Chapter 2 The breaks are not working!

Rihanna's POV

"The brakes aren't working! The line has been cut!"

My heart dropped. The car was moving faster, and the driver couldn't slow it down. Rain covered the road, making it difficult to see what was ahead. We were heading toward a sharp turn, and beyond it was a cliff.

"Ted, what are we going to do?" I asked, grabbing his arm.

He looked at me, then pulled me into his arms. He held me so tightly against his chest that I could barely move.

"Listen to me, Rihanna." He held the back of my head and looked into my eyes. "I won't allow anything to happen to you. I'm going to protect you. Do you understand?"

I shook my head, tears filling my eyes. "But we're going to crash!"

"Hold on to me tightly. Don't let go, no matter what happens."

I wrapped my arms around him, pressing my face against his chest. I was terrified. I didn't want to die, and I couldn't bear the thought of losing him either.

Ted looked toward the driver. "Can you stop the car?"

"No, sir! The brakes aren't responding!"

"Then find another way. Look for something you can hit to stop the car before we reach the cliff."

The driver looked ahead, searching for a way out. A concrete barrier stood beside the road, just before the next turn.

"Sir, there's a barrier ahead!" he shouted. "I can turn toward it, but I can't promise we'll survive the impact. It's fifty-fifty!"

Ted didn't hesitate. "Do it!"

I lifted my head. "Ted!"

He held me closer. "I'm here, sweetheart."

"I'm scared."

"I know." He kissed my forehead. "Just hold on to me."

The driver turned the steering wheel sharply. The car swerved, and I screamed as we rushed toward the barrier. Ted wrapped both arms around me, covering my head with his hand.

The next thing I heard was a loud crash.

The car slammed into the barrier. The impact threw us forward, and the sound of breaking glass filled the air. I felt Ted's body press harder against mine as he tried to shield me from the impact.

The car spun before coming to a stop.

For a few seconds, I couldn't hear anything. My head hurt, and my whole body felt weak. I tried to move, but something was pressing against me.

Then I realized it was Ted.

"Ted?" I called softly.

He didn't answer.

I lifted my head and looked at him. His eyes were closed, and blood was running down his face. His shirt was soaked with blood around his abdomen.

My heart nearly stopped.

"Ted!"

I grabbed his shoulders and shook him gently.

"Please, wake up!"

He didn't move.

I touched his face, tears running down my cheeks. "Ted, please. You promised me you wouldn't let anything happen to me. Please, open your eyes."

A faint groan escaped his lips, but his eyes remained closed.

I held his hand tightly and looked toward the broken window.

"Help!" I screamed. "Somebody, please help us!"

I could hear people outside, but I was beginning to feel dizzy. My head was spinning, and I couldn't keep my eyes open.

"Ted, please stay with me."

My fingers slowly slipped from his hand.

The last thing I saw was his bloodied face before everything went dark.

*******

When the ambulance arrived, Rihanna was already unconscious. The paramedics rushed to get both passengers out of the wrecked car.

"She's unconscious, but she's breathing," one of them said after checking her.

Another paramedic examined Ted and immediately called for help.

"He's lost a lot of blood. We need to get him to the hospital now!"

They placed Rihanna on a stretcher and carried her into the ambulance. Ted was placed on another stretcher, but as they prepared to take him, he suddenly opened his eyes.

"Rihanna," he whispered.

A paramedic leaned closer. "Sir, can you hear me?"

"Where is she?"

"She's in the ambulance. We're taking both of you to the hospital."

Ted tried to sit up, but pain shot through his abdomen. He groaned and fell back against the stretcher.

"I need to see her."

"Sir, you need to stay still. You're badly injured."

"I don't care. Take me to her."

The paramedic exchanged a worried look with his colleague. Ted was losing too much blood, and they needed to get him to the hospital as quickly as possible.

"Please, sir. Let us help you."

Ted closed his eyes for a moment, struggling to stay awake.

"Just make sure she's all right."

The ambulances arrived at the hospital, and the medical team rushed out to receive them.

Rihanna was taken into a treatment room while Ted was moved to another. The doctors began checking his injuries, but he refused to let them treat him properly.

"Mr. Lockwood, we need to stop the bleeding," the doctor told him.

"Where is Rihanna?"

"She's being examined by another team."

"Is she awake?"

"We don't know yet. Please, let us treat you first."

Ted tried to sit up. "I'm not going anywhere until I see her."

"Sir, you're losing blood. You need treatment immediately."

"I said I want to see her first!"

The doctor sighed and looked at the nurse beside him. Ted's wound was serious, and his condition was getting worse. They couldn't afford to waste any more time.

"Mr. Lockwood, listen to me. If we don't treat you now, you could die."

Ted looked at him without saying anything.

"I don't care about that," he finally said. "I need to know she's alive. I need to see her open her eyes. After that, you can do whatever you want with me."

The doctor shook his head. "You can't keep doing this. You're seriously injured, and you need to understand that we can't help you if you refuse to cooperate."

Ted turned his face toward the door.

"Just tell me when she's awake."

The doctors continued trying to convince him, but he wouldn't listen. He only wanted to know that Rihanna was safe.

Finally, they managed to stop the bleeding temporarily and promised to update him as soon as they knew anything about her condition.

Ted lay back, staring at the ceiling.