Page 31 of Broken Bonds

“It’s flooding, Celine. The sandbags didn’t work. The water is coming in downstairs. We have to get out of here.” She looked confused, and her eyes were closing, almost like she was falling asleep while standing. We shouldn’t have drank last night. I should’ve been aware that our plan could go to shit—just like it clearly had—and not let her drink so much so she’d be level-headed on the occasion we had to evacuate.

“Celine, wake the hell up!” I barked at her. “The water is rushing in downstairs. We need to get out of here now!” I stood in front of her, one hand latching around her wrist to pull her out of the room.

I ran down the stairs, grimacing at the water flooding through the rooms, which pushed me to move faster. We needed to get out of herenow. Soon, opening the door would be a struggle. My mind was running a mile a second, thinking ofeverything we needed, how fast we needed to get out of here, and wondering where in the hell we would go.

I let go of her hand since she was slowing me down, leaving her on the stairs to stare at the carnage around us. When my feet hit the water, it felt like ice. It wasfreezing. Celine stayed on the stairs, looking at everything floating around the room, horror in her eyes. I grabbed a few water bottles, realizing the bag was going to be too heavy with everything I needed, but oh, well. I would deal. Spotting Celine’s phone on the kitchen counter, I quickly snatched it up. We would need it to not only keep in touch with her family but to alsotryto find shelter.

If there was one available.

I ran up the few steps to where Celine was still standing—statue-still. Her face was pale and even more horrified, if that were possible. I handed her the phone, and she gripped it tightly, not saying a word.

The water was rushing in faster and faster, and every step I took made a loud splash, making water fly up. My pants were soaked, but there was no time to worry about it. I would just have to deal with it.

“No. We can’t leave. We’re safe here.” Celine’s voice shook with panic. “Ace, listen to me!” I stopped and looked at her as a tear trickled down her cheek and her lips trembled. God, she was wreaking me. I hated that she was so afraid. I hoped that my eyes didn’t betray my own fear. I had to be strong for her. It was the only way we were getting through this.

“I am listening, princess. Now, you need to listen to me. We have to get out of here and get to dry land,” I urged. “We have to go on foot, so put your damn shoes on and march your ass out the door.”

She looked around at the water surrounding us again. “We can take the Jeep.”No.I shook my head.

“Your car and my bike won’t be any good in the water, and you have a flat,” I reminded her. “We don’t know how bad it’s going to get out there. Hell, I don’t even know where we’re going to go. All I know is we can’t stay here. The waves are too rough, and it could destroy this house. We can’t be in here if it does.”

I was standing in the kitchen now, and I couldn’t feel the cold water anymore since I’d become so numb to it. I needed to think clearly, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t think with everything happening so fast. The water was rushing in, and Celine was panicking. Her parents had entrusted her safety to me, and all I could think about was how I failed in the past. I had to stop thinking about him—he wasn’t here anymore. I couldn’t save him, but Icouldsave Celine.Thatwas what I needed to focus on.

Celine was beside me now, backpack on, and her hand gripping mine. She was pulling me toward the garage. I shook the memories of my past from my mind and focused on the girl next to me, the girl whose hand was gripping mine tightly. She let go to grab her wet Converse, and I waited impatiently as she tugged them on. I wanted her out of this house and safe.

Water sloshed out as soon as I pushed open the front door. She stood in the doorway while I ran through the house one last time, looking for anything I might need.

Celine was shivering when I reached her again, her pants were soaked, and soon, her shirt would be, too. The rain hadn’t stopped, and it was going to be a long walk to whatever shelter we could find. She was standing under the tiny roof, trying to stay dry, though it was about to be futile when we were about to have to step into the rain. The wind was blowing her hair everywhere, her eyes were closed, and the backpack was tipping her over. Still, she was so damn beautiful.

I found some more food and water, and I shoved it into the backpack when she shrugged it off her shoulders. Then, I took the heavy bag from her small hands and strapped it to my back.The weight was just another reminder of the long journey ahead of us.

