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A loud groan worked its way up my throat, and Ari slapped her hand over my mouth and shook her head. “Shh.”
Our parents’ bedroom was at the end of the hall, but the guest room was next to us and another was across the hallway. I was paranoid as hell that Ari and I would get caught.
“Shh. If you want me to stay with you, we have to be quiet.” Her long hair swept over my face as she leaned over and pressed her lips to mine.
Ari pushed me against the mattress until my head landed on my pillow. She leaned forward and smothered me with her sweet kisses, taking my breath away.
Over the months, Ari had grown less shy as I took our alone time a little further each week, but tonight held a hint of something deeper between us.
I gripped her chin and traced my thumb across her cheek. My chest painfully tightened, and fear of losing Ari trampled my heart. “We have to keep our secret, Ari. I can’t ever lose you. If our parents find out, they’ll separate us.”
Ari’s beautiful face hovered above mine. “Nothing will ever tear us apart, Jag. Nothing.”
I wrapped her in a hug and placed a kiss on the top of her head. “I love you, Ari.”
She peered up at me. “To the moon and back.” Ari sat up, reached to the back of her neck, and removed her necklace with the dainty butterfly charm dangling from the thin gold chain. “Here, I want you to have it. I didn’t have any money to buy you a gift for your birthday so keep this.”
I held out my palm, and she placed the jewelry in my hand and gently closed my fingers over it.
“I should go.”
I pulled her down for another kiss, losing myself in the warmth of her body against mine one last time before she left me for the night.
* * *
“Jagger! Wake up!”
My mother’s voice reached my ears as I started to cough.
“Theo is waking everyone else. The house is on fire. We have to get out now!”
She jerked me by the arm and grabbed my shoes next to my bed. Thank God I’d slept in my shorts. I gasped for air as she led me out of my room and down the hall. Curls of black, thick smoke licked the sides of the walls, and I covered my nose and mouth with my hand.
“Dammit! Turn around! The fire is coming up the stairs!” Mom ordered.
I searched around frantically, looking for a way out as the flames grew closer, the heat almost unbearable.
“Go back to your room. We’ll have to jump out the window.”
“It’s too high!” I choked out my response.
“We don’t have a choice, Jag. Go!” Mom hurried back down the hall, pulling me along with her.
Seconds later, she ran through my room and pushed open the window. I watched in shock at the situation as she mashed on the screen and popped it out of the frame.
“Come on.” Mom motioned for me to hurry up. “You’ve got this.”
The flames traveled down the hallway, and I realized it was either jump or die. I had to fucking hurry, or my mom wouldn’t make it out after me.
I scurried to the window while she gave me instructions on how to land. I peeked through the darkness lit by the orange and red flames.
“Come on, Jagger!” Mom’s brother yelled up at me, his hands cupped around his mouth, and fear etched into his face. Mom’s friends and my Uncle Gunner from out of state were below, peering up at me. Gunner frantically waved at me to jump, but someone was missing.
“Ari! Where’s Ari?” I asked, panic gripping my chest like a vice, taking over my common sense. As I attempted to crawl back into my room, Mom shoved me out of the window.
“I’ll find her!” she yelled after me.
Landing with a thud, I tucked and rolled on the unforgiving ground as the pain shot through my legs and knees. I didn’t care, though. I pulled myself into a standing position and my Uncle Gunner hurried over to me. “She’ll find her.” His hands shook, and I realized that he was trying to convince himself as well. I glanced over to Mom’s friends, who appeared terror stricken. Their faces twisted in horror as they waited for news.
