Текст книги "Incandescent "
Автор книги: River Savage
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Текущая страница: 13 (всего у книги 17 страниц)
Chapter Twenty-Four
Nix
I slam the bedroom door shut behind me, the rage building inside of me bringing me to the brink. The week has been the most fucked up I’ve had to deal with in a long time, but reading what I just read, I’m struggling to contain it.
I made an appointment with my attorney after spending the rest of Sunday afternoon talking with Z, trying to get him to open up about what’s been happening. I soon realized that the shit at his mom’s house is a lot worse than I first thought. I knew that Addison never wanted to end things; that decision was mine, but taking all her anger out on Z? That shit is fucked.
I can’t believe I didn’t see it sooner. The pain of watching my son express his fear of going back to Addison’s tore at me. I want to take away the bullshit she put him through. I want to wring her neck at the shit she’s been telling him, but at the end of the day, the only thing I can do is make sure this shit doesn’t happen again. I’ve wanted to go over there every day this week, do to her what she’s done to him, put my hands on her, but that’s not going to help Z. After just coming from my attorney, and reading through Z’s statement for CPS, I feel like if I don’t get a handle on my burning anger, I’m going to do something I’ll regret.
I pace the length of my room, willing my body to calm. Z doesn’t need to see this; he’s already witnessed too much hate.
My phone beeps from my pocket and I reach back and pull it out.
Kadence: On my way home. Want me to pick anything up?
Is it bad that hearing her call my home her home has me feeling all kinds of good?
Nix: No, only want your pretty face in my presence ASAP.
Kadence: Yeah, yeah, Casanova. You just want my cooking skills. Lasagna?
Nix: Okay, you got me. Your pretty face and your amazing lasagna.
After two text messages, she’s managed to calm me enough to be able to find Z and make sure he’s okay. I couldn’t even talk on the drive home. I probably scared him, but reading his recount of what she’d done to him, her hands on him, and the fact he was too afraid to tell me? Fuck, it was too much.
Walking down the hall to his room, I lightly tap on the door.
“Hey, Z, can I come in?”
“Yeah,” he replies and I push the door open. He’s sitting on his bed, his iPod in his hand.
“Sorry about that. I just needed to have a breather,” I explain my behavior. He nods, looking back down at his lap. Leaning up against the wall, I decide to tell him the truth.
“Z, what your mom has done is tearing me up and I can’t seem to get a handle on it,” I admit. I wish I could, but right now, I feel like I’m swimming in so much hate.
“I didn’t know what to say. What you would have said. I was scared.” He looks up at me, his small voice breaking.
“I know and I’m not angry at you for that. I’m just trying to work through all this with you. You’re my life. Anyone hurts you, they hurt me. I’m meant to protect you, Z. It’s my job.”
I walk forward and sit down next to him. Fuck, this kid is my life. The anger burning in my veins is for him, for what his mother did to him.
“I won’t have to go back, will I?” Fear flashes over his green eyes, and it just cuts me more. Where I crave the chance to have more time with my mom, my boy is hoping he doesn’t see his again. The woman is a fool.
“Not if you don’t want to,” I tell him. No fucking way will I make him go if he doesn’t want to.
“I don’t wanna go.”
“Okay, buddy,” I nod, agreeing with him. I don’t blame him; she lost that privilege when she first put her hands on him.
My phone rings from my back pocket. Pulling it out, I see Kadence’s name flash across the screen.
“Hello?”
“Hey, babe,” she says. And a jolt runs through me when I hear her voice. “Is Z there?”
“Yeah, why?” I ask concerned.
“Can you put him on?”
“It’s for you.” I hand the phone to Z, feeling less wanted. I’m jealous of my fucking son. Great.
“Hello?” he answers. His mouth spreads into a smile at the sound of her voice.
“Yeah,” he exclaims, his head bobbing up and down as he listens to her talk. “Okay, bye.” He ends the call, handing the phone back.
“What was that about?” I ask, wanting to know what has him smiling so much, something that only seems to happen around Kadence.
“She wanted to know if I liked apple pie. Told me she’ll make one from scratch and bring home ice cream.” His mind is blown that people make them from scratch. I laugh at his reaction. I’d like to think I’m a good cook, but I don’t do any baking and obviously his mother has never baked him one.
“She told me she would make lasagna again too,” I tell him, more excited for supper tonight.
“Yes!” he fists pumps, his smile breaking out over his face again. She made it last Sunday night for dinner when I took them both home following the shit that went down with Addison.
