Page 9 of Broken Bonds

“No, not yet. The advisory hasn’t changed much. We’ll decide in an hour or so; you need to hurry.”

I sighed. “Okay, I’ll be quick. I just have to shower and fill the Jeep with gas.”

“Oh, that reminds me—” I barely resisted rolling my eyes becausewhat now? “Please fill up the extra cans. I bought another two yesterday.” She smiled softly when I grimaced and nodded my head.

“Guess I’ll be at the gas station all day.” Mom laughed, shaking her head at my over-dramatics as Ryan stumbled into the kitchen with Ace in tow, both looking like walking zombies. I ignored them both and trudged up the stairs with my cup of coffee in hand. Ace eyed me for a moment but then proceeded to ignore me, too.

After showering and going through my usual makeup routine, I was in my car on my way to the gas station. As expected, the line was onto the main road, so I took my place behind a red truck, the tailgate filled with empty gas cans. I sighed, resting my forehead on the steering wheel. People like this guy were the reason gas ran out so quickly during storm prep.

Thunder rumbled, and I looked up. Gray clouds filled the sky, and it started to drizzle when there were only four cars left ahead of me.

While filling up the tank, I saw the eleven A.M. advisory had been released, and as my mom predicted, the storm was growing—rapidly. It was now a category four. Seconds later, my phone dinged with confirmation from my mom that we would be going to Georgia tonight.

Mom wanted to leave by six tonight, which meant between driving and checking the beach house, I would have little time to pack. Just great. Why couldn’t she have sent Ryan and Ace instead to take care of the beach house instead of me? Or at least sent them with me?

I finished filling up the two gas cans and quickly made my way back onto the main road, where people were flying by in panicked chaos. With a white-knuckled grip on the steeringwheel, I did my best to make it to the beach house safely, which was a task in itself with people cutting me off, pulling out in front of me, and just driving like reckless, panicked assholes.

I made it to our beach house forty-five minutes later and parked on the long drive. I saw some of the outdoor furniture had been left outside and a few other small things hadn’t been packed away into the two-car garage. I grimaced, stepping out into the rain. The waves were already crashing against the sand, raging as the winds angered it.

By the time I finished moving everything, sweat was dripping down my face. The sky had gotten increasingly darker, and the water along the coast was getting choppy. I ran around, checking that every window was closed. I should probably take time to put up the hurricane shutters, but I didn’t have much time left.

Rushing into the pantry, I found the water and a few nonperishable food items Mom wanted me to grab. I put them on the counter and started loading the Jeep just as it started to really pour outside. Every trip outside drenched me more and more until my blonde strands were clinging to my face and my makeup was running down my face.

After locking up and running to avoid getting soaked even more, I started to creep out of the driveway… for a mere second. A thump reached my ears, and then the Jeep start to pull to the right. My hands shook. This wasn’t happening. This could not be happening. Not right now!

“Oh God, no!” Jumping out into the pouring rain, I stared in horror at the punctured tire. “No!” I shouted, glaring up at the crying sky as my chest tightened with panic.

My phone started ringing in my pocket, and I answered, thanking God it was my mother, only to instantly regret it.

“Where are you?!” She was already screaming. I hadn’t even managed to say, “Hello.”

“Still at the house, Mom! I’ve got a flat tire!”

“We’re getting ready to leave, Celine! What the hell was taking you so long? Change the tire and get home before we get trapped here!” I could hear her desperation through the phone. She didn’t think I wanted to change this damn thing so I could get out of here? She and Dad had never taught me to change a tire, claiming I didn’t need to know since they could just pay someone to do it for me.

Now look at me. Alone with a flat tire and no knowledge of how to change the fucking thing with a hurricane threatening to bear down on me.

“I don’t know how, Mom, remember?!” I cried out, feeling helpless. I could hear Ryan talking in the background, asking for the phone, and my mother was arguing with him.

“Celine, Ace is in the area,” Ryan told me, managing to wrestle the phone from our mom. “Do you want him to come help you?”

I grimaced. “Not that asshole. I’d rather walk!”

“Celine, it’s either him or do it yourself!” Ryan snapped at me. “Now’s not the time to be a bitch, yeah? You’re right on the fucking water!”

“You ass!” I snapped. “Call him.” I didn’t have much of a choice, and I knew it. If I wanted to evacuate and not be trapped in a house mere yards away from the beach, I had to take whatever help I got, even if it came from my older brother’s asshole of a best friend.

“Whatever. Stop being a brat.” Ryan hung up, and I got back into the Jeep, putting the heater on. I was shivering in my now-soaked clothes. How had my day turned to complete shit so fast?

My phone dinged a minute later with a text from Ryan.

Ryan: Ace will be there in 10. Don’t be a bitch!

Me: Screw you, Ryan.

chapter four

CELINE

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