The tires of my Range Rover spin against the rain-glossed asphalt of the road, my mind going through all of the different things I want to say to Lelani- things I need to let her know- as the palm trees and entanglement of bushes sway in the blowing, unforgiving wind outside.

Delk made the call to drive for me, knowing that the anxious thoughts consuming my head tonight, along with the adrenaline coursing through my veins, would only hamper my ability to do so safely. And I'm thankful for his decision as I look out to the road in front of us, barely visible through the sheet of rain that even my headlights are having a hard time cutting through.

"Shoot fire," Murphy hoots from the backseat, leaning forward over the middle console as his eyes attempt to squint past the torrential downpour ahead of us. "I ain't seen it storm this bad since I left Tennessee."

"Would you sit the hell back," Delk hisses, swatting him away. "You're distracting me!"

Just as the phrase leaves his mouth, the car jolts, making all of us hit our heads on the roof as Delk drives over a pothole he clearly didn't see in the road.

"See what I mean," he growls, carefully pressing against the breaks and slowing us down some.

"That was your own damn fault! How about you learn how to drive-"

"How about you learn to-"

"Can you two quit arguing for two damn minutes?" I reprimand them both, trying my best to steady my racing heart and ragged breaths.

My eyes dart towards the back of the car, gauging the karaoke machine we managed to squeeze into the trunk and thankful to see that it's still in one piece. That thing means too damn much to Lelani for it to be ruined by reckless driving or a petty disagreement between my two friends. It's also the only excuse I have left to talk to her while managing to save her from getting into further trouble with her Dad.

"Sorry man," Delk apologizes, glancing over at me only for a second before he forces his eyes back on the sleek road ahead. The three of us fall silent for a few beats, and then he asks, "Have you thought about what you're going to say to her; how you're going to tell her?"

"No," I speak back quickly and quietly, gazing out to the blackened terrain outside. How the hell am I supposed to go about telling her that her Dad is having me shipped off to another base, thousands of miles away? How do I explain that I may not be seeing her for a very long time after this, and even more so how I'm terrified that all this could mean that I never see her again? The thought makes me sick, my stomach turning with the nausea that accompanies the mere idea of her anticipated absence.

"Do you think she believes him?" I ask, referring to Hammond and the lies he's made Lani's father believe, the ones that I'm scared she might believe too.

"I don't know," he frowns, shaking his head. "Hammond has a way of being quite convincing, that cunning little bastard."

I go quiet because the worst thing that can come from everything that has happened would be for Lani to think that the promises I made to her weren't true. It absolutely kills me inside to contemplate whether or not she knows just how much I love her and how goddamn crazy I am about her- how thoughts of her consume and invade every single hour of my days.

"But," Delk continues, distracting and pulling me away from my mind's worried rambling. "She's a smart girl, and I'm sure that even with everything that has been said, she knows how much you care about her. She knows that you wouldn't hurt her like that."

My teeth gnaw against the inside of my cheek, my eyes once more focusing on the forceful weather outside the window. "I hope you're right," I gulp.

My eyes take in the long, winding road stretched out ahead of us, wishing that at the end of it we'd finally find ourselves at Malia's Cafe but knowing all too well that we at least have 10 more minutes left in our drive.

Delk comes up across the first bend, the tires splashing up the puddles of water collected against the side of the road.

What if Lelani wasn't even at the Cafe when we get there? Would I call her and ask her to meet me? Would she even answer my calls anymore, especially considering I didn't answer her's this past weekend? She has to know that I wasn't ignoring her out of spite or hatred. She has to understand that the only thing that convinced me to obey her Dad's orders was the thought of her getting into more trouble and the hope that the silence would give me a little more time to figure everything out. But here we are now, with no time left and I regret not figuring out a damn plan sooner. So, this is it- this is my final attempt at making things right and assuring that she knows the truth before I'm forced to say goodbye.

The headlights of another car in front of us fill and take over the shadows of the dashboard, their sudden brightness making me clench my eyes shut as we pass the green vehicle. For a moment I don't think about the familiarity of the moving Jeep, but something tugs at me to steal a glance in the rearview mirror, recognizing the surfboard sticker decal planted against its back windshield and making me sit higher in my seat.

"Was that," I begin to say as the wheels of the fleeing car turn against the road, the sound of their screeching traveling into my ears as it starts to trace the curve of the bend we just passed.

I jerk my head back to get a better view of the vehicle, my fingers digging into the leather of my seat and my pulse quickening as the car flips onto its side. The sound of metal scratching against the road makes my blood curdle, and I'm filled with more dread as it flips again, disappearing into the dark abyss of trees alongside the roadway.

"What the hell what that?" Delk blurts out, only having heard the commotion rather than seeing the horror that my eyes had just witnessed.

My gut wrenches because my gaze no longer sees the color of red from the tail lights anymore, or the silhouette of the vehicle that was there just seconds ago.

"Turn around," my voice hoarsely commands, my muscles struck with stiffness with the shock of the empty road behind us.

"Turn around? I thought we were driving to-"

"Delk! Turn the fucking car around!"