I love my brothers and the support they give me, but I needed to be with Z, and most of all, Z and I needed to be alone.
Kadence didn’t have a choice, Z wanting her to come with us. I knew she wanted to be there for him, but watching her face as Z confessed to some of the things his mom had been saying and doing, I could say we both needed each other. She cooked us dinner while Z and I sat and talked. I wanted to know everything, but at the same time, I didn’t want to push him. He opened up more with Kadence around, feeling comfortable with her.
By the end of the night, we were all drained and ready for bed. Before Z went up to bed, he told her that if she was staying the night, she didn’t have to sneak out early like all the other times last week. A blush flooded her neck and over her cheeks as he laughed himself up the stairs. He had admitted during our talk that he knew someone was here last week, heard them talking when he had woken early one morning. He just didn’t know who it was.
It was a moment that made a tense night feel like things were going to be okay. She stayed that night and every night since, and not once has she had to sneak out in the morning. In one week, we’ve created this routine that I don’t ever want to break. Z has moments where I can see what the truth of this week has done, completely shifting his life around, exposing the secret he’s hidden. He’ll look lost trying to process it all, and then Kadence will walk through the door, and I’ll have my son back.
“Come on. Let's go down. She'll be here soon,” I tell him, standing from the bed. He follows, excited to see Kadence. Even though that warms me, it also fills me concern. Pushing it away, I turn and face him. “Z.” I stop and look down at him.
“Yeah?”
“I love you, buddy.” I scruff his hair, knowing more than anything, he needs to hear it.
“Love you, too, Dad.” He smiles, and for every smile he gives me, a small amount of that stagnant anger that lives in me leaves.
***
“Oh, God,” Kadence whimpers as I place my hand over her mouth.
“Shhh, babe. You’re gonna wake up Z,” I tell her between thrusts.
“Well, stop fucking me so good then,” she pants behind my hand.
“Never.” I quicken my movements, as I feel her tighten around me. Her head thrashes to the side, her teeth biting into the soft flesh of her upper arm to soften her cries.
“You. Feel. So. Fuckin’. Good.” I punch out with each thrust. Her orgasm takes over, her unique kind of blush making itself known as it creeps across her skin. Fuck, I love it. Her pussy tightens around me, milking my orgasm from me. My cum fills her as I release my frustrations of today with each brutal pound. She takes it all, every hard and harsh thrust while begging for more.
Fuck, I’m in– I love this woman. Love? Even if I tried to deny it, my head wouldn’t let me.
I move my hand to the side of her neck and plant myself as deep as I can and let the orgasm ride out. Her head turns; the warmth of her lips find the inside of my wrist. I’m lost in the moment, forgetting about the shit week we’ve had.
“Are you okay?” The softness of her voice and the closeness of our bodies make me want to tell her that I’ve fallen in love with her. But I don’t. I know she’s not ready to hear it, and with the shit going on with Z, I wouldn’t be able to handle it if she pulled away.
“Yeah,” I breathe out. Leaning down, I kiss her forehead and pull out, rolling onto my side.
She turns facing me. “It’s going to be okay, Nix,” she promises, and as much as I believe her, I’m still struggling.
“I know, Kadence. It’s just being his dad is the most important job to me, and I can’t help but feel like I’ve let him down.”
Her head shakes in disagreement. “You’ve got to stop blaming yourself.”
“I know. It's just hard when he responds better to you than me,” I admit. Fuck, I didn’t mean it like that. I just know Z feels more comfortable with her.
“Is my being here too much?” She comes up to her forearm, her eyes now concerned.
“No. No, I’m not saying that. I just feel like he’s relying too much on you as a buffer to me. I feel like I need to connect with him, get right with him.” My hand reaches out to soothe her soft skin.
“And you can’t do that with me here,” she finishes for me.
“I want you here, babe. I do. But I’m thinking of takin’ Z up to my pop’s cabin for the week. I think it would be good for both of us.”
“I think that’s a good idea, Nix.” She smiles, reaching out to stroke my face. I fucking love it when she touches me.
“It will only be for a week, five days even,” I repeat, hoping she doesn’t think I’m pushing her away.
“Honey, if you needed a month, I’d give it to you. It’s okay.” She leans forward, bringing her soft lips to mine. I don’t deepen the kiss; instead, I pull back to look at her. Her eyes open and meet my gaze. Behind her pale blue eyes, I recognize something that she hasn’t given me before, something that I know she doesn’t want to admit, but staring back at me, it's written all over her face. She’s falling in love with me.
