07.

"AND LEFT!" I called out. The group readily followed my instructions, slowly moving to their left. The water swished with the movement, and my eyes roamed over greying old ladies and balding men until they landed on Jace.

His eyes met mine before darting away, his head spinning to the left to avoid my stare. I frowned.

Ever since yesterday, he'd been avoiding me.

I came to class early, hoping to clear the air, but he'd come five minutes before the start, and spent most of his time in the changing rooms. Before I started class, I approached him, but he threw himself into a long conversation about the weather with Jake, a fellow attendee in his late sixties, just to avoid saying hello to me.

And now, for the entire class, he'd been avoiding my eyes.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, vibrating against my thigh. I released a breath, bringing my whistle to my lips and blowing on it with a sharp screech. The sound bounced off the walls and the class came to a stop.

"Class is over!" I shouted, my frown only deepening as Jace made straight for the steps.

I sighed, grabbing my clipboard and stabbing the page with my pen, filling out the timesheet and attendance.

I just had to go and open my big mouth yesterday, didn't I? Idiot. Sticking myself into his business for no reason.

But I'd been worried.

I'd seen how painful it was for him to walk without his crutches. I'd seen the limp in his leg. I saw history repeating itself, and I couldn't let it happen. Worse, everyone around him seemed to be fooled by his acting.

I knew how that felt too.

I released a huff, spinning on my heel and tossing the clipboard onto the office desk on my way out. Fine. If he wanted to ignore me for giving him advice, then fine.

Unwarranted advice, a voice said in my head.

It was still advice, I muttered back.

But I knew what it was like. I remembered people approaching me a year ago – people I barely even knew. Jasmine, you should try this new yoga. You should try this tea. Try a juice cleanse.

It was like I had been permanently branded as The Depressed Girl. Like I was walking around with a sign on my back that said, "Help me! I'm depressed and can't walk! Please, cure me with your teas and herbs!"

I groaned, pushing out of the physio centre and grabbing my bike, tightening my grip around the handlebars. Okay, so maybe I was slightly in the wrong here.

How was I supposed to apologise to him if he was avoiding me? And what would I even say?

God, this was what happened when I opened my mouth. I put myself into situations that would've easily been avoided if I kept to my own business – if I just kept smiling and moving through my daily routine without complaint, the way my mother wanted me to.

Life was fine like that – without any interruptions.

I stood from unlocking my bike, only to pause, my body tensing.

Jace stood a few steps away, waiting at the edge of the footpath like the first week we'd met.

His shoulders were squared, though he leaned heavily onto his good leg. His hair shone brown in the sunlight, and it hit me then how tall and broad shouldered he was. His muscles poked through the back of his shirt and I had the urge to run my fingers over them.

He definitely must've been an athlete before coming to West Mormet.

I pushed forward. My bike let out a loud creak and Jace turned, his eyes glazing over me. I warmed, realising I'd been staring, and slowly shuffled towards him.

He stayed silent the entire time.

"Hey," I said, my voice weak.

His expression remained neutral and he sent me a curt nod, turning back to the road. I frowned, his cold attitude washing over me. The silence was unbearable. I rocked on my toes and released a tight sigh.

"Jace?"

He faced me with a deadpan, lifting a brow in question.

"Look," I started slowly. "About yesterday. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. It was none of my business." The words came out in a rush. He blinked, his eyes growing wide, and I flushed, turning to glare at my shoes. "I'm sorry. So... so stop ignoring me, okay?"

I stared at the road, feeling my face burn beneath his stare. A moment passed, then his hand was on my shoulder. I blinked, meeting his eyes, and he sent me a small smile.

"It's fine," he said sheepishly, his ears turning pink. "I may have overexaggerated. I'm sorry too."

"No," I said quickly, my eyes widening. "No, you didn't overexaggerate. I overstepped. Seriously."

He laughed, quirking a brow. "Jasmine, I can do this all day."

My heart jumped and I warmed at the way he said my name. Like it belonged to him. "Do you want to bet?"

His smile grew and I found myself reflecting his grin when suddenly a car horn beeped. I jumped, spinning to see a blue minivan rolling towards us. Jace's mom stuck her head out of the window, waving at us with a cheesy smile.

"Jasmine!" she said, the car coming to a stop in front of us. "So lovely to see you again!"

"Hi, Mrs Wilson." I smiled awkwardly, stepping up to the window.

"Please, Jasmine. We've discussed this. Call me Anna." She tilted her head then, her eyes pinning on Jace. "I haven't seen you laugh like that in a while, Jacey."

"Mom," he whined, pursing his lips.

I chuckled, turning to raise a brow at him as if to say, Jacey? He blushed, avoiding my eye, and my smirk grew wider.

"Where are you headed, Jasmine? We'll give you a ride."

I blinked turning back to find Anna's expectant expression as she waited for an answer.

"Oh," I said finally, my fingers tightening around the handlebars. "No. It's fine. I've – uh – got my bike and, you know. I don't want to bother you guys."

"No, no, please," she said quickly. She sent Jace a wink. "Any friend of Jace is a friend of mine."

Now I was blushing too.

"Mom," Jace said, his voice clipped as he stepped forward. "It's not like that. We're friends."

"That's what I said," she replied, raising a brow. "Friend."

There was a brief pause where Jace narrowed his eyes at his mother and she smiled snidely back. I warmed, clearing my throat and shooting Anna a smile.

"Really, I'd rather not," I said slowly. "I've got my bike, so... you know. I'll see you on Monday, Jacey."

His eyes widened before narrowing into a glare, his ears red hot by now. I chuckled, stepping back with my bike, ready to slide onto the seat and leave, when his mother interrupted.

