AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Hush.”
“Art will be mad. You can’t open the gates… Art will…”
“We make exceptions when our hottest member is bleeding out.”
Her mouth was dry, but she couldn’t feel her body, just intense heat at the top of her head that seemed to be mangling her thoughts. “Tuck... Tuck’s hot.”
“She’s delirious.”
“She better be.” She wasn’t sure who was talking or what they were talking about. Invasive white noise faded in and out, making her ears buzz.
“Brodie,” she muttered, hoping her love was nearby. “Brodie.”
“Stay with me, pretty baby. Keep those eyes open, keep talking.”
Her eyes were glued shut. Tears still managed to escape though. Brodie had been right. She hadn’t realized it because with him she’d felt invincible, and she’d let him down. “One day,” she murmured. Her body rocked with the motion of the car, and she was glad to be here, in his arms, with the chance to say what she needed to. “I let you down, baby.”
“Yeah, you did,” he said, his voice was harsh, stern, like her chief giving her orders. “You’re not gonna do it again! Open your fucking eyes, Swallow.”
“Fuck, man, she’s blue,” Tuck said.
“Just shut the fuck up and drive,” Brodie demanded. Their voices were fading, and she wanted to sleep, just for a little while before the end, before she said goodbye. Something bit into her body, and she was shaken so hard, her head snapped back. “Open your fucking eyes, Zar, stay with me!”
“Got to go,” she whispered, words were getting more difficult as moisture left her mouth. “Too tired. One day… you were right, beau… one day.”
“No! You fucking listen to me, you’re not going anywhere. You stay with me, Zara! I can’t do this alone! Open your fucking eyes.”
But she couldn’t, couldn’t open her eyes, couldn’t feel her body, couldn’t breathe. “Have to…” she whispered, parting her lips to pull in one last heavy breath. “Close the door.”
Her thoughts faded to black. The last thing she remembered was craving Brodie’s kiss one last time.
TWENTY-TWO
“I guess I was wrong.”
Opening her eyes, Zara blinked to see Art standing over her in a brilliant white suit. “You… what?”
Sitting up, she looked left and right. This was the manor kitchen, except it wasn’t, everything was the same, but not quite right. The windows were whited out, and the place was immaculately clean and everything was brand new. Everything except the couch she was lying on, it was the same one she’d sat on while talking to Art on her first trip to the manor, old, worn, and comfortable.
Art sat down next to her extended legs. “I told you to look after him,” Art said.
“You’re… how are you here?” she asked, launching herself forward to wrap both arms around his neck.
“Oh,” he chuckled and returned her hug for a few seconds. Patting her back, he took her shoulders to ease her away. “You are the one who shouldn’t be here.”
That didn’t make sense. Nothing made sense. Shaking her head, she pulled up her knees to bring both of her legs around Art. Twisting, she leapt to her feet to rush for the door. “Where’s Brodie? He’ll want to—”
Yanking open the door, she was met with brilliant white light and nothing beyond. Slamming the door, she squeezed the handle as tight as her closed eyelids.
Game Time. Cuckoo. One day. The end.
“I told you to look after him.”
Spinning around, she backed up to the door. “I’m dead. This is…” She’d never believed in an afterlife; she’d never given it much thought. But it was the only conclusion that made sense. Why they were in this familiar place that wasn’t the manor. Why she was looking at a dead man.
Glancing down, she saw a loose silk white dress hanging on spaghetti straps to the floor. Curling her toes, she knew her feet were bare, but when she touched her hair, it was fashioned into some fancy up-do.
“I didn’t say goodbye to him,” she said. “He needs us, he’ll never make it through this. He has no one left.”
