater as my knees give out, and I collapse to the floor. The other officer squats down in front of me trying to talk to me, but all I hear is the teacher’s voice from Charlie Brown. I can’t process any of it. The officers never said anything about Asher. Oh god, Asher.
Snapping out of it, I look the officer in the eyes. “What about Asher? Asher Nelson was in the car too. He’s my boyfriend.”
“He’s been airlifted as well.”
Pulling myself out of Quinton’s embrace, I stop the memory from playing in my mind. I have to get the rest of the story out.
“Bryce and Asher were airlifted to the hospital. The doctors did emergency surgeries, but both were put in medically induced comas, hoping that rest would help them heal faster. Mom had the best of the best flown in to treat them, but it didn’t matter. Bryce’s body was too weak from the direct impact, and he passed within a few hours of the accident…” I pause, wiping the tears and snot with the back of my sleeve. “Asher showed progress, and we all got so hopeful. A few days later, the doctors decided to bring him out of the coma. He woke up,” I end the words with a sob.
“He woke up. I was the first person he saw when he woke up. It was the best moment of my life. The next three days were spent at his bedside, lying next to him. He told me how much he loved me, and how he couldn’t wait until we were eighteen so we could start our lives together. On the fourth day of him being awake, I had to lay my brother to rest. I promised him I’d be back as soon as I could…” Another sob racks through my throat.
