Page 38 of A Brilliant Spring

“Drive safe, you hear?” I give him my best confident smile.

“I always do,” I confirm. His eyebrows lift in disbelief at me, and my stomach sinks as I laugh nervously.

“I seem to remember two teenagers stealing my Audi before they were supposed to drive and side-swiping another car,” he grumbles. I smile innocently at him and shrug my shoulders.

“I always do, now. Is that better?” He grumbles some more, but drops the conversation and gives me a wink.

Riley and I leave the house and climb into the car, the rain still pouring down outside. We slam the doors closed and sit there for a moment, shivering. I press the ignition of the car and it rumbles to life. I click the buttons for the seat heaters to warm us up from the bone-chilling rain. I flick the windshield wipers on and they spring up, swiping the windshield quickly to compete against the rain.

Riley twists the knob to the radio and turns the volume up as I back out of the Jaimesons’ driveway. Throwing the car into drive, I slowly speed up, giving us time to look around the neighbourhood when we pass the house on my left that had me up all night thinking about a certain something, or someone. I clear my throat.

“Riles?”

“Hmm?” she responds, looking forlornly out the window, her elbow propped up on the window ledge and her head being held up by her hand.

“Do you remember what Brandt’s parents did? Or where he was from?” She turns to me and cocks her head to the side in confusion.

“Um, no. I don’t…why?” Huh. I bite my lip, thinking for a moment before responding.

“Uh…no reason. Just thinking.” Riley nods her head and turns her attention back to the passing scenery as we drive down the road, heading out of town.

•••

It’s been one hell of a long drive. The long stretch of the 401 seems to never end. The rain turned into freezing rain as we approached the city outskirts, and we’ve been crawling along the highway to get back to Toronto. So far, we’ve been on the highway for six hours, including two breaks for the pregnant lady to pee. It’s been a boring drive as well. We’ve both barely spoken, and we’re both gloomy. It’s like this weather has put a damper on our mood.

“What are you going to do about Rhys?” I ask her. She sighs, fumbling with the black Canada Goose coat draped across her legs.

“I don’t know, E…I’m dreading the talk he’s wanting to have. Part of me hopes he’ll say that he’s going to be in the baby’s life and that he’ll help. But I have this sinking feeling that he’s going to tell me to screw myself and that he’s out.”

“Aw, Riles. I don’t think he’ll do that.”

“Doesn’t matter what you think, E. It matters what he’s going to do. And there’s just something telling me something bad is going to happen. I don’t know how to explain it, but I can’t get rid of this feeling,” she says, looking down and rubbing her belly as tears brim in her eyes. “I don’t know what I’m going to do if he chooses not to be in our lives. I think…I think I might actually have to move home, E, because I don’t know how I am going to raise a baby by myself, and I cannot ask you to help or support me. I know that’s the last thing that matters to you, but what kind of person would I be if I did that to you? No, I can’t do it. I need to do what’s best for all of us, and that would be moving home. Hell, I wouldn’t even have to live with my parents. I could buy a small place for just me and the baby, since it’s much cheaper back in Chatham.”

I say nothing and let Riley get everything off her chest. She rambles on nervously about what she plans on saying or not saying to Rhys. I nod along, but I get lost in my own thoughts. My heart aches. I don’t know what I’ll do if I lose Riley at this point. If she moves home, it won’t be the same. We’ve always been together, and if I lose her after losing Brandt…I just don’t know.

We’re nearing Toronto as we take the exit to the Don Valley Parkway and continue heading toward the Gardiner Expressway. Itching to get off the highway as we’re so close to being home, I press the gas a little harder, and the sound of Riley snoring as she’s just drifting off makes for competition with my engine revving. I chuckle to myself at her little snores. Up ahead, I see a car swerve a little, but I think nothing of it. They’re probably just avoiding something.

I think back to Brandt and how tomorrow is the bi-weekly board meeting, and he personally confirmed his attendance. The beating of my heart picks up, racing as fast as my car on the highway. I’m going to see him tomorrow. Part of me is dreading it because it’ll be so hard keeping my distance, keeping myself restrained from running over to him, jumping into his arms, wrapping my legs around his waist, and devouring him with hungry lips. But another part of me is nervous and excited to see him. It’s been a little over a month, and I’m craving him. Even just a glance of him will help fix part of this ache…I hope.

The car in front of me swerves again, but bigger now. I tap my brakes, slowing my speed and trying to prepare for anything. The other car straightens out and keeps going. I don’t even realize I’m holding my breath until I let out an enormous sigh. With shaking hands, I grip the steering wheel tightly and transfer to the other lane, trying to avoid the car in front of me as much as possible. My heart is racing, but it’s only a few clicks until our exit, and then I can relax. I glance at the radio and turn the volume up a bit more to help me settle my nerves when bright red lights flash into my eyes and the car. My eyes snap ahead and the car in the next lane is swerving again, all over the road. I slam on my brakes to avoid the car that comes skidding toward us, but my car glides and the brakes lock up. I throw my hand out to brace Riley, and she jolts awake. She screams as we spin around and around toward our exit ramp. I turn the wheel opposite to our direction, trying to straighten us out, and lightly tap the brakes to slow down and try to regain control of the car. Riley is screaming loudly and crying, and it doesn’t help my nerves or focus.

“Riley, please,” I plead with her. One of her hands wraps around the door’s handle and the other wraps around her stomach, bracing herself for impact. The car finally stops spinning and I get us straight, but we’re still sliding until we crash into the exit wall ramp head first. Time slows, and my head smashes off the steering wheel, then bounces off the window, and when the airbag deploys, my head is thrown backward into the headrest. My vision bursts with stars and Riley is screaming hysterically. I try to tell her it’ll be okay, but my mouth won’t move, and everything fades to black.

Chapter

Thirty-Five

Riley

A hand smashes into my chest, waking me abruptly from my nap. When my eyes pop open, we’re spinning around in circles on the Gardiner Expressway, and another car has crashed further down the highway in front of us. My head spins as well, making me motion sick as I scream my lungs out.

“Riley, please,” Elissa pleads with me, but my logic isn’t listening right now. Piercing screams that could shatter the windows keep ripping out of me as Elissa tries to get ahold of the car again. I dig my heels into the floor of the car and squeeze my fingers around the door handle until my knuckles turn white. My throat is sore and ragged, but I can’t stop screaming. My eyes widen as we slide closer to the exit ramp, then slam straight into the wall.

The front end of the car hits the cement wall with a loud bang and there’s a thump to my side as another car from behind us taps into my side of the car. To my left, I see Elissa’s head bob like a rag doll. The air bags deploy, and then suddenly she goes limp.

“Elissa! Elissa!” I scream, but she’s not moving or waking. A visceral, bloodcurdling scream rips out of me; I’m losing it. Tears start streaming down my face, and my screaming turns to sobbing. “Please wake up,” I plead.

“Elissa…Elissa…” I bend forward to grab my phone from my purse and a sharp pain streaks through my stomach, causing me to scream again. Clutching my stomach with my one hand, I reach forward, breathing through the pain to grab my cell phone and call 911. The phone rings twice before being answered.

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