Reckless Passion

Chapter 31

— Chapter 31 —

Song Themes For This Chapter: The Scientist – Coldplay; Someone To Save You – OneRepublic

— Rose —

My eyes scanned around the field in search of Peter.  It was so dark and there were no street lights in this part of town.

The blood on the steering wheel caused my stomach to churn with fearful thoughts.  But Peter wasn’t in the truck, so he had to have been okay enough to leave it.  But he wouldn’t just abandon his truck like this.

I continue to walk further into the field and a dark figure crouched by a tree comes into view.  I want to yell out Peter’s name but I stop myself, I’m not close enough to the person to see if it’s Peter or not.

I carefully make my way through the tall grass, trying to be as quiet as possible just in case the person crouched against the tree was some crazy lunatic.

“Peter?”  I quietly speak as I reach my hand out to touch the person’s back.

The person whips around at the sound of my voice, the face confirming that is in fact, Peter.  He’s got a deep gash in the side of his head that’s dripping blood down near his eye.

“R-Rose?”

I bend down, resting a hand on his shoulder and cupping his face with my other hand.  “Oh my god, Peter.  What happened?!  You’re bleeding!”

“The fuck are you doing here, Rose?”  He quietly snaps, partly slurring his words.  “Go home.”

He sounds drunk.  Very drunk.

“Tell me what happened.”  I repeat in a more firm tone.

“None of your damn business!  What are you even doing here?!  How did you find me here?”

“Okay, you know what, fine.  Don’t tell me.  I need to get you to a hospital.”  I reach under his arms and try to help him stand but he uses his weight against me and keeps himself planted on the ground.

“Go home, Rose.  I don’t need your help.”  He glowers at me.

“Yeah, I see you were doing just fine sitting here, slumped against a tree with blood gushing out of that massive gash in your head!”  I bite back.  “I’m taking you to a hospital.”  I attempt to bring him into a standing position again and this time he lets me.

“Why the hell were you driving while under the influence, Peter?!  Do you have a death wish?!  Whether you do or not, you are putting other people in danger by going behind the wheel in this state!  How could you be so stupid?!”  I scold him.

He contorts his face and looks away from me without responding.

I let out a frustrated sigh.  “Okay.  I’m not going to argue with you, I’ve got enough going on.”

“Then why are you here?  Go home.  I told you I don’t need your help.”  Peter nastily retorts.

“I’m here because you’re bleeding and you need to get to a damn hospital and you’re not driving yourself while drunk!”  I yell.  His tone was pissing me off but I wasn’t leaving him here to bleed to death or risk him taking his truck and attempting to drive like this. 

I yank him by the arm back to his truck and lead him to the passenger’s side; his staggering and swaying tells me he’s severely disoriented.  I’m relieved when he gets in without giving me a hard time and I walk around to the driver’s side and climb in.