I collapse forward in the passenger’s seat, too scared to watch as the truck races through multiple stop signs.

“Curtis...”

“Shut up, Kim.”

Curtis slams on the horn and I tighten even more into my ball.

Everything happened so fast. I felt him grab me and yank me through the crowd. I wanted to fight back but I froze up the instant I saw him shoving me toward his truck.

I reach for the seatbelt with shaking fingers.

“You think you’re so fucking clever, don’t you, darling?” he asks, his voice dripping with acid.

I pull the seatbelt down and fasten it, tightly yanking on the strap. “Curtis, slow down...”

He takes a hard turn toward the highway. “We’ll let him have his little farm,” he mutters, “but not you. No, he’s not getting rewarded for this.”

“You’re insane,” I say, tears filling my eyes. “Dozens of people saw you grab me. It’s over.”

“Shut up!”

I cringe as my stomach turns into knots. I close my eyes, retreating away in my mind to someplace else. Someplace warm and comforting. Nate. Nate holding me in the back of the Sheriff’s car. His lips on my forehead.

I repeat his words in my head over and over again.

It’s gonna be okay.

The truck jerks onto the highway and my tears spill over.

This road. It was the same one from before. Me and Curtis...

“Curtis, please, slow down.”

He ignores me and presses into the gas.

A siren roars behind us. I look into the side mirror, seeing the Sheriff’s car speeding up behind us with his lights blaring.

Curtis slams his fist against the steering wheel. “Goddammit!”

My heart pounds. “Let me go,” I say, my voice small and broken. “Please.”

“No.”

“Pull over!”

“I said no!”

I freeze in fear, completely unable to control the sobs tearing me apart.

We take the curve at top speed and I gasp at something standing in the middle of the road.

No, not just something.

A cow.

Curtis slams on the brake. Tires skid as the entire truck rattles and shakes from the sudden change in momentum.

I fall forward, folding my hands in prayer and whispering a final I love you to Nathaniel Scott.

The truck comes to a stop.

“Moo-OOOOOOOOOO!”

I raise my head, barely breathing as I wipe my eyes. My vision comes into focus and I make out the familiar markings on the cow’s face and body.

“Gertie?” I ask.

“What?” Curtis spits.

I throw off the seatbelt, seizing my opportunity to get out of the truck. Curtis lunges to stop me as I open the door but I manage to slip out of his grasp and out onto the pavement.

“Kimber!”

I rise to my knees and Nate falls to his in front of me.

“Kimber...” He cups my face. “Are you okay?”

I shake in his hand but I somehow manage to smile. “I’m okay.”

He kisses me and lifts me off the road.

“Curtis VanHouten!” The Sheriff approaches the truck with his gun drawn and pointed at the driver’s side. “Come out with your hands on your head.”

I step forward. “No, wait...”

“Kimber.” Nate takes my hand and tries to pull me away but I push on toward the truck.

I look at Curtis through the open window. His head falls and he keeps his eyes down, refusing to look at me.

“Go,” I tell him. “Keep driving.”

Nate tugs my hand again. “Kimber—”

“I never want to see you again,” I continue. “If I do, I will make sure you regret this.”

Curtis finally raises his head. His eyes find mine, dark and pitiful, but I won’t pity him.

“Go,” I say again. “So I can start forgetting you exist.”

Nate pulls on my arm again. I let him lead me away this time, quickly finding the comfort I need in his arms.

The Sheriff lowers his gun. “You heard the lady,” he says to Curtis. “Get out of my town.”

Curtis glares at Nate one last time. Then, he touches the gas and slowly starts driving away, being careful to keep a wide berth around Gertie as he goes.

Thompson smirks. “I’ve always wanted to say that.”

Nate chuckles softly as the Sheriff turns around to go deal with the traffic building up behind his car.

We approach Gertie in the center of the road and Nate shakes his head at her.

“Dammit, Gertie...”

I reach out to scratch behind her ear. “Guess we should get her back home,” I say.

Nate hooks her collar with one hand. He extends the other toward me and smiles.

“Shall we?” he asks.

I wipe the last of the tears from my eyes and take it.

“Let’s go home,” I say.