Page 77 of Memories with Fire

Standing up, she looks down at me, flipping a hand through her hair. “But you have cute hair, and Luke seems to like it, so I got a haircut. Do you think he’ll like it? I even put some red highlights in it myself.”

Her hair had been tucked behind her ears, but now she lets it fall forward as she takes one step over me, and I can see the flaming red streaks woven between the dark strands. Fresh tears well in my eyes and slip down my temples as I stare up at Priscylla. I plead with her using only my eyes, trying to convey to her not to do this. That I won’t turn her in if she just leaves now. Hell, she can even leave me here. Someone will find me. Quinn will realize I’m missing. Luke will check in. My mom will be by.

Right?

Someone would find me… I think.

Or would it be days before someone found me? Would I have died of dehydration before then? I’ve pushed everyone away; it would be up to Quinn to do something. Except I told her last night that I was coming home today, so she’s not expecting me.

Oh god.

Oh no.

I’m going to die.

“Oh,” Priscylla giggles, but the sound is a million miles from me and muffled. “Is someone starting to panic?”

Panic? Who? Is someone here with us? My eyes move towards the door, and for some strange reason, it doesn’t seem to hurt like it did before. In fact, nothing hurts. The only sensation is pins and needles prickling every inch of my body.

“Slow down. Breathe.”

The words are nothing more than a whisper around me, and I try to turn towards the sound, but I can’t seem to make my head move. Nothing will move. All I can do is stare up at Priscylla who appears overjoyed to be watching me.

I need to do something. Logically, I know that. And yet nothing is working.

“Freckles, focus. Deep breath.”

Luke. It’s him. He’s the one whispering, and I desperately want to see him, but I can’t.

“Listen to me. Now. Focus and breathe.”

The command in his voice has me pulling in a deep breath through my nose. Once, twice, three times. My head swims with a surge of oxygen, and my vision dances with stars, but by the fifth inhale, the pins and needles start to recede, and I realize how short and quick my breathing must have been. Me. I was the one panicking.

“You can do this. You’re my brave girl. Figure it out. Come back to me.”

My eyes close at his voice in my mind. I recognize now that it’s all a figment of my imagination, that I’m only hearing what I want to hear, but Luke’s voice fills me with strength. His belief in me has always been there, and it’s time I channel that into belief in myself. I can do this. I can survive.

“Open your eyes, Hailey,” Priscylla sings. “I want you to see this coming.”

At the same time as I open my eyes, I kick off the floor, launching my feet towards my head—towards Priscylla, who is still straddling me. On my back, with zero momentum, though, my legs come slamming back to the ground without so much as touching her. Just in time for her to screech in anger.

And I count my blessings. I’d damn near forgotten about her swollen belly. The baby inside that needs protection.

“What the hell are you doing?” she screams and lifts a booted foot over my head, ready to do as she threatened.

I’m so fucked.

“Hailey?” a distant voice calls.

With a burst of energy, I kick my legs back into the air, crying out behind the tape. This time my feet don’t miss, though I don’t hit her as hard in the ass as I’d originally intended, only wanting to throw her off enough that I can avoid her smashing my skull in.

It works. She yells again, launching forward and missing my head completely, catching herself before she falls. I twist on the ground, trying to see where she is and what she’s doing, when she whirls around to me.

“I’m gonna fucking kill you,” she seethes.

“Hailey?”

I heard my name the first time, but thought I was imagining it. This time, I know I hear it, full of caution, but there’s nothing I can do to warn whoever it is. Priscylla hears it too, and turns towards the door, letting out a battle cry before she springs into action and launches herself out of the room.

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