Vic's hands gripped the steering wheel so tight his fingers turned white. His heart raced as his eyes scanned the street, his mind fogged with rage and jealousy. He had watched them all day—Maya and Eddie—laughing, talking, like the world was theirs to take. It should've been his world with her, not Eddie's.
The moment he saw them walking down the sidewalk, Vic's pulse quickened. They were too close, too happy, and it made him sick. He'd been stewing in anger for days, but this? This felt like the final straw. He slammed his foot on the gas and took the corner too fast.
Maya didn't see it coming.
Eddie was too distracted, walking beside her, his arm casually draped over her shoulder. They were in their own little world—until the roar of an engine sliced through the air.
Maya's head snapped around, her eyes widening in horror. "Eddie—"
She screamed as she saw the black car speeding toward them, Vic's furious face visible through the windshield. There was no time to react. Eddie's eyes locked on the car too late. He tried to shove Maya out of the way, but the car came barreling toward him, relentless, like a storm waiting to destroy.
"Eddie, MOVE!" Maya shouted, her breath a panicked rush.
She pushed him out of the way, but the impact of the car was too close. It scraped across Eddie's side, throwing him to the ground. The screech of tires echoed in the night, the car skidding to a halt just inches away from him.
Maya collapsed beside Eddie, her hands shaking as she tried to assess his injuries. Blood stained his shirt where the car had clipped him, but he was alive—barely.
"Maya," Eddie groaned, wincing in pain.
The world blurred around her as she turned her furious gaze back toward the car. There he was—Vic, still sitting behind the wheel, staring at them, a sickening grin spreading across his face. His eyes were wild, manic, like he'd lost all control.
Maya's breath caught in her throat as she dragged Eddie to safety. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest, her thoughts racing. This was it. This was how far he would go.
She shot up to her feet, fury swelling inside her like a tidal wave. She wasn't just going to let him get away with this. Not this time.
Vic threw the car into reverse, the tires screeching again as he backed up to get a better angle. "You think you can just walk away from me, Maya? You think you can forget me and move on with him?"
"Vic!" Maya shouted, her voice raw. "You've lost it. You're sick!"
But Vic just laughed, the sound dark and cold, echoing in the night air. "I'm not the one who's sick, Maya. You are—thinking you can move on from me so easily. I own you. And now, you'll see how far I'll go to remind you."
The car lunged forward again, its headlights blinding, but Maya was already moving, running toward Eddie.
"No!" She screamed as she pushed Eddie away, throwing herself in front of him.
The car screeched to a halt just inches away from her, but the sheer force of it left her stumbling back. She fell to the ground, her body hitting the concrete with a sickening thud. Blood pooled under her, but she didn't feel the pain. She just saw the rage in Vic's eyes and the fear in Eddie's as he reached out to her.
She could barely move, her legs numb, but she fought the blackness creeping at the edges of her vision. "Eddie…" Her voice was barely a whisper.
But Eddie didn't hesitate. He crawled toward her, his hand shaking as he reached out to touch her face. "Maya… no… please…"
Vic's car screeched in reverse again, and he slammed it into gear, pulling up beside them. He leaned out the window, his face twisted in a sick smirk. "Get up, Maya. This isn't over."
Maya turned her head, staring at him, fury and fear mixing together. Not again. He won't win.
In a surge of strength, she pushed herself up, every inch of her body screaming in protest, but she did it anyway. Her hands were shaking, her mind was cloudy, but one thing was clear: She couldn't let Vic hurt Eddie anymore. She wouldn't let him tear everything apart again.
She glanced down at Eddie, who was still bleeding from the scrape where the car had hit him. "Get out of here," she told him, her voice firm despite the terror in her eyes. "Get in the car. Go. I'll handle him."
"No." Eddie's voice cracked, his hand gripping hers tightly. "We're doing this together."
"No, Eddie," she said, her tone sharp as she shoved him toward the car. "You don't understand. He won't stop. You have to leave. I'll get you help, but right now, he needs to think he's won."
Vic's laughter filled the air again, but it was sickening this time. "You're really going to let him go, Maya? You know what'll happen if you keep protecting him. Don't you? I'm not the only one who's going to pay. You will, too."
Maya took a deep breath, her gaze steely as she faced Vic. "You don't know what you're messing with. I'm done running. And I'm done pretending I'm afraid of you."
Vic's smile faltered for a split second. "You don't get it, do you? You belong to me."
But Maya didn't flinch. "No, Vic. I don't. And you'll never make me think I do again."
With that, Maya shoved Eddie out of the way, stumbling but keeping her focus. Her heart was racing, her hands shaking, but there was no time for hesitation. Vic's car was still running, the engine's roar echoing in her ears like a death knell. She wasn't going to let him get away with this—not after everything.
Her legs felt like lead as she moved, but she forced herself to stand tall, her eyes locked on Vic's car, calculating her next move. Blood pulsed in her ears, her breath shallow from the adrenaline pumping through her veins.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket, the sound cutting through the chaos. Without thinking, she grabbed it, fingers trembling as she dialed the first number that came to mind—her father. The line rang, each second dragging out, but her thoughts were clouded with a thousand things at once. She knew she needed backup, she needed something to stop Vic before it went too far.
"Come on, pick up…" she muttered under her breath, her heart hammering in her chest.
The phone rang again, but the doubt crept in. Could she really trust her father to handle this? Would he just make everything worse? No. She had no choice. She couldn't leave Eddie out there alone.
Finally, the phone picked up. She didn't even wait for him to speak. "Dad, Vic… he—"
A crash of metal against metal echoed in the distance as Vic revved the engine again, ready to lunge at them once more.
"He's coming," she hissed, voice tight. "We need to stop him. Now."