My Escape

Chapter 2: The Chase

Chase glances in the rearview mirror, silently cursing himself for getting stuck in this situation. He had just gotten out of one messy ordeal. He didn't need any other reasons to make his world turn upside down.

"Look in the mirror and tell me if that's him," he instructs as he focuses his eyes back on the road ahead, pleased with the distance that they had covered since leaving where they wound up together.

He just hoped that it was easily able to be maintained, and he'd find a safe spot before something could happen. He couldn't imagine the thought of the person catching up to them, and what would be possible. He'd seen the lengths someone would go already, and wasn't about to test the waters.

"How am I supposed to be abl-" The female alongside him starts as his frustration begins to boil over. It also didn't help when he had someone beside him that he knew nothing about – except she was a nurse, and escaping trouble at the moment.

"Look, damn it!" She then glances in the mirror, catching a glimpse of the blue front-end of the pick-up behind them. A sigh could be heard immediately in knowing that was not a vehicle in his collection.

"We're fine. That's not him." Chase almost didn't want to slow down, in case her guess was wrong. Besides, the person may have sent someone else or stolen a car to chase after her. How he was supposed to trust someone that he didn't know? Though he slowed down, pulling over by the side of the road, watching the other vehicle go screaming on by. "Thank you, by the way."

"You're welcome." He went onto say more as he pulled back onto the road, though bit his tongue. There was sympathy in knowing what she was experiencing, having been through the mess with Annabelle. He wanted to explain what happened if you didn't do the right thing, ensure that she learned from his lessons. He wanted to make sure this time someone was doing the right thing. However, was it right to divulge it all to a stranger?

"My name is Danielle, by the way. I should've told you that sooner before we ran off together." He wanted to glance over in her direction, but his eyes remained focused on the road. He had other things of more concerning than connecting the dots of name and face together.

"It's nice to meet you, Danielle. My name is Chase." She didn't need him to say that, having seen the posters and everything around town. However, it was just simple introductions.

"I have come to fancy myself as Ryan Blaney fan, actually." He froze in thought, knowing that meant she knew who exactly whom he was, as predicted through the conversation earlier. "I was supposed to go to Atlanta this year before my boyfriend ripped the tickets up and told me we weren't going."

"You mentioned that you ran out of the house because he tried to kill you tonight. Where were you going?" He almost was at the verge of spilling everything. He was ready to speak from his experience, tell her what she should do, teach lessons from experience, and even break her trust if necessary. After all, it was this guy's intentions which caused him to almost hit her and then break speed limits through Georgia afterwards.

"I didn't have a destination in mind, to be honest. Hence why I was just wondering down the middle of the road. I didn't care where I was going. I didn't care where I was. All that mattered was that I was alive, away from him, and continuing to put distance behind me in that regard. I just wanted to get away and be free. I didn't want to give him another chance to punch me, or try agai-"

"Have you thought about telling the police?" She nods her head as she glances over, having seen the news with the tale spread about the murder charges that he supposedly was being framed for.

"After I was sure that I was away, that was going to be my next destination actually. This isn't no first occurrence with him. It has been going on for long enough. I kept trying to tell myself he had anger issues, and it'd be okay. I kept believing him when he'd say that he'd get the help that he needs, things would improve, and he'd stop going after me. Though I was a fool to believ-"

"You aren't a fool, Danielle. You're a fighter, a hero, someone who deserves all the strength in the world for overcoming what you have overcome to be here today. you are a hero for not allowing to continue hurting you, getting away, and ready to do the right thing." He lets out a sigh as he wished he was telling someone those words right now, even if she was still his hero no matter what for what she had endured.

"Thank you, Chase. That means a lot coming from you. I also know that things haven't been easy for you these past couple months – based on the news says anyway, but I want you to know that it will be okay." He finally takes his eyes off the road for a brief second, glancing over to share a shy smile. It was the same words that everybody had said to him through everything, but it felt different coming from her.

"Thank you...." He then pulls into the parking lot for the hospital, pulling into a spot before turning the ignition into the off position. His hand immediately goes to his shoulder, the pain stronger than it was earlier, though obviously her bandage job doing the trick for the time being as he felt no new soakening happening. "You did a good job taking care of me so thank you."

"Even if I was the cause?" Chase wanted to say something in return, though bit his tongue. It was obvious they both had bigger fish to fry than what had happened on the road.

"Let's just say that if you would've made it worse, Ryan may have kicked your ass as you would've ruined his good work of saving my life." The confusion hit Danielle's face immediately as their eyes connected. "He opened a vein right after I was stabbed to donate blood. They said without it, it would've been much worse."

"I knew he was a great racecar driver, but that certainly makes me respect him much more in saying that I picked the right driver." Chase nods his head, as he was willing to accept any compliments offered for Ryan since what happened.

"He's a damn good best friend, too."