Page 68 of It's Not Home Without You

“Sorry, Freya, but we aren’t part of the wedding party. We didn’t go to the rehearsal dinner.”

“I slept with him,” I blurted. I needed to share it with someone else. “I know it was wrong, but… God, it justhappened, and I know I should feel bad, but I can’t make myself not want him. He’s a part of me, and I can’t picture myself without him. I tried, and I wasn’t happy. I was just existing, but I wasn’t living.”

There was silence on the other end of the line until Jana spoke softly. “Go get your guy, Freya.”

Who knew that was all the validation I needed? The rain got heavier, making it impossible to see what was in front of me. The headlights on this truck weren’t as bright as they should have been. I knew this road, and I knew this town.Not giving it a second thought, I didn’t slow down. I kept driving, trying to get to Max as fast as possible. The truck slid, my heart hammered in my chest, and I told myself everything was okay because it was nothing but dirt on this side of town. Except how could I forget? How did I not remember the damn bridge? My stomach sank at the same time the car knocked over the old wooden bridge and fell into the water.I wished we had more time.My head hit hard against the steering wheel. Then everything went black.

Max

My brother and father were the first to call me when I got home. I answered them both; one, Prescott had to know I had a good reason to break things off but I was not explaining dad’s clusterfuck over the phone. Two, because I didn’t want my father anywhere near me. My brother was many things, but sensitive and caring he was not. He cared about how my broken engagement would make him look with the voters.

My father, on the other hand, was calm on the other end of the line, but I was fuming. “Son, it’s okay. Weall get cold feet on our wedding day. Come tomorrow morning, you will feel better.”

“It’s not cold feet, Father. When I marry the woman I love, I know I won’t have any doubt in my mind I want to spend forever with her. Abigail is not that woman. There willnot be a wedding tomorrow. Juliet told me what you did, so excuse me while you’re the last fucking person I want to hear from.” As soon as I hung up the phone, I turned it off. My mind was set, and for the first time in years, I wasn’t lost. I knew exactly what I wanted and what I would do to get it. I wanted Freya, and nothing would stop me from having her.

Come tomorrow, Freya wouldn’t even know what fucking hit her. “I’m coming for you,” I vowed as I took a drink, letting the liquid amber burn down my throat as I allowed the chaos from today settle. My fingers no longer trembled. The storm was beginning, but the calmness was already in me.

The pounding on my door made me stop my planning for a second. I was going to pretend like I wasn’t home in case it was my family or Gary here to defend his sister’s honor.

“Max, you in there?” The voice was familiar but not one I could place. I opened the door only to have Detective Hendrix almost hit me.

“Can I help you?” I had nothing against the detective until I saw how close he had gotten with Freya.

“Emma said I should find you.”

“Is everything okay with Emma? I asked skeptically.

“No, I mean, yeah, Emma’s fine. It’s Freya… She’s been in an accident.” The detective’s words made my heart stop and my knees go weak. Numbly, I followed him outside to his car, my mind racing through thousands of scenarios.

Freya had to be okay. I had just decided to win her back.

She had to be okay.

I got my shit together long enough to say, “Someone needs to tell Eugene.” Dex called his father to ask him for the favor.

“Yeah, Dad, can you do me a favor? Can you go over to get Eugene Pratt? His granddaughter has been in an accident.” He paused, then said, “I don’t know… Okay. Thanks, Dad.”

The ride seemed eternal. Dex barely put the car in park before I was getting out and running to the hospital entrance. The rain hadn’t stopped, but it was drizzling now, the storm dying down. When I walked into the waiting room, Jana was sitting next to Emma. Russell and Jake were both standing and talking amongst themselves.

“Why didn’t anyone call me!” I yelled at Rus and Jake.

“And why should I call you, Max?”

There was a challenge in Russell’s tone that made me snap. I grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pushed him against the wall. I heard Jana shriek and saw Jake at my back, trying to pull me back, but the adrenaline and anger were fueling me.

“Because she’s mine!” I roared. “She’s been mine since she was fifteen, and she’s sure as fuck still mine.” My chest was heaving, but my fist clenching Rus’s shirt loosened. Russell wasn’t angry; instead, he was giving me a smug smile.

“Not like we didn’t see this coming,” Jake mumbled as he pulled me away from Russell. “Heard what happened earlier today.”

I shouldn’t be surprised he knew; the whole town wouldknow by sunrise. I didn’t give a fuck about giving it time, not when the woman I loved was in the hospital.

“What did you do?” Russell asked.

“I canceled the wedding,” I replied, looking straight into his eyes. Russell gave me a nod in acceptance. I didn’t need his blessing, but it felt good to have it. “Tell me what happened?” I croaked. Freya had to be fine, I couldn’t live without her. I had just gotten her back, if she got ripped away from me again... God, I couldn’t… I wouldn’t cope.

“I went to pick Blake and a few of his friends up since their car broke down by the old water tower. The rain had pickedup by the time we headed back. I figured I’d go straight and take the old way back since it was hard to see. When I made it to the bridge, I noticed the headlights down by the water. I told Blake to call 911. Freya was unconscious when I found her. There was blood on her head. I brought her here immediately. I didn’t wait for an ambulance,” Jake explained. That’s when I noticed his brother and a few of his friends by the far wall.

“What was she doing driving in weather like this?”

---