by Layne Deemer
I could hardly comprehend the words she spat at me. “Y-You did all of that? Why?”
She laughed like the true villain that she was. “For YOU, silly! I wanted you and I always get what I want.”
She was insane.
“And just so we’re clear, Owen darling,” the term of endearment dripped from her tongue like venom, “I can take it all away with just one phone call to my father. Your dad’s practice will fold, your grandfather will find himself homeless, and you, my dear, will be transferring credits to the nearest community college. So whatever it is you were going to say earlier? Better keep that to yourself.” She winked at me for emphasis and turned on the radio, drumming her fingers on the steering wheel like she didn’t just issue a threat against me and everyone that I care about.
Before that night, I would read about violent acts occurring in the heat of passion and wonder how anyone would ever let things get so out of hand. Surely, there was another way out that didn’t involve committing a crime. But in that moment, after Sarah spilled the contents of her vile scheme to keep me trapped in her clutches, I found a kinship with those people who snap under the pressure.
I could say I didn’t think—that I just acted and regretted it immediately. But, of course, that would be a lie.
Somewhere along our drive, the sleet had begun to pick up. Everything was covered by a thin sheet of ice. It would be so easy to grab the wheel and send us careening off the road. It sounds extreme, sure, but I was trapped.
This is how it happens. This is how a level-headed person can be driven to commit murder.
I reached down and quickly disconnected Sarah’s seatbelt with one hand while gripping the steering wheel with the other. I turned it sharply to the left, guiding the car toward the trees that were lining the road. Sarah’s eyes registered with shock as she yelled, “Owen! What are you—” but she never finished. She had no time to react as the Honda Civic, a car I had driven since high school, went skidding off the road. The driver’s side door slammed into the side of a tree and the force of the impact sent Sarah’s unbelted body into the air; her head made contact with the windshield with a sickening crack.
My seatbelt locked me in place, but my head jostled in the crash, slamming into the passenger window. When I reached up, I felt my temple slick with blood. This was good. If I wasn’t hurt, it would seem suspicious.
After an accident occurs, shock is normal and expected, but this wasn’t an accident, so the regular rules don’t apply. Once the car came to a complete stop, I sat calmly and listened. I waited to hear breathing or gasping—any sign of life at all. In those first few moments, all I heard was blissful silence and my own heartbeat reverberating in my ears. Slowly and with great care, I turned my head to face the driver’s seat. Sarah sat slack jawed and motionless with her neck turned at an unnatural angle. Her big turquoise eyes stared lifelessly back at me.
“What are you over there smiling about?”
My hand travels up to my face and lands on my mouth. I feel the edges turned up in a grin I didn’t even realize I was wearing.
Lydia’s voice brings me back to the present, but as I look around the car, it doesn’t feel much different.
I clear my throat and push back those thoughts. “Oh, I was just thinking about how far we’ve come. It certainly took a lot to get here, didn’t it?”
I look over and find Lydia’s eyes on me, watching me carefully. “Mm-hmm, it sure did.”
Sarah became way too comfortable in the driver’s seat of my life, so I killed her. I had no other choice. And if I had to do it all over again, I would.
Only this time I won’t wait so long.
Acknowledgments
To Adam — This book would simply not exist without you. You gave life to my dreams and lifted me up when I fell. My heart belongs to you for eternity.
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To Stella & Jasper — You are my reason for everything I have ever done and ever will do. If I can only teach you one thing in life, it’s this—no dream is ever too big, too impossible, too much. If you want something, never let anything stand in your way.
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To Dad — You aren’t here to see this and you’ll never hold this book in your hands, but you were with me the whole time I wrote it. Thank you for always believing in me.
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To Mom — You always wanted me to do something with my writing. I finally have and you aren’t able to experience it the way you should. You can’t feel the things I know you would have if life hadn’t gotten in the way. It isn’t fair. But no matter what, I’m here because of you and I’ll always be grateful.
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To Angela — We are not friends. We are sisters. You always have my back and you never let me down. You are a constant in my life. Thank you for being my person.
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To Marissa — Your belief and support of me is overwhelming. When I’m doubting myself, you never let me wallow. Thank you for being my homie and for always saying the right thing at the right time.
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To my friends & family — Thank you for your support. You are all the best advertisement a girl could ask for. I appreciate all of you.
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To Tarryn — Your inspiration knows no bounds. Thank you for Write or Die. Without it, I’m not sure I ever would’ve had the guts to publish a word.
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To Willow — You are, without a doubt, the kindest person I’ve met in this book world. From the moment we met, I felt connected to you. Thank you for always indulging my questions and offering support and encouragement. I love you!
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To Traci — Thank you for taking a chance on me. Your incredible eye helped make this story what it is. You went above and beyond for me. I will forever be grateful to you for your encouragement and your patience with my newbie self.
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To Murphy — Your generosity astounds me. You created an incredible cover that helped bring this story to life. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
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To BB Easton, Claire Contreras, Colleen Hoover, Emma Scott, Jewel E. Ann, Leylah Attar, Mia Sheridan, & R.S. Grey — Thank you for your encouraging words. They have meant so much to me during this journey. You are everything that’s good and right in the world.
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To my PLN Author Group — You are all a wealth of knowledge and encouragement. I am so happy that our love for Tarryn Fisher brought us all together.
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To everyone who took a chance on this book — Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. You could have read any other book and yet you chose mine. I am so honored, humbled, and grateful to you.
About the Author
Layne Deemer aims to push boundaries with her writing. Her stories deconstruct the ordinary until it becomes something else entirely.
She has a degree in Communications with a minor in English and has worked in the fields of public relations, marketing, and advertising, but writing has always been her true passion. When she isn’t writing, she’s reading. Her wish list of books will take her a lifetime to get through.
She resides in Pennsylvania with her husband, Adam, their two kids, Stella and Jasper, and their bulldog, Archie. Frayed, a psychological thriller, is her first novel.
