Tempted

With that, I swing open the door, pulling my body into the car and sitting in the lush leather seats. “Nice car,” I murmur.

“Of course it is,” he says, sounding a million miles away. “You picked it out.”

My head snaps to him, brows furrowed in confusion.

“Bailey!” I hear Drew yell. His voice is too close for my liking.

“We need to go.” My legs quake as my nerves build. I don’t want Drew to catch me leaving with Reese. Not right now. I need to escape. To think. To allow Reese to tell me the things that Drew hasn’t. A large part of me knows this isn’t a good idea and that I should probably get out of the car. But instead, I turn to put my seat belt on. Reese is right. Drew will want to talk to me, but I’m not in the right headspace right now to deal with it.

It still feels like my heart is being ripped from my chest from what I saw in the picture. Was I just a replacement for his dead love? It sure the hell feels like it. I’ve never seen another person who looked so much like me and the parallels to our lives. Now that I think back on what Drew has told me . . . I can’t help but feel like we’re the same person.

It doesn’t take more than a few seconds before the driver’s side door is opening, and Reese is getting into the car.

“Where to?” I ask him as he stabs the ignition button beside the wheel. The fancy car comes to life with a rev of the engine.

“Someplace where I can tell you a story.” A chill runs down my spine at the alarming way he says this. But nothing can prepare me for what comes next. His head turns to me. “Somewhere we can be together, chwaer.”

“W-What does that mean? Chwaer?”

He peels out of the spot, speeding away from the gala and leaving my stomach behind. He’s cutting corners and driving like a lunatic. “Reese, slow down!” I yell, but he doesn’t respond. His eyes are locked forward with a vacant look to them. My nerves intensify tenfold—the dread from earlier at a fever pitch.

The light ahead turns red, and I’m momentarily relieved as the car slows to stop. Reese reaches his hand to open the glove compartment, and a picture falls out.

Alexa.

The picture is the same one from the gala.

“Why do you have this?” I ask, picking it up and waving it in the air.

“She’s my chwaer.”

“What does that mean?” I yell again.

He doesn’t answer me but starts mumbling crazy talk.

“You were taken from me. He took you from me!” he screams, slamming his hand on the steering wheel. “It means sister. You’re my fucking sister!” The light turns green, and the tires squeal as he slams down on the accelerator. “He took you from me. Drew poisoned you, and now we’re going to be together. You and me.” His head turns toward me, and what I see petrifies me. Chills run up the back of my neck.

He’s manic, and he’s going to kill us.

“Pull over!” I yell at him, but his maniacal laughter drowns out my pleas. “Let me the fuck out of this car, Reese.” My hand flies to the door handle, and I try and fail to open the car door. It’s locked, pinning me in with this crazy person.

My heart pounds in my chest.

I need to get out of here.

“I’m not going to let you leave me again. This time, I’m coming with you.”

“Help!” I scream, but there’s nobody to hear me. “Please. I’m not Alexa. I’m not your sister!” I pound on the door, willing it to give. My fist collides with the metal, over and over again until my skin burns like it’s being ripped off my bones.

If I don’t escape this car, he’s going to kill me. I know it.

“Help!” My pleas and screams fall on deaf ears. He’s lost his mind. All sensibility long gone. My terror mounts as I try to find an escape.

There won’t be one.

As the realization sinks in, everything slows. My body jerks, and my ears start to ring. Somewhere in the distance, I hear the screech of the tires.

Time moves in slow motion.

The humming in my ears intensifies, and the car lurches forward. Reese slams on the brakes, but it’s too late.

I brace for impact, but I’m not prepared for the sudden force as we collide.

My head pitches forward, connecting with something hard.

The airbag deploys.

The sound of metal crashing echoes around me.

And then quiet.

A bone-chilling silence as my eyes blink to focus.

The world is spinning, but I’m no longer moving.

A wave of nausea erupts inside me, and the thought that I need to get out of the car floats through my hazy subconscious.