by J. M. Hill
When my alarm woke me, and I got ready for my run. Garrett was snoring like a freight train when I came into the living room. I stifled a laugh at his huge body making the couch look like a piece of children’s furniture. I’d feel sorry for him, except I knew he could sleep anywhere, through anything.
The sun was shining and the air was brisk, but it wasn’t as cold as it had been. I inhaled the brisk air deeply and pulled on my shoes. The familiar crunching of gravel made me smile as Michael strode to the middle of the drive, zipping up his hoodie. I practically bounced over to him.
He smiled. “Good morning. How’d you sleep?”
“Good,” I told him. “You?”
He nodded with a smile as he tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear, and we started our slow jog toward the main road.
As we ran, we talked about Miles and Garrett’s upcoming birthday. Kate had found a fellow hummingbird in Ava as they planned for the party.
“Did you have big birthday parties when you were young?” I asked Michael as we turned around at our regular point on the main road.
“Not really,” he said. “Our birthdays are so close together and they always seemed to coincide with our family vacations. We always had cake and presents.”
He smiled wistfully.
“One summer we drove our RV here. Well, to the Springs, we went to Garden of the Gods. Garrett kept getting car sick, he threw up at least once a day. It was awful for him and for us. Mom had made the three of us a big birthday cake, in the RV.” He raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know how she managed that, but she and Dad were singing happy birthday to the three of us and Garrett threw up everywhere. All over the cake.”
He laughed, and I wrinkled my nose laughing too.
“Ewww,” I said.
“Yeah.” He shook his head. “Poor mom. She put all that work into the cake, and Garrett puked all over it. Of course after that, Miles and I didn’t really want any cake.”
I laughed in a loud burst. “I’m surprised you still eat cake now.”
“Miles and I didn’t for a while, but you know Garrett. Nothing deters him from food. He asked mom to make another cake and she did, but it wasn’t until we got home because the RV smelled like vomit.”
I shook my head still laughing.
“Did you take any more RV trips after that?” I asked.
“Just one,” he said. “To Florida. It was fun, so I suppose that made up for what we now affectionately refer to as the ‘vomit vacation from hell’.”
We both laughed.
“I guess every family experiences some kind of vacation from hell,” I told him. “It’s nice to know your family is just as normal as everyone else’s.”
He grimaced at me and I laughed as we continued to run.
Suddenly, without warning, Michael had me in his arms for a split second and then I was sliding across the shoulder of the road as if he’d tossed me. A sharp pain stung the side of my head and a loud ringing echoed in my ears. There was a squeal of tires, and Michael’s voice groaned in pain as I tried to push myself up, but I was too dizzy. After a moment, I realized what was happening and bile rose in my throat.
The familiar red Porsche was only a few feet away, the front end facing me, engine still running with the drivers-side door open. Nina’s stood with her back to me. Her arms were extended in front of her, and her hands were trembling uncontrollably as she held a gun.
Michael was lying on his side, blood on his face, grasping at his right leg.
“Why? Why, Michael?” Nina sobbed, her whole body convulsing and trembling. “Why couldn’t you just love me? That’s all I wanted…was for you to love me…like I love you!.”
“Nina,” Michael’s voice was weak with the pain. “You don’t love me. You don’t even know me.”
“Yes I do!” She screeched. “And if it weren’t for her, you would have loved me, too!”
She didn’t take her eyes off of him. This was it. This was what she’d been waiting for. It wasn’t just me she wanted to kill, it was Michael, too. She wanted both of us dead.
“Nina, please,” Michael’s voice was soothingly calm. “Please, just listen to me. You need help. Let me help you.”
She shook her head. “You don’t want to help me,” she sobbed. “You just want her!”
“I do want to help you, Nina,” Michael pleaded. “You don’t have to do this. It doesn’t have to be this way. We spoke to your father, he loves you, Nina. He wants to help you, too.”
“You shut up about my father!” She screamed. “You don’t know anything!”
