1.10am.

The red numbers glowed ominously from the bedside table. Shit, I’d fallen asleep. I cricked my neck, my half sitting posture had my muscles stiff and my chest aching. An uneasiness fell over me as I sat fully up in the bed and shuffled my legs over the side. I snatched my phone from the table and pressed the on button, lighting up the screen. No missed calls or texts. Double shit! I rubbed at my eyes and debated. Was it too late to call her? I remembered Laura mentioning she was a night owl, that she liked to read for a few hours before she fell asleep. Would she still be awake now?

To hell with it - I’d made a promise and I wasn’t in the habit of breaking them.

I pulled up the picture Ryder had sent all those months ago and smiled before I searched Laura’s number and pushed call. I hoped she was still awake. It rang a couple of times before clicking off. I peered at the screen confused, the call hadn’t gone through to voicemail like it normally would. I tried a second time with the same result.

Had she hung up without answering, declined the call?

Getting up from the bed, I slung on the terry robe I kept on the back of my bedroom door. I could still hear the boys down the other end of the hallway, albeit quieter than before, as I stepped from my bedroom. I was parched, needing a cool drink. I popped my phone into the robe pocket and made my way down to the kitchen. The house was dark for the most part, a hall lamp gave enough light so I wouldn’t bump into anything. Stopping by the fridge in the kitchen, I opened the door and pulled out the orange juice, tipping it to my mouth. Bad habit, I had to stop guzzling from the carton.

Leaning against the counter, I contemplated my course of action. I wanted to talk to Laura, to say goodnight, even if only for a minute or two. If I woke her she’d be pissed sure, but only for a while, right? It was hardly the heinous crime of the century. I stretched, trying to loosen tight muscles then reached for my phone.

My heart lurched, like it was too goddamned excited to beat properly, when I called her again. I smiled to myself, all smug and ridiculous while Laura’s phone rang. Same thing again. This time four rings instead of five. Yeah, she was answering then declining. I called straight back, fuck if I was being a pest. Two rings only.

An unsettling feeling unwound, smothering my self-indulgent happiness. Maybe I was being overly paranoid, I didn’t like the sensations I was getting. Seeing Adam this past week had unsettled me, I couldn’t put my finger on why. I called again - no ringing this time, just an automated message. Her phone was now switched off.

Weird.

I drank another half pint of orange juice then called Ryder. Be damned the hour, if he was awake he’d pick up, or get back to me. He only slept through his phone ringing when he was ten sheets to the wind and face down comatose after drinking spirits. He was home with Taylor, being that drunk was highly unlikely. As predicted he answered, his voice groggy. I felt no guilt at having woke him.

“What’s up, dude?”

“Eh...” I hesitated, suddenly feeling mighty stupid. Laura had most likely gone to bed, yet I couldn’t shake the suspicion I had.

“I’m up, bro. It’s cool. What do you need?”

“Is Taylor up?” She spoke to Laura daily, often at night, she’d have an idea about Laura’s phone.

“Yeah. You need her? What’s up, Lucca?” He sounded more alert than when he’d first answered.

“Has she spoken to Laura tonight?” I asked.

“Yeah...no, she called. It went to voicemail I think, gimme a sec.”

The phone muffled, and I heard Ryder shouting to Taylor. A heartbeat later he was back.

“Yeah, went to voicemail. She’s waiting for her to text or some shit, so she can go to sleep. I swear, thick as thieves that pair.” Another time I would have laughed, tonight I wasn’t.

“I tried calling her, couldn’t get her either. I think her phone is switched off.”

“Just now? You horny dog,” he hooted. “Bit late to be sexting is it not, you dirty old fucker!”

I relaxed, rolling my eyes at his assumption, even if it did sound appealing. We talked most nights, often for an hour or two, I’d never had enough balls to initiate that sort of thing, to venture over that line. I put it on my mental checklist of ‘things to do with Laura,’ though if I had my way, she’d be in my bed every night, we wouldn’t need the sexting.

“I called her three times, it’s like she hung up on me. Now, her phone’s off.” I said again.

He didn’t muffle the phone this time when he shouted at Taylor, I had to move the phone from my ear.

“Babe, call your sister, make sure her phone’s working right.”

I put the phone back to my ear. “Bro, it’s late. She probably fell asleep.”

