Seconds turn into an eternity as the front of the truck hits the middle of our RV, sending us spinning down the road. I try to hold on to something, but the force is so strong I'm thrust forward out of my seat.

My eyelids are heavy as I release a harsh breath. My chest feels constricted, and as I try to move around, I realize everything hurts.

A low moan of pain escapes past my lips as I finally open my eyes to see the blue sky. What...

My head is spinning, my sight becoming blurry. For a moment, I'm so disoriented, I don't know what happened or how I came to be like this. It's only when I hear another pained sound that the events finally come to me.

Accident. We were in an accident...

Nikki!

I release a pained whimper as I roll around, scanning my surroundings. The RV is a distance away, parts of it already obliterated from the impact, others catching fire. There's debris everywhere on the ground.

And Nikki... My eyes land on him, a short distance from me. He's bloody and still, but I can see his chest moving up and down—he's still breathing.

I crawl forward to the best of my ability, pushing against the pain.

"Nikki?" I wheeze out.

Another pained moan. I push myself harder.

"Nikki," I repeat as I finally reach his side.

He's on his belly, his shirt ripped to reveal a nasty wound on his back.

"Luce?" He says my name in a ragged voice. He can barely move as he turns his head toward me. There's a big cut running from his eyebrow to his hairline, blood pouring down his face and blinding him in one eye. "My Luce?"

I reach for his hand, threading my fingers through his in an attempt to draw strength from him and give him mine in return.

"I'm here," I whisper, tears pricking at my eyes—of pain and anguish, but most of all of worry. I don't know how badly I'm hurt, but most definitely not as bad as him. "Help will come. We need to hang on." I force the words out of my mouth even though I see the truth reflected in his gaze.

"I...love...you." He coughs, blood splattering onto the ground. "Will always...love⁠—"

"Don't speak," I stop him. "Please don't speak. Help will come. Please..."

A sad smile clings to his lips as he continues to look at me, the love in his gaze hurting more than the physical pain I'm feeling—because it has a finality to it that shakes me to my core. He squeezes my hand once, twice, before he loses all strength.

Slowly, so, so slowly, the corners of his lips drop down and he stops blinking.

His eyes are wide open, and he's not blinking.

"Nikki?" I call his name, pushing myself closer to him. "Nikki, please answer me," I call out in a frantic voice.