Chemicals

21

As we sped away from the chaos, a wave of relief washed over us. Ivy leaned back in her seat, a triumphant grin plastered on her face, her hair whipping in the wind as she shouted, "We did it! We actually did it!"

Ethan couldn't help but smile, the tension of the past few hours beginning to melt away. "Yeah! We made it out!" he exclaimed, glancing at Ivy in the rearview mirror. They exchanged high-fives and laughter filled the car, a sound so foreign after everything we had just endured.

But amidst their celebration, I sat in silence, my heart heavy. The joy around me felt like a distant echo, fading into the background as my thoughts spiraled back to Chase. His voice lingered in my mind, each word a haunting reminder of the betrayal that had unfolded. "I love you, Kiya. I always have."

The world outside blurred into a mosaic of colors, but I couldn't focus on anything but the memories of him. My heart ached, not just from the fear and chaos we had just escaped but from the emotional turmoil that was suffocating me.

"Hey, Kiya! You okay?" Ethan's voice cut through the fog in my mind, pulling me momentarily back to reality. I could see his concerned expression in the rearview mirror, but his words felt muffled, like I was submerged underwater.

I opened my mouth to respond, but no words came. I was trapped in my thoughts, replaying the moments leading up to the chaos, the look on Chase's face, the chilling way he had smiled as he betrayed us. I was caught in a whirlwind of emotions—shock, fear, anger—and all I could do was stare blankly out the window.

"Haven't you noticed? They abused me. They hurt me. Made me look like a fucking mistake." Chase's voice echoed in my head, and I felt my heart sink deeper. The realization that he had felt so abandoned, so hurt—did it make his actions justified? Could I ever forgive him?

The laughter and cheers from the back seat faded into silence as my mind spiraled, the echoes of joy drowned out by my grief. Ethan's concern was palpable, yet I couldn't pull myself together enough to respond. I could only hear Chase's voice, resonating in the corners of my mind, twisting and turning into a vortex of confusion.

"Hey, Kiya, are you sure you're alright?" Ethan asked again, a hint of desperation creeping into his tone. His voice felt distant, and I could see him reaching out toward me, his brow furrowed with worry.

I shook my head, tears pooling in my eyes as I struggled to form a response. "I'm fine," I wanted to say, but the truth felt like a weight pressing down on my chest, suffocating me.

Instead, I remained silent, feeling the world around me fade into an echo chamber of my own thoughts.

Ivy's laughter broke through again as she pointed out the window, shouting about a large billboard advertising a new brand of soda. But it felt so trivial. Everything felt trivial when my brother was a traitor, when he had been lost to something so dark, so twisted.

"You're weak, Kiya." Chase's words played on repeat, taunting me in the back of my mind. I couldn't shake the feeling of betrayal, the haunting image of him smiling as he shot himself.

My heart felt like it was shattering all over again. I wanted to be happy, to join in their celebration, but the reality of what had just happened clung to me like a heavy shroud. I was terrified, trapped between the joy of surviving and the heartbreak of losing someone I had loved so deeply.

"Kiya!" Ethan's voice was more insistent this time, pulling me further back from my thoughts. I turned to look at him, seeing the worry etched into his features, but I could only manage a shaky breath in response.

He reached out, placing a gentle hand on my knee, his warmth grounding me even as my heart continued to ache. "I'm here for you, whatever you need," he said softly, his voice sincere. But even that couldn't pull me from the depths of my despair.