Chapter 5
Genesis gritted her teeth against the excruciating pain in her leg, struggling to respond to that voice calling her:[]
“Isaiah… I’m here.“]]
But no one
no one answered back.
She forced her eyes open. Blood blurred her vision, and all she could see was the empty car interior!]
She was alone.
The person who’d been screaming her name hadn’t saved her
As consciousness slipped away, Genesis fall into a dream.
She dreamed of that year when Isaiah chased her to Los Angeles
Her racing team back then wouldn’t let her go, so he’d challenged them to a race–winner could take her away.
He’d just gotten his racing license for her sake, first time behind the wheel of a race car and he was already tackling mountain roads.
She sat in the passenger seat as his navigator, but they still crashed.
He lost control during a drift, and the car smashed through the guardrail, tumbling toward the cliff.
In the chaos, he’d f
fought desperately to shield her in his arms. Even with blood streaming from his head, he never let go. ||
With his last bit of strength, he lifted her onto a rocky ledge that jutted from the cliff face, his voice hoarse as he shouted, “Hold on!”
But he slipped down with the mangled car, half his body hanging over the cliff edge, seconds away from being crushed]
Later, after the rescue, he lay weak in her DTTS, delirious but still thinking about bringing her home.
“Gen, they just want you for the money…I want you safe. No matter how dangerous it gets, I’l… I’ll always protect you. Come back with me, okay?–
She’d been about to say yes when everything went black, and she was jolted awake.
This time, he hadn’t protected her
Genesis’s eyelashes fluttered, and she opened her eyes. A tear slipped down her cheek and hit the pillowcase ||
The person beside her bed immediately perked up: “Gen, you’re awake!“]
The nurse changing her bandages smiled too: “Finally! Dr. Merrick’s boer here all day and night. I wish I had a brother who cared that much.
Genesis was still groggy, asking in confusion: “Brother?”
“Yeah, aren’t you Dr. Merrick’s sister?” the nurse chatted while tidying up. “This morning Dr. Merrick’s wife Sadie came to see you too, crying her eyes out. She specifically asked me to call her the moment you woke up.“[]
CRASH–the glass in Isaiah’s hand shattered on the floor
The nurse jumped, quickly shut h
ther mouth, and hurried off to call the cleaning guy.]
Genesis was jolted fully awake by the sound, and the fragmented memories of the crash suddenly pieced together
Chapim 5
Isaiah’s silhouette as he carried Sadie away in his arms. And her own desperate reach for help as she lay dying, only to be abandoned like she was invisible.
She looked up at Isaiah. The panic in his eyes was impossible to hide
She forced a cold smile: “Explain.”
Isaiah froze for a second, then frantically grabbed her hand: “They’re talking nonsense! We must look like family or something–they got confused and thought you were my sister.”
“Okay, I believe you.”
Genesis cut him off her voice completely devoid of emotion
Isaiah’s remaining words got stuck in his throat.]
This wasn’t right. Genesis wasn’t supposed to be like this
She should be crying, screaming, demanding to know why he’d saved Sadie first, getting pissed that he’d let people think they were siblings.
But she didn’t. She was calm as still water.
Panic crawled up his spine. He tried to say something more, but Genesis had already closed her eyes: “I’m tired.“[]
Isaiah’s guilt had nowhere to go.
“Gen, I screwed up big time. Should never have let Sadie behind the wheel Talready gave her hell for it. Look, if you’re pissed, take it out on me–yell at me, hit me, whatever. Just don’t shut me out like this”
Genesis pulled her hand away. When she opened her eyes again, there was nothing left in them.
“I really am tired.“||
Something was seriously wrong
Isaiah panicked, that sinking feeling of losing his grip threatening to swallow him whole []
But before he could manage a proper apology, the doctor came in for rounds and called him outside]]
The moment he turned away, Genesis’s eyes filled with tears.]
Only this time, no matter how much her heart was breaking, not a single tear would fall |
Her heart had died completely the moment Isaiah walked away from her
She wiped her dry eyes and just wanted to sleep it off–wake up and leave this man behind
But as soon as she closed her eyes, the bed next to hers erupted in noise |
“Quit your crying!” A woman snapped, clearly fed up
“You see that lady over there? She’s a race car driver and her leg got busted up so bad she’ll never drive again, and she’s i twisted your ankle and you’re bawling like a baby!“]]
“No! I don’t want my leg broken! I don’t want it!“[]
The little boy’s wails filled the entire ward, reaching Genesis’s ears
Broken leg?!
