I drove, not caring where as long as I was getting as far from Nathan and Clarisse as possible. My vision swam as tears finally spilled over, but I didn’t slow down. The pain in my chest was unbearable, a gaping wound that no amount of time could heal.
I needed to numb the pain. It was as if every laugh, every kiss between us had been a lie.
I found a liquor store, barely aware of how I got there. I grabbed the first bottle I saw, ignoring the cashier’s concerned look as I threw money on the counter and walked out. I couldn’t care less about appearances. I was beyond caring.
Back in the car, I unscrewed the cap with shaking hands and took a long, burning gulp. The alcohol was harsh, but I welcomed the sting, hoping it would numb the ache in my chest. I drank more, desperate to lose myself in oblivion.
The city lights blurred as I sped through the streets, the world outside a distorted mess of colors and shapes. I had no idea where I was going, and I didn’t care. My thoughts were a chaotic swirl of anger and betrayal, and the alcohol did little to quiet them.
The road stretched dark and winding before me, the cliff’s edge looming closer with each passing second. I should have slowed down, but I didn’t. The numbness I sought was finally creeping in, dulling the sharp edges of my pain.
Then, the car swayed violently, and I realized too late that I had lost control. The tires skidded on the gravel, the steering wheel slipping from my grasp as the car veered dangerously close to the cliff’s edge. Panic surged through me, but my reflexes were too slow, numbed by alcohol.
I screamed as the car tipped forward, teetering on the edge. The world spun around me, a dizzying blur of darkness and fear. For a moment, I thought this was it.
Alone, broken, and betrayed.
Just as the car was about to plunge into the darkness, something slammed into it with a force that sent it skidding back onto solid ground. The impact knocked the breath out of me, and everything went black.
When I woke up, the beeping of machines and the sterile smell of antiseptic greeted me. I was in a hospital, lying in a bed with a dull ache radiating through my body. For a moment, I couldn’t remember how I got here, but then the memories came rushing back.
The betrayal. The alcohol. The cliff.