Behind my head, a lamp shattered and above me, flames devoured the ceiling. Next to me, Cameron hunkered down, his arms clinging to one of my legs. Pain and heat radiated through my body. I was too shocked to pinpoint where it was all coming from.
I bit back the dizziness and pain, clambering desperately on my hands and knees, dragging Cameron toward the window. The room was consumed with fire, the heat unrelenting. My lungs twisted so tightly that they couldn’t take any more breaths. It was all happening too fast. I pushed Cameron toward the window and lifted the hot glass, clawing my fists and nails at the screen until I broke through. Above us, the rod that held the blinds crumpled and crashed down around us.
I shoved his head out the window just as another shot rang out and ripped another white-hot trail of agony over every inch of my skin. My head slammed against the floor, but I raised my gun and aimed at the darkening shadow that loomed over me.
Over the crackle of flames, sirens wailed in the distance. But I knew they wouldn’t get there in time. The only thing that was going in circles in my mind was that Cameron was going to fall out the window and get hurt. I was afraid for him. I had to keep him safe.
And Ryan.
I really wanted to see what happened with us. What kind of a life we could make together—if we only had a fighting chance? I didn’t want our little love story to end like this. Even in my last moments, it was always about love for me—I was always searching it out, wanting to find that special something I felt like I’d been missing my entire life.
I held Cameron’s leg as he hung half way out of the window, but I felt my grip become less and less tight. A sharp, chemical odor burned my nose and throat, gagging me, until I tasted the saltiness of my own blood. Then, as if the ocean had risen up around my body, I felt the sensation of being swept under water in an uncontrollable riptide. Warm thick darkness pulled me under, and everything just ended. I was weightless and empty.
And the last thought I had was,Dying isn’t so bad.
It just sucks doing it alone.