The tires screech against the road, the Range Rover hydroplaning a little as he slams the breaks and brings us to a stop. Murphy's face is stark white as his eyes meet with mine, flushed of any color and veiled with the same fear that's now aching in my bones.

"What is going on?" Delk shouts.

Murphy's voice is shaky, and with his next words, I know that he saw the same thing I did. I know that I wasn't imagining what I just saw. "W-was that Lelani's car?"

I can't breathe. I'm suffocating, my airways constricting with my rising terror and not giving my lungs the oxygen they need.

"Go back, Delk! GO BACK!"

He doesn't say anything, immediately listening to my command as his trembling hands grip back onto the steering wheel and yank the car around. He floors the gas, speeding us back to where we came from. I already have my seat belt unbuckled and my window down, causing the rain to begin pouring into the front seat. Delk is driving fast, so fast that I'm afraid I'll miss the spot I last saw the Jeep before it disappeared into the trees zooming past us, but with my senses running on overdrive, my eyes land exactly where I need them to.

"Stop!" I scream, my pulse beating intensely in my neck as I spot the huge smears of mud that tear through the once lush patch of greenery, and as we jolt to a stop, I know this is where the car went off the side of the road as my eyes take in the tire tracks now stenciled into the dirt.

I don't wait for another second as I shove open my door, my feet sprinting towards the only visible evidence of the wreck. Please. Please don't let it be her. And at this moment, I'm certain that of all the fears I've ever encountered in my life, this one will be the worst I'll ever know. My bones ache at even the thought that she's hurt, and my mind is in denial as I peek down the slope of the embankment. My head fights so hard against admitting what my eyes are taking in, refusing to really accept the image of Lelani's overturned car, slowly and cruelly sinking into the small body of water that lies at the bottom of the steep slope.

"Dawson!" I hear Delk and Murphy shout out worriedly behind me, but I can't stop moving- I refuse to quit moving.

I take a plunge as my feet take their first step down the ridge of the woods; tree roots, branches, vines, and stones assaulting my body, tearing against my skin as I slip down the rough and soggy terrain. My arms protect my head and shield my face as I tumble and roll further down the hill, the bony prominences of my body taking most of the beating and stinging with pain with each brutal blow I make against the earth. I'm not even aware when I finally reach the end of my descent, my head spinning too goddamn fast and my ribs burning with searing pain from my final collision against the ground.

Then the cool rush of water meets against my fingertips, my hand dipping into the small lake or pond- I can't seem to decipher what the hell it is with the shadows of the tropical forest darkening everything around me. My senses are awakened again, the chill of the water against my skin giving me enough strength to pull myself up off the ground. Heavy, panted, and troubled breaths leave me as I search the water ahead, my blood steaming with adrenaline as I make out the outline of the upside-down Jeep now halfway sunken into the water. My gaze focuses on the seashell-print frame surrounding the license plate of the car, and the small sense of hope I had left instantly dissipates.

"Oh, fuck," my voice trembles hoarsely, my thoughts wondering how much water has seeped into the vehicle. "Lani," I cry out, knowing that she can't hear me but praying to God that somehow she does, hoping that she knows I'm going to get her out. I'm going to get you out, baby.

I search the overgrowth at my feet, my hands desperately feeling for something strong enough to break through the glass window of the car, something so heavy that it would be able to yield enough force even against the resistance of the water. My fingertips hit the pointy edge of something hard and cold, and immediately I dig beneath the mud around it, able to take a quick breath of relief as I pull the softball-sized rock out of the wet soil.

"Dawson!" I hear my friends' voices scream down to me again, rays of the flashlights in their hands shifting against the leaves around me. "Where are you, man?"

"It's Lani," I shout back, my voice coated in a thick layer of fear, but right now I don't have time to be afraid. I can't be, not when Lelani is depending on me. I shove my emotions aside, building up a steel wall of stoicism inside of me so that I can manage to do what I need to ensure that she's safe- guarantee that she's okay at the end of all of this.

"Call 911! Call an ambulance!" I bellow, gripping the stone in my hand and diving into the water. My free hand grazes against the sandy floor and I want to cry tears of joy because at least I'm given the promise that Lani's car won't sink anymore; this is as deep as it gets.

I gasp for air as my head cuts back through the surface of the water, the weight of the rock in my hand making the muscles in my arms burn as they stroke and propel me closer to Lani's car. "Come on," I grit out to myself, wishing that I could move faster despite all the pain still gnawing at me from my fall.

My ears are ringing as my hands meet against the metal exterior of the sunken SUV, and my fingers fumble along its grooves and hollows as I search for the driver's side door. The palm of my hand catches against the handle of the car door, and I take in as much air as my lungs will allow before I shove myself underneath the water. I open my eyes, but nothing but the darkness of the night reveals itself to me, a curtain of blackness covering everything. I would have to do this blindly, but I didn't let that inconvenience stop me as I began patting against the car, using my sense of touch to guide me to the driver's side window. Holding the rock with a death grip, I rear my arm back, using every bit I force I can muster up as I slam it against the glass. I hear the crack that it makes from the impact and I draw my arm back again, striking the window a second time, this blow much stronger and quicker than the last. I hear the cracking again but my efforts still aren't enough to break through the obstinate barrier.

