Chapter 24

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Brynlee pressed down on the brake, but her foot went straight to the floor, and her heart leaped into her throat as she pumped the brake several more times.

Cars became a colorful blur in her peripheral vision as she clenched her fingers around the wheel and sailed past the stop sign and right into traffic. Something large and white appeared in her window, and she didn’t even have time to scream before it slammed into the driver's side with a force that sent Brynlee’s car spinning.

The impact was deafening. Metal crunched and glass shattered, filling the air with a cacophony of destruction. The force of the airbag deploying hit her like a sledgehammer, and the air rushed from her lungs as her head snapped back against the headrest.

Particles from the airbag filled the cabin, choking the air with a fine, acrid dust. Every breath burned. Every cell screamed in pain. Each tiny movement sent waves of agony through her body as her vision blurred, and she fought to remain conscious.

Somewhere in the chaos, she heard her name being called. It was faint at first, almost drowned out by the ringing in her ears. But it grew louder, more insistent.

“Brynlee!”

Pushing through the fog of pain, she recognized Sawyer’s voice. She turned her head, struggling to focus. Through the haze, she saw him. His face was a mask of concern as he reached for her, his hands strong and sure.

“I’m here, Bryn, I’ve got you,” he said, his steady voice a lifeline in the maelstrom.

He wrenched the door open, the metal groaning in protest. With a gentleness that contrasted sharply with the violence of the crash, he pulled her from the wreckage. Every movement sent fresh jolts of pain through her body, but she clung to him, grateful for his strength, his presence.

“Stay with me, Brynlee,” Sawyer urged, guiding her to the ground a safe distance from the car. “Help is on the way. Just hang in there.”

He knelt beside her, his hands moving gently over her face and limbs as he checked her vitals. The world around her spun, and she closed her eyes, leaning heavily on him. “I need an ambulance. There’s been a car accident…”

Sawyer’s words were directed into his phone, his tone remarkably calm as he explained the situation. Once he hung up, he turned to her. “I need to check on the other driver. I’ll be right back.”

He left and Brynlee closed her eyes again as she reclined against the small tree behind her. The acrid smell of burnt rubber filled the air, mingling with the distant wail of sirens. Her body throbbed with pain, each breath a struggle against the tightness in her chest.

The soft scuffle of footsteps reached her eyes then stopped next to her, and Sawyer gripped her chin, forcing her to look at him. It took a moment for his face to come into focus, and he met her gaze. “You okay?”

She nodded weakly, wincing as a sharp pain shot through her side. The airbag had done its job, but it felt like it had bruised every rib in her body.

Sawyer glared at her, his expression a mix of relief and frustration. “Jesus Christ, Bryn. You could have been killed! Why the hell did you take off like that?” he demanded, his voice harsher now.

Brynlee flinched at his words, the sting of his rebuke cutting deeper than any physical pain. She turned her head away, her eyes filling with tears. “I don’t know what happened. I—I couldn’t stop it, and I didn’t know what to do.”

Sawyer shook his head, the corners of his mouth tipped down in a severe frown. “That’s exactly the problem, Brynlee. You never think. You just act, and this is what happens.”

His words hit her like a physical blow. She pulled away from him, struggling to sit up despite the pain. “You never believe me,” she shot back.

“Because it’s true!”

The sirens grew louder, and Brynlee’s attention was drawn to the arrival of the police and medics as they pulled up to the scene.

“Why the hell are you even here?” She pulled away from him and pressed one hand to the solid ground, then levered to her feet. Sawyer reached for her, but she swatted his hands away. “Leave me the hell alone. You’ve made it perfectly clear that you don’t like me.”

Sawyer’s face softened, a look of regret replacing the anger. “Brynlee, that’s not true. I just?—”

“I meant what I said earlier,” she interrupted, her tone cold and distant. “I don’t want your help, and I don’t need it. Just go away.”

He stood there stiffly and she stared over his shoulder, refusing to look at him. She sensed he wanted to say something, but he managed to hold his tongue, and for that she was grateful. Moments later the paramedics were by her side, and one went to speak with the other driver while Antonio moved to her side and shot her a gentle smile.

“Hey, Bryn. You holding up okay?”

