Page 88 of Boundaries

Nixon had also run toward the porch but he couldn’t get up there, a large piece of wood was now blocking the doorway. The flames behind there, roaring this way and that, casting angry shadows against what was left of the back of our house.

I still struggled against those arms, feeling so helpless and weak. I barely noticed Seth and Jenna who were now standing beside us. Jenna looked dazed; her face unreadable. Chrissy was still on the ground where Nixon had left her but she was still conscious. Her eyes were glued onto the floor in front of her and I was relieved she wasn’t looking at the house. The place I had called home all my entire life was gradually being swallowed up by the inferno of the fire. Erased almost.

I eased my shoulders, knowing Boyd was right and that there was nothing I could do. Mason, where was Mason, please be OK, please!

Nixon turned and jumped down the steps, darting past me toward a fireman that was in full firefighting gear. His gaze was full of angry determination.

They spoke quickly, their voices like rapid fire and Nixon’s hand gestures were frantic. With a nod, one of the large firemen approached the steps, kicked the wood blocking the door aside and entered the building, soon followed by his colleague.

We all stood there, in different states of shock. But all that pumped through my head were thoughts of Mason, of our time together, our childhood moments and how things had changed between us as adults. This wasn’t it. It couldn’t be. They had to find him, he had to be OK. I couldn’t lose him.

He was mine; I knew that then. He’d been there all those years hiding in plain sight. My nemesis, my tormentor, but my life.

Our times together flashed before my eyes as the what-felt-like-forever rescue took place.

Other firemen were now close by and water was being sprayed up into the air in order to control the fire. The spray appeared to be doing little to settle the flames.

More sirens and another fire engine growled up our driveway.

Please be OK, please. I can’t live without you. My eyes were gritty and I could hardly see, the glow from the fire also added to that stinging sensation.

Flicking my head around toward another higher siren, my breath hitched as an ambulance pulled up beside the second fire engine and two paramedics shot out, one heading directly for Chrissy who was still sitting on the grass crying with Seth now attempting to comfort her. My heart squeezed as I couldn’t go to her, I needed to know Mason was safe.

Jenna was now sitting on the ground with her knees pulled up to her chest. She still appeared dazed and was wearing a haunting smile.

I turned to look at the house and breath whooshed from my body as I saw the two firemen making their way out with…

OMG, Mason! They’d found him. He wasn’t moving and they had to half drag, half carry him down the steps toward us. Nixon appeared by their side, attempting to help and at that point, Boyd released me and moved to assist his brother.

I shifted toward them, “Mason,” my voice was croaky and weak. I felt my backbone crumbling and could hardly stand.

Nixon placed out an arm to stop me, “Give them space Amy,” he instructed and I obeyed, walking alongside them as they led him to the approaching medic who had a stretcher ready.

I tore my eyes away from Nixon as they lowered Mason’s battered body onto the bed, the paramedic dropping to his knees to assess the damage. The other medic, placed an ugly-looking brace around Mason’s neck, muttering something about a possible spinal injury and another jet of fear shot into me. It was all so frantic and thorough yet with that terrifying element of the unknown mixed in there. I felt physically sick with nerves.

Mason looked broken. His body looked lifeless, so very still and his skin was blackened by the smoke. I could see his jeans were ripped, and there was congealed blood on his torso as well as his head. Tears poured down my face, stinging my cheeks like acid. What injuries had he sustained in the fall? Could he die? I dashed the moisture away from my eyes, but my vision remained blurred like the smoke had damaged my sight.

I knew pain was part of life but nothing could have prepared me for the intenseness of that feeling that pumped through me. Like I was being torn down the middle. Ripped in two.

The whole thing was like a scene from a horror movie and my thoughts darted again to my parents. Would they have been informed yet? Did I need to call them? A thousand thoughts about what I needed to do next raced around my head. What about Mattie?

Grief shot into me from all angles. Horrible scenarios whirred through my mind and I felt like I was being tortured. The only thing that could stop that feeling was Mason opening his eyes and looking at me, moving, doing something. Get up! I wanted to scream at him. And I suddenly felt angry that he could do this to me, put me through this. The chaos of my emotions made no sense.

After several different procedures, I watched as the paramedic placed an oxygen mask over Mason’s head. The other medic appeared and they raised the stretcher and started to lift him into the ambulance.

I moved towards them, I needed to be by his side but Nixon’s hand wrapped around my arm.

“No Amy. I’ll go with Mase. You follow behind with Boyd, Seth, and the girls.”

I dragged my hand away and in the firmest voice I had ever heard myself use with this man, I stated.

“No Nixon, you have to let me go with him,” my voice was firm but cracked slightly at the end.

“No, Amy.” Nixon shot back in a dark voice and my heart almost stalled.

I needed to stand my ground, “I love him, I’m in love with him Nixon, please!” the cry burst from my lips.

My brother-in-law’s expression changed and his scowl fell away. My words as I said them were so firm and final. And it was the truth, I wasn’t sure when it had happened but I was irrevocably in love with the boy next door, Mason McKenna, an enemy of the family, but the owner of my heart.

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