Page 88 of Mine Forever
Then suddenly the sound comes back on at full volume.
All at once, I hear the hiss of the truck engine, the incessant thump of the windshield wiper blades against the glass, the pounding of the rain on the roof of the cab.
The smell of rubber and antifreeze permeates the air.
Breathing hard, I unclench my hands from the wheel and look over at Eden.
She looks back at me, her chest heaving, her eyes wide.
But she’s alive and breathing.
I unhook my seat belt and climb across the seat, patting her body, checking for injuries. “Are you okay?”
She nods slowly, her eyes still wide with shock. “Yeah, I think so.”
When she turns her head, blood is running down the side of her face. “Fuck, Eden, your head’s bleeding.”
She lifts her hand slowly to her head. “I guess it does hurt a little bit.”
A knock on her side window startles us both. I reach over and hit the down button to lower the window. Sheriff Youngblood is on the other side.
“You guys okay?”
“She’s got a cut on her head, maybe a concussion.”
I look down at Eden’s face, which in just a couple of seconds’ time has gone white as a ghost. “Eden? Are you okay? Talk to me.”
“My foot. My head. Pain.”
I shift to get a better look at the floorboard and see the side of the truck has caved in on impact, and her foot is trapped in a ridge of metal.
And there’s blood.
Shit.
“Sheriff, we’re going to need an ambulance and the fire department. It looks like her foot is caught.”
“Already called for one. Looks like Stan Truman had a heart attack at the wheel.”
He pats Eden’s shoulder. “Take deep breaths and hang tight, ma’am. Medical help will be here shortly. Any other injuries?”
We’re able to see Eden has no other visible injuries other than her foot and head.
But for me, that’s two injuries too many.
As the sheriff jogs away to meet the fire department, Eden drops her head back and lets out a breath. A grim smile plays on her lips. “Guess I should have listened to you and stayed home, huh?”
“Sunshine…”
The fact Eden has injuries at all makes me want to be sick.
Before I can dwell on the fact that I’ve once again fucked up where she’s concerned, the fire department descends on the truck.
When the sounds of the cutter hit the metal, I know they’re having to cut Eden out. I can’t hold off the nausea, and I run to the grass on the side of the road and vomit.
A small towel appears in front of me when I finish dry heaving.
“You alright?” Youngblood asks.
