Chapter 19: In My Hands

            Chance and Scott made their way out of the restaurant and outside to Scott’s waiting limo. Together in each other’s arms, both were drunk in love. Chance could feel herself soaring above everyone with joy and happiness. Nothing could possibly go wrong tonight, it was all too perfect. The driver opened the door to the limo for them to get in.

            Darren walked out of the restaurant with Dan, Walter, Rebecca, and Larry. All five were a little tipsy from too much alcohol. Unfortunately for Dan, Walter, Rebecca, and Larry, they were leaving in the morning for home. They stumbled towards the limo as Darren caught a glimpse of Chance and Scott behind him. They were smiling and laughing in each other’s arms. He felt a twinge of anger and jealousy, but then dismissed everything by looking away.

            Chance saw Darren standing outside and told Scott that she would be right back. She walked up to him and tapped his shoulder. Darren turned to find her standing quietly behind him.

            They didn’t speak for a long time, only looked at each other in silence, until Chance finally said, “I’m not coming home tonight. I’ll be at Scott’s. Here’s my key so you can get into the house, unless you’re going to stay out here with Dan and everyone else.” She pulled the key out of her purse and held it out for him to take.

            Darren took the key and replied, “Thanks.” He turned away from her and began to get into the limo.

            “Darren, wait,” Chance spoke up. “Please, don’t get mad at me. We’re both at fault for what we’re doing to each other, remember? You were the one who told me that. I don’t want you to hate me because I’m in love with Scott.”

            Darren turned back and answered, “I’m not mad, I’m just hurt, but I see what you mean. I apologize for everything.”

            “I do too,” she agreed. Chance gave him a hug. “I’ll see you in the morning.” She then walked off towards her limo and the driver drove off. Darren watched until the car was out of sight, then stepped into his own limo. The driver took off for the hotel.

            Chance sat beside Scott and rested her head on his arm. It was nearly 2:00 in the morning, and she was tired. She closed her eyes, slowly beginning to drift off to sleep as the limo made its way down the highway back home. She could feel Scott stroking her hair with his other hand. Chance loved the subtle things he did when he thought she wasn’t looking.

            Scott turned on the radio at a low volume not to disturb her. She listened to the sweet song, Eric Heatherly’s “Swimming In Champaign,” and held tighter onto Scott.  The first chorus hadn’t even finished when the limo slowed to a stop and Chance heard what sounded like a gunshot. Her body jolted up and looked to Scott. He was just as shocked as she was, quickly opening the door and getting out of the car. The driver was already outside near the smoking hood.

            “What happened?” Scott asked.

            “I think something’s wrong with the engine,” said the driver as he pulled out his cell phone. “I’m going to call a tow truck. I’m sorry about all this. You’ll get your money back.”

            Chance looked around to see that they weren’t in the middle of nowhere, but instead were in the center of Smithville on the main road, just about a mile from Scott’s house.

            “You know, we’re almost there. We can walk,” she suggested, taking hold of Scott’s arm.

            “You’re right. Come on,” he replied. They began to walk on the sidewalk on the left side of Main St.

            About 30 yards down the road, Brad and Paul were sitting in Brad’s Mercedes were waiting in front of the 7-11 for Rick to come out with a case of beer. Brad spotted Chance and Scott walking on the other side of the street, arm in arm. Anger and rage built up inside him as he saw his best friend with his worst enemy.

            Turning to Paul, he said, “We’re scrapping the plan.”

            “Huh?” Paul replied, confused by Brad’s sudden change of mind. He looked in the direction of Brad’s angry stare to see what he was looking at.

            Revving the engine, Brad began to race down the street as fast as his little car could go. Neither Chance nor Scott saw him as they crossed the road until it was too late. Scott was the first to hear the car gunning towards them. Chance looked up to see Brad in the driver’s seat and Paul sitting next to him. Her heart began to race as she froze in her place. Scott took a hold of her arm and pushed her away from the oncoming vehicle just seconds before it came to where they were standing. Chance fell onto the hard pavement, her face hitting the dirt. She heard a loud thud, then the sound of glass shattering.

