"Lie to me," he whispered. His face was so close and I couldn't breathe.
"Lie to me and tell me you don't want me as much as I want you. Lie to me and tell me you don't want to press those pretty lips of yours to mine right now. Lie to me and tell m...
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My house was burning down.
Holy shit, my house was burning down.
The flames were tall. Smoke cascaded into the air and into the night sky. The smell intoxicated my airway, blocking my oxygen, but I was too shocked to notice.
The house that I'd worked so hard for, the house that I'd spent years saving up for - gone.
Gone in a snap of a finger. Because fire was deadly, and there was no way in hell that anything would remain after it finished burning.
Fire was death itself. It destroyed and ate and crumbled its victims to the point where they transformed into a blackened crisp. It thrived in the feeling of demolishing lives.
I don't remember calling the fire department, but sirens were soon ringing in the distance. A police officer approached me, pulling me aside.
"Alaska Cassidy?" one asked. I turned towards the voice. "We need to ask you a few questions."
I just nodded. My house was burning to the ground, holy shit.
"First of all, are you hurt in any sort of way?"
"No. I wasn't in the house when the fire started."
"Good to know. Is there anyone else that might be in the house? People, pets, or anything of high value?"
Just the millions of dollars I spent on my bedroom, my kitchen, my furniture, my TV. Just my life's work. "Nothing alive," I answered instead, quietly.
"We're going to need you to stay at someone else's house for now. Does that work out for you? You can also stay in a hotel or apartment. We can provide clothes and food for you, if needed."
"There's no need," I said to the officer. "I have a friend I can call. I can pay for my own needs."
They nodded. "Sounds good."
I turned back to my house, watching as the firefighters rose the ladder and sprayed water through the windows and roof. Biting my lip, I pulled out my phone to call Braelyn.
She picked up third ring. "Hello?"
"My house burned down," I said.
"I saw."
My brows furrowed. "How?"
"The news." I heard her eating something over the line. "It's everywhere."
I looked around and noticed a couple reporters. God, what invasions of privacy.
"Look, um... do you have a place I can stay? A couch or anything? I know you live in an apartment, but..."
"Shit, uh... a friend asked me a week ago to stay with me for a while, so I'm booked full. I'm so sorry, Alaska, but I'm not going to make you sleep on the floor."
