Page 280 of Cheaters: A Dark Romance Anthology

I tried to maintain control of my tears. Guys weren’t supposed to cry. Maybe I was a sick guy like those men said. Maybe I’d end up dead and stabbed.

“Justinas.”

Dominykas wrapped his arm around me, but I pushed him away. I tried to keep the noise of my tears to a minimum and shook off all the questions my brother was asking me.

“Please stop,” I was finally able to mutter out. Despite the severe pain in my stomach when I moved, I was able to put some distance between us.

“You’re shaking and acting really weird. What’s wrong?”

“I feel sick, Dominykas. Please let me sleep,” I begged.

“Dude, you’re shaking bad. Let me get Mom.”

“No! She’s with Rami.”

“Then let me get Dad.”

“No. He just got home from work, and all he has is a little time after dinner to relax before he has to help with Rami.”

He sighed and then nodded. I scooted under my blanket and closed my eyes again.

“Rami had a bad day,” he said.

“I know,” I agreed. I had a bad fucking day too.

I finally dozed off to sleep, and in my dream, I felt like I couldn’t breathe. Somewhere between being asleep and awake, I heard someone faintly in the background. The coughing grew closer as I started to come around, and my name was being called.

“Justinas!”

Dominykas.

I couldn’t get any air, and when I tried to breathe deeply, I felt like I was choking.

“Fire, Justinas! Get up!”

Fire!

I bolted up when hands grabbed me. The pain in my stomach and sides seemed to double from what it was before I went to bed. Dominykas pulled me up as our room continued to fill with smoke. My heart raced as I panicked and coughed.

“Here, get your shoes on!” He had a sweatshirt wadded up against his face as he yelled. He tossed my sweatshirt at me. “Use that to cover your face and breathe.”

I quickly jammed my feet into my sneakers while my brother yanked the metal mini blinds up with one hand. He coughed hard while he tried to get the window open. I pressed the sweatshirt against my face and looked at the bedroom door. Smoke continued to seep in around the edges of the door except at the bottom, where he threw clothes.

“Hurry, Dom!” I put my hand on the window to try to help. “What about Mom and Dad? What about Rami?” I went toward the bedroom door, but he quickly grabbed my arm.

“The doorknob is hot! We can’t go out that way! We need to get out!” Dominykas pulled me toward the window. It seemed like as soon as he unlocked the window and pushed it open, there was a loud thud behind us in the hallway, or somewhere in the house.

“Go, Justinas!”

“What about—”

“Go! I’m right behind you!”

I climbed through the window, which was at the front of the house, and stumbled to the ground, coughing. As promised, Dominykas was right behind me. He slid his hands under my arms and pulled me up. I held my sides as I jogged alongside him as best as I could. In the distance, sirens rang out.

When we got away from the house and into the street, a bright orange glow to my left caught my eye. I turned to see that Adomas’ house was completely engulfed in flames. Oh my God!

I spun around to look toward our house as I heard Rami screaming. Dad walked through the side gate leading to the backyard with Rami in his arms. Where’s Mom? Dad spotted us and hurried over. Dad set Rami down on the sidewalk between where Dominykas and I stood.

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