THE LIGHT LAMINATES THE LETTER AND MAKES IT FEEL DRASTICALLY REAL. IT STINGS HER AS THE WIND THAT BRISTLES IN THROUGH Evie's open car window. Outside the air is clear, cold and crisp for a night spent curled up in her car—with a sleeping Jacob Faith in the back seat, snoring softly. And her smudged, cried-out eyes haunting her in the back-view mirror. She requests herself, and starts writing again in her old notebook, thinking things through—with profound thoughts—that makes her hand tremble with the effort and the words she wants to transfer onto the paper, all the more difficult.
Dear Lewis,
She sighs then tosses the notebook back into her bag and rolls up the window to shut out the chilly air that stings her cheeks. Beside her, Jacob is another world—and for a fraction of a second, Evie allows her the luxury of it too—to be in the circle of a boy's arms and not dwell on the repercussions later.
His arms are wrapped around her waist, her head then slowly sinks down to rest it against his chest with her nose pressed into his neck. At first, she thinks the sleeping, beautiful boy will awaken at her movements. When he doesn't, she traces the smooth, boyish lines of her face with her fingers. Loving the feeling of stumble trying to break through his jawline—and the slight dreamy, peaceful expression Jacob has on his face during sleep.
He looks younger, softer, gentle and kind. A sleeping, majestic lion in the heat of the morning sunshine.
For a moment, she bites her lower lip, caught between the fluttering feeling that trickles in her chest like dandelion seeds on the wind.
He's so handsome. And if wanted, he could be mine...forever. However, before she could think about forever and happy endings, sleep takes her from the world into dreams that turn into nightmares.
***
"Climb, Evie...Climb."
Evie tumbles in the car, as she sets herself on the passenger seat, and clamps her fingers on the edges of the rood-top window to hurl herself out, but her knees buckle, and she falls back into the seat when a flood of water starts to gush into the car, knocking her sideways.
Lewis is there. His strong hands force her up. "Get on my leg, Evie. I will push you out with my legs. You pull at the same time and you'll be out. You'll be safe. Do it now."
She goes to stand on his thigh, then pauses, a sob wrecks her body when she sees the blood that pools out of his leg through his denim jeans.
"Lewis, I can't. You're hurt. Your leg."
"It's nothing," he hisses. "I'm healthy as a horse."
Then, she feels it. The snap of a thousand pins and needles that hit her body.
The water was starting to rise.
***
EVIE WAKES UP STARTLED. Her eyelids shoot open, her neck snaps forward and for a second she believes she is back there. In the car with her brother Lewis—who is dying underwater. Sinking. Bubbles escaping his mouth as he draws in his last breath and leaves from his world. Leaving her all alone.
Lewis. He's gone. He's never coming back,
Evie stares out the windshield with fluttering eyelashes and escaped tears.
Just a dream. It was just a dream.
But also a memory. A terrible memory that burns into the front of her skull and makes her heart weep for the brother she lost. It was as if time had no measuring point. No end in sight. And her scars from the trauma still itching away at her. Like a wound—like the many, many wounds she still has—from that foreseeable, unchanging day that turned her world in this.
The grieving sister.
She rests her palm on her heart. Counts the heartbeats beneath her quicken breathes then exhales. It was only a dream. A dream. You're safe. You're here. You're—
Where was she?
She looks around. Her car was parked in an abandoned side lane on a highway she didn't recognise. Beyond her vision she sees rows and rows of farmer's fields. Golden wheat and barley soaking in the summer heat of the morning sun. Far away in the distance she sees a farmhouse—or a range with roaming horses. It was beautiful. So beautiful, she thinks she's still in her head—dreaming.
Until a soft, warm breath tickles her neck from the side of her face. She swirls to the side and sees...Jacob—fast asleep without any cares in the world. His neck is leaned against his seat belt and his head looms near Evie's shoulder—and for a blissful contentment, she allows herself to watch him sleep. His auburn hair is slightly messy, probably from his awkward sleeping position, his red eyebrows which are normally arched in deepful thoughts–are softer, calmer, and his face looks peaceful. Like the full world around him is nothing more than a beautiful, beautiful place.
He looks so beautiful when he sleeps, she thinks.
Wordlessly, she draws her fingers over his cheek and his hair out of his face. She thinks her movements might wake him...after all, she is stepping out of her comfort zone. And touching the guys she likes so much on the face while he's sleeping. But she couldn't resist. He is perfect. A summer-morning day-dream to keep her heart, mind and body safe.