Michael was trying to reason with her, but I knew she wasn’t going to listen to reason. I was tired of her, and I’d had enough. I wasn’t going to let her hurt him.
It was enough.
A warm stream of blood trailed down the side of my face as I looked around me, spotting a tree branch within my reach. It was several inches in diameter and about three feet long. It would do the job. I pushed to my feet and took the branch in both hands. I was dizzy, but steadied myself quickly.
Nina continued to screech at Michael, her hands trembling as she held the gun over him. Michael’s eyes looked over at me inadvertently and grew wide in horror as Nina turned the gun on me.
She wasn’t fast enough.
I was swinging the branch as if I were swinging a baseball bat. The gun flew out of her hands and hit the ground in front of Michael, and he scrambled across the gravel to pick it up.
Nina screamed. Whether it was pain or anger, I didn’t know. I didn’t care either. I swung again, hitting her shoulder and knocking her to the ground, then hurled myself on top of her. I thrust my fist against the side of her face, feeling a sting of pain in my knuckles as I made contact. Nina’s eyes rolled in the back of her head for a moment, and she tried to grab hold of my hair, but I punched her again and then once more.
“Enough!” I shouted at her.
I grabbed her hair at the roots, slamming her head hard against the ground.
“Do you hear me, Nina?” I screamed. “Enough! This is over!”
She released me, and her head lolled to the side. I was still on top of her and she let out a low moan.
“It’s over!” Her eyes met mine as I screamed in her face. “It’s over!”
As I looked in her eyes, I knew it was. It was over.
I rolled off of her and crawled dizzily to Michael. He embraced me, and I couldn’t hold him tight enough. I felt sick and relieved and exhausted all at the same time.
“Are you okay?” I asked him.
“Pretty sure my leg is broken,” he said. “What about you?”
I just nodded, keeping my eyes on his face.
“You’re bleeding,” he said with a wince, as he touched the side of my head.
I smirked. “So what else is new?”
He tried to smile as I kissed him tenderly. The door of Nina’s car slammed, and we both jerked around. The engine revved, and Michael put his arms around me protectively as gravel spit from the back tires as she peeled onto the road. What happened next was like something from a movie being shown in slow-motion.
As Nina fish-tailed onto the main road, an eighteen-wheeler came barreling down at a high rate of speed. It collided with the rear-end of the Porsche, causing it to spin out of control across the road and into a tree. The truck’s brakes squealed loudly as the driver tried to bring it to a stop, but obviously, those trucks don’t stop quickly. The right side of the Porsche was crumpled against the tree, and Nina’s body was lifeless against the driver’s side window. Michael already had his cell phone out of his pocket and was dialing, but I couldn’t take my eyes off of Nina.
Something stirred in me again as I watched her. It wasn’t anger, or hatred. It was pity.
I saw her father’s face in my mind. The dream of Mr. Sandler looking for his little girl, and not being able to see her. Calling for her, but not being able to find her. His little girl was in that car.
A quick flash of fire ignited o
n the inside of Nina’s car, and I saw her move.
She wasn’t dead, and I couldn’t let her die. Not like this. I scrambled to my feet.
“Grace!” Michael grasped at my hand, but it was too late.
I ran across the road and pulled at the driver’s door, the smell of gasoline strong. My arms stung from the heat as I wrapped them around Nina’s torso. I pulled with everything I had, trying to drag her from the car.
“GRACE!” Michael shouted.
She was dead-weight, but I managed to free her. I continued to pull, dragging her as far away as I could from the car now completely engulfed in flames. There was a loud explosion, and I fell on top of her. I covered my ears attempting to block out the deafening noise. The smoke swirled around me, and I could feel the heat from the fire.
“Are you okay, Miss?” An unrecognizable voice was at my ear. My head was spinning as I tried to focus my eyes. I made the assumption he was the truck driver.
“Yeah.” I tried to catch my breath, and my throat felt raw. “I’m okay.”
