Chapter 3 Nothing Left to Lose

By the time the crowd around the lake thinned, I could finally get to my feet. I carefully tested the ankle I'd twisted in the fall, but I'd barely taken two steps when an ice-cold hand grabbed my arm.

"Emma, what the hell are you trying to do?"

I ignored Jake and glanced around, still trying to figure out how I could leave this world for good.

The lake was clearly out of the question.

Someone would just come and drag me out again, and I might end up getting them killed in the process. The nearby buildings weren't tall enough either, and banging my head against a wall probably wouldn't work.

"Emma! I'm talking to you!"

My silence only made Jake angrier.

"What the hell do you want from us?" He snapped. "Did you think jumping into that lake would scare us? Listen to me, Emma. Threatening to kill yourself won't get you anywhere! If you think we're going to give you whatever you want just because you pulled a stunt like that, think again!"

His shouting made my ears ring, but I almost laughed.

I thought, 'Funny how that works. When someone doesn't love you, they could see you hanging from a noose and still convince themselves you're just playing on a swing.'

I was still lost in thought when Jake grabbed my wrist and dragged me toward his car.

He was soaked, his lips purple from the cold, but he seemed not to notice. Even after getting behind the wheel, he kept one hand on it and the other clasped tightly around my wrist.

I tried to pull free. "Let go."

He ignored me and tightened his grip instead.

"Emma, Mom and Dad are waiting for us at home," he said. "Remember how you always wanted to go to the theme park? I'll book the tickets in a few days. We can all go together, just like you wanted."

I gave him a faint smile. "Is Olivia coming?"

He fell silent, his fingers tightening around my wrist. After a few seconds, he finally answered, "I'll make sure she behaves."

I couldn't help but laugh.

Jake frowned. "Emma, why do you always have to make everything a competition with Olivia? You—"

I didn't let him finish. Instead, I lunged across the center console and grabbed the steering wheel.

The car swerved across the empty road, sending Jake into a panic. "Emma! Have you lost your mind? You're going to get us killed!"

That was kind of the point.

If we crashed, it would all finally be over. Dying with Jake hadn't been part of my plan, but by then, I didn't care.

I tightened my grip and yanked the steering wheel as hard as I could.

The car fishtailed violently, veered right, and slammed into the landscaped median. Tires screeched on the pavement, and for a moment, everything went still.

Unfortunately, Jake had managed to slam on the brakes just in time. The impact wasn't even strong enough to set off the airbags.

I sat there for a moment, dizzy from the abrupt stop, before letting out a disappointed sigh. It was a shame that I was still alive.

I reached for the door handle, but it was locked.

Beside me, Jake sat slumped in the driver's seat, his face ghostly pale. He remained still for a long moment before slowly turning to look at me, his eyes bloodshot and his expression disbelieving.

"You really want to die that badly?" His voice was so hoarse. He gulped, struggling to speak. "Even if it means taking me with you?"

I rubbed my aching head without even looking at him. "Jake, why couldn't you have just drowned in that lake?"