ELIJAH'S POV
I slammed my foot on the accelerator, the engine roaring as I tore out of the hospital parking lot. The tires screeched against the asphalt, leaving black marks on the pavement. My heart raced, matching the frantic pace of my driving.
Traffic lights blurred past, a mix of red and green that I barely registered. Horns blared as I weaved between cars, cutting off drivers who shouted obscenities I couldn't hear over the pounding in my ears. The speedometer crept higher and higher, well past the legal limit, but I couldn't bring myself to care.
All I could think about was Deborah. Her face, her smile, the way her eyes lit up when she laughed. And now, the fear and pain that I would never see that face again. My grip tightened on the steering wheel until my knuckles turned white.
What did it matter what people thought of me anymore? Let them judge. Let them whisper and point. None of it mattered if I couldn't protect the woman I loved.