Michael was still shouting from across the road, his voice anguished. I checked Nina quickly, trying to see if she was still breathing. She was, though it was barely.
“The ambulance is coming,” the man said.
“Stay with her please,” I told him.
He nodded and I made my way back to Michael, my arms stinging and my head spinning. His eyes welled with tears as he reached for me.
“What were you thinking?” He squeezed me to him fiercely. “Why? Why would you do that?” He held me so tight, I couldn’t move. He didn’t say anything, just buried his face in my neck.
Garrett’s Hummer squealed to a stop in front of us. Miles, Will, Ava, Garrett, Kate—all of them, were at our sides in a moment. Embracing, crying and questioning all at once.
Two ambulances arrived, along with several police cars and a fire truck. Nina was loaded into the back of the first ambulance, and Michael was put into the second. Garrett argued with the driver of the ambulance until he relented and allowed Garrett to ride with his little brother.
A third ambulance arrived for me. I argued, but because of the blood on my head, and burns on my arms, I didn’t have a choice. Kate rode with me while the others followed in the Hummer. On the ride to the hospital I told Kate everything that happened while the medic worked on me. I started to feel the cut on my head, and my arms stung with pain.
Kate squeezed me tightly and cried.
At the hospital, I was so relieved to see Evan’s face. Of course he was in full-doctor-mode as he checked Michael first, but Michael told him not to worry about him, and to check on me.
He was the one with the broken leg for crying out loud.
While Michael was having his leg x-rayed, Evan sutured my head. Kate stayed with me and held my hand. I had to have six stitches, he then took care of the burns on my arms. They weren’t bad, just bad enough to sting.
“One thing’s for sure, Grace,” Evan said as he’d stitched up my head. “Since I’ve moved back to Fall Rivers, my life hasn’t been boring. And most of the excitement has been because of you.”
Kate giggled, and I rolled my eyes at him.
“Very funny.”
He laughed, as he finished the sutures, and kissed my forehead and then wrinkling his nose.
“You don’t smell very good either,” he added.
Kate really thought that was funny, and I punched him in the arm.
I cleared my throat, which was a little scratchy from the smoke. “Evan? How’s Nina?”
He busied himself with the supplies on the tray in front of him.
“Not good,” he replied. “She’s in Intensive Care. Do you want me to find out what’s going on?”
“Thanks,” I told him. “Can I go see Michael now?”
“Sure.”
Kate and I followed him to Michael’s room. Will, Garrett, Ava and Miles all stood around his bed. When we walked inside, the nurse got huffy.
“There are too many people in here,” she snapped.
“It’s fine, Melinda,” Evan said authoritatively. “I’ll take responsibility for them.”
Garrett stifled a laugh and the nurse shot him a nasty look.
“It’s okay,” Evan assured her. “They aren’t going to be any trouble. If they are I’ll take care of the big guy myself.”
Garrett guffawed then, and the rest of us laughed as Melinda rolled her eyes and finished doing whatever she was doing before leaving the room.
“I’ll go find out what’s happening with Nina,” Evan said. “You guys behave yourselves. Michael, you need anything?”
Michael didn’t take his eyes from mine as he shook his head. Evan patted my shoulder as he walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. I strode to Michael’s side quickly.
“How are you?” I asked, as he held my hands.
He nodded, and his eyes were so full of emotion it was difficult to look into them.
“What about you?” He asked.
I shrugged, and Kate sighed with irritation.
“She had to have six stitches,” Kate informed him. “And she has burns on her arms.”
Michael shook his head. “Garrett’s right. You’re something else.”
Garrett chortled, and I grimaced at him.
“Only you would save the person who has made your life miserable for so long,” Garrett said. “Not just save her, but pull her from a burning car.”
Everyone watched as my face turned red, and Michael squeezed my hand tightly.
“There’s a difference in stubbornness and recklessness,” he said.
