Page 114 of Butterfly

Before Ollie could say anything, Sebastian had opened the door and disappeared into the house. Ollie dropped to his knees, clawing at the grass. The flames flickered at the top of the house, three stories high, and Ollie could see them from where he’d dropped to the ground. Rory was inside that. No one could be inside that. Not anymore.

The kitchen began to glow orange, faint at first, but it grew brighter, uglier, then a silhouette blocked it from him, and Sebastian stumbled out of the back door, spluttering into his shoulder.

He had Rory in his arms, an unmoving Rory whose pale, lax complexion reminded Ollie of a corpse.

Ollie rushed to them and helped Sebastian lower Rory to the ground.

“Hey,” Ollie said, tapping Rory’s shoulders. “I think that’s enough of a nap, don’t you?”

Rory didn’t respond.

“Don’t you even think about doing this to me,” Sebastian growled. He leaned down, hovering the side of his face above Rory’s. Ollie held his breath, his eyes widening as he waited for the verdict.

“He’s breathing,” Sebastian said, shutting his eyes. “He’s breathing.”

He pressed a messy kiss to Rory’s forehead. “Help me roll him into the recovery position.”

Blue flashing lights joined the orange in the sky. “Scratch that,” Sebastian panted, hooking his arms beneath Rory again. He picked him off the ground and carried him. Ollie sprinted ahead to hold the gate open.

“I need some help over here,” Sebastian yelled, adjusting Rory in his arms.

The paramedics rushed to him.

“He’s breathing, but it’s faint.” Sebastian lowered Rory onto a stretcher and stroked back his hair. “Don’t even think about it,” Sebastian warned. “You don’t do that to me, understand?”

A paramedic pressed a mask over Rory’s lips.

He hadn’t moved, not even a twitch.

A fire truck arrived on the scene. The crew jumped out and began to unfurl the hose. Ollie frowned when he thought back to the stove and whether it had been turned off when they’d left, but the flames had come from the front, not the kitchen.

“Ollie,” Sebastian said sharply. “I’m going with Rory in the ambulance. They said there’s not enough room for two—”

“I can get a taxi.”

“We’re going now,” a paramedic called.

Sebastian squeezed Ollie’s shoulder, then rushed to be by Rory’s side. He took hold of Rory’s hand inside the ambulance.

Ollie tugged his phone from his jeans as soon as the ambulance started moving. He glanced back at the flames before distancing himself to make the call. Captain’s name flashed on the screen. He answered immediately.

“There’s a fire,” Ollie blurted.

“What?”

“Sebastian and Rory’s place. Sebastian managed to get Rory out, but he…he didn’t move. He looked dead.” He scrunched his eyes shut, reminding himself that Sebastian had felt, and heard, Rory breathing. He’d called it faint, though.Faint. “Sebastian went with him in the ambulance. I was about to call a tax—”

“Listen to me,” Captain interrupted. “We’re on our way to get you now.”

“We?”

“Are there people with you?” Captain asked.

Ollie glanced over his shoulder. People were still stood watching the house burn, and the fire crew were dousing the flames.

“Yeah, there’s people nearby.”

“Stay with them, Ollie, stay where you can be seen. We’re ten minutes away. You’re going to stay on the line with me the whole time, understand?”

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