Building Her Throne Burying My Heart (Claire) novel Chapter 64

"Fine," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "If that's what you want, then okay." I took a shaky breath. "Claire, please, promise me... don't marry Garrison..."

Before I could finish, the call cut out. I stared at my phone, realizing the car’s electrical system must have fried after I scraped against the mountain wall. Panic rose in my chest. The next stretch of road had a sharp curve. If I missed it, I'd go flying off the path, crashing down the steep slope. The thought made my stomach twist. The car would roll, smashing me and everything inside. Tree branches would tear through metal and skin.

But then I remembered Darleen, lying in a hospital bed, waiting for me. The image jolted me out of my panic. I gritted my teeth and yanked the steering wheel, forcing the car toward the mountainside. The wheel grew stiff in my hands, fighting me, but I kept pulling until, all at once, the car jerked around the corner.

I braced myself, expecting to slam into the rock, but instead, the front tires bounced off a loose stone. The car shot off course, lurching toward the edge. I watched, helpless, as we careened off the road and sailed over the slope, the car suddenly airborne.

Cold sweat broke out across my skin. My hands locked around the steering wheel, and I ducked, instinctively trying to protect myself. For a split second, everything slowed down. The roar of the wind filled my ears, and shards of glass hung in the air like frozen raindrops. Death felt so close I could almost touch it.

Then, there was a violent crack as branches snapped and the airbag exploded in my face. My head rang and throbbed with pain, and I felt warm blood trickling down my cheek. The car had slammed into a cluster of trees. We hadn't rolled, which meant something had stopped us—for now.

I blinked, trying to focus. If I was lucky, I might still get out. I looked around, fighting the dizziness. Just as I feared, the car was wedged between two thick branches, hanging there, swaying slightly.

It was now or never. I pushed off with both legs, pulled myself through the window, and swung toward the nearest tree. My arms wrapped around the trunk, scraping my skin, but I was out.

A white-hot pain stabbed through my thigh. Behind me, the car tumbled down the ravine, the crash echoing through the mountains. A few minutes later, it exploded in a burst of fire and metal.

Shaking, I found a safe spot in the branches and sat down. I looked at my leg and saw a deep, bloody gash, glass fragments glittering in the wound. As if things couldn’t get worse, rain started to fall, cold and relentless. I reached for my phone, but the screen stayed black. Out of battery. Out of luck.