Pitbabe S2, Chapter 10 pg6

 Pitbabe S2, Chapter 10 pg6

   It’s been about fifteen minutes, and on an open road like this, I should’ve reached Charlie’s lab by now. But five minutes ago, I noticed a black SUV tailing me the whole way. It stays in my lane, never overtaking even when I slow down, and follows every turn. When I pretended to pull over, the black SUV stopped too. That’s when I knew I was being followed.

   I’ve been driving off my route for a while now. I could’ve turned at the intersection and reached the lab, but that might drag Charlie into trouble. Just having someone tail me from near my house is worrying enough—if they found out where Charlie works, it’d be a big problem. There are things about Charlie’s project that we don’t want anyone to know. That building’s supposed to be a safe zone, free from paparazzi and stalkers. So, I need to lure these creeps as far away as possible and find a chance to shake them.

   The driver of the black SUV seems pretty skilled. No matter how I try to lose them, they stick with me. Even when I manage to pull ahead, they catch up again. I’ve driven so far out I’m starting to lose track of the roads. I’m turning randomly, switching lanes, barely catching road signs. My brain’s gears are spinning, trying to figure out how to handle this, but I can’t find the right answer on my own. And whenever I’m stuck, I call for backup.

   “Call Charlie.”

   I activate the car’s voice command system, ordering my “son” to dial my personal assistant.

   The ringing goes on longer than usual. Charlie’s normally quick to pick up. I don’t know if he’s like that with everyone, but when I call, I never hear the ringtone more than three times.

   Charlie doesn’t answer.

   “What are you doing?” I mutter, glancing at the rearview mirror. The SUV’s still close behind, and they’re not giving up. I’m getting tired of this city tour. “Call Charlie.”

   I repeat the command. With every ring, my heart beats faster. Part of it’s because the black SUV’s starting to tail me more aggressively, and part of its growing worry about Charlie. My mind races with reasons why he’s not picking up, and I won’t lie—some of the top guesses aren’t good.

   But thankfully, the ringing finally stops.

   (Hello…)

   “Charlie, I’m outside.” I don’t have time to wait for pleasantries, so I cut in, my hands gripping the wheel tighter as I sense the tailing SUV trying to speed up and cut me off. It’s not just me losing patience now—they are too. “I’m heading to you, but someone’s following me. I’m worried they’ll…”

   I don’t get to finish. The SUV surges forward, pulling up alongside me. In this situation, it could easily overtake me, but it doesn’t. In a split second, my sluggish brain processes that it’s not trying to cut me off like I thought.

   It was deliberately speeding up to block my escape.

   The car kept edging closer until my car was pressed against the far left side of the road.

   Ahead was the back of a parked truck, and I didn’t have enough distance to brake.

   The first thing that hit me was pain.

   It felt like something heavy was pressing on the right side of my face. At first, it was a bit scary, but when I raised my hand to touch it, I could tell everything was still fine—my face wasn’t caved in, and my skin wasn’t gone, leaving just a skull. It was like a cloth was stuck to my face, that’s all.

   “Babe.”

   Thank goodness, the first thing I saw besides the blinding white lights was Charlie’s face.

   “Does it hurt?” Charlie asked, gently helping me sit up. As I tried to gather my bearings, I took in the rows of beds, the white curtain dividers, and the overly clean smell. I didn’t need to ask, “Where am I?” It was obviously a hospital. I was still in the same clothes I’d left the house in, and aside from the bandages on my forehead and cheekbone, everything seemed normal. My arms and legs were intact, and I still recognized my boyfriend’s face, so that probably meant I wasn’t in serious condition. “The doctor said you probably has a headache and was in shock, so you fainted.”

   The best confirmation was Charlie’s relaxed demeanor. If I were seriously injured, there’s no way he’d be sitting there with wide eyes, sipping a juice box next to my bed like this.

   “It was pretty shocking, yeah. I crashed into a fruit stall and sent everyone scattering,” I said. Even the memories from before the accident were still there, though a bit patchy since it was chaotic, plus my head had just taken a hit. But overall, I felt fine—probably no need to worry about brain damage. “Did anyone get hurt?”

   “No,” Charlie shook his head slowly, taking a loud sip of his juice and swallowing with a gulp. His eyes seemed a bit distant. “They said you was honking like crazy, but no one was at the stall at the time, so no one got hurt.”

   “Phew, that’s a relief.”

   “It was you who swerved in time.”

   “Yeah, lucky break,” I said, still feeling the relief wash over me. Back then, I really thought I was done for. Swerving the steering wheel to veer off to the side was pure instinct in that final moment. I had no idea if it would save me or not—my brain just took over. “A sports car versus a truck? If I’d hit it head-on, I’d be toast.”

   “You did great,” Charlie stood up. He walked over, hugged me as I sat on the hospital bed, and gave me a soft kiss on the head before continuing in a drawn-out voice, “Worthy of the number-one racer.”

   “Are you drunk or something?” I looked up at Charlie’s face. I’d noticed for a while that he seemed slower than usual, and he was talking like someone who’d had a few drinks.

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