Page 147 of Burn

“Why would you want to ruin our friendship by more?” I’m not sure why I ask that. Maybe because I’m hoping I can talk some sense into him.

Nixon shakes his head, cold eyes locking on mine, but he’s looking right through me. “We wereneverfriends, Mila. I just wanted to fuck you.”

I should just shut the fuck up and tell Nixon we’ll be together and I don’t care about Caleb, and all that bullshit he wants to hear, so he lets me go and doesn’t show the world my ass on a video.

But one, I’m a shitty liar, two, I don’t care at this point who sees that goddamn video and three, I can’t let a guy like Nixon win.

He’s watching the flames like some kind of pyro admiring his handiwork. It makes me wonder howhe’sgetting out of here. Judging by the smoke coming from underneath the door, the fire outside this room is raging on. “I bet he runs in here thinking he can save you,” he says, calmly tilting his head to one side as if he’s genuinely interested in what Caleb’s plan will be.

“He’s not on duty tonight.” The lie pours out of me, painfully, bitterly. I’m so angry. At him, at the situation, all of it. Sobs tear through me again, and I’m unable to stop them. I can’t let it end this way.

Nixon makes a humming sound, deep in his throat. “You’re lying. I know his schedule.”

I’m horrified by how calm he is as he makes his way over to me.

“Nixon,” I choke out, shaking my head. I don’t know what he’s about to do, but I plead, “Please don’t do this. We’re going to die up here if we don’t leave.”

The room is dark now, filling with smoke as I struggle to draw in breaths. I’m weaker by the second, the toxic gases surrounding me gaining control. Panic’s setting in. It claws at my throat, my heart, but I force it away, telling myself for right now, I have to remain calm.

Nixon brings his face to mine and then his mouth to mine. It’s revolting. “Mmm, I think I like the sound of you begging me,” he whispers. “Do it again.”

“Please let me go,” I plead, again, and I’ll keep doing it if it means he’ll let me go.

“You belong with me, nothim.” His mouth crashes to mine, and there’s nothing gentle about anything he’s doing or the way his tongue pushes inside of my mouth. I let him kiss me.

I do because I’m hoping maybe if I do, he’ll let me go, and Caleb won’t endanger his life to get to me.

But life doesn’t work like that. At least not in my life.

Pushing away from me, Nixon winks. “Hopefully he’ll make it before you burn.”

So all that bullshit about wanting me was a crock of crap? What is this, a sacrificial love and he’s leaving me to die in the fire? What the shit?

As he closes the door to my office and leaves me in it, surrounded by flames, there’s a moment when I see my life flash before my eyes and sadly it’s nothing like I’d imagine it would be. Where I wanted to see something playing out like a movie, it’s more like an episode ofThe View.

While I have hopes I’ll make it out, not all stories end in a fairytale, do they?

Sometimes they end with a man leaving you to burn.

Hazard

A source of danger of personal injury or property damage; fire hazard refers to conditions that may result in fire or explosion, or may increase spread of an accidental fire, or prevent escape from fire.

Tomorrow when I see Mila, I’m going to tell her I love her.

I would have said it on the phone, but she needs to hear it in person. You can’t tell a girl you love her over the phone for the first time. If that was the case, I probably would have texted her.

I keep going back to the other night, and I can’t stop thinking about the look on her face in my room when she told me she loved me.

It’s her eyes that haunted me the rest of the night and the way they begged for answers I couldn’t give her. The way they ripped my chest wide open. The way her shoulders fell and her face softened when our stare caught and she knew I couldn’t offer her the words in return.

But I am going to tell her. Soon. Tomorrow. Or maybe the next day. I need to work up to this.

As I walk back into the kitchen, the guys are deep in conversation.

“All I’m saying is there’s an unofficial code among us. Don’t date the wives or widows.”

I should walk back out of the kitchen, I should, but apparently, I’m an idiot lately and stay.

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