chapter eighteen – summer's accident and worst nightmares

"I know it's weird but that's what really stuck with me after the accident" Marc spoke. "The idea that you could lose life that hasn't even started yet. The reality that it happened to my brother. It... it scares me"

"Marc.." My heart broke at his words.

"The blood" Marc glanced down at his hands like he was examining them. "The fact that Matt was awake and stuck in the wreck. He could have died. He could have died, knowing that he was trapped and there was nothing they could do. That's why I want to go out quick. It terrifies me, the thought of going through what Matt did during the accident"

"Then why do you drive the way you do?" I furrow my eyebrows.

"I don't deserve to get what I want, Thea" Marc's eyes darkened and my stomach knotted.

"You cant leave me, Marc" I sounded like I was about to cry. "You cant do that to me. If you can't stay here for yourself yet, do it for me"

I sat in my bedroom, staring at the dirty envelope in my hands. It was what Marc had thrown to the ground. I was too busy crying to bring myself to open it...

Marc had left my house almost three hours ago and he hasn't answered any of my calls. It scared me.

Laurel, Charlie, Millie and Devin were trying to clear my house of the party.

I felt horrible. I was terrified, heartbroken and angry all at once.

"Marc... It's me again. Please just call me or anyone. So I can know that you're okay" I sobbed. "Marc please. I want to be with you so bad. It hurts. I didn't cheat. I wasn't going to sleep with Kevin. I just want you"

I hung up and cried harder.

"C'mon sweetie. Let's get you some water" Millie walked in and grabbed my hand.

She lead me down the stairs and I cringed at the mess. My eyes settled at the group of people sitting on my couch.

My anger swelled and it was all I could feel.

"Why the hell are you still in my house?" I screamed at Kevin. His eyes widened at my outburst. "This is all your fucking fault"

"Thea!" Charlie grabbed me before I could pounce on Kevin and start kicking his ass.

"Calm down" Kevin jumped up and I glared at him.

"Calm down?! Marc could be dead and you're telling me to calm down?!" I screamed.

"Marc's not dead, Tee. He's probably home" Kevin growled. "You're being dramatic"

"Dramatic?! Marc's been trying to kill himself from day one!" Kevin's eyes widened along with Devin's.

"What?"

"He's not slitting his fucking wrists but I've watched him run red lights, drive recklessly. He's told me so many times that he wants to be dead. That he hates being alive. And this might have pushed him over the fucking edge" I flipped out.

This wasn't fair. To Marc. To me. To anyone.

Kevin was silent. He was processing my words.

"I'm calling him" Devin grabbed his phone and started dialing. "He's not picking up"

"If he's hurt. If he's dead. It's all your fucking fault" I whispered. "You couldn't just let him win? You don't have feelings for me and I don't have feelings for you. Marc loves me. And I might love him back. You couldn't just stop being an asshole for 5 fucking minutes and think about that?"

Kevin looked down in guilt.

"We need to find him. We really need to find him"

"Yeah we do-"

I was cut off by my phone ringing.

I glanced down at the unknown number and my heart stopped.

"Hello?"

"Thank god" Summer's voice spoke and I furrowed my eyebrows. "She wasn't with him." She was speaking to someone else.

"Summer?" Kevin and Devin's eyes snapped to me.

"Are Kevin and Devin with you?" Summer's voice was filled with worry again.

"Yeah- Yeah they're with me" I looked at everyone with panic. Why was she calling me?

I asked myself that but I knew.... Deep down I knew why...

"Thank god. We thought you guys were with him" Summer let out a breath and it wavered, telling me that she was crying.

"What's going on?" I asked and the line stayed silent. "Summer what happened?!"

"Marc was in an accident. We're on our way to the hospital now. Tony and I are going to pick you guys up"

"What do you mean an accident?" My voice broke.

That's when Kevin started panicking. He started grabbing at my phone and I couldn't hear what Summer was saying.

"Summer? Summer what happened?" Kevin spoke frantically into the phone once he fought it out of my grip. "What do you mean his car was flipped over?"

Tears started forming in Kevin's eyes and I suddenly felt like I was going to faint.

"Is he alive?" Kevin spoke again. "Well did the hospital sound like they were in a hurry or did they sound like they knew that he wasn't going to be saved?"

I started feeling dizzy as I listened to Kevin fight his sister for answers that she didn't have.

"He was there for hours?" Kevin's tears spilled down his face. "He... He didn't have a pulse when they found him?"

That's when everything went dark and I heard Laurel scream my name.

****

I walked through the doors of the hospital like a zombie.

"It's going to be okay, Thea" Summer had her arm around me as we walked inside.

My eyes met the saddest sight ever.

The entire Preston family. All 19 of them were here.

Mrs. Preston had an emotionless look on her face as she stared at the ground. Kevin and Devin went straight for her and her eyes only flashed with relief as she took in their sights.

Dr. Preston was talking to some doctors. He looked stressed and terrified. I could even see faded tear lines down his face.

Eric was holding 2 of his children in his lap and he held Mrs. Gomez's hand in a death grip while she held onto her newborn tightly.

Matt was holding River and Sky in his lap as he stared off with a dark look on his face. Brielle was holding onto his arm with her own tears.

May was crying into Piper's shoulder while Piper was whispering to her. They looked nice. Like they were on a date before this happened.

Sage was sitting next to May, looking down with a fearful look in her eyes. Charlie made his way over to her and pulled her into a bear hug.

Tony made his way over to Dr. Preston, saying something about not letting what happened last time happen again.

"He's in surgery" Brielle was the only one to speak.

"Okay. I'm going to take her to the E.R. She fainted before we got there" Summer pulled me away, towards the emergency room when nobody replied.

"Kevin kissed me and Marc saw" I whispered as we got far enough away.

Summer glanced at me with a familiar look.

"I didn't kiss him back but Marc thought... he thought I didn't wanna be with him" I sobbed.

"It's not your fault, Thea" Summer stared at me with a pointed look. "My family... We have a problem with jumping to conclusions"

I furrowed my eyebrows.

"My accident..." Summer got a distant look in her eyes. "I had walked in on my best friend, Kali kissing Anthony. And I thought... I thought he had chose her over me"

She was crying now.

"I almost killed my best friend and my brother because I was crying over a boy" Summer looked so guilty. "I killed my niece"

"Summer.." I cried with her.

"It's okay" Summer took a deep breath. "Let's get you to a doctor. Hopefully by the time they're done, we'll have some news on Marc"