Page 63 of Collided

“Very.”

Even in the photo, he looks insanely beautiful. I’ve never met a guy who looks as stunning as him.

“Wait for me after school tomorrow. I’ll take you to my place.”

I nod and hand him back his phone.

A yawn escapes my mouth and my shoulders sag with exhaustion.

“You should sleep.”

I stand up. “I’ll see you out.”

“I can stay until the light comes back.”

I shake my head at the prospect of Dad breaking in. “No, you can’t.”

He studies my face. When he doesn’t get a read on me, he lets me walk him to his car.

The neighborhood is blacked out and quiet, creating an eerie surrounding that makes me shiver.

“I think I should—never mind.” Getting in his car he drives away.

When I’m back in my room, I crawl into my bed and pull the blanket over me.

The candle will run out any time and then I’ll be alone and scared in a cold, lonely house.

A selfish part of me wanted Heath to stay. The other part knows that if he did, he’d know about the secret I’m keeping from him.

14

Heath

Pushing out the rusty iron gates, I follow the path leading deep into the cemetery that is as old as this town. It’s situated at the foot of the hills with an enormous forest attached to the back of it. Clouds hang over the hills and slopes covered with trees.

A ghostly silence whirls in the air turning my blood cold. I come here often, but the serenity and quietness haunt me for hours later.

Slipping my hands into the pockets of my jeans, I approach Emery’s grave. The hollowness in my chest expands into a black hole, and despair and sadness settle in and weigh on my chest like a rock.

I glare at the tombstone, reading the details for the millionth time. I’ve stared at those few lines for so long that by now I’ve memorized them.

She was only sixteen when cancer killed her. In a matter of months, it progressed so aggressively that chemo and radiationdid not affect it. It was past the stage of treatment. Instead, a deadline hung over her head.

In her last days, she was positive. Her light circled her so brightly. I wished I’d soaked enough in it so it’d last me a lifetime.

Every single day down to every minute, I spent by her side. There was peace listening to the beeping sounds of the machines and watching her breathe when she was sleeping.

I wish I could stretch those moments for several years more because letting go of her so soon broke my fucking heart—something that feels empty now.

Some moments in life alter the whole course of your existence. They are like shooting stars. You never see them coming but when you do, it’s too damn late. They are gone so quickly.

Sitting on my toes, I put down the bouquet of fresh lilies I bought on my way. It was her favorite flower. She always wished someone would buy them for her.

Words die on my tongue. I used to talk to her for hours when I first visited her grave, but with time lack of response burrowed a hole in me. She is on the other side of the world. Maybe it’s time I believe it and stop holding onto her like she’s a ghost and roams around. That’d be crazy to believe anyway. I want her to be in the afterlife, not here, even if that means I’ll never see her or talk to her.

I turn to leave when I catch sight of Denrick. When he sees me, his eyes go wide, and he freezes into a damn statue. I breathe fire seeing his ugly face.

Before I know it, I’m striding over to him with heavy steps. “What the fuck are you doing here?” I seethe, gripping him by his collar and yanking him over to me.

---