He stirs under her touch. Then opens his eyes. "Hey," she says softly. "Sleepy head."
He straightened himself until his head rests on the seat and rubs his eyes. "How long was I out?"
"A while." Evie responds. "I was admiring how hot you look while you sleep."
Jacob cracks a grin. "Were you, darling?"
"Yeah," Evie states, suddenly it feels like she is brave. Like she can say anything or do anything around his boy and he wouldn't give a crap...well, he would. But it was different. It was easy. It was like she could breathe around him. Be herself and something completely different around him at once. Like she could move mountains, fly and take on the world.
"Jacob," she states. But he's already got his seat belt unclipped with a soft click and his face is so close to hers, she can feel and sense every emotion building in her car. It's suffocating. This tension—so thick, you could cut it with a knife.
"Jake," she says again. "About last night—I'm sorry. I'm so sorry you found me like that. I was really emotional about my brother, and hearing about Dallas being in the car-crash brought everything back. The memories—the pain, everything and I couldn't handle it. I couldn't deal with the pain. With the guilt of knowing I was put in the hospital. Like my brother the day our car went off that barrier..."
His larger hands are wrapped around her face and he draws her closer to him until there noses pressed together, until their eyes lock. And in the heat of the morning sun, Jacob Faith smiles at her softly. The edges of his lips title upwards until she sees the freckles on his face dance in the light. And she reaches out for him, too. Grasping him, like he's a lifeline back to all the bright places she wants to be.
"Don't be sorry, Evs." he breathes. His voice is laced with the most affection she ever hears from him, and it also brings tears to her eyes. "You're beautiful even in your saddest of moments and I want to be with you for every single one."
Evie cannot believe what she is hearing. Is sounds like she's in a dream. A far-away, picture-perfect dream. She wants clarity to swallow her whole, until consumes her body. She wants him to prove to her that this is not a world fabrication by her subconscious.
"Am I dreaming, Jakie?"
He shakes his head in a firm response. "No, love. You're not."
"Prove it to me, then," she whispers. Her thin arms lean over his neck, and she runs her hands in the back of his hairline. She loves the feeling of his hair between her fingers, and the sly, smirk on his face from her doing it.
He raises an eyebrow. "How love? Like this?"
His hands move in slow pace to her waist until they reach her hips and rest with awkward tension there and he lifts her into his lap. Evie feels his hands tremble with nerves but she keeps him grounded by placing his hand further around her back until they rest on the small of her back like a wildfire she doesn't want to put out.
With a small sigh, she presses her body to his until he leans in and drops a devastating kiss on her mouth. She lets him have control...as impulse takes over. He pushes his fingers in her hair, and deepens the kiss until she feels herself becoming desperate for air. But kissing him is like breathing underwater. Effortless and beautiful and she doesn't want to give in yet.
He breaks the kiss first and his face disappears into her neck, leaving kisses on her neck that make her want to commit to this—to him. And she moans softly, as her hands then are peeling away at her many layers of clothes. First her coat, then the buttons of her jeans. Her hands, too, claim his back, pushing up his shirt from her skin, and they let out a laugh as it gets stuck between her head and arms but Jacob throws it in the back of the car, aimlessly and kisses her again.
Fueling the fire, he pours his love into her like it's the end of the world. She tastes like morning sunlight, lavender fields and rain and something of herself that makes him feel like he's found a new religion.
Her hands clasp at his shirt, and pulls. He finally realises want she wants. His shirt off his back. Skin to skin contact. And he yanked it off over his head. Evie has it flying somewhere in the back seat—and before he can look which where it went, she's kissing him again with a feverish want either of them can comprehend.
He leans back into the passenger's seat with a low groan when her fingers run in his hair, and he realises they nearly, going farther than both of them planned for an early morning heart-to-heart. .
But the look on her eyes never dulled, and with selfish greed inside him, Jacob hands ran down her body with a hungry stare. She gulps, feeling the goose bumps rise on her skin for the first time...with the way his gaze lands on her.
"You're so beautiful," he whispers. He reaches out for her chin to kiss her madly again with everything he's got. Then it all comes crashing down when he sees a vehicle in the rear-view mirror park at the side of the road. And someone steps out of it.
It was the chief of police.
*
A:N I had to split this chapter in two....it was getting too long for everyone sake.
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