I’ve never cried like this before. My hands are shaking, my eyes are never running out of tears, and my heart feels like it’s been ripped out of my chest and stomped on.

I can’t believe Davian never told me about the night of the crash. I can’t believe I fell for him, but most of all I can’t believe that right now. In the moment of pain I’m feeling because of him, the only person I want to hold me is Davian.

I stand up off the couch, my hands shaking as I walk into the kitchen. I don’t understand anything, I don’t want to understand. I just want Davian back.

Why does everything have to be this way! Why can’t I just love Davian, why does _he_ have to be the one that killed my mom.

I run my hands through my hair, grabbing it in between my fingers as I try to hold in my anger. I’m mad at Davian, I’m mad at my mom for leaving, and I’m mad at myself for not figuring this out.

I let out a scream, hitting a stack of mail off the counter. Mail that has my mom’s name on it, mail that shouldn’t have come here.

As the mail hits the ground with a loud slap, a piercing shatter follows after it.

I look over the counter to see the scented candle and it’s bright orange flame already burning the letters.

I slide to the ground, my legs no longer have the power to keep me standing. I choke out sobs, breathing in the bitter, black smoke.

I start coughing as the smoke tickles my lungs. I’m not scared, why and I not scared? I cough, my throat already feels like it’s on fire as I wipe my tears away.

“I loved you!” I scream, coughing as more smoke enters my burning lungs.

The dancing flames start coming around me, trapping me in a circle of orange.

“Davian!” I call, my hands trembling as the fire grows taller. “Why did you let me fall for you!”

I fall to the ground, coughing and sobbing at the same time. This is it. I’m finally going to join Mom. My life is done, and I’m read—

“Get up!” Someone grabs my arm, forcing me to my feet. I cough into my elbow my eyes stinging as the smoke floods into them. I can’t see who’s here, but the voice is so familiar, so comforting.

“Davian?” I ask hoarsely, as he grabs my arm. “Why . . . Why did you come back?”

Davian looks into my watering eyes. “I’ve made many mistakes in my lifetime.” He tells me, his eyes filled with pain I didn’t see before. “But the worst would be letting you die.”

My heart melts, and it’s not because of the scorching fire thats flickering around me. Even after everything Davian has done, he’s still him and I still . . . I still _love_ him.

The smoke becomes so thick that I can’t see Davian’s black eyes anymore. But I can feel him, his sweaty hand in mine as he leads me out of my burning house.

I trip, falling hard. I can’t breathe, I roll over onto my back, fighting for air.

Davian kneels next to me, the bright flames circling around us as they climb up the walls. “I got you.” Davian grabs my arm, slinging it around his shoulder as he lifts me off the ground.

I still can’t breathe, everything feels like it should be over. The flames have trapped us inside, so maybe it is over.

I look up at Davian as he dodges the flames. “It’s over.”

Davian doesn’t look down at me, he just keeps moving. “No,” he says strongly. “You still have a life . . . And you need to live it.”

The front door is still open from when Davian rushed in to save me. The darkness of the night has never looked this comforting to me before.

Davian throws me to the door as a loud crash echos through the house. I land hard onto the porch, standing up as I watch the ceiling fall down, right where Davian was standing.

“Davian!” I scream. “Davian!”

My head starts to hurt as I search the hallway. He’s not here, he’s not here.

“Don’t come back!” Davian calls from somewhere in the house, his voice is so faint I can barely make it out over the explosion of orange flames.

“Davian!” I call, “Please come back to me!”

Davian grunts, as another burst of fire explodes in front of me. “Maisie,” he calls softly. “I’m just glad that what we had I know I’ll never lose.”

. . .

I never stopped crying that night. Not after the firetruck came and pulled Davian out, not after he was rushed to the hospital. I knew it was over.

And yet here I am, waiting for the doctors to come out with news that he’s okay.

“Miss,” I look up to see a tired face. “You can go see him.”

I nod, rising to my feet.