Page 2 of Crashing Into Me
For the first time in a long time, Lana smiled. This was what she needed in her life for the time being, and she couldn’t wait to get up to that slice of heaven in the middle of nowhere and forget the last year of her life.
AS HER SUVcrawled up the turnpike, the swaying of the stethoscope hanging from the rear view mirror occasionally distracted her—especially since the factory radio in the truck was beyond repair. Keeping her hands at ten and two, there was only the blur of trees whizzing by the windows to keep her company. Lana reached down to the cup holder for her bottle and took a sip of her diet peach iced tea. The lightly sweetened elixir was crisp and smooth on her tongue and throat. She rested the bottle down again and glanced at her watch. Seven more hours on the road to go, and not a rain cloud in sight to slow her down.
The sun was high in the sky at eleven in the morning, and there wasn’t any traffic. Glancing up at the rearview, there were no cars or fourteen-wheelers behind her either, which was odd—but she was grateful. Too many cars always gave her anxiety when driving at high speeds. The fewer vehicles, the less risk of dying in a fiery car pile–up and the better for her nerves. Paula had offered to fly her up instead of driving, but Lana refused—she liked road trips even if they were alone.
Paula’s house was located in the small town of Hamby, Georgia, tucked away in a valley and surrounded by nature. To Lana, it was a magical place where no one was rude, nosy, or constantly in a hurry like most big cities. People actually smiled at you and said “good morning” and “y’all,” and men held doors open for you. The townspeople were very laid back and friendly. Important ingredients she needed at the moment.
Hamby itself was picturesque, with its mountaintop skies, country roads, and historical buildings around every corner. The temperature was also something that she loved, as it was seldom warmer than sixty-five degrees in February. Lana was born in The Bahamas and grew up in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, so the heat had been a constant in her life and something she had looked forward to changing in the near future. The best part of Hamby, other than the scenery and people, was the two-story house on the hill surrounded by forest; it was like some exclusive members-only resort with only one guest,her.
A gust of wind snapped her out of thought—it was really getting cold now. Looking down at the broken heater, she wished she had gotten it fixed before leaving town. She was almost to the Georgia line and could tell not only from the temperature drop but also because the trees were getting taller and more beautiful. Back home, the majority of trees were palms, and while beautiful as well, she longed to see foliage that changed with the seasons. There’s barely a winter season in the southernpart of Florida; you were lucky to get three or four days of “cold” weather, which consisted of temperatures in the upper sixties.
Although she was wearing blue jeans, black boots, and a thick black sweater, her thin frame was beginning to get frigid, so she hit the window up button on the door panel to preserve what heat she could. As she continued down the road, her mind fell onto Sam and the ordeal from the night before. The pain in her back was nearly gone, but the embarrassment was still fresh. She was reminded of it a few hours ago when some of her co-workers texted her things like:
Are you OK?
OMG
CALL ME
She didn’t respond to any of them. Instead, she focused on packing her warmest clothes and finally getting the chance to wear a pair of boots she bought a few months ago. What people didn’t seem to understand was that she was over him, just not necessarily what he had done. The fear of being broken in that way by another man was what kept her at bay when it came to dating, so she kept to herself. Shaking the thoughts from her head, Lana focused her eyes on the road and pressed on the accelerator a little harder. Flicking her eyes to the rearview mirror, she noticed a black sports car was approaching from behind at an alarming speed.
It was the first car on the road with her for hours, and it was flying like a bat out of hell. Lana held her breath in anticipation of a collision and wondered if she should merge into the next lane. She shook the thought away, knowing the car would eventually go around her—why wouldn’t it?
Stop being a freak.She furrowed her eyebrows and concentrated on the road ahead, and waited to see the car zip past her at any moment. There was loud music blaring from behind her truck, so she knew the car was closing in. Tapping her fingers on the steering wheel, she contemplated what to do next.Do I merge or...?But the person in the car was laying on the horn now, making her nerves unravel.
“Why don't you just go around?” she asked out loud, as the car tailgated her.There are no other cars on the road besides us, so what’s this person’s problem?
