I panicked. Without thinking, I threw my car in reverse and punched the gas. Driving backward like a maniac it seemed like only seconds before I was at the mortared columns. I kept right on going through them and swung around on a small patch of grass on the other side. The tires spun out in the grass. My heart was pounding. I threw the car into drive and punched the gas again. The car jolted forward and sputtered, on the verge of stalling.
“Oh God!” I hit the steering wheel. “Please, please, Peggy Sue, don’t die on me now!” I feathered the gas and she came back. Not wasting a moment, I hit the gas and sped back up the winding driveway. I didn’t even hesitate when I came to the bridge. I put the pedal to the medal.
Viktor appeared at the end.
I hit the brakes, bringing the car to a jarring halt. My neck snapped and my head slammed into the steering wheel and then everything turned black.
Something wet slipped down my face. I lifted my hand to wipe it off and realized it was coming from my mouth. I tried to sit up and my vision waffled.
“Hey,” a deep voice rumbled at my side.
I jerked forward.
The action made me feel like I was going to be sick. I gripped the sides of my head and opened my eyes.
Viktor was squatting down in front of me. “Hey,” he said his voice quiet. “Are you all right?” he asked, concern etched across his gorgeous face.
“Um…” Everything came back to me at once. I groaned, wanting to shut my eyes again.
“Stop crowding her,” another distinct voice rang out from beside me.
I turned my head to the right. Vincent was sitting beside me, and he had a wet spot on the front of his t-shirt. Mortified, I kept my head down. A plush carpet slowly came into focus under my feet. Oh God! I wished I had somewhere to hide but it was already too late. “Yeah, I’m fine.” I said even though my head was pounding. I heard a constant tick… tick…tick, followed by chiming. Someone sighed and I smelled cinnamon.
Viktor coughed and moved back.
A warm hand slid over my shoulder, rubbing it. Instead of making me feel better, the heat of it made me nauseas. “I don’t feel too good.” I tried to shirk off his hand.
“Get out of her face and let her breathe,” Viktor snapped. He sounded far away. I would have smiled but my embarrassment overruled it.
“Why don’t you go away? You’re obviously scaring her.”
Me?” Viktor scoffed. “If you would move and give her some room she could sit up.” He kept his voice quiet but it had a harsh edge to it.
A cadence of footsteps sounded on the tiles and then muted when they hit the carpet. “My God,” said a female voice, “both of you move so I can give her some water.”
I tensed, recognizing the voice at once.
It was Viola.
I shut my eyes, groaning inwardly. Why me?
“No one asked you, Viola. Why don’t you get out of here,” Vincent growled. His body vibrated against my side.
“It’s my house,” she snapped. “I can be here.” A black pair of boots came into my line of vision. “Here,” she said, “drink this.” A glass of water was shoved under my face. “It’ll make you feel better.”
I grabbed hold of the glass and lifted my head just enough to take a small sip. The shock of her doing something so nice was almost too much to take. “Thanks,” I said and handed the glass back. A slim hand grabbed hold of the glass once more.
“Better?” she asked her voice sounded too sweet.
She had to be faking. “Um, yeah,” I said and tried to sit up. As soon as I lifted my head, I felt like throwing up again. I put my head back in my hands and closed my eyes against the sudden pain.
“Now, see what you did,” Vincent snapped. “Get away. You’re obviously making her sick.
“If she’s sick it’s because you two Neanderthals are crowding her,” she snapped right back. “Obviously she can’t breathe.”
“Leave,” Viktor snarled. I couldn’t see his face but I knew it was his voice. It was hard and commanding.
“Whatever!” she snapped and then I heard her footsteps retreating from the room.
“Amber?” Vincent leaned down. His head was close to mine and I smelled another waft of cinnamon. “What do you need?” he asked, rubbing my back gently. “Do you want me to take you home or to the hospital?”
“What is wrong with you?” Viktor growled. “She’s fine or will be if you would just leave her alone for a minute.”
“How would you know what she needs?” Vincent said his tone defiant.
“Keep it up Vincent,” Viktor warned. He leaned down and pushed back my hair from my face. His fingers skimmed my neck. They were cold and felt good. “I’ll get you some ice,” he said. “It will help with the nausea.” I didn’t hear Viktor walk away but knew he had left the room when Vincent shifted closer.
“Amber,” he said quietly, his hand slipping down over my back again. “Are you really okay?”
“Yeah,” I managed. “My head hurts though.”
“I say it should,” he said. “You hit it pretty hard.”
I turned and looked at him. His face was shadowed, worried. “I’m so sorry.”
“What are you sorry for?” he asked, his expression bewildered.
Because I was spying on you. “For just leaving like that and for coming here,” I admitted.
“Why did you come here?” he asked.
“Ah…I just wanted…” I couldn’t finish.
“What did you want?” he asked quietly.
“I wanted to see what was down here…I didn’t know…” I tried to explain but my head hurt and the heat from his body was making me feel worse.
“Shh,” he whispered. “It’s all right.”
“Vincent,” I said and then stopped. My stomach clenched. I held my hand over my mouth.
“Amber?” He rubbed my back. I knew he was doing it to make me feel better but each time his hand moved my stomach lurched.
“Do you need to…”
I didn’t let him finish. I stood up, looking for a way out. I was going to be sick and I wasn’t about to do it in his house. There were antiques everywhere and the room had a closed up smell to it. It reminded me of my Grandmother’s house. She was a hoarder.
Viktor appeared and he was holding a cloth with ice in his hand. He was staring at me and he didn’t look happy.
“Wait?” Vincent stood.
I was trapped between them both. I spotted the door and headed for it. “I really have to go.”
Viktor stepped in my way. “Where are you going? His gray eyes flashed and a tremor shot through me.
“I have to… I have to…” My words clogged in my throat and I felt another wave of nausea. I had to get out of here before I threw up. Pushing past Viktor, I fast walked out of the house and down the stairs to my car that was parked in the circular drive. I ran over to it and jumped inside. Thankfully, my keys were in the ignition. I started my car and threw it onto gear. I looked up and Viktor and Vincent were both standing on the porch. They both had the strangest looks on their faces. I gave a half-hearted wave and left before I made an even bigger fool out of myself.
As I drove away, I looked in my rearview mirror but they were both gone.