Page 97 of The Billionaire's Bride

"What?"She wants me? She chose me? She needs me? She wants to be with me?I frown and Baron’s features soften; there’s an indecipherable look in his eyes.

"Yeah," he closes the distance between us, "she wants you, man. You’re her first love. Hell, it was always you and her. Me? I was the interloper."

"You watched over her, took care of her while I sorted my shit out."

"And that’s all it was ever meant to be." Baron’s features harden. "I was wrong to think otherwise. I should have stayed true to my word to you. I should have bowed out a while ago… It’s just... I couldn’t."

"Baron, I—"

Fire licks up the wall, the chandelier hanging from the ceiling in the hallway shudders before the crystals explode. "Fuck." I throw up my arm to protect my face. Pain slices up my side. "Shit, we need to get out of here."

"Now, you’re talking." He bares his teeth.

There’s a high-pitched whine, and the ceiling above us groans.

"Motherfucker." Baron charges down the steps, and I follow him.

The stairway seems to tremble. Intense heat overwhelms me.

Behind us the crackling, popping sound intensifies. Flames hiss and a lick of fire lashes out from the side. I duck, then jump down the last step.

34

Ava

Come on, come on, where are the two of you?

I gaze at the burning house, at the flames that leap up into the sky. The fire’s gotten even more fierce in the last few minutes. Shit, shit, shit.

It's bad enough that they risked their lives to save me. I shouldn’t have sent Baron in there…but Edward. Oh, my god, Ed. How could I have allowed him to be consumed by the fire? They are going to be okay; they have to be. The sirens wail in the distance and I close my eyes and sob.Help is on its way. It’s going to be fine, you guys. Just make it out of there. Please, just make it out.

Only when my knees touch the ground do I realize that I am praying. I clasp my palms together, stare at the entrance of the house.Come on, come on, please.

God, I am so sorry that I tempted him away from you. Please don’t take your anger out on him. Please. Let them both live. Please I beg you.

The sirens draw closer, then the fire-engine pulls up next to me. The firefighters jump out. One of them squats next to me. He’s saying something, but I can’t focus. Can’t take my gaze off the doorway.Come on, you guys. What’s taking you so long?

The firefighters swing into action. They unravel their hoses, train them on the house. A torrent of water zooms forth. Someone places a blanket around my shoulders. My thighs tremble and my heart flip flops in my chest. I stare at the doorway.Please, please, please.

"Miss, you have to move away; you are too close to the fire."

I shake off the arms that grip me.Not close enough. I am not nearly close enough. Please, you have both got to make it through. I’ll never forgive myself if anything happens to either of you.

I close my eyes, tilt my chin-up.Please, if you are up there and watching over us, I am sorry if I took him away from you. You know I didn’t do it to hurt you. I wasn’t being vindictive. It just felt right. Please don’t punish him for that.

More sirens sound, then an ambulance drives up and a medic jumps out. Someone’s talking to me. I ignore them.Please, please, please.I repeat the word like a mantra.If anything happens to either of them…please no, you can’t be that cruel. Please help them. Please.

A cry goes up around me. I snap my eyes open, lower my gaze to the door, to the two figures outlined against the burning inferno. I am on my feet and running. They stagger toward me and I throw myself at them. Edward catches me, then sinks to the ground, with me on top of him. "Ohmigod, ohmigod," I blubber, "ohmigod, Ed. I thought I’d lost you."

He rubs his palm down my hair and his fingers catch in a knot. My scalp tingles and it’s so familiar, so comforting, that my tears intensify.

"Shh," he holds me close, "it’s okay, I am here."

"Thank god, Baron got to you in time."

Edward kisses my forehead, "He saved my life." He glances past me, "Baron, where is he?"

"He was right here." I turn around to find he’s gone. “Wait, where did he go? Baron?” I call.