“What did I do to deserve you?” I wonder aloud, feeling like this woman just doesn't stop bewitching me.
“Nothing really. You bossed me into dating you. Fucked me good, and then you wouldn’t leave me alone. Now you’re stuck with me.” She laughs at her own take of how things are.
“It’s more like you’re stuck with me,” I tell her. Her eyes sparkle with happiness, like the thought of it couldn’t get any better. Her mouth descends to my ear, and quietly she confesses, “I wouldn’t want to be stuck with anyone else.”
Yep, I’ve fallen in love.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Kadence
The school bell rings above my head letting me know that the long week I’ve just had is almost over. The kids pile out, happy their weekend is here, while I’m quietly dreading mine.
It’s been four nights since Nix took Z out to his dad's cabin two hours away, deciding to have some one-on-one time together. Nix needed to make sure Z is handling the change. I understand his decision to go to his pop’s cabin. His dad is his only family left and he needed to be with him, to surround Z with people who he trusts. I just wish I could join them.
Grabbing my bag and the worksheets I need to grade over the weekend, I shut down the classroom and make my way to my car. I wave over at Brooks sitting on his bike, two rows down. Nix still hasn’t eased up on the guys watching over me, especially with him being away. Brooks waves back and I get in the car. I honestly have no idea how I used to do this every weekend before I met Nix. When you’re so used to having someone around breathing in your presence, you forget how lonely you were before.
My phone rings in my hand and I can’t stop the thrill of thinking it might be Nix. Seriously, Kadence?
“Hello,” I answer without even looking at the screen.
“Hey, baby girl,” my dad’s voice booms down the phone. Even though I wanted to speak to Nix, my dad is my other favorite guy in my life, so my disappointment is short lived.
“Hey, Dad,” I smile into my cell.
“Don’t hey, Dad me. Where the hell you been? You haven’t come to see us in over four weeks, girl.” He sounds concerned, but I don’t get a chance to respond when my mom takes the phone off him.
“Ignore him, honey. He’s just upset you haven’t brought any of your famous apple pie,” my mom’s soft voice calls down the phone.
“Hey, Mom.” I smile when I hear her swatting my father away as he yells he wants pie.
“How are you?” she asks. I can detect the small amount of concern in her voice.
“I’m good, Mom. I met someone,” I admit straight away. No point in hiding anymore, and I would hate for them to worry. When I was going through all the shit with Zane, I pushed everyone out, including my parents. I hated what I put them through.
“I knew it,” she whispers. I can hear the happiness in her voice.
“I’m sorry I haven’t been out to see you.”
“Kadence, when I was your age, the last thing I wanted to be doing was coming home to see my parents when I had your father waiting for me.” She giggles and I smile at my mom. She’s not like your usual mom. Growing up an only child, she was like my best friend. We have a great relationship and there isn’t anything I wouldn’t tell her.
“His name is Nix. He’s annoying, bossy, and gets on my nerves, but I think he might be the one,” I admit quietly, knowing that he is the one.
“Sounds just like your father.” We both laugh.
“I’ll bring him out in a few weeks. Think you can hold off, Papa Bear?” I cringe, picturing their first meet. Do I have to be there for that one?
“I’ll keep him at bay, just maybe bring backup. Holly might do,” she laughs. My dad and Holly are the funniest pair to be around. Holly’s crazy attitude and my bossy dad clash something fierce. I know he loves her and she loves him, but if you're looking for a showdown with sarcastic jabs, put those two in a room.
“Sounds like a good idea. I gotta go, Mom. Speaking of Holly, we have a movie date. I’ll call you next week.”
Okay, baby girl. I love you.”
“Love you too. Tell Dad I love him,” I say before hanging up.
Well shit. I didn’t think I would be ready to admit that Nix was the one, especially to my parents. Apparently, shit just got real.
***
“Holly, let’s haul ass, or we’ll be late,” I call out, coming out of my room.
“Cool your jets,” she yells back with attitude. I don’t know what has been up with her lately. Maybe I’ve been so caught up in my own drama that I’ve missed a vital piece of evidence, but something is going on with her. I just have no idea what. She walks out wearing lounge pants and a baggy sweatshirt, her messy blonde hair piled on top of her head. For the amount of years I’ve known Holly, not once have I ever seen her leave the house looking the way she is.