My lungs are on fire as they cry out for more oxygen, and knowing that my body depends on them in order for me to get Lani out, I answer their pleads and cut my head above the water, allowing myself a quick gasp of air before I force myself underneath again. I pound the rock against the window a third time, grunting with frustration as I strike it again and again and again and again. Finally, something gives way, but I don't stop pounding the shattered glass until every piece of it falls away from the frame of the door. At last, I give myself permission to drop the weighted stone. With my hands finally free, I reach inside the door, feeling Lani's cool skin and then the seat belt that is still strapped against her.

"Come on," I gurgle beneath the water, working so hard as I press against the buckle and try to free it, yanking as hard as I can but still not feeling it release from around her. "COME ON, PLEASE" I grit through my teeth again, feeling the veins in my neck distend as I jerk the belt relentlessly, refusing to stop pulling until the latch is finally free.

A click travels to my ear and I catch hold of Lani as she's freed from the strap, wrapping my arm around her waist and tugging her with me as I wriggle us through the busted-out window. And for the next few moments, I swear I must blackout because it's not until I feel the rain pummeling down against me that I realize we're finally on land again. My hands are latched underneath her arms, keeping a tight grip on her unresponsive body as I drag her further away from the water.

"Lani," I call to her, trying to shake her awake but she's not budging. Still, I try again and again, both of us drenched from the water and the rain as I carefully lay her back against the damp ground. Her lips look pale, absent of their usual rosy, pink tone as I clamber over to her side, my lungs and heart begging me to slow down; begging me to take a break but I can't. Not until I know she's alright.

"Lani," I get out through labored gasps, "Lani. Please. Baby, come on. Wake up."

My eyes fall to her chest, hoping to see any sign of its rise and fall but she's completely still, completely quiet and the terror that I had managed to push away earlier begins to slither its way back into my head, consuming my every thought. I pull two fingers against the wet skin of her neck, praying for a pulse; hoping to feel or find any kind of evidence that her heart is still beating, that she's still with me.

Nothing.

"You're not doing this to me," I grunt, the cry building up inside of me making my throat sore but I swallow it back. My instincts have me tilting her head back, pinching her nose, sealing my mouth over hers, and giving her two rescues breaths, knowing that her body needs ventilation more anything else right now.

Naturally, my hands gather over top of one another, the lower palm now placed against the center of her chest just the way those drill sergeants taught me in basic training. I start the first 30 chest compressions, the force I'm having to put against her limp body making me feel sick as I feel her ribs begin to give way for me. I count my pushes, my arms throbbing, and my tired muscles begging me to give them rest even though they know that I won't.

"28," push. "29," push. "30," push.

Moving back to her head, I tilt it back again, opening up her airway as my fingers latch onto her nose and my mouth covers hers once more. I give the next two breaths, this time more forceful and causing her chest to rise higher as I transfer some of my oxygen to her lungs.

"Is she okay?" I hear Murphy shout out from the top of the embankment.

"She's not breathing," I answer back with a panicked and weak voice.

"They're coming, Dawson!" He assures me as I place my hands against her chest again and start the second set of compressions. "Just hang tight, alright? They're coming!"

Tremors shake my entire body, getting stronger with every forceful press I place against her chest and I pray that the next compression will be my last as I feel the crack of her ribs against the palms of my hands. Water flows from the corners of her mouth, more and more of it escaping with each burst of pressure I place against her body.

"Come on, Lani. Please," I growl, feeling my eyes sting with angry, bitter tears. "Dammit, come on!"

As I pull away from giving my next two breaths, I feel her body jut beneath me as she begins to cough up more fluid. Quickly, I turn her over onto her side, keeping her from choking as she further clears her lungs of the water trapped in her airways.

"You're okay," I reassure her, making sure to keep her off of her back as she fights to gain her breathing back. And I can't find the will to hold my tears back anymore, sobs of relief leaving me at the sight of her body finally moving again. "Breathe, Lani. Alright? Just breathe."

As lights of red and white flash against the darkness of the trees around us, I give myself permission to do the same, finally feeling able to now that I know help is close.

"Brodie?" Lani's hoarse voice barely whispers out beneath my hold.

"Shhh," I soothe her back to silence, running my shaky fingers through her soaked hair because right now she doesn't need to waste her breath on me, she needs to rest and focus on getting her own oxygen back. "Help is coming, okay? Just focus on breathing. Breathe."

More tears fall down my face, a cry of relief that she's safe- that she's still here. Trying to mask the fear still lingering in my veins and the pain prominent on nearly every single inch of me, exhausted chuckles leave me. "Who do you think you are, island girl? Thinking you're allowed to scare me like that."

The corner of her lips tug up slightly, and I know her body is too weak and has been through too much trauma to return a laugh so I accept that beautiful, faint smile happily, giving myself the permission to finally rest on the ground beside her.

"I love you," I make sure she knows before everything around me goes black, the flashing lights of the ambulance fading until there's nothing left but darkness and silence.

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