Chapter 31
I finally caught my breath. Josh walked over to me and grabbed my arm; he kept the gun pointed at Derek and Taylor. “If either of you move, I’ll shoot her.” Then he pointed the gun at my head.
He started to pull me out the door, and then several things happened really quickly. Taylor lunged for me, I hit the ground hard, there was a gunshot, Taylor hit the ground, and then Josh picked me and threw me over his should running out the door.
I got a quick glimpse and I saw Taylor lying on the ground in a pile of blood. “Taylor!” I yelled, calling for him. I needed him to be ok.
“Shut up, bitch.” Josh said hitting me over the head with the gun, knocking me out.
—
I woke up in the backseat of a large SUV. My dad was behind the wheel and Josh was sitting in the passenger seat.
The sight of Taylor lying helpless on the floor bleeding kept playing over and over in my head. I didn’t know if he was dead or alive.
I kept telling myself that he was strong, that Derek would help him, and that he would be ok. But I felt like I was lying to myself. I couldn’t stop the ocean of sorrow that threatened to drown me.
“Oh good, you’re awake.” My dad said bitterly.
In that instant I just cracked. Who could blame me? I’d been through a lot.
I saw that we were about to cross the bridge that left town, and I knew once we did I would have no hope of ever escaping.
So I l made sure my seatbelt was on and leaned into the front of the car and I jerked the wheel. We were going fast, so a little jerk went a long way. We broke right through the barrier of the bridge and plunged into the river below.
When I opened my eyes I saw that water was already up to my waist, and entering the car rapidly. My dad was unconscious lying across the steering wheel, and Josh was nowhere to be seen.
I realized the car was sinking tail end first, so I didn’t have a lot of time. I undid my seat belt and I tried to move, but my leg was stuck. The water was already up to my shoulders. I pulled as hard as I could on my leg, but it wouldn’t budge. What the fuck was it caught in? I didn’t have much time, the water was already up to my head and I had only a couple of seconds of air left.
It was ironic really, there I was only moments ago thinking about drowning in sorrow and now here I was literally drowning. I hoped Taylor was ok.
I took and deep breath plunged under the water puling on my leg. I could feel myself running out of air. I was starting to lose my concentration and strength. I finally got a good look at what was holding me down, it was a large case. Once I located the handle I was able to push it away. As I did so it opened and a picture of Josh kissing another guy floated out. I grabbed it and shoved it into my shirt.
I managed to maneuver into the passenger seat which wasn’t completely submerged yet. I found an air pocket and came up gasping.
I took as many deep breaths as I could, treasuring the oxygen that I had been deprived of seconds ago.
I looked down and there was blood swirling around me in the water. When I looked to my left I saw my dad had regained consciousness. He had cut his head badly and was bleeding everywhere. “Haley, help me,” He begged.
The water was already up to our necks, I only had seconds left before being plunged back under.
I looked over at him and thought about all the terrible things he did to me. All the times he beat me, all the times he told me I couldn’t do something, all the times he made me cry, all the times he had hurt me.
So, when the water came over my head, I took one look at him with his pleading eyes, and I swam the other way out the broken passenger door window.
I was having a baby, and there was no way I was going to put anything else in the way of its safety.
