"Sorry." He slows down, barely. "But what's the point in buying a car that can do two hundred if you don't let her rip?"
"Rip some other time," I say, as we speed through another intersection. "Seriously, Xander, slow down!"
"I'm trying!"
Something in his voice makes me look over. Xander looks pale, he's flooring the brakes but nothing's happening.
"Stop kidding around," I tell him, my panic rising.
"I'm not. Fuck-"
Oh, God. I spot the light go red before I see a truck barreling straight for us. For me.
I scream.
Suddenly, Xander yanks the wheel, putting the car into a spin. My body slams into the passenger door as the world tilts on its axis. There's the sound of impact, shattering glass and groaning metal and screams.
Then everything goes black.
Chapter Seven
There's a sharp ringing in my ears. I groan, pain throbbing in my ribs. I can't move; it feels like I'm suspended in space.
What just happened?
I open my eyes. The world is upside down: broken glass, and twisted metal, and some kind of airbag …
Suddenly it all comes rushing back to me. The red light. The truck-no brakes!
From the corner of my eye, I see a flash of denim and blood.
"Oh God, Xander!"
He's crumpled against the seat and the roof, his body folded like he's been stuffed there. The airbag blocks my full view, but I spy his arm outstretched as if he's reaching for me. With a cry, I desperately try to reach him. Pain courses through my neck and shoulders, making it harder to move.
"Xander!"
The seatbelt is cutting into my chest and belly, blood rushing to my head. Wave after wave of dizziness assaults me as I scramble for my seatbelt. Everything seems in slow motion. This is all taking too long.
Why can't I find the damn belt buckle?
"Xander!" I scream again, praying for some kind of response. "Move your fingers. Xander, please!"
Suddenly, I find the seatbelt latch. I tuck my head instinctively as I slide down into a heap inside the tiny sports car. I grab at Xander's hand, but his fingers don't move. My vision is blurry, but I look over him the best I can for more bleeding-anything. Then I realize a low, gurgling sound is coming from his lips.
Tiny pink bubbles form in the corner of his mouth. Oh fuck! He's so crumbled up that he probably can't breathe.
He's going to stop breathing if I don't do something.
Tears roll down my face at the hopelessness of it. How am I going to get him out without help?
Help.
Why hasn't anyone come to help me?
I attempt to turn and look out the side window, but a misty fog in the air and the airbag block my view. That's when I hear shouting from outside. Maybe a baby crying? Someone is banging on the car.
A phone is ringing.
It sounds close. I find Xander's cell peeking out from beneath him. Grabbing it, I hit the speaker button.
"Help!" I cry. I don't know who it is, and I don't care. "I need help!"
"Juliet?"
The tears come harder along with an overwhelming sense of relief. "Dominic! Oh God. It's Xander, we got hit by a truck. He's not moving-"
"Slow down. Juliet, tell me where you are."
"I don't know," I sob. "We were driving back to the office. We can't be far."
"Baby, hang on. I'm on my way."
"There's no time!" I cry. "I need to get Xander out! I don't think he's breathing."
"Jesus! Can you open a door?"
"I don't know. The car rolled, we're upside down." I try to open the door on my side. "No, I can't get it open."
"Just stay calm," Dom orders me.
The banging on the door beside me gets louder, followed by a muffled shouting. The smoky haze seems to have gotten worse, along with the acrid smell of something burning.
"Are you hurt?" Dominic's calm voice pulls me back and I take quick mental stock of myself. My wrist and head hurt. My back aches and I think I bit my tongue, but otherwise, I'm in one piece.
"I'm okay, I think."
"Thank God. See if you can break the window. You need to get out of there."
I twist around. The window by me is already cracked. I bring my knees to my chest, and kick out. It cracks some more. Again. Finally, it shatters. I kick as much out as I can, and cool air comes rushing in.
"The window's out," I tell Dom, panicked. "But Xander's still unconscious." I grab his shoulder and try to drag him, but he's too heavy. "Dom." My voice breaks. "I can't do this."