“Are you feeling okay, Holly?” I hold back the laugh as I look down at her chosen outfit. “You don’t seem like yourself?” I push a little.
“I’m fine, Kadence,” she bites back. I cock my eyebrow and look her straight in the eye. Fine my ass.
“Right, okay, let’s go then,” I say, walking past her to grab my coat. If she doesn’t want to talk right now, I’m not going to push her.
“Kadence?” Holly’s voice softly calls after me.
“Yeah?” I say, turning back around to her. Looking at my best friend, I know she is hiding something that is tearing her up. I don’t know why she won’t share. We’ve been through everything together.
“I’m sorry. I just can’t, okay?” she softly explains. Her eyes are showing a sadness that I’ve never seen from her.
“It’s okay. I’ll be here if you need me. Just don’t push me out.”
I don’t know how to help her through this if she doesn't let me in, but I do know I sat in darkness for three years pushing people away, and she stood by me every step of the way. If that’s what I have to do, I’ll do it.
Her eyes shine with unshed tears. Her head nods slowly. I’m worried about her, but I understand pushing her will not get me anywhere.
“Okay let’s go on then.”
Grabbing the keys, we head out. The stress and the worry of what might be happening with her weigh heavy on my shoulders.
***
“Oh, God, can you believe that ending?” I say to Holly, walking out of the movie theater. Sometimes movies just don’t do it for me anymore. Give me a book with all the details.
“I know, right? Complete bullshit.” She smiles back at me, a little glimpse of her happy, crazy self.
“Where’s Brooks?” I ask, looking out to where he was sitting before we went in.
“I don’t know, but I need the bathroom,” she says, leaving me there. Something doesn’t feel right. Brooks and all the boys have been taking this ‘looking out for me’ seriously. Brooks not being there is putting me on edge. The people walk out around me as I try to call his cell.
“You ready to go?” Holly asks, coming back from the restroom.
“I tried to call Brooks but he didn’t pick up,” I tell her, starting to freak out.
“He might have had an emergency,” she says unconcerned. “Let’s go see if he’s outside,” she says, pulling us out the doors. Most people have left; the parking lot is almost empty. Turning the corner, I notice Brooks’ bike sitting unattended next to my car. What the hell?
“Hello, Kadence.” Zane’s voice startles me. I look up to see him resting against the building. I scan our surroundings looking for Brooks, but I come up empty.
“Holly.” He turns to her with a little smile on his face. Holly’s grip on my arm tightens as I see her grab her phone.
“What do you want, Zane?” I ask him, getting the attention off her.
Zane’s right hand comes out fast, and at first I think he’s about to strike me. My hands come up to protect my face, but his hand goes to my throat. The hold on me is so intense I can barely make out Holly’s screaming. For a brief second, I notice her struggling with another man.
“Shut the fuck up, Holly,” he yells over at her, “or I’ll kill her.” Her screams stop abruptly.
He smiles, looking back at me. His grip still tight around the soft flesh of my neck, black spots dance in front of my vision. My heart and lungs are working overtime from the lack of oxygen, desperately trying to gulp down air, but it eludes my grasp. My fingers claw at his hold. Trying to pry his death grip, my nails cut his skin. Kicking my legs out, I try to fight with everything I have.
“You need to stop fighting me, Kadence, or I’m going to put a bullet in Holly.” He laughs an evil laugh as he drags me around to the back of the building. The darkness that slowly starts to creep in fades as he loosens his grip. I don’t know if he will follow through with his threat, but something screams inside of me to keep fighting, and not give up. A wave of adrenaline washes over me, giving me strength to fight. Why is this asshole trying to kill me? What the hell did I ever do to him?
Clawing at his hand again, I use all my strength to try to pry his grip away from my throat. My knee comes back to build momentum, before I push forward, delivering a hard and fast blow between his legs. The connection is brutal as the attack takes him unaware. His grip loosens enough for me to drag in a large breath down my aching throat. I spin to my left, my surroundings flashing past me as I twist my way out of his hold and step out of his reach.
He’s too fast, stepping forward and pulling hard on my hair. I feel the sting of the sharp tug all over, the sensation prickling my skin. My heel goes back into his groin, and my elbow connects with his nose simultaneously. I don’t know where my movements are coming from, but the thought of dying at the hands of this man replaces my fear and leaves me with an all-consuming rage. It bursts from me, taking me somewhere I’ve never known. Anger like this doesn't come from nowhere. It comes from deep-down hatred for a person who has tried to take everything from you. Spinning around, my fingers go to his dark hair. Latching on, I rip back with all my strength. He has already taken too much from me, and now here he stands in front of me, back for more.