“From the way her and Taylor speak at night, loooong time, I’d be surprised. Those two don’t sleep much at all.”

“Okay, I’m gonna throw some sweats on. Let me know, yeah?”

“Of course.”

I hung up and jogged back to my room to get dressed. I had a niggle something was off. I didn’t want to go over there and look like an arse, banging down her door if she was sleeping. I should stop being so fucking paranoid. I grabbed old gym pants and a sweater after I’d pulled on some black boxer briefs and socks, then searched my wardrobe floor for a pair of trainers I knew I had somewhere. Just as I was tying the second lace, my phone rang.

“She’s getting no answer, phone’s off.” Ryder said.

“That’s not normal, right?”

Interference and rustling came over the line indicating Ryder was moving around. “No. We’re gonna head over and take a quick look, Taylor wants to make sure. Call you in a bit.”

Well, fuck that. No way was I sitting there, twiddling my thumbs, waiting for his call. I leapt to my feet, grabbing my car keys and hurried from the room.

“Ayden, I’m out for a minute, okay?” His door opened but I had no time to hang around.

“Everything all right?”

“Yeah, checking something out.” I called back to him absently, taking the stairs two at a time.

The car sitting outside the house was a blessing. I hopped inside and screamed out of the driveway, gravel hitting the paint on the sides of the car. I raced down into the village, careful not to speed too much. The likelihood of the police cruising Beaufort at this time in the morning were slim. I wasn’t taking the chance. Last thing I needed was being held up and a speeding ticket.

Turning into Laura’s street some minutes later, I caught sight of Taylor jogging along the road, Ryder ahead of her and running considerably faster. Panic blazed as I passed him and looked towards Laura’s house, the only place they’d be heading.

My heart stopped dead as I saw thick plumes of smoke billowing up into the night air from her front windows. Slamming on the breaks, I parked haphazardly, jumping out as Ryder raced by the car. He didn’t wait, neither did I. We approached Laura’s door and Ryder kicked his foot at it, full weight. It didn’t budge.

“Fuck!” He veered around to seize hold of me. “Grab on.”

We held each other around the shoulders and chanted ‘one, two, three’. Together we ran at the door and kicked at the wood, splintering the frame slightly, not enough to get inside, the lock still holding.

“Again.”

I was desperate to get through the God forsaken obstacle. The air was becoming acrid with smoke, my breathing labouring. Laura was in big trouble and I was petrified I wouldn’t get to her, that I’d be too late. Taylor was screaming behind us as we kicked the door a second time, the lock cracking from the force. My sigh of relief was minimal. I had to find Laura. Flames licked up the windows as Ryder shoulder barged the door open. It hung wide and a rush of scalding air knocked Ryder back so hard he fell on his arse. I didn’t have time to check he was okay, just barrelled through the door.

“Lucca!”

I ignored his shouts and frantically ran down the hallway, I could see the bottom of the stairs enough to get there. Hoping I was doing the right thing by going upstairs, I headed that way, having precious few minutes to find Laura. I surged forward, holding my hand up to my face, my sweater covering my nose and mouth, hoping it would help some when I darted up the stairs. There were no flames on the second floor, but thick black smoke hampered my vision, causing tears to streak down my face and blur my eyesight. I felt along the hot wall with my other hand, using it as guidance then I headed for her bedroom at the back of the house, praying like fuck that’s where she was.

The door was partially open when I reached it, the stench of petrol almost as overpowering as the smoke. I pushed the door open a few more inches, trying to keep as much smoke out as possible.

Then I heard it. The awful, animalistic screams of someone in distress. No, not someone - Laura. Bloodcurdling screams sent shivers up my spine even though the heat was almost unbearable. There was something far more wrong with this scenario than the fire. I swiped at my eyes to clear them and crossed into Laura’s room.

I sank to my knees; my words mute in my mouth. All I could do was stare. Stare at my Laura. Bloodied, bruised and pinned to the bed by a body. Oh, it was definitely a body, a man’s body. She was thrashing and screaming and said body wasn’t moving. He had his pants halfway down his legs and she was naked. I couldn’t quite process what I was seeing, all I knew is it made me sick to my stomach. My beautiful girl didn’t deserve this again. I couldn’t move. My knees were glued to the floor and I wanted to die right there and then.

