Crises in Love (Zora and Jaylan) novel Chapter 435

The shout pierced through the darkness like a beacon, and I felt a sudden surge of hope. We were going to make it out alive after all!

I could hear Larkin's voice calling out, “Hannah, Ms. Wilburn, are you both alright?”

Hannah's voice came through, strained but hopeful, “...We're okay!”

Her shout was followed by a sickening 'crack' from the car, and my heart lurched with fear.

Please hold on, I prayed silently.

There was a tense silence that lasted an eternity, or maybe it was just three minutes, before Larkin's figure appeared in our line of sight.

Hannah let out a cry of relief, “Larkin!”

“Stay calm, hold on!” Larkin cut off her jubilation as he checked the stability of the car.

“We might not have much time left! The branches holding us up are too thin,” Hannah shouted, her voice edged with panic.

“Got it! Don't worry!” Larkin replied, then I saw him signal upwards before he was hoisted away.

Before long, the car was secured by two thick ropes, and Larkin helped us out. My legs nearly gave out as soon as I touched the ground, but Larkin was there to steady me.

It took a moment for me to collect myself, to get my emotions under control.

Meanwhile, Hannah had dashed over to the scene of the accident, about 50 meters from where our car had hung precariously.

“I need to see for myself!” I said, determined to walk over.

Larkin grabbed my arm, stopping me. “My lady, maybe it's better if you don't.”

“Why?” I asked, confused. He just shrugged

I understood but still moved forward, “I need to see their fate for myself.”

The chaos that met my eyes, though, was beyond anything I'd ever imagined. I clapped a hand over my mouth and bolted to the side, retching violently.

The scene was a macabre tableau, the air thick with the stench of blood.

Hannah came back to my side, patting my back gently as I struggled to keep myself together. I hadn't felt great before, but now I was completely spent.

Finally, with nothing left in my stomach, I straightened up and Larkin handed me a tissue.

“Are you alright? Were you hurt?” His voice was tight with worry.

I mustered a weak smile, “You forget, I'm very lucky!”

“Cut it out. No one's luck is good enough to survive a situation like that unscathed. And Hannah?” His voice was insistent.

“I'm fine too!” Hannah called out loudly.

I chuckled weakly, “We just had a real-life action movie scene.”

“That's good to hear. Where are you headed now?” He didn't dwell on it, just asked for my next move.

“Heading home to rest. I don’t feel like going anywhere else,” I said, still feeling shaken.

“Alright, just be safe,” he said, his words heavy with unspoken concern. After a few more words to Hannah, he hung up.

Hannah turned to Larkin, “Where did you come from to get here?”

“I was over at Dalton’s,” he replied, then glanced at me in the rear-view mirror, hesitating before adding, “There's been an unexpected development.”