One night and one mistake is all it takes to change a person's story forever...
Their Story
It was like she couldn't breathe. All of the air had disappeared around her, and her chest was caving in, crushing her already weakening heart. She wanted to move but couldn't. Her legs stiffened at the sight of the still body slowly disappearing within the black bag as she watched with glazed, widened eyes. Her mind couldn't register what she saw, tricking her into thinking this was just a horrible dream.
But this is real life. And in a split second, her life changed forever.
A voice brings her back, a hand resting on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, young lady…nobody's allowed here."
"But that's my boyfriend," she breathes out, her face still completely blank.
His demeanor softens when he hears her words. "I'm very sorry."
"I want to see him. Can I please see him?" She looks up to him with pleading eyes, and she begins to cry, wet tears streaming down her cold, red cheeks. "Please...I just want to see him…"
She suddenly falls apart, unable to survive this kind of pain, and the officer carefully pulls her to him, his hand meeting the back of her head. She easily clings to the stranger, crying against his chest, her fingers gripping the ends of his jacket for bracing. "It'll all be alright," he soothes softly, gently squeezing her shoulder. "There was nothing we could have done. We were just too late. I'm very, very sorry…"
"So he really is…" She squeezes her eyes and looks up at him. "There's no chance?"
She searches his face for a sign of hope but sees nothing. "It was a car accident…fatal…"
"I was on the phone with him…" She stares blankly past him. "I-I heard a crash, and then..."
"Why don't you wait here, and someone will come take your statement. We're handling the other boy right now, but someone will be with you soon." She doesn't look at him, and he takes her arm. "Ok?"
She nods slowly, and he turns and walks away from her, toward the ambulance. Her eyes follow him as he moves, and it's then she sees the other teenage boy in the accident, talking to two of the policemen present. Suddenly her sadness is replaced by anger. Why did he get to survive, and her boyfriend didn't? This was a careless mistake, and someone needs to be blamed, she thinks. She chooses him.
Rachel crosses her arms tightly in front of her, as if to hold herself, and she looks down, a few straggling tears spilling from her eyes down to the cold pavement. A feeling of emptiness suddenly consumes her, and she's sure her heart will never heal after the way it's been broken tonight. And while a part of her still wants to believe it isn't over, she knows this is the end. She knows he's gone forever.
Suddenly she hears a soft, "Rachel…," and she looks up to find the living boy in front of her.
She doesn't even care that he knows her name. She hardly noticed him saying it, but when she sees it's him and that he's about to say more to her, she quickly stops him. "Don't," she tells him firmly, hating that she's crying again in front of him. "Whatever you have to say to me, I don't want to hear it."
"But Rachel, I—"
"Just get out here," she screams. Her tone is so harsh and cruel that even she's surprised by it, and she quickly looks away from him, unable to see the look of torture spreading across his face.
"I'm sorry," he whispers softly, needing her to hear it just once. "It was an accident…"
"An accident that took his life," Rachel sneers back without hesitation. She glances up at him, easily seeing the guilt, regret and sympathy in his eyes, but no matter how sorry he may feel, nothing could make her forgive him for what he's done. Without another word, she turns around, quickly walking away from the boy, tears falling down her cheeks as she hopes she never has to see him ever again.
She'd never expected this for herself. Not in a million years. But she knew this would be her story.
And as he watched her walk away, Finn knew it'd be his.
I fully realize this doesn't seem to be the happiest story ever written, but I promise these characters will see happiness again...please just stick with me lol! With that said, I hope you enjoyed what's been shared so far, and as always, thanks so much for reading! I myself am pretty excited about this one, as it's been really great to write so far, and I hope you are too :)