Lana pushed on the gas pedal a little harder to put some distance between them and turned her left blinker on. Once she could see the car's headlights again in the rearview, she returned her eyes to the road ahead.
“Jerk,” she stated as she started to merge into the left lane, when suddenly the car, a black McLaren, sped around her at a tight right curve in the road, way too close. Her heart pounded in her chest as the car lurched inches next to her. Bracing herself, she squeezed her eyes closed and nudged the steering wheel to the right, hoping to avoid hitting him. As she slammed the brakes, her truck fishtailed off the road and smashed into the guardrail.
She opened her eyes and saw the sparks her truck and the metal rail made from the impact in her passenger side view mirror. Finally, it screeched to a halt. She panted uncontrollably as she gripped the steering wheel for dear life. The McLaren slowed down and pulled over in front of her, the person cutting the engine. Then the driver, a very tall man, jumped out of the car. With her heart pounding out of her chest, she struggled to catch her breath as her body shook from the fright of the last few seconds. Her legs felt like jelly, and her knees were knocking against each other. She released the steering wheel, laid herhead against the headrest, and started taking slow, deep breaths. She caught a glance of her reflection in the rearview mirror.
Her warm brown skin had lost some color, and there was a sheen of sweat on her forehead. She wiped her face with the cuff of her sweater, and the smell of the cherry-scented car freshener helped to calm her. Lana closed her eyes to focus on slowing her heart rate.Deep breath through the nose, slowly out the mouth.The knock on her driver’s side window startled her, and she jumped up when she saw the well-dressed man there, running his hands through his hair. He took a step back from the door, and she slowly pushed it open and climbed out. As she stepped out into the cold air, it was like having a plastic bag removed from her head.
“Are you OK?” he asked, as he stepped towards her. Lana took a step back instinctively and glared up at him.
He was towering over her; he had to be six three or four against her five-six stature. His dark hair fell into his face, and the sunglasses he wore hid his eyes. People who wore sunglasses made her uncomfortable—for one, she could never tell where their eyes were looking, and two, she couldn’t tell what they looked like.
“I’m fine. My truck, however, is not,” she barked. “Are you completely insane? Why are you driving like an idiot?”
Lana stomped past him towards the side of her vehicle to inspect the carnage. Standing against the guardrail, she placed her hand on it, leaned over, and looked down the side of her truck. From what she could see, there was a long series of dents and deep scratches from the rear passenger side door all the way up to the front passenger side. The fact that the side-view mirror was still holding on was a miracle.
“Great,” she stated sarcastically and stomped back over to square off with the stranger.
He had taken his shades off now, and they revealed eyes so pale blue and piercing she forgot her initial thought to slap him. She could see his full face now, and it was something to behold. High cheekbones, a strong chin, with a delicate but manly nose. He also had a five o’clock shadow that made him look rugged and tough. Lana could tell he had a muscular build under the expensive leather jacket he wore, and she was speechless for a moment.Wow, she thought to herself as she looked up at his distracting face.
“I’m sorry, I wasn’t paying attention back there. Here, take my card,” he replied as he reached into his Armani pants and produced a leather wallet.
He opened it, pulled out a business card, and handed it to her. As she reached for the card, her hand grazed his, sending a small bolt of electricity through her.What the hell was that?The wind started to pick up, and he smelled of a heavenly men’s cologne, which didn’t help her sudden lack of composure.
“Give me a call and I’ll pay for all the damages.”
She looked down at the card and back up to his concerned face. At least he seems apologetic, but it doesn’t excuse his behavior. She looked at the card, and the name Kayden Capshaw printed in embossed ink in fancy lettering jumped out. She looked at him and tried not to focus on his eyes again. She needed to stay focused, and his were like kryptonite.
“Why not give me your insurance information? Wouldn’t that be easier?” she asked.
She almost wished he would put the sunglasses back on, as she felt silly having a conversation while trying not to look someone in the face. Instead of calling the police like she should, Lana found herself growing nervous and intimidated while he just stood there and looked at her. Usually, she would have ripped him a new one at this point, but she was entranced byhim. He may have been the most handsome man she’d ever laid eyes on. He certainly made Sam look like a gargoyle.