"Yes, you can," he reassures me. I can hear noise in the background on his end of the call: traffic and sirens. God, I hope he's close. "You can do this, Juliet. Just stay calm."
I gulp another lungful of air and try to focus. Xander's leg is at a weird angle, trapped under the console. I reach in and lever it free, hoping to God I'm not causing more damage. Then I try to grab his shoulders again. This time, his body moves. I try again, grabbing both shoulders and pulling him toward me. Pain shoots through my right wrist and up my arm. I hold back a scream and grit my teeth. With a pull greater than anything I've ever done, I bring Xander toward me and drag the both of us out of the car.
"Whoa there!" Hands come to help me, more bodies. Passers-by, I guess, but I'm too relieved to think straight. They help pull Xander free from the wreckage and lay him out on the ground.
"Is he breathing?" I demand, panicked. A guy leans over to check, and then I see it: the tell-tale rise and fall of Xander's chest.
"All-clear," the guy nods.
"This thing's burning!" A cry of warning goes up. "Everybody get back!"
I'm so dizzy I sink to the curb. The car is a mangled twist of metal and glass, fire licking out from under the hood.
That could have been us, burning inside. It was close. Too close.
The last thing I think before passing out is Dom. I need to tell him his brother is OK.
"Welcome back," a gentle voice says. I blink awake and find an older man in a white coat wrapping up my wrist. "You've broken your wrist, my dear. This is a temporary cast for the next three days until the swelling goes down. Then you get the real thing."
I sit bolt upright. "Where's Xander?" I demand, panicked. "Is he OK?"
Before he can answer, the door flies open. Dominic bursts in.
"Juliet. Thank God!"
He pulls me into a fierce hug.
"Oww!" I wince.
"I'm sorry," Dom eases his grip a little, but doesn't let me go. "God, I'm so sorry."
My face presses into his neck as he strokes my hair. His muscles relax, but he's still so tense. "I'm safe now." I hold him tightly, never wanting to release him. But I have to know. I pull back.
"Xander?"
Dom's face darkens. "He has internal bleeding. He's in surgery now. That's all I know. I could kill him myself for putting you at risk like that. What was he thinking?"
"He saved me!" I protest. "The truck was heading straight for my side of the car. If Xander hadn't spun to get me out of the way … "
I trail off, horrified by the thought.
Dom's expression changes. "I didn't realize. Fuck." He takes my face in his hands and kisses my forehead. "They said he'll be alright. In the meantime I'm getting you a private room, the best possible doctors."
"She'll be able to go home tonight," the gray haired doctor says. "You have a mild concussion, a broken wrist, bruised ribs, and some scrapes."
Dom nods. "Then I'm taking you home."
"But what about Xander?" I ask, feeling guilty. "Shouldn't we stay?"
The doctor shakes his head. "His surgery will last several hours. We'll call as soon as we have an update."
Dom deals with the paperwork, then takes me home. The other girls aren't home yet, so he settles me in bed like I'm made of glass – which I'm feeling right about now. My head still aches, and the pills they gave me for my wrist are making me woozy.
"Can you tell me what you remember?" Dom asks, as he tucks the covers around me. "About the crash?"
My mouth feel like an old gym sock has been stuffed inside. It takes a second to work around it. "He was going too fast. I told him to slow down. But then, the brakes didn't work. He couldn't stop. And then, the truck … He saved my life."
Noise comes from the living room – Callie and Em arriving home. Dom goes to talk to them, and then I'm lying on a cloud. Such a happy, cozy, warm little cloud.
These pain pills aren't messing around.
Dom hovers over me with a small, sad smile. Slowly, his lips brush mine before he claims them completely. It's tender and sweet and probably a figment of the narcotics. But it feels so good; it has to be real.
Dom pulls away and runs a finger down my cheek. "I'm going to check on Xander, but I'll be back soon."
I try to reach for him, to make him stay, but all my strength is gone. I hear his footsteps leave the room, but his scent and the taste of his sweet kiss stay.