“I’ll get us out of here, Lillie. I promise.” I kiss the top of her head.
“I know.”
Between the smoke and the heat, it’s hard to hang on to the thin edge, but on my third try, I finally manage to get a good grip and pull myself up.
“Micah?” Lillie cries out, stifling on the limited oxygen. “Micah, I can’t breathe. I’m feeling dizzy.”
Sweat is trickling down my sides, if I release my hold, I’ll need to start all over again. “Did she drink all her water?” I think out-loud.
“What?” The wheezing in her cough makes me cringe.
“Is there water left in the glass you brought down before coming to bed?”
“Yes.” She sounds really confused.
“Go to your dresser, grab one of your tank tops and soak it up with what’s left in your glass, then put it up to your face and breathe in it. It’ll—” I give the window frame a hard push and it pops open. Thank fucking god. “Help.”
By the time she comes back, my feet are dangling in the air, one of my hands is glued to the edge, trying not to slip, and the other is tapping the frame in search of the exterior railing so I can pull myself up.
The pain shooting through my arms feels like my muscles are on fire. It hurts and I know I can’t let go because if I do, I won’t have enough strength to give it another try. “Lillie? Lillie, push on my feet. I’m almost there.”
She places her small hands on my arches, and with her boost, I manage to snake my entire body through the small hole. “Mi-mi, you made it.”
“I did, and I couldn’t have done it without you,” I reply, not taking enough time to catch my breath. I turn around and notice the black cloud hovering over her head. Behind the darkness, the tips of the flames have started to dance through the cracks of her bedroom door.
A wave of panic washes over me. I try to swallow it down, try to fight back my tears and show her that we’re going to be okay, but I fail. She reads me like a damn book and glances over her shoulder. “Micah!”
I can hear the faint sound of sirens in the distance, but it does nothing to calm my worry. The fire is spreading too fast and the firefighters won’t make it on time. “Lillie, look at me.”
She doesn’t listen to my imploring tone. “I—I can’t, it’s coming for me.”
“Look at me,” I urge. The tears of fear swimming in her crystal eyes reflect my own. “I’m getting you out of there, Lillie, but I need you to listen to me, okay? I’m going to pull you up. You need to stand on the tip of your toes and try to jump to grab my hands.”
It’s a stupid plan. I realize it the second it stumbles out of my mouth. If she wasn’t tall enough to grab the edge of the wall a few minutes ago, there is no chance in hell she’ll be able to jump high enough for me to grab her hands.
“Wait.” She disappears.
“LILLIE!” I pop my head through the window and see her reach for her bed pillow and Madam Unicorn. “We don’t have time for your stupid stuffed animals.”
“I’m not trying to save her. She’s going to help save me,” she replies, petrified and hurt. She stacks her pillow over the unicorn and climbs up. It’s a disaster waiting to happen. I try not to growl as she attempts to keep her balance, but she looks up at me with a frown pinched at the bridge of her nose. “Everything is going to be okay, Micah. I’ll be okay, trust me.”
With much more confidence than me, my sister backs away a few steps and dashes in my direction. In one giant leap, she puts one foot on Madam Unicorn and jumps. Her whole face lights up when I manage to grab the tip of her fingers.
“Holy crap, I can’t believe you did it! Okay—” I wince as I think about what I need to do next. The only way I can get her out is to pull on her arms, but with the kind of grip I have on her fingers, there’s a high chance I’ll end up dislocating her shoulders. “Lillie, this is going to hurt a little, but you need to promise me you won’t let go of my hands.”
“I promise.”
My body slides forward instead of backward as I start to pull, and I feel it snap out of its socket. Her howl of agony slashes its way right to my core and I weep along with her. “I’m sorry,” I beseech. “I’m so sorry Lillie, it’s almost over. It’s almost over, I swear.”
I try... I try so damn hard, but our sweaty palms rub together. She keeps sliding, slipping away from my hold. Behind her, I notice that the fire has burned down the door, unrelentingly seeking its next victim. Terrified of dropping her, I dig my nails into her hands, gripping her as best as I can, and she screams at the pain once again. Somewhere behind me, I can hear my name being called out, but the heat is searing our way and I’m too afraid to let my eyes waver away from my sister. The scorching hissing flames are taking up more ground by the second. Black smoke, dark grey clouds, and bright orange light surrounds Lillie, warning me that it’s denying my baby sister a life beyond their murderous intentions.
“Micah?” Her first hand slips before I realize that her hold had weakened. I lock eyes with her empty blue eyes, and the last thing I see before dropping her are the two specks of light fading with her sad smile. “Always, I promise.”
“LILLIE,” I wail in a dire broken sob. Someone grips me from behind, forcing against me as I try to go back down the window to save her.
Stifling on my own tears, I can’t seem to catch my breath.
Whoever is holding onto me, ignores my pleading and manages to dodge every hit and kick I throw his or her way.
The more I scream, the more I fight, the tighter they hold onto me.
“Micah?”
I don’t respond to the unfamiliar voice, and as I’m being pinned on the ground twenty feet away from the fire by people I don’t know, I watch the flames through my blurry eyes engulf what used to be my home and take my sister’s life away from me.
