Chapter 3

Elena's POV

When darkness fell, the car arranged by the Vance family arrived.

The three of us sat in the back row.

Carter sat in the middle, his entire body angled toward Chloe.

One moment he was adjusting the AC, the next he was wrapping a blanket over her lap, then opening a bottle of water and handing it to her.

I leaned against the window on the other side, watching the city lights blur past, not uttering a single word.

Halfway through the drive, a violent downpour hammered against the windshield.

On a downhill turn, a car coming the other direction flashed its high beams, blinding our driver.

The tires skidded, and the car lost control, smashing violently into the guardrail.

A deafening crash echoed inside.

The airbags exploded open. The momentum threw me hard against the door, my forehead smashing violently against the side glass.

Warm blood trickled down my brow.

Amidst the chaos, Carter’s immediate instinct was to pull Chloe tightly into his arms, shielding her.

Shattered glass littered the floor. I was wedged in the mangled seat, pain racking my entire body.

Carter’s panicked voice reached my ears:

"Chloe, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere? An ambulance is coming, don't be scared."

He carried Chloe out of the car, never once glancing back at the back row.

When the first ambulance arrived, the paramedics advised taking the more severely injured patient first.

My face was covered in blood, my vision blurring.

Chloe was merely shaken up, with a tiny scratch on her arm.

I saw Carter standing between us, hesitating for only a few seconds.

Then, he scooped Chloe up and carried her into the ambulance.

I watched the taillights disappear into the rain.

Twenty-two years of history couldn't beat a single tear from the girl he loved.

The second ambulance took forever to arrive. My vision went completely black.

When I woke up in a hospital room, my head was wrapped in thick gauze.

My mom was sitting by the bed. Seeing my eyes open, tears spilled from hers.

"You're finally awake! You lost so much blood, the hospital's blood bank almost ran out."

She wiped her tears, complaining, "Three of you in the same car. Miss Sterling barely got a scratch, so how did you end up like this?"

My dad walked in with warm water, sighing heavily.

"Do you even need to ask? Carter threw his whole body over the Sterling girl."

"I just peaked into the next room. Carter is feeding her fruit, fussing over her every second. Those two families are practically set to merge."

Hearing that, I tugged the corners of my dry lips.

"How are the relocation papers coming along?"

"They'll be finalized in about twenty days," Mom said, squeezing my hand. "Don't worry about the paperwork. Just focus on resting."

I closed my eyes and whispered an okay.

Over the next few days, noises from the room next door constantly drifted over.

Carter never left Chloe’s side.

The moment she coughed at night, he slammed the call button for the nurse.

Wheeling myself by in a wheelchair for a check-up, I passed the door of her room, which was surrounded by onlookers.

I peered through the crack.

Carter was holding a massive bouquet of tulips, kneeling on one knee before Chloe's hospital bed.

"Chloe, I've loved you since the first day I laid eyes on you in high school."

"Every single 'coincidence' was planned by me."

"Be my girlfriend."

Carter’s voice was trembling.

Chloe smiled, accepting the flowers: "I'd love to."

Applause erupted around them.

I pulled my gaze back and gestured for the nurse to wheel me away.

I didn't look back, and I didn't care if they hugged.

From this day on, his joy and sorrow had nothing to do with me.