Someone pushed at me from behind and a gruff ‘move’ snapped me into action. Ryder. I shuffled up from the floor and he pushed at me again.

“Help Laura!” I heard the door shut behind me, felt another rough shove, harder this time. “Fucking move, Lucca!” Ryder’s yells were frenzied, spurring me forward.

Getting up, I ran to the bed, almost collapsing next to Laura. I reached out for her; she wasn’t seeing me, wasn’t seeing anything. Just screaming and screaming and screaming. I coughed at the smoke and she snapped her head my way, her mouth clamping shut as her eyes locked on mine.

An eerie silence filled the room as we stared at one another. Her eyes were huge and terrified...pleading. I thought my heart might stop beating in that instance, the sight of her crushing me. The hush surrounding us deafened. But she’d stopped screaming.

I scrabbled around looking for anything to cut at the tie around her wrist and saw a knife behind her head. I had no time to be gentle when I cut at the plastic. Laura lay there, limp, like she’d given up. Her exquisite face was battered, one eye red and bloodshot, fleshy tissue tangled in the stringy locks of her hair and blood covered her face and chest. I took it all in, my heart splintered, wishing I could make it all go away. Wishing I’d never left her.

“Stella...”

My ex-wife’s name was quiet coming from her lips, but I heard it. The moment between us seemed to go on for eternity. I lifted my hand and placed it gently against her cheek, weeping when Laura closed her eyes and sank into my touch.

“Motherfucker!”

I snapped my head in Ryder’s direction, who’d stooped down next to me. He pointed at the body still lying half on top of Laura, who I’d taken great effort not to look at until now. My anger consumed me when I recognised who it was. Laura whimpered as Ryder pushed Adam’s dead body off the other side of the bed and sat next to her, lifting her hand in his, her eyes never leaving mine.

“Hey, babe.” Ryder smiled tersely at Laura, I was grateful for what he was doing. He placed a sodden blanket on the side of the bed and moved closer. “We don’t have much time, darling. You think you could sit up for me?”

She barely tipped her head then attempted to move, her motions stiff and uncoordinated. I shuffled closer and slid my arm around her back to help sit her up while Ryder threw the blanket around her shoulders.

“Lucca’s gonna lift you up.” He pinched the blanket tighter around her front. “Taylor’s outside waiting. You ready?” Loud moans erupted from her as I stood up and carefully lifted her from the bed.

“Hey, hey...” I soothed when I clutched her to my chest, pulling her as tight to me as I possibly could. “We’re gonna be okay.” She clung on, hiding her head in my neck. “I got you. I got you, Laura. Always. I promise.”

Her sobs calmed as I walked to the bedroom door. It was time to get out of here. Sirens in the distance gave me comfort and I sent up a prayer of thanks that help was on its way.

Ryder flung another wet blanket over my shoulders and pulled it around the front, tucking Laura’s feet inside. He did the same, wrapping himself up, then led the way. When he opened the door, I could hear the roar of the fire, feel the heat of the inferno as we stepped out onto the landing. The smoke was thicker, and still I saw no flames on the second floor. We were in luck.

“Hold on tight, baby.”

The stairs were still intact, and Ryder motioned towards the top, he grasped behind him and reached out for the front of the blanket around Laura. Grabbing hold, he led us down the stairs, carefully, one step at a time. There were flames in the hallway, one side of the wall seemed like a cascade of fire, but I could see the door too. I prayed the wet blankets were enough to keep Laura safe as Ryder kept moving forward, tugging us as he quickened his pace.

After ten or so of the longest steps of my life, we were out, Ryder leading us away from Laura’s burning house. I collapsed to the ground on a neighbour’s front lawn with Laura. Taylor was there a second later, screaming hysterically.

“Get off her!”

She tried to pry Laura from my arms. I held fast, not letting go. Ryder wrapped his arms around her and hauled her away while I sank into Laura.

“She’s okay, she’s okay,” he told her time and time again. Taylor eventually quit her struggling and began to cry harshly on the grass beside us, her hand snaking out and resting on the sodden material of my sweat pants.

Laura didn’t move, didn’t look at anyone. She crawled deeper under the blanket, deeper under my skin, grasping at me tighter. My arms did the same, I held her closer, too tight. I held her for all my life was worth, ignoring the commotion around me.

I wasn’t letting her go for anything.