[COMPLETED BUT WONT LET ME PRESS THE COMPLETED BUTTON AHAHHA]
Aurora Lockheart was once the sunshine girl-bright, kind, and full of life. But one night changed everything, leaving her a shadow of who she used to be.
A year later, just as she's be...
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It was God knows what time, and I was sitting in my car, driving in circles, but my mind was far from the road. My thoughts were a chaotic mess, like waves crashing over each other, leaving me breathless. My heart wouldn't stop racing, every beat reminding me of the one thing I couldn't push away.
I missed her. God, I missed her.
Aurora. My princess. It was impossible to think of anything else but her, impossible to shake the feeling that I needed to be near her, even if she didn't want to see me. Even if she hated me after what happened earlier.
It had been hours since we'd spoken, and the silence was eating me alive. I didn't care what happened or how it ended anymore; I just needed to know she was okay. That was the only thing that mattered now.
I found myself heading toward her place without even thinking about it. My hands gripped the steering wheel tight, knuckles white, as I made the familiar turns onto Elk Terrace, where she lived. The street was quiet, the world around me dark and cold. I kept telling myself it was a bad idea, that she probably didn't want me there, but I didn't care.
I just needed to see her, make sure she was safe.
But as I turned onto her street, something was horribly wrong.
Flames.
The moment I saw the orange glow flickering at the end of the street, my stomach dropped.
Aurora's house.
No. No, no, no.
I slammed on the brakes, my car skidding to a halt in the middle of the road. Her house was lit up in flames, roaring into the night sky like a monster consuming everything in its path. My breath caught in my throat, my chest tightening with fear. This can't be real. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.
Fire trucks were already there, their lights flashing red and blue, illuminating the chaos. Firefighters rushed around, hoses aimed at the house, spraying water, but it wasn't enough. The fire was out of control, flames tearing through the roof, eating the house alive.
I threw open the car door and stumbled out, legs weak and unsteady beneath me. The heat hit me like a wall, even from a distance, the air thick with smoke. I could barely breathe, my lungs filling with panic as I ran toward the scene, not thinking, just moving.
"Aurora!" I shouted, my voice cracking, desperate. I couldn't see her. Where was she?
My heart was racing, pounding in my ears, each step feeling like it wasn't fast enough. My eyes scanned the crowd of neighbors and first responders, hoping, praying for a glimpse of her. I needed to see her face, know she was out.
Then, I saw him—Joey. Her brother.
He was standing at the edge of the gate, surrounded by firefighters, but he wasn't calm. He was screaming, his voice hoarse with fear. His hands were shaking, tears streaming down his face as he tried to push past them.