“Hey.” She smiled wearily. “I’m good, just a little banged up.”

He nodded, then wrapped a hand around her elbow. “We need to get you checked out, okay?” She nodded, and he gave her a little squeeze. “We’ll get the stretcher over here and get you loaded in just a second.”

“Oh, I can?—”

He shook his head, cutting her off. “You just sit right here and relax. I’ll be right back.”

She forced another smile. “Thanks.”

Sawyer nodded to Antonio, then crouched next to her. “They’ll get you fixed up.”

She kept her eyes averted, refusing to look at Sawyer. The pain in her body was nothing compared to the ache in her heart.

As the paramedics loaded her into the ambulance, she caught a glimpse of Sawyer standing there, hands on his hips, his face etched with a mix of anger and regret as he stared after her. She turned away, blinking back tears.

Why was she such an idiot? She knew better than to let his words affect her. His moments of concern were few and far between, and more often than not, he was hypercritical of every single thing she did.

They’d bickered relentlessly since the day he moved in next door, and she hated herself a little more for ever going to him. The first time had been a moment of weakness. The other few times over the past couple of months… Well, that was sheer lunacy on her part, apparently.

He was nothing but a temporary distraction, and the past half hour only solidified her decision to stay the hell away from him. He was the last person she needed—or wanted—in her life.

Brynlee's vision swam as she tried to sit up on the gurney, the bright red and white lights of the ambulance flickering around her. She winced, feeling the sharp stab of pain radiating from her side. The paramedics moved swiftly, assessing her injuries and securing her for transport to the hospital.

Amid the chaos, one thought cut through the haze of confusion and fear: she needed to call her family.

Antonio stood next to Sawyer, and she waved one hand to catch his attention. Unfortunately, Sawyer dogged Antonio’s footsteps as he approached the ambulance.

“What’s wrong?”

Ignoring Sawyer, she focused on Antonio. “Can you please get my purse? I need to call my sister."

Antonio nodded. "Of course. Where is it?"

Brynlee pointed toward the wreckage of her car, the front passenger seat barely visible amidst the crumpled metal and shattered glass. “On the passenger seat.” She bit her lip. “At least… it was. I’m not sure where it is now.”

Antonio shot her a reassuring smile. “No problem. I’ll be right back.”

She could feel Sawyer’s gaze on her as she watched Antonio move toward the car, then reach inside to search for her purse.

“Do you want me to give Dare a call and let him know what’s going on?”

She shook her head and swallowed hard, but didn’t say a word. After a long moment, a heavy sigh filtered through Sawyer’s nose and he cleared his throat. “If you need anything?—”

“I won’t.”

She could practically hear his molars grind together as he stared at her, but she kept her eyes turned forward, locked on Antonio as he passed her the purse. “Here ya go.”

"Thank you.” She fumbled with the zipper, her hands shaking, until she finally retrieved her cell phone. She swiped through her contacts and tapped Ainsley's name, holding her breath as the phone rang and rang.

In her peripheral vision she watched as Sawyer finally drifted away to work the scene. After what felt like an eternity, the call connected. “Hey, Bryn, what’s up?”

Brynlee drew in a shaky breath, trying to keep her voice steady. "Ains, I... I've been in an accident. I’m okay, but they're taking me to the hospital."

There was a moment of stunned silence on the other end of the line before Ainsley's voice returned, this time filled with concern. “Which hospital are they taking you to? I'm on my way."

Brynlee felt a wave of relief wash over her at her sister's words. "I think they're taking me to Danbury General," she said, glancing at Antonio for confirmation. He nodded as he slid in next to her, giving her a thumbs-up.

“Danbury General," she repeated to Ainsley.

“Just hang in there. I'll let mom and dad know, and we’ll be there as soon as we can,” Ainsley said, her words slightly muffled as she shifted the phone. “Don't worry, everything’s going to be okay.”

Brynlee nodded, even though Ainsley couldn't see her. “Take your time. I'll see you soon.”

“I’ll be there before you know it. Love you, Bryn," Ainsley replied softly.

“Love you too," Brynlee ended the call just as the ambulance doors shut, and she allowed her eyes to drift closed as the vehicle lurched into gear, then sped toward the hospital.