this love (AU)

Chapter 19

Chapter 19

"Hello, miss. Would you be interested in doing a survey about-"The caller says in his monotone voice.

"No, I'm sorry, I'm in a hurry. Bye." Taylor hangs up the call. She fixes her white blouse, she walks further from Joe's door in her heels, oblivious to where she is standing on, an empty private driveway.

It's a quiet morning and most of his millionaire neighbours are either asleep or out already. She presses the power button to check the time.

7:44 am August 6, 2021

I would've had one week left then I would never see Joe ever again. Just because I held a grudge against him, so stupid taylor so stupid.

What was once peaceful turns polluted with loud car tires screechy noises. She jumps out of shock and nearly drops her phone, before she can move a leg, in front of her is a coal-black car swerving in her direction. Taylor can merely see the driver, she has thick brown hair with a psychotic drunk smirk, those bulged eyes are sharp blades piercing through her heart shivering inside. It feels like that woman knows everything about her with just one glance. It would only be a matter of a split second until she lays on the floor in a pool of maroon blood.

Feeling like her legs are tied up with bags of heavy stones, unable to move. Her throat closes up, she screams so loud but nothing comes out. Her hands are shaky with her eyes welled up, watching the vehicle rushing towards her surrounded with horrendous roars of the car engine.

The woman in the driver's seat is seemingly shocked with her mouth hung wide open, she forces her body forward to step on the brake hard, causing a high pitched squeak that doesn't seem to ever stop. Her head accidentally hits the horn in the middle of the steering wheel. Taylor squeezes her eyes with her hands covering her ears, her brain keeps ordering her body to run and move, but her legs stubbornly do not obey. Like cats with sharp claws, the rubber black tires skid against the concrete ground surface, leaving a long black scratch. In the lousy concerto of traffic noises jumbled together, everything becomes silent after a knocking sound like a Muyu strike.

It is not an ear-splitting clash, or metallic collision with the benches along the roadside, instead, it is more of a dull thud. The car backwards with a swoosh, the driver bites her lips with a face filled with panic. She struggles to turn the car wheels in the perfect direction. And as soon as she doesn't overturn, she escapes and doesn't look back riding in her getaway car.

Taylor feels two strong arms hold her up and throw her harshly on the grass. She opens her eyes, confused, things in front of her eyes are still blurry from squeezing her eyes too hard. She immediately feels lightheaded with her eyes exposed to the brightness and with all the confusion and questions tangled up in her head.

As her vision gets clearer, she realises she is lying on the grass right next to the driveway, and that the car, fortunately, did not hit her right in the face. Her eyes crinkle and a smile appear, she's alive. She stands up and the smile grows even bigger, after having a near-death experience, she notices how blue the cloudless sky is, and how soft and brittle the chartreuse green grass is. Her gaze returns to the spot on the driveway where she was supposed to take her last breath, mixed emotions flash across her eyes as her gaze drops.

Her body convulses, shaking her head with her lips quivering. Sobs escape out of the narrow gap between her lips, her knees wobble and her arms hit the ground. Drips of incarnadine liquid strangle the linen fabric of Taylor's blouse. Her face buried in her bloody hands, she feels her heart is covered with holes and punches of guilt. Panic washes over her as she gently strokes his cold unconscious face, he could be dead or seriously injured all because...of her.