"They've been following us for a while," I add, worry gnawing at me.

"Let's see." Nikki mutters a few curses under his breath, and at the first opportunity, he turns the RV around. The other car, however, breezes right past us.

I breathe out a sigh of relief.

"Have we become a little too paranoid?" I attempt to make light of the situation.

Nikki doesn't find it funny, though. Turning the car around so we're back en route, he rummages through one of the compartments and takes out his pills. Instinctively, I give him a water bottle. He swallows the pill and takes a sip of water.

"Is it bad?" I ask in a soft voice. I can see the car rattled him. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything.

He's tense, the veins in his arms bulging as he grips the steering wheel tightly.

"I'll be fine," he bites out, but his demeanor tells me he's not fine.

"Maybe we should pull over," I suggest.

He shakes his head.

"I said I'm fine, Luce," he repeats, his breathing growing more labored.

God, I really shouldn't have said anything. Just the mention that someone might be following us triggered something in him—and given his past, I don't blame him.

"You can admit if you're not fine, Nikki. I don't care if we have to cut this short..."

"Luce." He takes a deep breath, turning toward me. His eyes are wholly black, his intense gaze swallowing me up. "I'm fine," he grits out. Sweat beads on his forehead, his hands trembling slightly.

He's not fine.

"I don't feel good. We should stop," I say weakly. Anything to get him to stop and get through the attack he's having. He thinks I don't recognize the signs? We've been together long enough for me to see when he's on the verge of breaking down.

"I said I'm fucking fine," he yells, banging his fist against the wheel.

My eyes widen at his outburst and I instinctively shrink back.

"No, Luce. I didn't mean it like that," he immediately says, raking a hand through his hair and giving me an apologetic look. "Please." He reaches out for me.

I blink a couple of times, breathing in and out.

"You scared me," I whisper.

"I'm sorry. I'm an idiot. I'm so sorry." He closes his eyes with a deep sigh. When he opens them again, there's so much pain in them, I feel it penetrating my heart.

I reach out and take his hand. "I—" My words get stuck in my throat as Nikki suddenly veers to the side. Turning, my eyes widen when I see a truck heading straight for us.

"Hold on!" he shouts at me.

But by that time, it's too late. Instead of letting us to the side, the truck veers at the same time as we do. No matter how much Nikki pulls on the wheel, the collision is imminent.