A Quest To The Known

chapter twelve

Lyra

Lucas's arm weighted down the pillows between us to touch my back just lightly and although my vision of him was limited by the pillows placed in front of me, I could just imagine the red creeping up his cheeks when he woke up. I was convinced his love language was physical touch. But when his hand withdrew from my body and he entered the bathroom without a noise, it was obvious I wasn't one of the people he chose to love.

His hurried escape didn't give me time to vocalize the apology I had been training for thirty-five minutes last night.

I guess he needed his time. I had said a lot of hurtful things, so hurtful to the point he couldn't stand to be in the same room as me. He was entitled to take a break from me. So I gave it to him. Kept quiet. Even when my heart physically ached from not talking to him.

I was used to his silence but there was a difference between the agreed, peaceful silence we practiced everyday for a few hours and the tension-filled silence we were in right now.

It was an unspoken fact that Lucas was one of the best drivers I knew.

So when the car swerved to the other line for the third time I had to intervene. The road seemed to be reserved to us and us only but the risk of crashing was still uncomfortably high.

"Are you sure you're ok to drive?"

"I'm..." I watched in anticipation as he focused on his next words. Sometimes I wondered if the reason he talked so slow was because he had to plan every single thing he was going to say, "I'm fine."

I didn't answer. I wasn't sure he wanted me to. Even though the words 'I'm sorry' burned my tongue, pleading to come out.

Our source of sunlight came from Lucas's side, the edge of a cliff that gave place to green mountains that stretched high into the sky showing us just how little we were. My side was covered by much closer mountains, high enough to cover the sun and to think of how crushed I would be if they were to crumble.

I could already feel my hands shaking so I grabbed my phone. At least with my phone, I felt in control over something. According to Google Maps, we were less than three hours away from Baldwin and one more from the address written on the white piece of paper that had become my guide.

Despite trying to keep busy, I still couldn't ignore the person who had become one of my biggest concerns these past few days.

"I'm sorry."

The words finally came out but neither of us had the time to let them sit in. The sound of my voice seemed to call Lucas's attention to everything but the road, resulting in him swerving to the wrong side, yet again, but this time the curve was too deep, driving the car straight into the edge of the cliff.

My eyes closed, and I was ready for extreme pain and anguish but it never came. Instead, I felt my body swinging side to side, slowly, steadily. I opened my eyes to see bright blue water from the windshield, a few thousand feet beneath us.