Home for Christmas by Ann Grech

Author:Ann Grech [Grech, Ann]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 8

Declan

P rohibition was jammed full. We were surrounded by families and friends still celebrating the holidays, laughing, and generally having a blast. After talking about Ollie's job and the chat he had to have with Ike---which no one in their right mind would look forward to---we watched the game on the big screens. I was still chuckling at how amped up Ollie got when his team started trailing after the break. When they gave up another touchdown, he insisted we get the check. Our plan was to head back to the apartment, have a few beers, ignore the rest of the game, and pack. We'd no doubt have the much-needed conversation too, regardless of whether I was ready for it or not.

We got halfway back to the apartment when the heavens opened and rain fell in sheets around us. No cabs were around as far as we could see, but the rain was so heavy that visibility had been cut down to a few yards in front of us.

"Run, babe," I shouted out, immediately cringing at my accidental slip of the tongue. Partly to avoid seeing his reaction and partly to get out of the rain, I urged Ollie off the sidewalk and onto the road. We sprinted, racing across the tarmac. Pointlessly sheltering myself, using my arm, I saw the delivery truck at the last possible second. He was too close to stop, and from the wide-eyed panic on the driver's face, the other man realized it too. Tires slipping on the wet road filled my ears, and stone-cold fear ran through me, chilling the blood in my veins to ice. Ollie was directly in the truck's path. He was going to get hit because of me, all because I was in a hurry not to get too wet. He'd be killed. I'd lose him. I'd have to bury the man I loved. I didn't know if we'd ever move past being stepbrothers---at that moment I didn't even care---but I sure as hell wouldn't let Ollie die.

Everything slowed to a crawl as instinct kicked in. I jumped and launched myself toward him. My body collided with his, and I wrapped my arms around him tight. Crash tackling him like the NFL players we'd just been watching, I tried to protect Ollie from the truck. Water went in my eyes, blinding me. I sent up a prayer to the universe to let us survive. The world flashed before my eyes, everything a blur as time sped up again. Momentum was still propelling us forward, but the truck's headlights were far too close. We weren't going to make it. Oh fuck. We aren't going to make it.

I pushed harder, tried to take another step, tried to force us out of the truck's path by sheer will, but I couldn't. My foot slipped on the water-logged road, and the truck fishtailed in front of me. I was going down, falling and dragging Ollie with me. Nothing I did would be enough to save him.

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