Faded

Chapter 10

Can someone please slap me awake from this nightmare?

Could Brandon or hell even Cassie just tell me this is all some sick joke?

My heart drums in my ribcage as I drove away from the home I've shared with Brandon for years. Seeing him in the rearview mirror, hearing his muffled screams as he runs after my car but I don't turn back. I kept driving, leaving him. Leaving my friends, My job, everything all behind. I needed to get away for all of this

"Spend the rest of your life with me, please?" He asked ,my eyes widening as he dropped to one knee, fishing a small black velvet box from his pocket. My heart rate picks up as I reach for him, forcing him to get up but he wouldn't budge .

I look around, wide eyed. My friends and family are looking at me expectantly. "Brandon, get up." I beg. "Please?" glancing back down at him with misty eyes but Brandon stood his ground, his jaw clenching. " Not until you agree to marry me." Why does he have to be so stubborn? My breathing shallows feeling my airways constrict.

"You know I love you and only you," I whisper, holding his face. "But I'm not-" I swallow hard, voice thickening. "Brandon, I don't think; I can't give you kids. I can't give you a family. I- don't know If I can'' I kneel with him, practically pleading. Brandon grabs my face, shushing me, peppering my face with kisses. When I calmed down, the tears in my face that were blinding me finally gone, he rested his forehead against mine whispering, "We don't know that for sure yet." Brandon shrugs, I was going to argue but he runs his thumb along my quivering lip.

"Just say yes, Skyler. baby or not, I'm okay with just you and me, we can be all the family we need." he smooths my hair back, offering a small smile before he pulls me in his arms. "You're all I need." he says, lips against my temple.

It feels as if it's just me and him as he whispers sweet nothings in my ear. But there's this small part of my mind that just fears the future finding myself mumbling, "You say that now, but one day, everyone is going to have kids and I don't want you to be unhappy-" I was a whimpering mess but Brandon was collected as ever. He's never been more sure about anything else in his life. "As long as I have you in my life, I don't think I could ever be unhappy and If we absolutely want kids we can adopt or a surget." he says confidently.

"Peaches," I let out a sigh, feeling like he's isn't hearing me out. Brandon sighs wetting his lips showing me the ring again. "Just say yes, idiot. Say yes, I'll be the happiest person in this world."

Fighting the urge to close my eyes at the blinding lights in front of me. Fear shoots me through as the deafening horns from the cars around grew louder. Blinking away my tears, gripping the steering wheel so hard my knuckles turn white.

When I came to, I realized I had driven off the road. Slamming my foot on the brake of the car halts. Every part of me begins to shake gasping for air. The sobs poured out of me letting my head fall against the steering wheel. I kept clutching my chest like there was a gaping hole in my chest. Hearing muffled fussing outside the car but I didn't move well couldn't. Not really wanting to. I just wanted to cry all the pain out, right now getting hit by a truck and crashing didn't seem as bad if that meant taking away the agony I'm being forced to deal with.

Hearing someone yell out my name followed by footsteps and a door being pried open.

"Skyler!" The voice echoed around me before everything went black.

"I'm calling an ambulance, okay? Hold on." A voice echoed as I went in and out of consciousness. Everything was so bright; too bright. Looking around I saw Asha hovering over me. She looked around looking at the truck I almost crashed into and checking me for scratches.

"No, no! I'm not hurt. Please don't." I shook my head. "Please, Ash." Holding on to her harder. She placed a soothing hand on my back nodding in agreement. Seeing the hurt in my face. "Okay, but let's at least let Brandon know where you are-" she starts to say but I pulled away enough to grip the front of her shirt, shaking my head violently which was a bad idea since my head began to pound harder . "Please, please! Don't call him !" A fresh wave of tears flooded my already swollen eyes at the thought of having to see Brandon again. No, the last thing I wanted right now was to see his face.

Asha looked over at me just to make sure I wasn't really injured. Asha was always intuitive since we moved in she noticed almost everything down to my weight. She started to piece things together with the missing engagement ring, me pleading not to contact anybody else that I might know, not even Brandon and why I was taking the road that leads to nowhere. Not likely visiting someone at this hour looking but looking heavily distraught. Asha sighed in resignation, nodding, saying "Alright. Whatever you need."

Maybe it's the cosmic being that's responsible for everything that's happened in my life, maybe it's still looking after me, after all they sent Asha my way in the middle of the night in an unlikely road. I mean of all people right now. Because with her, I didn't have to say shit, She just automatically tries to understand and protect me. She stood there holding me, no questions asked, not asking for an explanation though I owed her one.

"Do you want me to drive you somewhere? Where you heading to, Clarie's?" I nodded, Asha knew about Clarie through mutual friends. We all became a close-net set of friends away from Brandon, watching her put the seatbelt over me closing the car door. All throughout the drive, Asha kept her mouth shut though you know he's been dying to ask. I was grateful, of course, but I can't relive all that right now. Leaning my forehead against the cool glass of the window hearing Asha call Clarie on the drive to her house.