Trigger

twenty three • lanes

"Would you slow down?" Hannah snaps, scurrying to follow me as I push open the door to Clayton's house, my shaky hands already reaching for the car keys. "Kinsley!"

I ignore her, skipping down the steps and continuing my quick pace towards the car. I hear Clayton ask from afar what's going on, but I don't bother turning around to look at him. The sound of Hannah's footsteps seem to get louder from behind me until she finally catches up to me, spinning me around to face her. "Kinsley, tell me what's going on. Now."

"You saw the file!"

"Yes, Levi lost his memory! Why is that storming-away material?"

I shake my head violently at her. "Don't you get it? The reason the injuries didn't match up, the reason Finn was always telling Levi to forget, the reason Finn is such a good talker and liar- he lied to Levi. He told Levi that it was Levi's fault when all along, it was Finn's! Finn was the one in the driver's seat!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa... whoa." Hannah puts her hands on my shoulders, steadying me. "That's a great theory and all, and it makes sense, but we don't have proof! There's no proof that Finn was the one in the driver's seat."

"But the injuries-"

"I know, Kinsley. But where do you want to go? The police? You need hard evidence or all we're going to get is in trouble for looking through private medical files."

I want to listen to Hannah- to relax, release the tension that has so quickly seeped into my shoulders- but I just can't. I'm too high strung. It's not a theory- I know I'm right. Everything just makes so much sense, too much sense for me to be wrong.

"And besides, what does that have to do with tampering with Levi's pills?"

Well, almost everything.

I step back from Hannah's grip, running a hand down my face. "It's... I..." I close my eyes. "I don't know."

Hannah falls silent. I hear the soft sound of footsteps approaching, looking up to see Clayton coming up to us with a timid expression. He licks his lips. "I'm glad I was able to help you guys. Please... never come around again. It's not safe, for any of us."

I stare at Clayton in shock, but Hannah is quick to nod, her hand trembling slightly as it wraps around my upper arm, tugging me towards the car. "We're getting out of here. If Kinsley is right... then we really need to get out of here."

Clayton nods. He doesn't say goodbye or makes sure that we leave safe and soundly- at those words, he simply turns his back to us and makes his way back inside his home. Hannah exhales once he's gone, tugging on my arm once more to lead me in.

Once we're in the car- Hannah is driving since I feel so deep inside my mind that I can't even feel my hands- Hannah quickly pulls out of the driveway and races off. I frown, noticing how she doesn't bother slowing down to accommodate the speed limit. The last thing we need right now is a ticket. "Slow down."

"I can't."

"Why not?" Hannah doesn't answer, just purses her lips, the worry etched in her features increasing. "Why not, Hannah?"

"Because... Because I just remembered something."

My heart skips a beat at the fear in her voice. My voice comes out as a whisper when I dare ask, "What, Hannah? What did you just remember?"

Hannah still doesn't reply. I wait, one minute, two- but Hannah still doesn't give me an answer. It's not until I hear her breathing beginning to become laboured like she's on the verge of a panic attack when I really begin to push the matter. "Hannah. Tell me what you remembered."