Chapter 102: Please, Wake Up!
Zevian’s senses came back slowly, his head throbbed and every inch of his body ached. For a moment, he couldn’t make sense of where he was, only the overwhelming ache that coursed through him. His eyelids fluttered open and the sight of broken glass and twisted metal greeted him.
The smell of smoke filled his lungs, and the sharp sting of gasoline pierced through the fog of confusion clouding his brain. His head lolled to the side, and it was then he saw her.
The sight of Evelyn’s still form, head slumped to the side, her chest barely rising, made his heart stop in horror. Panic shot through him, the ache in his body completely forgotten as his worst nightmare seemed to have come true. To be caught up in another accident. With the person he loved the most!
"Eva..." Zevian murmured, his voice rasped, but it was barely more than a whisper. He fumbled with the seatbelt, forcing it to unclip with his trembling fingers. His breath hitched as he reached for her, grasping her cold hand.
"Evelyn..." he called again, this time louder, desperate, as his voice cracked. His heart pounded in his chest like a hammer, the memories from that night flashing behind his eyes.
No, not again! He couldn’t lose her like Katherine!
Zevian squeezed her hand, shaking it gently, his pulse quickening. "Please... wake up..."
But Evelyn didn’t move. Didn’t respond. Her head hung limply against the seat, her face stained with blood.
Tears welled in his eyes, unbidden, as he blinked them away fiercely. His throat tightened, the familiar weight of fear gripping him the same way it had five years ago. He remembered the same helpless feeling, the blood, the wreckage... Katherine’s lifeless body.
A sharp cough forced its way from his throat as smoke began to fill the car, thick and suffocating. He looked around, suddenly aware of the growing danger. Flames were licking at the edge of the car’s hood, creeping closer. They had no time! He needed to get her out of the car quickly!
With whatever strength he had left, Zevian pushed himself out of the passenger seat. The pain in his side was excruciating, but the adrenaline in his veins drove him forward. Staggering, he reached for Evelyn’s door, tugging it open with a groan of metal and glass. His vision swam, but he forced himself to focus as he unbuckled her seatbelt, lifting her out of the seat.