Page 137 of Heavy

She’s taking me away from the cabin, away fromhim. “No, please, don’t… take me back up to him.”

With a curse, she stops by a tree and slams my back against it. I hiss in discomfort but force myself to meet her unyielding gaze. She’s furious, and the tears in her eyes tell me she’s on the verge of breaking down.

“You’ve done enough. I don’t know what is going on, but if he dies… so help me, Cal…” Her grip on my shoulders tightens, and I whimper out in pain. “You’ll be joining him, and I can’t have you being taken by the police so I don’t get that chance. Fuck the justice system. I’ll do it myself.”

When she blinks, those tears she held so closely to her fall, and I nod. “I want to die… I don’t want to live… not without him. I’ll let you kill me, I won’t run.”

The sound of sirens blare in the background.

She flicks between my eyes before releasing me. The moment her mouth opens, she looks down. Her hand moves to her pocket, pulling out her phone.

“Did you get him?”

Blue and red lights flicker across her face. My hand reaches out, grasping for the lifeline of hope on the other side. The good news I need to hear.

Time slows to a crawl. The acrid smell of smoke finally hits me, and the place I once wanted to protect is crumbling to ash.

Everything is gone, but as long as the heart that made it home still beats, I’ll live with the flames of my actions, ready to beg at his feet for forgiveness.

But the look on her face drains any hope from my veins. She shakes her head, closing her eyes and slapping a hand over her mouth as police vehicles rush down the road just a few dozen feet away.

I think my heart stops, because it’s ready to join him.

No. No, I can’t accept this.

Without thinking, I burst into a sprint. Only now do I realize there’s liquid running down my face, the cool air hitting it and turning its former warmth into a frigid chill.

“Calista!” Amy screams after me, but I ignore her, sprinting up the slight incline. I weave through the trees. Although we’ve put some distance between us and the cabin, we’re still within the gate. As the road clears, I spot the driveway—an ambulance is already there, parked against the blaze. I’m not surprised by how fully the cabin is engulfed, not with the amount of gasoline they used.

The thumping of helicopter blades overhead makes me glance up, and I stumble. It’s dark, but a fog light sweeps down, illuminating the lake. A group stands by the shore, so I change direction, pushing myself harder, nothing around me able to stop me from reaching him.

Then, an arm grabs me roughly around the waist, pulling me back. My head slams against someone’s chest, and I thrash in their grip.

“Calista! It’s me!” It’s Cedric, but I don’t care.

“Let me fucking go!” I scream, wanting to be released so that I can go to him.

“He…” The sound of Cedric’s voice breaking has me screaming out in agony. “Cal, his heart wasn’t—he had no pulse.”

My shoulders jerk and I put my arms down to his forearms where I squeeze and manically try to get free.

Ken is on his knees beside Ronan, tears spilling down his face as he speaks to the paramedics. My vision flickers in and out as he pushes up on his arm, then grabs hold of a paramedic’s uniform, shouting. I don’t need to hear his words to know what he’s saying.

“Save him.”

I keep fighting against Cedric, and the moment my heel drives into his foot, I break free.

“Damn it! Cal, don’t!”

I ignore him and sprint, my calves burning with each step. The slight incline almost sends me tumbling, but the light from the helicopter—now that I can make it out—shines over Ronan.

His lips are slightly parted, his body unnervingly still. My eyes blur, making it hard to tell if there’s any movement, but he looks…

“No… No!” My shout causes one of the paramedics to stand and turn toward me. Her hands raise up and I try to rush around her, but she intercepts.

“Miss, please.” Her arms wrap around my shoulders, and I try to throw her off me, but I’m weak. My entire body is ready to shut down and I just scream. “Stop and listen.”

I can’t.