Page 40 of Since the Day We Left

Flames swallowed the doorway.

Wendi’s sob cut through the chaos. “Max! Please, someone—”

A blast of heat seared against his face.

Someone shouted his name—maybe his dad, maybe Wendi.

He turned. Bolted.

A hand clamped onto his arm. But nothing—not logic, not fear, not the weight of every risk he knew too well—could stop him.

He tore free. He knew exactly what this was. The kind of choice that ended careers. Or lives.

Didn’t matter.

Didn’t think.

Didn’t stop.

He charged straight into the fire.

15

Wendi

Wendicouldn’tbreathe.Thecrowd pressed in around her, but all she saw was the burning doorway of The Painted Shell. Emma and Phil’s hands gripped her arms, holding her back.

“You can’t go in there,” Emma said, her grip tightening.

Wendi barely heard her. Her eyes stayed fixed on the flames, willing Miles to reappear. The sirens in the distance meant nothing—they were too far away, too late.

Her mouth went dry. Her pulse thundered in her ears. Her hands shook until she clenched them into fists to stop the tremors. This wasn’t like her panic attack earlier; this was different—more terrifying. Miles and Max were trapped inside.

Seconds felt like hours.

She looked skyward and whispered, as if pleading with the universe. “Please, don’t take them from me.”

The air split with a deafening boom. Part of the roof collapsed, sending sparks into the night. A horrified wail ripped through the onlookers. Someone else grabbed at her, trying to pull her back.

Wendi wrenched free, pushing forward with a desperate urgency. She had to be closer for when Miles stepped out—if he made it out at all.

“He’ll make it.” Arthur appeared beside her. “My boy’s a strong one.”

The fire roared hotter. Glass shattered inside. A beam crashed down, the sound reverberating through the ground.

Around her, the townspeople coped in different ways. Ada’s lips moved in a silent prayer. Mrs. Winters sobbed uncontrollably. Old Pete took off his hat and held it against his chest.

A ripple moved through the crowd.

Someone pointed.

Wendi squinted through tears. Then, for just a moment, the smoke parted, and a shape appeared in the doorway—a shadow.

Her heart nearly stopped.

“Miles!”

Without thinking, Wendi broke free and ran.

---