Because of the Accident (Book 1)

Chapter 21

Floyd's POV

I floated in a void, an endless expanse of darkness that felt like a weight pressing down on my chest. Where am I? What's happening? Panic surged through me, and I tried to recall the last moments of my life, but they felt shrouded in fog. Then, like a beacon in the night, a memory broke through the haze, transporting me to a sunlit morning filled with warmth and love.

"I love you, you do know that, right?" Autumn said as she spread whipped cream on the pancakes. I smiled at her, my heart swelling as I wrapped my arms around her waist from behind, a playful grin on my face. The small box I had hidden on the table felt heavier in my pocket, a secret waiting to be unveiled.

"I will love you forever and always. Autumn, I honestly don't know what I'd do without you," I beamed, reaching for the box. She turned to face me, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. When she saw the box, her expression transformed into one of astonishment.

"Floyd..." she gasped, her hands flying to her mouth.

I sank to one knee, the weight of the moment anchoring me. "Autumn, I want you to be in my life forever. I want to have kids with you one day and watch them grow up to be successful. I want us to be one." I opened the box, revealing a stunning silver diamond ring that sparkled under the morning sun, the two diamonds at the top catching the light and scattering it like stars. Autumn's eyes filled with tears as she looked down at me, and my heart raced with hope.

"Autumn." I smiled, my own eyes brimming with emotion. "You are my first love, and you will be my last. Will you marry me?"

She turned away, her joy too overwhelming to contain, and when she looked back at me, tears streamed down her cheeks, illuminating her beautiful face. "Yes!" she exclaimed, beaming with happiness.

I swept her into a tight hug, spinning her around as laughter echoed between us. "Autumn! We're engaged!" I laughed, feeling invincible in that moment. She squealed with delight as I set her down, kissing her tenderly and slipping the ring onto her finger, our future glimmering bright ahead of us.

But just as quickly as joy had filled the air, an impenetrable darkness enveloped me, snuffing out the warmth of sunlight like a candle extinguished by a gust of wind. I found myself standing alone in a boundless void, where shadows twisted and writhed in the silence that pressed against my ears like a heavy blanket. Confusion surged through me, disorienting my thoughts and leaving me adrift in an ocean of uncertainty. Then, as if conjured from the very fabric of the darkness itself, Autumn emerged, her figure radiant and ethereal, a beacon of light amidst the suffocating gloom. Her smile was like the dawn breaking over a desolate horizon, promising warmth and hope in a world that felt utterly lost.

"Come back to me, Floyd," she said, her voice warm and inviting. I felt my heart leap, and I took a step toward her, yearning for the safety of her presence. But then a jarring voice shattered the moment, jolting me to a halt.

"Floyd..." the voice cried. "I can't live without you."

I turned to see Lia, tears streaming down her face, desperation etched into every feature. "Please," she called out again, her voice filled with raw emotion.

I hesitated, torn between the two of them. "Floyd, remember everything we've been through. You told me you would love me forever. Don't you want to be with me?" Autumn's words cut through the haze, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"Yes... I do..." I murmured, feeling the pull of Autumn's presence. But as I moved toward her, she began to fade, her image blurring into the darkness. I turned back to Lia, who too was slipping away, her form dissolving into nothingness.

The void swallowed me once more, an insatiable darkness that wrapped around me like a thick fog. But then, with an abrupt jolt, reality shifted, and I found myself standing in an unfamiliar house. Confusion crashed over me like a wave, disorienting my senses as I took in the sunlit interior, its walls painted in warm hues that seemed to pulse with life.