I broke my promise.
Bip. Bip. Bip.
Every time I hear it, my body stiffens. I can’t stop it. Just like I can’t stop the ear-splitting constant thud that’s clouding my mind.
“Please make it stop,” I whisper
“Make what stop, buddy?” My brows furl at the sound of the unfamiliar voice.
I crack an eye open, hoping to figure out where the noise is coming from and who the voice belongs to, but the only thing I see is a blinding bright light and what looks like shadowy undefined objects.
I try to respond but I can’t seem to utter a sound.
Remember when Dad took you to the Yankee’s game six months ago? This feels exactly the same.
It doesn’t, it feels worse. It’s like I haven’t had a sip of water in days.
I force my eyes shut, and reopening them a second time, I move my head to the side and see a man I’ve never met before sitting by my bedside. There’s something in his blue eyes that strikes me. Something awkwardly familiar and heartbreakingly sad.
“Micah?”
He knows your name.
I force my fingers to move, see them twitching against my thigh, but I can’t feel them.
I can’t feel my legs.
I can’t feel anything.
And the noise—every second-and-a-half—a deafening ceaseless pound.
“Micah?”
Following the wires and the thin transparent tubes that are attached to my right hand, I raise my eyes and see the monitor.
My heart.
Yeah. YOUR beating heart.
The soreness in my throat thickens and the unexplained tears that were blurring my eyes start to roll down my cheeks. I try to stop them, but I can’t. They’re just leaking out of me like a dripping faucet.
“Do you need anything? Want something to drink or something to eat?” His voice is choked, almost sorrowful. It’s almost as if he understands my pain even though I don’t.
I blink.
It’s not an answer, just a way to get rid of the everlasting fog in my eyes.
“They’ve managed to reach your parents.”
I tilt my head to the side, still tryi
ng to figure out if I know who he is, wondering what he’s talking about.
How can you not know who this guy is, he was at the house, remember?
I don’t.
All I know is that there’s a question burning the tip of my tongue, and I can’t bring my mouth to voice my words I want to say.
That’s because you already know the answer…
“They’re—um—outside with the doctor.” His mouth lifts into a fake smile. “I have to leave before they come in, I just—”
“Where’s Lillie?” My voice sounds hoarse.
Don’t be stupid, Micah.
His brows dip and his saddened gaze lowers to his lap.
Lillie is gone. She’s gone because you let her fall.
“No.” I shake my head frantically from one side to another. “No. She slipped.”
“Micah?”
You broke your promise, Micah.
I place my hands over my ears to block out the voice.
It’s wrong.
It has to be wrong.
You killed your sister.
NO!
I grab my hair and pull. It hurts, but it’s better than listening to the voice inside my head.
The voice is wrong.
Stop denying it, Micah. You dropped her.
You dropped her and she hit her head.
She hit her head and she fucking DIED.
“No.”
“Micah?”
“She slipped. She slipped. I tried.” My chest burns. It feels like my insides are being ripped to shreds and the scorching hot tears pouring out of me do nothing to tame the pain. The rage, the guilt, the blame… it’s all real. “I swear I tried.”
Did you? Did you really? Because I don’t think you did. You should have done more. You shouldn’t have left her alone down there.
You knew the risks and you chose to take them anyway. This? This is all your fault. You should have—
“Micah?” my mother yells, barging in. “You. You get the hell out of here. Now.”
“Alessia—”
I close my eyes and see the smoke. I want it to smolder me and take the ache, the emptiness away. “She slipped… she fucking slipped.”
My mother’s eyes are on me.
Angry.
Accusing.
Hateful.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I tried, Mom. I swear. It should have been me.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Aubrey
Present
I drive. I drive as fast as I can, but deep down, I know…
I’ve seen Micah race his Panigale before—on more than one occasion, and if he doesn’t want me to catch up with him, I won’t.
I should stop.
I should just go back, talk to Vince, talk to Ethan, talk to someone… but I don’t. I continue zipping through traffic at fifty-five miles per hour, chasing a shadow I know is long gone.
I crush the firefly pendant in my hand and feel the pinch as it pierces through my skin.
‘He wants you to know that maybe one day when the storm passes and the rain is just a light drizzle, he’ll come back to watch you dance in the meadow.’
I remember that conversation like it was yesterday, and I don’t even know if I should laugh or cry. The tears, however, seem to have a mind of their own. My eyes are so flooded, I can barely see the road anymore.
A loud screaming sob breaks out of me.
He told you, Aubrey. He fucking warned you and you didn’t listen.
He was right all along… he was the predator and you were his prey.
I wipe the blur away from my eyes to get a better look at where I’m going, and the sound of honking behind me grabs my attention. I shift my focus from off the road and glance up at the rearview mirror.
“Shit,” I mutter, catching sight of the blood smear on my cheek. I try to wipe it off but my hands are shaking too much, I drop the pendant at my feet. “Goddammit.”
Holding the wheel with my left hand, I crouch down, fumble for a few seconds but finally manage to grab it and sit back on my seat.
