Run Away

Chapter 40

Evie's eyes felt heavy. Every time she tried to open her eyes, she couldn't. Her body ached all over but she couldn't move. Breathing was difficult and felt like someone was smothering her.

Feeling trapped, Evie struggled to straighten her thoughts. The last thing she remembered was dangling upside down in the upturned car that Ryan had rolled. Ryan! He was a crumpled mess on the roof, moaning in pain but not moving.

That's when she remembered the whole reason she was with Ryan, Kelly. Was she okay? Had the police found her? Was she alive? The thought made her blood run cold.

Evie felt lost in a haze of darkness, which stretched on forever.

Days passed until late one evening when Evie's eyes began to flutter open like a butterfly drying its wings in the sun for the first time after emerging from it cocoon.

Taking in her surroundings, Evie realised she was in a hospital bed in a private room, with a machine beeping beside her and a cannula in her arm attached to a drip. She moved her legs slightly trying to get feeling back into them, when she was able to do so she breathed a sigh of relief knowing that it was a good sign. Her head ached and when she strained to sit up, pain shot down her neck.

Moving her feet once more, her left leg knocked something on the bed. Adjusting herself slightly to look down along the bed she noticed a male leaning against the bed, facing away from her, a head of blonde hair. She froze, her heart rate picking up. Ryan was there with her. Nobody would have known where she was and that's what scared her most.

The door to the room opened quietly and a nurse walked in, pausing briefly when she saw Evie was awake.

"Well, look who decided to wake," Nurse Sarah whispered, aware that Evie had a sleeping visitor lying on her bed.

"Please help me," Evie struggled out, keeping her volume low, to not wake Ryan.

"That's usually what we do in the hospital," Sarah smiled as she checked the monitor and made some notes on Evie's chart.

"You need to call the police," Evie spoke in a hushed tone. "He's dangerous," she indicated with a small nod of her head towards Ryan's sleeping body.

Sarah frowned slightly, "He seemed like a lovely young man while I was talking to him today. He's been here every day waiting for you to wake up."

Evie shivered. Ryan would not let her out of his sight again if he could help it. Everything she had tried to prevent had happened and it was all her fault.

"Please call the police," Evie's voice strained once more, a single tear escaping the corner of her eye, which didn't go unnoticed by Sarah.

"Oh sweetheart, everything will be okay," Sarah reached out and patted Evie's arm. "I'll go get the doctor."

"No, wait-," Evie tried to stop Sarah from walking out, but she closed the door to the room before she could.

Ryan began to stir; Evie's voice had been a little louder and had obviously woken him. Gripped with fear, Evie froze wondering if it was too late to pretend to be asleep still. She knew he had heard her, so there was no point. Waiting, bated breath, Evie watched as Ryan moved more and his head slowly rose from the bed and turned to face her.

Owen! It wasn't Ryan at all, but Owen. He was here, with Evie. Owen had been with her for days while she slept. How did he find her?

"You're awake," Owen smiled at Evie and sat upright. "How do you feel?"

"Kelly, I didn't help-," Evie began, not concerned for herself but for the wellbeing of Kelly.

"She's fine," Owen told Evie, cutting her off, "They found her trapped in the trunk of Ryan's car around the corner from the house, next to the park. She spent some time in hospital, but she's home now resting."