#Chapter 29: Deer in Headlights

Iris I’m frozen as the car barrels toward me. Frozen in space, time, body. The driver is slamming on the brakes, the air filling with the sound of tires screeching, but there isn’t enough time for the car to stop before it hits me. All I can do is wait, bracing myself for impact. And all I can think about is Miles, who will never understand why his mother left him. But then, suddenly, something slams into me—and it’s not the car. It’s Arthur’s warm, sturdy body. We slam to the pavement on the other side of the street, cold, damp asphalt biting into my back through the thin fabric of my dress. The world blurs, ebbing and flowing briefly at the edges as my head hits the ground, but I’m alive. Alive. Breathless, I stare up at Arthur, who’s sandwiching me against the ground. Our chests heave against one another, and although I can faintly hear the sound of shouts, brakes squealing, and car doors slamming in the distance, I can’t tear my gaze away from hi