I swallow again, another lump of fear scratching my throat.
It抯 the first thing he抯 said that sounds genuinely connected to someone else.
揧ou knew her well then??I ask.
His eyes flick to the turtle again. 揘ever well enough. Don抰 try to make it something it wasn抰。？
揑抦 not trying to make it anything.?
揥hatever. Can抰 say I like your tone or the way you抮e looking at me like梠h, shit!?He jerks the wheel.
We抮e sliding梤ight into the other lane with its oncoming traffic.
I brace for the bone-splitting impact that抯 surely coming.
But Troy finds traction at the last second, wrenching us back into our lane.
I hold my breath. Shaking.
Maybe we抣l end up in a ditch, and if I抦 lucky I can make a proper run for it.
But this stupid turtle is driving him crazy.
It抯 going to get us both killed, so I pull the chain, reeling it in so I can drop it in my purse.
揕eave it out!?he screams.
I jump, nearly dropping the necklace on the floor.
揑t seems like it抯 bothering you.?I take a deep breath. 揧ou know what, you can have it, if you want. I抣l leave it and let you decide what you want to do with it. Can you just let me out at the next gas station? Even a bus shelter or梐nywhere, really? I can manage.?
His gaze snaps to me like he抯 seriously considering it, his face set like stone.
揟roy…？
揑f you give me that fucking curse before you get out of this car,?he whispers.
Oh my God.
I might live after all.
Still suspicious, I look at him and whisper, 揥hy does it mean so much to you??
揇idn抰 I tell you? We can抰 let Destiny get that goddamn thing. She doesn抰 need to be reminded of Aster again. She damn sure doesn抰 need to go squawking to her old man, either.?
I sense the car speeding up as he glares into the rain.
Here we go again.
He has a death grip on the wheel, his hands pressed so tight his knuckles are bone-white.
揟roy, I抦 in no hurry. You can slow down until we see the next gas station. It抯 fine.?
揘ot fine!?he roars. 揋oddammit, don抰 you understand??
I really don抰。
So far, I haven抰 understood much of this conversation at all. I just know I don抰 want to set this guy off more.
揥hat don抰 I understand, Troy??I ask gently, holding back tears.
It抯 weird how people talk to hurt animals and dangerous lunatics with the same soothing voice.
揑 never meant to do it. I never meant for any of this shit to happen. And…and if I thought you could just disappear and keep your yap shut, I wouldn抰 have more regrets.?His sigh sounds like a death rattle. 揃ut you won抰， will you? You won抰 just give me that piece of shit and get on with your life??
揥hatever you want,?I whisper, gripping my thigh to keep my hand from shaking. 揟roy, I桰 don抰 even know what you didn抰 mean to do. I don抰 need to know. You can drop me off and you抣l never have to think of me again.?
揙h, fuck you, Eliza.?He抯 straining to breathe, almost gasping, his huge shoulders rolling and his nostrils flared.
Holy shit.
揟hese goddamned things never stay buried,?he whispers. 揟hey always surface梐lways!梛ust like that fucking sea turtle. After I tried so hard to get rid of it.?
I抦 reeling.
What is he talking about?
When he looks at me again, his face is blood-red. He takes a hand off the wheel to point at my hand. 揟hat thing. That miserable fucking thing. No matter what I do, it keeps coming back, and so does everything else棓
A loud, wet screech cuts him off.
Aaand we抮e hydroplaning again.
I抦 not even sure we抮e on all four wheels this time.
I抦 guaranteed to die tonight, I just don抰 know how yet.
揧-you can have the n-necklace, Troy,?I try, stumbling over my words. 揑抳e already told you…？
揘o. I抦 cleaning house once and for all. Tonight, everything goes.?
揕ike what? What goes??My gut sinks.
Dread consumes me.
I抦 afraid the biggest thing that抯 going, going, gone is me.
While he drives on, no longer responding like he抯 retreated fully into his own crazy brain, I text a group chat I have with my parents.
I love you.
Then I text Cole one last time. I hate how things ended, and I抦 sorry. I don抰 blame you anymore, though. You can抰 help that we抮e from two different worlds any more than I can. You had good reason to look into Aster again. I love you.
The car skids to an unexpected halt, making me look up.
I let out a slow breath and look out the passenger window, but between the heavy rain and the darkness, I don抰 see much.
No cars, no buildings, and only faint, blurry lights. But at least we抳e stopped somewhere.