“Michael,” I said quietly. “All I could think about was Nina’s father. She’s still his little girl. I just couldn’t let her die, not like that.”
I knew he understood, and I also knew if his leg hadn’t been broken, he would’ve done the same exact thing. I knew everyone was still watching me, but I kept my eyes on Michael.
He winced in pain. “I think my medication must be wearing off.” He closed his eyes and I ran my fingers through his hair, I hated seeing him in pain.
“I’ll go tell the nurse.” I started to leave, but he held my hand tight not letting me move from my spot.
“I’ll go,” Miles said.
A few minutes later, a doctor came in and said that because of the type of break Michael had, he would require surgery for it to be set properly. They had it scheduled for two o’clock, and the nurse gave him some more medication to help the pain.
“I’m sorry,” I told him.
He shook his head. “Yes,” he said sardonically. “I know.”
Garrett chortled a laugh, and when I scowled at him he pretended to cough.
“Why don’t you go home and get a shower,” Michael said. “I know you’re dying for one.”
He knew me well. The stench of gasoline and smoke was embedded in my nostrils, I figured my clothes and hair smelled had the same stench.
“Well, I’m sure you’re dying for me to have one,” I told him. “But I’d rather not leave thank you very much.”
He rolled his eyes and turned to Ava.“Mom, would you please reason with her?”
I giggled. “Seriously?” I asked him. “You’re really telling your mom on me?” Everyone laughed including him. “Yes. She’s the only one you won’t argue with.”
I rolled my eyes as everyone continued to laugh, and Ava winked at me.
“Come on, Grace Elizabeth,” she said authoritatively. “Let’s go get you cleaned up before he has to go into surgery.”
“I’ll go with you,” Kate said and turned to Miles, giving him a kiss. “We’ll be back soon.”
“I’ll be right back,” I told Michael. “Don’t be going anywhere.”
He shook his head. “Very funny.”
I started to walk away but he held my hand tight, pulling me to him.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“You’re not going anywhere without giving me a kiss.”
&
nbsp; I bent down and kissed him softly feeling the familiar heart-flutter as he smirked.
Garrett chuckled and then patted my head. “You go ahead and shower, Gracie.” He held his nose between his fingers, and made a face. “Please. Go shower.”
I punched his arm, and Ava pulled me from the room with Kate following. We all climbed into the Hummer, and Ava drove us home. I showered quickly, wincing when the shampoo stung the cut on my head, but I shampooed and shampooed again, making sure I was free of the stench of gasoline. I slathered Michael’s favorite smelling lotion all over me, and got dressed in jeans and a pink tee shirt with a black zip-up cardigan. I brushed my teeth and blew my hair only partially dry, twisting it up into a clip. I put on my shoes quickly and once again, we were in the Hummer, driving back to the hospital.
When we got there, they’d moved Michael to a regular room. Will, Miles and Garrett were watching television, and Michael appeared to be sleeping. I went to the side of his bed quietly, and sat in the chair, wanting to touch him but not wanting to wake him.
“You smell good,” he murmured without opening his eyes, a smile on his face.
I leaned to him and kissed his neck. His smile widened as I combed my fingers through his hair, and he opened his eyes.
“Hey,” I said.
“Hey, yourself.” He reached his hand to the side of my face, stroking my cheek gently. “You feel better?”
“I no longer smell like unleaded,” I said. “How’s the leg?”
“Broken.”
I grimaced. As I watched him, something occurred to me.
“You saved me today. Nina was going to hit me with her car. That’s why you got hurt instead of me.”
“You got hurt anyway.” He touched the stitches on the side of my head that were hidden under my hair.
I shook my head and held his hand to the side of my face. “I’m fine,” I said. “Because of you, I’m fine.”
THIRTY-ONE
They took Michael into surgery, and all of us waited in the cafeteria. Ava insisted I eat something because I hadn’t eaten all day. Will brought me a bagel and cream cheese with an apple and a bottle of water.
