Page 178 of Between Never and Forever
Flames are licking up the sides of the house from the windows. From the looks of it, the upstairs is on fire now, too. The house could collapse. Something could explode. I don’t care. I don’t care. I just have to get her out. I just have to get to her.
I’m strides from the front porch when I’m tackled hard into the dirt. I can feel my knees scrape on the grass. Rocks or sticks jab into my skin. I bite my tongue on impact and the taste or blood fills my mouth.
“No!” I scream. I kick and flail under the body. “No! She’s in there! I have to get to her!”
Familiar arms and legs wrap around my body, tightening their hold. I’m panting and sobbing, wailing against him.
“Levi, please, no! Let me go!”
“I can’t!” His shouted words shake as he folds his body up with me under him. “I can’t let you.”
“Levi, please. Please,” I scream. My voice is hoarse around my tears, choking on them, burning with the smoke in the air.
“I’m sorry,” he says. “I’m sorry. I can’t. I can’t, Savannah. I’m sorry.”
People rush past us. Shouting. Sirens. I stop fighting Levi. I sob into the dirt, turning my head to look at the house. There are firetrucks on the street. Flames reaching high into the sky. Something at the back of the house cracks. I hear someone shouting to clear the yard, and I let Levi haul me to my feet and drag me across the street.
I don’t see Brynn or Red. I don’t see Ziggy. I vaguely register cameras, but I can’t tear my eyes away from the house fire. The house Levi designed and built. Brynnlee’s home. It’s nothing but sky-high flames and thick smoke. I tremble in Levi’s hold. I stare at the door. I will a fireman to come out with my mom. I beg for it. I pray and pray and pray for it.
I hear another crack. Louder this time. More people shout. Gasps come from the crowd now gathered on the street. Then, in a flash of fire and sparks that I can feel on my face even with the distance, the roof of the front porch caves in with a crash.
“No,” I whisper. “No, please, no.”
When a loud bang ricochets off the neighboring houses, my legs give out from beneath me, and my knees hit the ground at the same time part of the house collapses.
40
Four Months Later
Our VIP boxis in its own room on the club level of the arena.
It’s air conditioned, and has its own bar service, concession stand, televisions with live video streaming, and speaker system filtering the music right into the club box. The elite experience is one of a kind. Tickets for the other, similar boxes cost thousands of dollars and sold out within fifteen minutes of going on sale. The whole show sold out within fifteen minutes, actually, and they say it would have gone faster had the website not lagged under the traffic.
The Hometown Heartless announced this show last week.
It shocked everyone. The band wasn’t even a year into their alleged “hiatus,” tabloids were still scrambling with the news that Sav Loveless and Torren King were never actually engaged, and the infamous lead singer herself was in a fatal house fire just four months ago.
No one expected a surprise show. I smile to myself as I look out at the packed arena. Just wait until they find out the reason behind it.
“Can we go down there yet, Mr. Cooper?” Cameron asks, and Brynn nods in agreement.
“Yeah, Dad, please? Sav said Red would be ready for us. You just have to ask them to radio for him.”
I raise an eyebrow at her just as the door to the room opens behind me. Brynn and Cameron sport matching smiles as Red appears on the other side.
“Ready?” Red asks, and the kids both squeal and rush to the door. A smile twitches his lips, and he turns to me. “You guys, too?”
I nod, and we follow Red through the club level and then down the steps onto the floor of the arena where he leads us to a section barricaded off from the rest of the pit.
“This is so cool,” Cameron says, and Brynn nods with her mouth gaping open.
The energy in this venue is buzzing with excitement. Everyone in here, just a month ago, was worried they’d never see The Hometown Heartless play another show. Fans started building shrines outside of the band members’ houses, even. Signs and gifts and flowers still adorn the wrought iron gate separating Sav’s house from the street.
It was like their favorite band had died and they were paying their respects.
So, when Jonah posted a link to a ticket sale countdown on the only social media account he has, people lost their damn minds. From where I’m standing, the hype is worth it.
“I’m nervous. Is that weird?”
