Page 44 of The Time It Takes
Oliver shoved Ben in the shoulder, throwing him up against the car. “Did you even hear me? I said I would fucking do it!”
I spoke up. “Ollie, you can’t.”
“Don’t tell him what to do,” Ben barked.
I threw my arms up. “Oh wow, OK then.” I walked up to Ben and shoved him hard. “Fuck you!”
He grabbed my arms. “Shhh, kid. You’re going to cause a scene.” He pressed his finger to my lips, and I bite it. Hard. He yelped out in pain, releasing me.
I narrowed my eyes. It was too late for that anyway. A scene had already been made. “Well, I’m not about to go searching through the woods. Where’s your spare?” I asked him.
Ben closed his eyes and I thought he fell asleep for a second, because he jolted them open, causing him to sway on his feet.
“I think I’m going to vomit,” he muttered as he bumped past my shoulder and made a beeline for the corner of the woods. Oliver and I both watched as he leaned over and started to dry heave.
I took a deep breath and tried to think.
I heard a door shut behind me and turned around to find Oliver sitting in the driver's seat.
“What are you doing?” I shrieked.
He looked around the car for something as he said, “I already told you. I’m racing.”
I braced my hands on the car as if it’d hold the machine back. “No, you’re not, Oliver. Get out right now.”
“Like your brother said, stop telling me what to do.” His smirk made me want to smack him and kiss him at the same time. I groaned in misery.
“You don’t even have the key,” I mentioned.
“Don’t need one.”
I watched as he fumbled with something under the wheel. A few minutes later, the car thrummed to life.
My mouth fell open. “How did you do that?”
“I can do a lot of things, Will.” He threw the car into drive. “Now let me win you six-k.”
He glanced down at my hands, waiting.
“Oliver…” I trailed off in an attempt to take on the scraps the world kept throwing at me. “Just be careful.” I dipped my head into the cab to place a kiss on his cheek, but his head turned slightly, and I caught the corner of his mouth.
He dipped his head, causing my lips to brush his as I moved away.
“I’ve got you, Damsel.”
I straightened and extended my pinky. He wrapped his own around it and brought it up to his lips.
“Always,” he murmured before letting go and taking off to line up for the race.
Chapter Nine
Present
There’sachillinthe air tonight, and I can’t tell if it’s the wind or the world taunting me. I’m stepping onto the beach for the first time in ten years. A part of me feels serene—almost like this is where I’m meant to be. Then the other part of me feels like every step I take back into this life is causing everything I’ve built for myself to fade into the background.
When you’re ready, come home and break my heart some more.
I can’t tell if I love the memories or if I despise them. They’re more haunting than they are gentle reminders. The happier they arrive in my mind, the harder they strike daggers into my chest. It isn’t the moments that do this to me, it’s everything about who I know I used to be and how I’m not her anymore.
