AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The closer I got to my studio, the louder the thuds sounded behind the wall. Jeff’s grunt of anger ripped through me, making me pause in fear. I should see what he was doing, but what if he tried to hurt me again?
I turned the corner to walk into the guest room and froze.
“What are you doing? Jeff, stop!” I screamed, realizing too late that challenging him was not the best move.
Jeff had ripped apart the canvases, thrown paints around the room, and started lighting the drapes and bed sheets on fire.
“I’m erasing you from this place,” he said with no inflection in his tone. No anger or frustration. It was then I realized how truly psychotic he was. How had I taken this long to see there was something wrong with him?
“But this istheirhouse. They’ll forget all about me. You don’t need to destroy their home. Please, let’s go.” I grabbed his arm with my good hand and tried to pull him.The smoke coming from the burning textiles was already making me cough. Inhaling the acrid smell wasn’t good for me or the baby. I needed to get Jeff out of here.
“Why? What do they mean to you?” He pulled me against him and looked me in the eyes. His face scrunched with rage and his body trembled. “Youlovethem?”
“I don’t, I promise,” I pleaded.
This time I saw his hand, but I wasn’t able to dodge it. When his fist hit my jaw, I tasted blood. Sweat rolled down my back as the curtains and blankets were engulfed with flames.The paint was likely accelerating the spread of the fire.
“Fine, if you love them, then stay here. Consider this your punishment for loving them.” Jeff shoved me farther into the room and shut the door. “See if their love can save you from this,” he shouted.
I tried the handle, but Jeff must have wedged something beneath the knob.
I looked around for another way out, but the window was surrounded by burning curtains. The painted canvases caught fire easily, and I wanted to cry as the edges curled up and disappeared underneath the orange and red flames. I coughed and crouched to the floor. I had nothing to break the window with. I was truly trapped. Turning to the door, I banged my good hand on it and yelled for help.
The entire bed had caught fire, and it was snaking up the wall. Smoke clouded the room, and I searched the floor for a rag to put over my mouth. I almost cried with relief when my fingers touched the soft cotton of my t-shirt. I’d been hot the other day and yanked the shirt off, not bothering to see where it landed.
Hope was beginning to fizzle out. My chest tightened with the lack of clean air, and despair consumed my mind. I lay flat on the floor and reminded myself there was still time for me to be saved.
I regretted wasting so much mental energy worrying about telling them I was pregnant. I’d been so afraid they’d reject me. I’d never fully given them my trust, even though they were out there fighting my battles for me. At least I’d gotten to tell them I loved them before they left.
The fire spread, inching toward the door. I backed away as much as possible, but I was surrounded. It was getting harder and harder to breathe, even as I covered my face with my shirt. I fought against the darkness creeping in.
“Abbey!”a muffled voice called out.
“Abbey, where are you?” another person yelled. I wanted to respond, but my vocal cords seized.
The room was hazy, and I wasn’t sure if I imagined it when I saw the door open. The shadowy figure in the doorway rushed in, scooped me up, and charged past men coming into the house with a hose and what looked like fire extinguishers.
I buried my nose in my rescuer’s neck. I wasn’t sure who’d gotten me to safety. The light was so bright outside, I had to shield my face with my hand. The identity of my savior would remain a mystery for a few more seconds. My focus was on trying to breathe. Now that we were outside, a blast of fresh air hit me, and I gasped, then a wracking cough shook my body.
My rescuer, who I now recognized as Gavin, set me on the tailgate of a truck. Matt stood next to him, placing an oxygen mask on my face.My brain was still foggy. I assumed it was from the smoke.
“Abbey, breathe slowly. Look at me.” Gavin’s commanding tone soothed me only a little. I took slow, deep breaths, barely registering anything else around me.I needed to find my voice so I could ask about Liam and Duke and if my baby was going to be okay.
When the fog cleared, I noticed the girls in the background, forced to stay far away. It was a relief to see that everyone had gotten away safely. The house was still on fire, but the water truck they used to water the nearby pastures during droughts was being used to help fight the flames. I had to wonder how long it would take for the fire crew to get here to finish the job.
I stared at the house as it continued to burn. Tears streamed down my face as I saw the only place I’d ever felt safe being destroyed. Duke and Liam’s home was gone. My new beginning was over. I couldn’t take my eyes off it, even as the lights and sirens came up behind me.
Eventually, an EMT arrived and assessed me. I was still in a daze when I was moved to the back of the ambulance. Lights shined in my eyes, my wrist was wrapped, cuts were being cleaned, but all I could think about was I was out of there… but Jeff was still free. Once he found out I escaped, he would be back. I trembled at the fear that ripped through me and tightened my stomach. A blanket was wrapped around me, but the shivering didn’t stop.
“What can you tell us, Colt?” Gavin asked the EMT.
“Minor smoke inhalation. You guys got her out before anything serious happened. A few cuts, bruises, minor burns, and a sprained wrist, but otherwise, nothing major. She doesn’t need to go to the ER, but she will need to follow up tomorrow with Doc.” Colt gave his report in a matter-of-fact tone.
“She’s pregnant. Very early. Do you think this will have any effect on the baby?” Blake’s voice filtered through my thoughts. I turned to her, and a fresh wave of tears fell.
I stuttered,“I-is the baby going to be okay?”
Blake, with the assistance of Gavin, climbed onto the back of the ambulance and wrapped her arms around me. We silently rocked back and forth as Colt responded. “I can’t say for certain. She needs to follow up with Doc. Same goes for you and Tori. And the rest of the girls,” Colt ordered.