I don’t think so, asshole.
“You bitch,” he spits outs, his hands coming out in front of him, trying to gain the upper hand. Holly’s whimpers echo out in to the night, but I can’t get my body to turn fast enough to see if she’s okay.
“I’m going to kill you like I should have done three years ago,” he spits, his face contorted in rage
Hot blood surges through my body, burning furiously in my veins. I release the hand from his hair, closing in for his eye, my thumb gouging out with all the strength I can muster. A painful force pushes me back, his knee coming to my stomach. My diaphragm contracts under the force and my knees buckle under the pressure, connecting with the rough surface of the asphalt. A kick to my side and a loud snap has me gasping for air, each inhale screaming for me to stop.
“You think you can overpower me, Kadence?”
A fistful of my hair brings me up to my grazed knees; bile rises up, as the pain is too much to bear. He grins, standing in front of my kneeling body. “Fuck, you’re pathetic,” he laughs as the upper side of his free hand connects with my face with a backhand. I hold back the urge to cry out as the force splits the side of my mouth. The metallic coppery taste of blood invades my taste buds as he leans forward, closing the distance. The smell of stale cigarettes fills my nostrils, and the familiar black stars dance deliriously behind my eyes. Holding on, I fight the darkness, not ready to go down.
“Fuck you, Zane,” I force out past the intense pain at my side and my chest, my voice scratchy from the strong force his hands had around my neck. His hand reaches the waist of his pants, pulling out a gun.
“With pleasure,” he sneers before bring the butt of his gun across the side of my face.
Everything goes black.
***
I wake to the soft cries of Holly across from me. It's dark but I can see the bright glow of the moon coming through a small window.
“Holly?” I croak out, my voice not my own.
“Kadence, thank God, you’re awake,” she cries harder. I try to sit up from the hard concrete floor, but my chest hurts too much. I take stock of my injuries. My face is throbbing, but not as bad as the soreness of my throat. My hands and knees sting, but it’s my chest that I’m feeling the worst pain.
“Something is wrong with my chest,” I croak out the words and try to still my erratic breathing.
“It’s okay, Kadence. Sy’s on his way.”
“Where are we?” I try to focus my eyes, but I can only make out shadows, my head throbbing.
“I don’t know, but Sy is gonna find us.” She sounds so sure, so I don’t question her with my doubts of him finding us.
“Are you hurt?” Shit, the last thing I ever want is Holly getting hurt because of me.
“I’m fine. I’m tied up, but I put up a good fight.” The proudness in her voice makes me smile on this totally messed up night.
“How long have we been here?”
“We’ve been here for an hour, but it’s been two hours since they put us in the van,” she tells me. Two hours. Oh God, there is no way anyone is going to find us.
The door on the far wall creaks open. My breathing stills as I wait for what, I’m not sure, but this can’t be good. The room is suddenly bathed in bright light, blinding me for a moment as Zane walks into the room.
“Oh, good, you’re awake.” He walks up to where I’m lying on the hard cold floor. I look around; we must be in a shed.
“What the fuck do you want, Zane?” I ask, the wheeze of my chest burns after each word spoken. Even though he has the upper hand, I’m not going down without a fight.
Zane’s rough fingers clutch my chin, forcing me to look up at him. “Oh, Kadence, see what happens when you hang with biker scum? You start speaking like biker scum.” He shakes his head like a father disappointed in his daughter.
I shake my head out of his grasp, the movement sending an excruciating pain down the left side of my body. His hand reaches out, fisting my loose hair, bringing me up in one forceful jerk. I scream at the sting of my head and the shooting pain through my chest, my lungs struggling to seize some air. Bile surges up my throat at the sheer pain. Forcing it down, I tell myself not to break. How could he be doing this? You think you know someone, think you love them... I shared my bed for three years with this man, shared my dreams, my body, my life, but I don’t know him at all.
“I want your boyfriend out of the picture, baby.”
“Don’t call me that.”
“Why? You used to love it. Loved it when I was fucking you hard. Maybe we could go another round, for old time’s sake.”
I whimper at the thought, knowing he probably will, but I would rather die than have him inside of me.
“Don’t fucking touch her, asshole,” Holly yells out.
“Don’t worry, Holly. You can watch, then you’ll be next.”
