Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 102361 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 512(@200wpm)___ 409(@250wpm)___ 341(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102361 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 512(@200wpm)___ 409(@250wpm)___ 341(@300wpm)
I’m tired. I kind of want to sleep since I’m so cold. My eyes are so heavy, and my body is tingly. I can’t feel my lips anymore.
And my fingertips feel funny.
Suddenly, something crashes somewhere in the house, and then I hear Brooks scream out, “JULIET! JULIET!”
Oh God, he’s here.
“Help!” I try to yell, but it comes out as a croak. “Help!”
I clear my throat and try again.
“HELP! UPSTAIRS!”
Footsteps thunder below me. More than just Brooks is here.
“Help!” I cry out again, tears running down my face now. “Please help.”
“Jules?”
I’m looking down between my legs, and I can feel when someone runs into the room. I’m over the pink bedroom. Suddenly, I can see the glow of a flashlight, and then it’s shining up into my eyes.
“Ah!”
“Baby! Fuck, how did you get up there? You’re bleeding!”
I’m hyperventilating again. Sobbing. “Stairs. Back bedroom.”
He runs away, taking the light with him, but then more people are below me with more flashlights.
“We’re all here, Jules.” That’s Blake’s voice. “We’ve got you, pretty girl. Take a deep breath for me. I see the blood. Where are you hurt, gorgeous?”
“Leg.” I swallow hard. “Hips hurt. So cold.”
“You’re cold?” he asks. God, his voice is so calm.
“Yeah. T-shirt.” My voice sounds weird to my own ears.
“Fuck, we need blankets,” he calls out to someone.
I’m shaking again, and then I hear Brooks behind me. I didn’t hear him come up the stairs.
“For fuck’s sake, Wildfire.” He doesn’t sound mad. He sounds like he can’t believe what he’s seeing.
“I’m s-s-sorry. I just wanted to look, and—”
“You can tell me later,” he says gently. “I have to walk carefully. It won’t do us any good if we both fall through. Are you okay? Talk to me, baby.”
“Please don’t fall.” I can’t see him. I want to see him so bad. “Brooks, don’t you dare fall. I will be so fucking mad if you hurt yourself. It’s not safe up here. Just pass me some blankets and come back for me when it’s light out tomorrow morning.”
Oh God, please don’t leave me here all night.
“You’re delirious,” he says. “If you think I’ll leave you here like this, you’re hurt worse than—”
“Brooks.” My voice cracks. “Please hold me. Can’t you just hold me?”
“I’m coming. Talk to me, baby. How badly are you hurt?”
“So cold. I’m so c-cold.”
He shines his light over to me. “You’re only in a T-shirt? Shit, it must be under forty degrees in here.”
“So cold.” My voice is smaller. “Please get me.”
“Holy fucking shit.” That’s Beckett behind me, at the top of the attic stairs. “We shouldn’t all be walking on that. We’re too big, Brooks.”
“I’m taking it slow,” Brooks tells him.
“We’ll go get ladders,” Bridger says. “And see if we can pull her through from below.”
“My leg,” I call out. “I’m cut, and the wood is still inside me.”
“Baby,” Brooks says, his voice full of anguish.
“Ladders,” Bridger says again, and I hear them clomping back down the stairs.
“I’m going to be here a while,” I whisper.
“I’m with you.” His voice is getting closer, like he’s not up on his feet, but maybe … crawling? “I’m making my way over to you, Juliet.”
“I’m really tired,” I reply.
“Don’t you dare fall asleep.”
“We have blankets down here,” Blake calls up. “I’m bringing them up to you guys.”
“You have to be careful,” Brooks yells back, but someone’s already on the stairs. “Just throw it over.”
“Shit, that’s a long throw for a blanket,” Blake says grimly.
I can’t see anything, but they must make it work, because suddenly, Brooks says, “Okay, baby, I’m going to toss this your way. I’m not too far from you, but I can’t put it around you myself.”
“Okay.” I manage to get my fingers to work to scoop the clean blanket around me, and I shiver. “Legs are numb.”
Suddenly, someone must have set up some kind of light in the room below because the attic is illuminated and cast in shadows from a bright light below.
I twist so I can see Brooks, and his face is … devastated as he takes me in.
“God, baby, I want to scoop you up and get you the fuck out of here.”
He’s closer than I thought, and I stretch out, hoping he can hold my hand.
Brooks tries, but he’s about three inches too far away.
“I need you.” My lips tremble as I start to cry. “I need you to touch me.”
“I know, baby. The guys have to get a look at you from below so we can figure out how we’re going to get you out of here.”
There are flashing lights coming from outside, and my eyes widen.
“Bridger called in the fire trucks?”
“Probably an ambulance and some cops, too. Chase Wild’s been helping us find you. We made the girls stay outside, and they’re not happy about it.”
“I don’t want the pregnant girls in here,” I reply, shaking my head. “Brooks?”