"Oh, don't worry about that," Anna said, reaching her hand towards me. "Just pop it in the trunk and I'll take you home." She waved her hand, and with a click, the doors and trunk unlocked.

I frowned, glancing at Jace. He watched me carefully with those honey, gold eyes, waiting for an answer.

It wasn't that I didn't want to go. The thought of sitting in a car with Jace beside me sounded enticing. But the fact that it'd be in a car. Surrounded by that thin metal that could curve and bend in the blink of an eye – that could trap you in its claws and leave you with nowhere to go, nothing to do but scream and cry. I shuddered.

And then Jace's hand was gently brushing my elbow and he was facing me, his brow furrowed in worry.

"Jasmine, you don't have to come if you don't want to."

I blinked, noticing the uneasy twist of his lips and the wrinkle in his brow. He seemed disappointed. I shook my head, forcing a small smile onto my face.

"No, no, I want to," I said. "It's really kind of you to offer. Thank you."

I stepped forward, rounding the car to the trunk. I sucked in a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. My fingers trembled and I tightened them around the handlebars of my bike.

It was just a car. Just a car and a five-minute drive. It'd be fine.

It'd be fine.

Jace followed me, pushing the trunk open. The back seats had been pushed forward, leaving plenty of room in the back. I placed my bike inside with shaky hands and went to close it when he paused, stepping in front of me and placing an arm over the car.

His eyes flickered to my unsteady fingers, then back to my eyes.

"Jasmine," he said quietly. "I know my mom's really pushy, but don't think you have to come with us. I don't mind. Really."

His jaw tightened and his voice had lowered into a serious tone. I shook my head, mustering up the most reassuring smile I could.

"It's fine, Jace," I said. "It's just a car ride."

His brow deepened but I turned, rounding the car and sliding into the backseat.

It already felt weird, tugging the car door open, feeling that deceptively sturdy metal under my fingers. The leather seat squeaked under me and I ran my fingers over the jagged material of the seatbelt before clipping it in the buckle.

At least I wasn't in the front seat. At least I couldn't see the road from here, or the windshield – how easily it had shattered and scattered in my hair, like sharp stars that scraped and drew blood. At least I wouldn't have to look at the dashboard – how easily it had crumpled over my legs, trapping me under metal and blood, tearing into flesh and bone.

The back seat was better. Safer.

There were less memories back here.

The seatbelt pulled tight against my chest and I worked hard to calm my breaths. It cut into my skin, suffocating me, trapping me. I clawed at it, pulling it off my skin.

I thought of Amber, lying limply against her seatbelt. I thought of it tight against my throat as I leaned towards her, desperate to reach her but the seatbelt not giving in. I remembered the firemen, cutting that belt away. The bloodstains that covered the black material.

I wondered if those stains were still on the belt, somewhere in a junkyard. Maybe they burned it. Did bloodstains survive fire?

"Jasmine?"

I blinked, turning to see Jace buckled in beside me. I glanced at the passenger seat, noticing Jace's mom had placed her handbag there, occupying it herself.

"What?" I asked, meeting Jace's eyes again.

"Your address," he said slowly. "Where should we take you?"

I warmed, quickly telling them my address, and soon the car rumbled to a start.

My breath caught in my throat and I focused hard on the seat in front of me. My fingers curled, squeezing the seat beneath me until my knuckles turned white.

Five minutes. I could handle five minutes.

Suddenly, the car lurched to the side and Anna slammed on the brakes, sending me forward. My belt cut into my chest, stopping me, and all the oxygen left my lungs.

"Watch where you're going, dumb ass!" Anna screamed, beeping at a car that overtook her. She twisted in her seat, sending me a frown. "Sorry about that. I swear, people get their license from cereal boxes these days."

"It's fine," I managed, my eyes squeezing shut.

My chest ached painfully as I struggled to force air into my lungs. I was vaguely aware of the car moving again. I felt us go over potholes and pause at stop signs, but all I could hear was Jasmine.

Am I dying?

I heard the crash all over again. I felt my head hit the back of my seat. I felt my neck snap back – whiplash that would leave my neck stiff and aching for the next week. I felt that stupid fucking seatbelt, cutting into my throat. I felt my fingers, stiff and frozen and covered in blood, trying to pry it away, trying to reach Amber.

Amber.

What was I doing?

What was I doing?

I needed to get out of here.

I couldn't breathe. What happened? Why couldn't I breathe?

I needed to breathe. I needed – I needed –

"Jasmine?" It was Jace's voice. "Are you okay?"

It sounded so much like the firemen. The policemen shouting over sirens.

Are you okay?

What's your name?

Can you speak?

I opened my mouth, but all the air was gone. My mouth was unbearably dry and there was a solid lump in my throat that refused to leave.

I shook my head. I couldn't breathe. I gasped and gasped but there was no air. A car horn sounded to my left and I felt goose bumps rise on my skin.

I needed to get out of here.

"Stop the car," I managed weakly.

"What?"

"STOP!" I shouted. "STOP! LET ME OUT!"

The car screeched to a stop and Jace was beside me in a second, his belt unbuckled.

"Jasmine," he said, his hands hovering above mine. My hands. My hands were trembling so much I couldn't undo my seatbelt. They felt numb. Cold. Like it was an October night, and blood was caking beneath my nails. "What happened?"

"I – the belt. It won't –"

His eyes fell to the buckle and he reached forward, undoing it for me.

"Jasmine," he started again.

But I didn't listen.

With shaking fingers, I shoved the door open and fell out onto the street.

I needed to get out of here.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE

Hii thank you all so much for 4k reads! I really hope you guys are enjoying the story so far! let me know your thoughts and predictions! Next time: cuteness hehe

Thanks for reading, voting and commenting as always! See you soon 💕