I felt him before I heard or saw him. Then again that tends to happen when Johnny cash is blasting in your ears and you are staring at a tree full of bees. His breathe was warm on my neck and his arms quickly fell into place around my waist. Letting go of one of my sign handles I placed my hand over his and turned my head slightly to see him grinning down at me.
"Damn Leiland one of these days you are going to give me a heart attack sneaking up on me like this all the time." I playfully scolded as I took the earbuds from my ears. He released me and took my seven foot sign from my hand.
"Well babe we wouldn't have this problem if you weren't so easy to scare." I faced him and as the butterflies appeared in my stomach I decided that was the perfect opening. I had been trying to figure out how to tell him my news all morning but every time I had started to practice my words didn't sound right. Squaring my shoulders and taking a deep breath I smiled and began.
"You know what it's my turn to give you a heart attack." He eyed me with curiosity but suddenly both of us turned at the sound of a muscle car.
"Ah that's a 57' bell air babe." He said with the excitement only a true car enthusiast could have. I sat down on the side walk in front of where he'd laid his bike and knew the convo would be on cars for probably my entire break. Honestly I didn't mind plus I had another break in a few hours maybe by then the cowardly lion would come by and share some courage. Sure enough twenty minutes later he handed me my sign and cut off his own sentence
"There it is! That's what John Dillinger's car looked like babe."
"Oh ok I know that car." I said honestly with a smile. I was proud of myself I had followed almost everything he had told me. I watched him as he secured his gloves and mounted his bike then kissed me, said I love you, and started to ride off. Then as if I was in a movie my world went into slow motion as the chain of the bike slipped off and Leiland went over the handle bars. I could feel that heart attack coming as he hit the side walk on all fours.
"Are you ok?!?!" I asked trying to hold back the panicked voice I knew was on the verge of escaping. He looked at the bike as he stood with a smile of half amusement half irritation before looking up and saying
"Yeah I'm fine." I let out a sigh of relief which was very quickly followed by a scream of terror as a car swerved and jumped the curb hitting Leiland straight on. I don't remember much of what exactly happened after that except stroking his hair and telling him I loved him and he couldn't leave us. The driver who had in fact been texting had broken Leilands leg in two places and fractured three ribs and sent him into a coma. I sat there with him everyday just talking til the day he woke up and said
"What did you mean 'you can't leave us' what us?"
-Dani
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