“Don’t,” I plead with him. “You can have me, but please don’t touch her,” I say, giving myself to him. I couldn’t bear to know he touched her. Fuck, this situation is just getting worse. I don’t know how we are going to get out of it.
“Don’t sound so disgusted by it, Kadence. I’ll make sure you enjoy it.”
“You’re a piece of shit, asshole,” I say, trying to calm my panic. I know I shouldn’t be goading him, but disgust courses through me, and I can’t hold my tongue. I won’t allow him to break me.
“You’re right, babe,” he agrees, a smile now replacing his disappointed scowl. He looks over to where Holly sits up against the wall. The same guy she fought with earlier stands above her, a gun pointed at her head.
“Zane, this has nothing to do with Holly.” I try to hide the fear in my voice, but think I fail when he looks back at me.
“Oh, I know.” He smiles his evil smile. “This is all about you and that asshole you’ve been seeing. He needs to be gone and what better way to make him listen.”
“This won’t change anything, Zane. He’ll still fight you every step of the way,” I try to get him to see. “Hurting me or killing me won’t get him to step down.”
“See, that’s where you’re wrong. I set it up. Make it look like that the Mayhems did this and all I’ll have to do is sit back and watch the fucking show.” He laughs like he has completely lost his mind.
“You’re crazy,” I tell him, knowing there is no way we are getting out of this; the man has gone nuts.
“I’ll tell you what’s crazy. Gunner can’t fucking get his trade in this shit town ‘cause your fucking boyfriend has some sort of truce. Fuck that. Fuck the truce. We’ve been trying for years to get a foot up on him, and our luck changed when your fucking dumbass started sucking his cock,” he sneers. “Tell me, Kadence. Do you like the way he fucks you?”
I don’t answer his question, afraid of the outcome, afraid of his reaction.
“ANSWER ME, YOU WHORE!” he screams, striking me across the face with his gun again. The black stars are back, and I fight desperately to push them away. I can’t pass out again. I can’t leave Holly alone.
“Yes, Zane,” I answer, looking him straight in the eye. He nods, turning his body toward Holly's direction. The loud bang rings in my ears, my eyes glued to Holly’s form in front of me, red blood seeping from the bullet hole in her stomach. Her dazed stare looks back at me.
“Holly!” I scream, trying to stand. Oh, God, Holly. I try to move to her, to break free. Oh, God, no, no, no.
“Don’t, Kadence, or she gets one in the head.” Zane forces me back to my knees.
I try to fight the internal battle of wanting to fight, but his grip is painfully tight in my hair.
“I hate you,” I spit out past the tears falling, knowing Holly is so close to me, yet I can’t get to her. He just shot her. What’s going to happen to me?
“Oh, Kadence, I hate you too. Didn’t you know? That’s why I left you in the house to burn,” he confesses, smiling down at me. I cry harder as the sounds of Holly’s gasps come from the side.
“Which is why I can’t wait to end this bullshit once and for all.” I don’t see the movement in Zane’s hand until a small black barrel stares at me two inches from my face. I briefly see the outline of his finger, lightly touching the trigger. The darkness of that small black hole drags my eyes away. I want to fight him, reach up, and push it out of his hands so I can go to Holly.
“Don’t even think about it, Kadence,” he warns like he can see my thoughts.
Everything in the small space around me fades; my best friend lying shot next to me, the pain in my chest gone. Everything stops for a moment. My eyes sting, begging me to blink, but for the life of me, I’m stuck, fascinated by the hollow shape staring back at me.
Memories of my mom and dad flash before me like a playback on an old movie reel. Holly and I on our first day of college, the day Zane got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife, the fire that changed my life. Each significant moment plays like a movie before my eyes, then fades fast when Nix’s voice breaks through. His gravelly voice, telling me to get on his damn bike. Z’s smiling face is staring at me as I hold on to his dad’s hand.
The small black hole moves forward, the coldness of the metal meeting my forehead. I close my eyes, willing to see Nix and Z again, my mind knowing that they are the last people I want to see. I don’t hear the words coming from Zane. They bleed into each other. I focus solely on remembering the touch of Nix’s hands, the taste of his lips.
I’m going to die, and I’m never going to see him again.
My breathing comes back, dragging and forcing air into my lungs, the encompassing pain pulling me from the haze. A bone-chilling roar, followed by a loud thud has me twisting away. A force like no other pushes me down, and a heaviness falls over me. Before my back hits the solid ground, the darkness takes me.
