Page 114 of Escape

I sure hope that everything you got during this morning’s fun hasn’t worn off yet. If it has, you should know I’m on my way back.

“This one’s mine,” Lori declared, recognizing I’d gotten a ride to dinner with Kerri.

As we went to opposite sides of her car to get in, my phone buzzed in my hand. Just before I opened the door to get inside, I glanced at the display and noticed Huck had responded.

Huck

I hope you had a great time tonight. But I’m glad you’re heading home, because I’m just barely hanging on.

My lips twitched.

Josie

I’ll be there in less than fifteen minutes.

Huck

I’ll be watching out the window for you. See you soon.

I tucked my phone back into my purse and allowed the smile to creep onto my face. Huck was the best guy in the world. Everything I’d said to Jessica—and the rest of the girls—tonight was the truth. Huck had shown me a life better than I’d ever imagined. He showed me what it was like to truly be loved.

Wanting to get back to him as quickly as possible, I finally opened the door and got into the car.

A moment later, I had given Huck’s address to Lori, and she backed out of the parking space. She navigated her car through the lot toward the exit, and once we were on our way, I said, “Thanks again for offering to drive me tonight.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it,” she insisted. “I’m so glad you were able to come.”

“Me, too. I had a really great time, and I think it was wonderful that we got to do this for Jessica, too,” I told her.

“Yeah, I think she needed this. It really seemed to lift her spirits, especially after you said all that you did.”

Shaking my head, feeling a bit embarrassed, I replied, “I just wanted her to know that it gets better. She deserves to have hope.”

Lori pulled to a stop at a red light, glanced over at me, and smiled. “We all do. I’m so happy for you, Jo?—”

That was all she got out, because the car jerked forward violently. There was a brief moment of confusion before we both realized what had happened.

“Oh my God. Are you okay?” I asked, feeling my heart pounding.

“Someone just rear-ended me,” Lori announced.

“Are you hurt?”

She shook her head. “No. I’m okay. We should pro?—”

Lori and I both screamed as the car went sailing out into the intersection. We’d just gotten hit a second time. This time, we couldn’t manage to get our bearings about us, because the car behind us continued to drive forward.

I was frantic, worried that someone was having a medical incident, had passed out, and was no longer in control of their vehicle. Holding on to the handle above my head, I saw Lori was gripping the steering wheel with everything she had.

As we were being propelled forward, I turned around to see what was happening, and that’s when my stomach dropped.

“Oh, God.”

“What?” Lori questioned me.

“It’s my ex.”

“What?” she shrieked, the panic rising in her tone.