I looked out into the gray driveway, listening to the rain smack harshly against the pavement. I wanted to keep her safe. I wanted to be better than her ex. So, I held out my hand to her, waiting patiently to see if she would grab it. If she would let me support her.

With trembling fingers, her hand gripped mine tightly, and she softly sighed in relief at the contact before looking up at me. A hint of anger burned in her gaze, mixing with the sadness lingering in her eyes. A lone tear rolled down her cheek. I had to be strong for her. I wouldn’t let her die. I refused to let her down.

We stepped out of our little haven under the porch awning and into the pouring rain. It lashed against our exposed skin, instantly soaking our clothes. She ripped her hand from mine to tie her hair up and then looked at me expectantly. I stopped and looked at her. The wind was blowing her hair everywhere even though it was secured in that black elastic. Her eyes were locked on mine, wide with fear and uncertainty. The girl standing beside me, who poured open her heart last night, was terrified.

God was testing me again. He put her life in my hands. I didn’t ask for this. The last time He left someone in my care, they died. And just like my family had been counting on me, now her whole family was. I had to be strong for her. I had to get us through this.

“There should be a shelter nearby,” I told her. “We’ll be safe there. They’ll be better prepared than us.” I looked at her through the heavy rain and held out my hand again. Her eyes darted between my hand and my face, and a minute passed, but she didn’t move. Why couldn’t she just trust me? “Don’t be scared, Celine. I’ll keep you safe.” My words seemed to break through to her because she took my outstretched hand, shivering in the rain.

She squeezed my hand, and instantly, I was hit again with the need to keep this broken girl safe. I wanted to be better than her ex. I wanted to prove to God that I was worthy of this second chance. I wanted to be forgiven. To be able to move on. To be able to freely breathe again.

We didn’t speak, lost in our thoughts as the rain continued to fall around us and beat onto our bodies. My skin was numb, and the sting of the droplets had begun to fade. Celine looked back at the house again, and I wondered what was going through her mind every time she glanced back, the house getting further and further away.

She was lost in thought when I gently tugged on her hand to lead her across the road, away from the never-ending driveway. She looked at my hand and then at the house one last time. Waves crashed against the house, making me thankful we’d gotten out in time. If Celine hadn’t been screaming in her sleep, we both could have died.

Her hand was so cold in mine. I wasn’t sure if she could even feel mine, and I worried about her getting sick. Even I was now beginning to feel the cold. Thirty minutes after we left the house, my socks and Timberlands were soaked, and my toes were numb.

She shivered every few minutes, and the rain refused to stop. She hadn’t spoken, and neither had I because I didn’t know what to say. I kept thinking about her screams, about her toxic ex, and about my little brother.

Finally, the rain stopped pounding on our shoulders, and we could see the road in front of us more clearly. Thunder rumbled overhead, and Celine squeezed my hand a little tighter. I didn’t look or comment; I was scared to break the peace we’d found.

We were on the A1A finally—hours later. I didn’t know how much further the Ave was, but I hoped it was close. I didn’t know how much longer we would be able to walk. She hadn’t saidanything since we left the house. Honestly, I hadn’t either. And the quiet surrounding us—nothing but the wind, the ocean, and the thunder creating noise—was deafening.

I was thirsty and tired, so I could only imagine that she was feeling the same way. I didn’t let go of her hand even though I wanted to shove my fingers into my pants pockets in hopes of warming them. I was afraid if I let go, she wouldn’t be able to keep up. She had been walking slower and slower with every passing minute.

She stopped suddenly and tugged on my hand. I looked at her, noticing she was pointing at something in the distance. “Do you think anyone is there?” Her voice was rough from lack of use as she referenced the gas station up ahead. I didn’t want to disappoint her, but there was nobody there. This was an evacuation zone—only stupid people like us were still here.

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