            Chance could feel her heart stop, paralyzing her until Brad’s car couldn’t be heard anymore. She rolled over on her side and slowly began to get up. The side of her face that hit the ground was throbbing with pain. She knew what had happened, but was afraid to turn and see where Scott was. Holding her breath, Chance pushed herself of the ground to stand up. Her head turned to the middle of the road to see Scott laying on the ground, his body in an odd, twisted position.

            ‘Oh, God!’ she though, immediately running over to him. Scott’s eyes were closed, but Chance could see his chest rise slowly with every breath. Her eyes filled with tears as the realization of losing him hit her.

            “No!” she sobbed. “You can’t die on me. I love you.”

            Scott moved faintly. Chance looked down at him to see his eyes open slightly. She bent down and softly kissed his lips. Tears kept making their way down her bruised face. Her heart was ready to explode with anger, rage, fear, and pain.

            “Scott,” Chance said, slipping her hands beneath his head. “Stay awake, please. Don’t go to sleep.”

            A shooting pain ran through Scott’s body. He groaned and tried to move his legs, finding out that he couldn’t even feel them. Scott looked up at Chance with pain filled eyes. Her hands gently stroked his face, comforting him.

            “Chance,” Scott whispered, his voice barely even recognizable.

            “Yes, I’m right here,” she replied, bending down closer to his face.

            “I can’t feel my legs,” he cried.

            More tears streamed down Chance’s face at the sound of those words running through her brain. “It’s okay,” she tried to stay positive. “In a few weeks you’ll be back to normal, I promise.”

            “Chance, I don’t think I even have a few weeks left,” Scott said in earnest.

            “Don’t say that,” Chance pleaded. “You have plenty of time left.” She took his hand and began to stroke it gently. “Remember, you told me that we were going to be together forever.”

            Scott smiled. “I remember,” he said, his smile slowly fading with another painful jolt. Ignoring it, Scott let go of her hand and reached down into his coat pocket to pull something out. “I wanted to do this earlier at the restaurant, but the party was almost over. So, instead I was going to do it tonight before we got to the fun stuff. I guess that’s out of the question now that Brad ran me over.”

            Chance looked at him with her wide brown tear filled eyes. She hadn’t been expecting anything from Scott even though it was her birthday.

            Scott took a hold of her hand again and looked into her eyes. “From the first moment that I laid eyes on you, I knew that we were mean to be. I thought that we would never get together because we were such good friends, but that day you kissed me in the parking lot changed everything. Over these last few months, we’ve gone through so much and have been able to take it so well. It was finally yesterday that I actually decided that you were the one and that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you, Chance, and nothing will ever change that. Before I take my last few breaths, I want to know, will you always love me that way I love you?”

            Chance only nodded fearing that her emotions would take over her body making her unable to listen to the rest of his speech.

            Scott continued, holding out a small black velvet box in front of her. “Chance, before I go, I want to know the answer to this question: will you marry?”

            “Yes!” she burst, crying with the tears she thought had already been wasted. He slipped the diamond ring on her trembling finger and looked back up at her. Chance leaned over Scott and kissed him, holding onto the moment for as long as she could. She knew everything was coming so close to an end. These last few precious moments she had left with Scott were going by so fast. As their lips parted, Chance watched in agony as he withered away in her arms. She wanted so badly to somehow have the power to be able to save him, but her heart told her it was time to let go.

            “I love you,” Scott quietly whispered before taking in a few more labored breaths.

            “I love you,” Chance replied, her voice ready to give way to more sobbing. She bent down and kissed Scott once more before he took his last breath and died in her arms.

            Down the street about 20 yards away, Darren’s limo was coming close to the accident site. The driver stopped suddenly, sending Darren crashing into the floor. He rolled back onto the seat and got out of the limo to see what was going on.