He stumbles, wiping his split lip with the back of his hand. “You don’t know what you’re doing.”
Sophia scrambles up, her limp slowing her as she tries to rush.
Then Cade takes a half leap, stepping on the fabric of her dress to send her tumbling to the ground. “Stay away from the—”
“Motherfucker.” Red tinges my vision as I land another blow directly into his teeth.
Pain shoots up my arm from the impact, but he falls backwards, then slumps to the gravel.
I run to Sophia, where she’s still trying to gather her dress to stand.
Dropping to one knee, I clasp my palms to her cheek. “Are you okay?”
“Yea,” she stammers. But the fear and panic in her wide blue eyes tells me otherwise. “Why did he—”
The heat hits first, a burning blast that scorches my back.
Then the shockwave sends agony ripping through me from behind, forcing me over her and pinning her under me.
Stars burst in my vision.
Hurts.
Is that my blood?
I feel light. Heavy.
Can’t.
Breathe.
The truth
Sophia
My ears are ringingso loudly I can’t hear anything else, just an echo throbbing in my temples.
“Ollie?” His heavy frame covers mine, crushing me into the gravel. “Ollie? I can’t—”
Hot, wet drips onto my face and throat.
And he doesn’t move.
“Oh my god! Ollie? Oliver? Wake up, baby!” I grab his head, lifting him far enough to see the blood running down his cheeks to soak my chest.
Struggling to move, I shift my leg and feel a spear of agony lance through my thigh.
What happened?
“Ollie? Please wake up.” Tears begin to blur my vision, overshadowing any pain in my own body.
My hands are covered in red, every time I touch him, all I can feel is torn flesh and the scalding burn of his shredded skin.
Then shadows appear, pulling him off me…lifting me…low voices asking if I’m okay.
No. I’m not.
“Where’s Oliver?” I cry out as I’m pulled away. “Help him.” I repeat it over and over, a whimpering mantra that I don’t even recognize as my own words.