I don’t see the lined-up cars stopped at the red light until it’s too late.
My foot hits the brake, but the distance between me and the Chevrolet Sonic is so short, I can see the two pair of eyes growing wide as they watch me gunning for their backseat.
I know there is no way I’ll be able to stop on time. Gripping the wheel with both hands, I shift my weight away from the brakes and hit the gas pedal. The beamer swerves, and I fly right over the ditch. A sigh of relief eases out of me when I realize that I’ve managed to avoid the Chevy by barely two feet, but my reprieve is short-lived. The loud deafening sound of collapsing steel clatters the inside of my dad’s BMW and before my back wheels touch the ground, I’m being propelled in the air. Within a nanosecond, everything around me spins. Daylight pours through the window and an instant later darkness invades the beamer.
I wonder if this is what it’s like when people say they feel like they’re walking in a dream. I can see everything going on around me, but can’t feel a damn thing. The car flips and rolls so many times I can’t even tell what’s left from right or up from down anymore. The sunlight and the obscurity whirling indefinitely, the sound of metal crashing, crippling every time the hood or the bumper hits the pavement, the way my body is being lurched from one side to another, the unnatural, yet unpainful way I’m holding my breath just waiting for it to stop…
Maybe I’ll be okay, maybe I’ll make it out with a few scratches and a couple of scars.
Maybe you won’t, maybe you won’t wake up and all the ache in your heart will be gone.
I can actually feel my lips curl at the thought.
Squeezing the firefly in my hand even tighter, I close my eyes.
I feel his lips, softly kissing the top of my head. His hands on my body, memorizing my curves. His arms, strongly pulling me in, refusing to let me go, holding me tight, but begging me to push him away.
Promise me, Aubrey.
I swallow, hard.
I promise.
My head slams against the window and everything stops.
Every bone in my body aches, and warm wetness spreads down my arms and chest. I can feel myself slipping away. I open my eyes but the only thing I see is his face.
His sad smile. The tears in his eyes.
I can’t breathe, but funnily enough, it feels good.
“Shit! Someone call 9-1-1.”
“We need to get her out of there.”
“Dude, she isn’t breathing.”
“Sweetheart, just hold on. Help is on the way.”
Darkness fogs my mind, and my hold on the pendant loosens until it slips out of my grasp. Only this time, I can’t pick it up.
Stay alive, Aubrey.
Okay.
Promise me.
I smile.
I already told you, I promise, Micah.
Always?
Always.
I fucking love you, Aubrey.
I fucking love you too, Micah.
But now you’re gone.
A tear slips.
I gave you my heart, and you set it free.
Broken Promises Playlist
Was It A Dream - Thirty Seconds to Mars
Ocean Eyes - Billie Eilish
Iris - Goo Goo Dolls
I Found - Amber Run
Control - Halsey
Dusk Til Dawn - Zayn (feat. Sia)
How to Save a Life - The Fray
Let You Down - NF
Leave a Light On - Tom Walker
Power Over Mer - Dermot Kennedy
Gasoline - Halsey
Don’t Stay - Linking Park
Gone Away - Five Finger Death Punch
Never Too Late - Three Days Grace
Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) - Marilyn Manson
Outnumbered - Dermot Kennedy
Birds - Imagine Dragons (feat. Elisa)
Final Warning - Skylar Grey
11 Minu
tes - YUNGBLUD&Halsey (feat.Travis Barker)
Faded - Alan Walker
Someone You Loved - Lewis Capadi
https://spoti.fi/2kJajgc
Acknowledgments
I’m going to make this short and sweet… I hope.
I’d like to start by thanking you for your support. If you’re new to me, thank you for giving me a chance. If you’ve read my books before and have been waiting for me to finally hit publish on something, thank you for your patience and for sticking around. I couldn’t do this if it wasn’t for you.
Kelly Tucker from Booksmacked, thank you for being behind me and pushing me forward every step of the way. You’re an amazing friend and I am so very lucky to have you in my life.
Lindsey Iler, girl, you are a true gem. If you’re okay with it, I’m going to keep you forever.
Ellie McLove from My Brother’s Editor. Thank you for reaching out. Thank you for squeezing me in on such short notice. Thank you for your availability and I can’t wait to work with you again.
To my friend and proofreader Veronica Ashley from Booksmacked, thank you for your passion, your friendship, your help. I adore your ducking face.
And finally to my husband and kids, who have suffered through many of my temperamental outbursts, my forgetfulness and hours and hours of non-stop work, thank you so much for your support. I love you more than anything in this world.
Oh and Laura? I’m sorry we still can’t be friends for a little while… I promise to make it up to you some time soon. ;)
About the Author
Aimee Noalane is a Canadian author and proud mother of three beautiful children. Having a military father allowed her to travel the world, but she is now living in a small town in Quebec, Canada.
After studying marketing in college, she became a customer service coach and instructor. A few years into her career, she decided to leave her teaching job and chose to devote her time to children in need, becoming a full time foster parent.
Broken Promises (Burning Mistakes Book 1) Page 16