Burning His Empire For My Sister

ine Co

My body was thrown forward, then slammed back against the seat. My head, already injured, hit

ing in my ears and the smell of dep

ht, a stupid, ingrained

y voice a ragged whis

seat, I heard a

y face okay?" Brooklyn' s

or, but not for me. "Brooklyn! Br

get to her. He cradled her face in his hands, his thumbs frantically

," he murmured, his voice frantic with relief. "

l sob, leaning into his embr

me away wet and sticky with blood. A lot of blood. The side of my head had been laid open by the impact. Unlik

idening for a fraction of a second as he took in the blood matting my hair and stain

one as quick

his attention snapped back to her instantly. His face

of sirens and shouting. People were gathering, their fac

cking it open. "Someone help!" he roared to t

inting at

ding through my limbs. I tried to call his name again, but my tongue f

e. Please

did

s met mine through the space where the windshield used to be. For a single, horrifying moment,

turne

riving paramedics, his back to me

road back, a solid wall between me and any hope of salvati

r

en stitching up a cut over his eye. He' d winced, and I' d kissed the wound gently. He' d caught my face in his hands and looked at me wit

t thing I tasted before the

c beep of a machine. My head was swathed in bandages,

IV drip. "Oh, you' re awake!" she chi

d that other young lady from the car, and then insisted we take care of you

ted a narrative, a public perform

s," the nurse continued, gesturing to a vase on t

hey were funereal. Kiera

id, my voice dripping with a sa

she said, pulling out her phon

nder, showed him kicking open the car door and pulling Brooklyn out. The camera angle was strategic, making it look like he was braving flames to save her. Then, it cut to him direc

ention of the fact that his "anguish" was a performance for the cameras that h

," the nurse gushed, oblivious to the storm raging in

e laugh was for me, for my own stupidity. For ever believing

world was a lie. A beautif

rged atmosphere, gave me a nervous

larger bouquet of lilies. His face was a mask of weary concer

et the chan