Page 98 of What We Knew Then
“Maybe,” she says with a laugh. It’s hard not to smile right alongside her. Her energy is contagious.
I get her in the car and put in my apartment address to get us back. I’ve not been out this way and definitely don’t trust Cora to get us home. I turn the heat up, but a minute into the drive she rolls the window down, needing fresh air. I’d need it too if I’d had as much tequila as she did.
Cold air pours through the open window, whipping Cora’s hair across the car like we’re driving through a storm instead of a quiet area near campus.
She giggles and leans farther out. Before I can say a single word, she clicks her seatbelt off.
The sound makes my stomach drop.
“What are you doing?” I ask.
She pushes herself almost halfway out the window, her hair flying everywhere as she sticks her head out into the wind.
“It feels so good!” she yells, the sound carried off by the wind.
For a second, I consider pulling over, but we’re only a few minutes away. Really, I just want to get back to my place and get her safely inside.
“Cora,” I say more firmly.
She doesn’t move.
I reach over, one hand on the steering wheel, the other grabbing one of her arms and trying to pull her towards the seat. “Come on,” I try to coax her.
“It’s just a little fresh air,” she argues, tucking her hair behind her ears.
I swallow, trying to focus on the road, while grabbing her seatbelt and trying to get it to click into place.
“Someone is bossy." She waves her hands to make her point.
I’ve got both hands on the wheel, letting out a long breath, when I see the flash in the rearview mirror.
Blue. Red. My chest tightens instantly, like there’s not an ounce of air available to me.
For a second I just stare at the lights in the mirror, hoping maybe they’ll pass me, maybe they’re for someone else, maybe—
The siren chirps as the cop speeds to me.
Definitely for me.
My hands tighten on the steering wheel and suddenly the car feels too small. Too warm. The smell of tequila is still floating in the air and crashes into me all over again, sharp and unmistakable. Cora mumbles something and makes sure her seatbelt is on. She tries to grab for her bag on the floor and when she grabs it, she spills.
Fuck.
My pulse hammers in my ears. Not this. Not again.
I check the mirror one more time, like maybe the lights will disappear if I look hard enough, but they only flash brighter against the dark road.
The gravel crunches under the tires as I pull onto the shoulder. My ears start to ring as I try to catch my breath.
The siren cuts off, but the red and blue lights keep flashing, filling the inside of the car with quick bursts of color that make everything feel unreal.
My hands are locked around the steering wheel. Cora shifts beside me, blinking slowly like she’s just remembering where she is. She sits up a little straighter, hair falling across her face.
My brain is moving too fast now, trying to think of every scenario.
I glance over and my stomach drops straight through the floor when I see a bottle of tequila.
This can’t be fucking happening.
