CHAPTER 21 : BURNED ALIVE

I pulled in ragged breaths as I clutched Ella close to me. Izack used his fists, smashing the window repeatedly. We cried for help. Tears poured from my eyes as Ella screamed helplessly. I saw the fear on Izacks face. I knew we had mere seconds before we were all burnt alive. With one last punch, Izack busted the window through his hand, bloody and bruised. Izack grabbed Ella from me, making me climb through the small window. I felt blood cut into my stomach, but I carried on climbing. I winced as he passed me Ella through the window. He then managed to climb out himself, and then we ran. He grabbed me, pushing me to keep going. I felt blood leak down my stomach, the sharp pain making me cry out. Suddenly, a loud boom echoed around us as the car went up in flames. Handing Ella to Izack, I fell to the floor, clutching my stomach. When I removed my hand, blood-soaked my shaking palm, and I couldn’t get the strength to get up.

“It’s an ambush”, bellowed Haze racing over. He checked Ella and then studied me, his green eyes gleaming in the harsh, fiery light. He dropped to his knees.

“Story, talk to me” he murmured. I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t gain the words to tell him anything. To tell him all the things I needed to say. I love you. Haze, I really love you, I thought. The words were just sliding from my mouth. When I looked up again, I felt pressure on the wound, and Tyler was over me, stopping the bleeding.

“You're not leaving me. You hear me, Story, you can’t leave me,” he growled out desperately. I watched, dazed, as tears filled those perfect grey eyes. I couldn’t see Gage or Forrest. Everything faded slowly into darkness.

***

I woke up to a harsh beep. Beep. Beep. Seriously. Looking around, I saw him. Sat there just watching me. He clutched my hand tightly in his palm, and I smiled at him. Tears fell softly down his cheeks as he stared at me wordlessly.

“Don’t cry” I whispered. Forrest leaned forward, pressing his head to mine, and he touched my face gently. He kissed me quickly. The salty taste of tears intoxicated my body.

“You lost a lot of blood, Story; you sliced your stomach when Izack got you out of that fucking car window. We shouldn’t have left you,” he whispered almost soundlessly.

“It’s not your fault. It’s no one’s. What about Quinn and the others,” I said.

“We got to Quinn. She has a concussion, but she’s okay. Izack has broken his hand in several places. He’s in surgery as we speak. The others are all okay,” he managed quietly.

“I have to go to Zack”, I cried, getting up. Pain winded my body, causing me to clutch my stomach.

“No Story”, he said, making me lie back down. Tears poured down my face. I cried out,

"This is all my fault," I said as waves of pain shot through my entire body. I was tired of playing my stalker's manipulative games, especially since he had hurt my boys. It was game over for them. A few days later, I found myself back on campus, slowly healing from the ordeal. All the boys were taking care of me, and Tyler had even skipped his classes to help me with my college applications. As he assisted me, I looked at him and whispered,

"I never planned on leaving you."He turned to me, his deep grey eyes filled with a seriousness that tugged at my heartstrings.

“I can’t be without you. Story, the thought kills me”, he muttered, watching me. I watched him. His hand slid up my face gently.

“The thought of not having you in my life tears me apart, Story”, he murmured like a whisper against my lips. His voice was like pure velvet. He was like a poem. Small and well-written but concealed and hopeful. “Story, I’m falling madly in love with you”, he said again. My stomach flipped as a thousand butterflies stormed it.

“I love you too, Tyler”, I managed quietly, leaning forward to capture those unforgiving lips to mine. We kissed slowly like we had all the time in the world. Nothing in those moments mattered. But me and Tyler.

Suddenly, the door opening pulled us apart. Izack wandered in with his cast on and a cocky smirk.

“How’s the afternoon going, princess,” he asked confidently.

“Great”, I mumbled, a soft smile towards Tyler. He wrapped his uninjured arm around me and kissed my head.

“You’ve applied to Princeton, " he said, reading my laptop quickly.

“Yes,” I murmured, watching him. His returning smile dazzled me.

“You know I’ve applied there too, right,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows. I did know, but I played down.

“With you for three years, do they let you cancel your application, Tyler,” I said, turning to him playfully. Izack ran over from the fridge.

“No, don’t, please”, he murmured, kissing my head again. I laughed him off. As if. Laying on the sofa, resting my legs on Izack, all the boys filled my apartment. Gage kept checking on me like I was glass that would break. Haze was fussing over wedding plans because our wedding was in three weeks' time. I hadn’t even found a dress. Tyler was busy preparing for exams because we’d all apparently forgotten. And Forrest sat very quiet. Something was on his mind, and I made a mental note to ask him about it. Suddenly, the phone rang, and I looked at Tyler. It was his, and I gulped hard. He answered it, not saying a word. Everyone’s attention was on him nervously. He ended the call and then looked at Gage.

“Brooke has had a very interesting visitor at the psych ward”, he stated, turning to Gage as he pushed back his black curly locks. Gage looked furious. His big, cold eye shined brightly as he answered,

“Who ?”. “Gabriella’s mother” he murmured.

“Why would she be there? What is she after ?” asked Forrest.

“Isn’t it obvious ?” Replied Tyler, looking straight at me.

“She wants to know what happened to Gabriella”, I stated.

Oh no.