Mia Evian has to piece together the mystery of Zack Maddox, the bad boy whose life she saved, while simultaneously keeping her own crumbling life together before Zack ends up in trouble again - or worse yet, dead.
...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
I wake up to a brightness that's far too white, so consider the possibility that I might be dead. My mouth's dry and my head is aching, and it doesn't seem like I should be able to feel that if I'm dead. So I assume I'm not. It doesn't take me long to realise where I am and why I'm here because the last thing I remember is driving the car. The fact that I've not been on a bed this hard since my tonsils were removed eight years ago is another giveaway.
'Mia?'
Mum?
'Mia, darling, are you okay? Can you hear me?'
Wait, no, Dad? I lift my eyes to look beside me, and for a moment I swear I'm going crazy because my parents are standing there, together. I've not seen them together for months. I try to speak, but all that comes out is a squeak. God, my mouth is dry. Mum grabs a jug of water from the cabinet beside my bed, then pours it into an empty glass before handing it to me. I sip it lightly.
Probably not the most normal response to give your parents after waking up in hospital. They both start fussing and fluffing my pillow as if it'll make any difference to anything, but all I can focus on is how awkward this whole situation is. Neither of them are acknowledging each other in any way. Dad's in his scrubs, so he must be working tonight. The thought of him working here has always been strange to me, but watching him now as he mumbles a load of jargon and strokes my hair makes the idea of him having a life outside this place unnatural.
I want to ask them where everyone else is and if they're okay, but my throat keeps drying up. I take a long gulp of water, cough to clear my throat, and try again. Mum tells me that everyone's fine, and I don't think I've ever felt more relieved in my life. Preston was the only other one who had to come to hospital, and he's been discharged already. I ask for more detail on that, but Dad just mutters something under his breath while Mum refuses to elaborate. My parents glance at each other, and Dad nods.
'Mia,' he begins. 'We're so relieved you're safe, but we're both extremely disappointed in you.'
That's when it hits me. I was driving. While slightly drunk, I drove a car I'm not insured on without a licence, and I crashed it. I landed someone, as well as myself, in hospital. I'm about to speak up and apologise when Dad continues talking. Mum sits silently with her ankles crossed and head down as he prepares to lecture me. Just like old times.
'You're only just seventeen, and you were drinking. You got into a car full of other drunk people on private property in the middle of the night, and didn't once consider the consequences. You've never done anything remotely like this before, so why now?'
Why now? Is he kidding? I want to jump out of bed and slap him, and if it wasn't for the IV line in my hand, I swear I would. I glance at Mum to see a sour look on her face, and I'm almost certain my expression mirrors hers. She doesn't say anything.
