My Record Store Romance

Deserving the Worst, Imprints and Returning Lost Things

Chapter 15; Deserving the Worst, Imprints and Returning Lost Things

MRSR has officially reached over 30,000 reads! Thank you so much!

This chapter is dedicated to SissaCloClo04 for leaving me a comment that really made my day.

A special thanks to kimmy_tommo for the cover on the side!

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Smoke.

Everywhere.

It thickens the air, puffs and clouds of it swirling as it fills the night sky. I try to force my eyes to stay open, but they can't. Not for long enough, anyway. I can't even see my hand when I hold it out in front of my face and flex my fingers, because it's enveloped and hidden in the endless black fog. And I'm trying to back away, to get away, but the smoke curls around and invades me. First my mouth, then my nose, until I'm choking on it and gasping for anything but this. My throat burns like never before.

Flames.

They lick up the side of the building, their crackling and hissing sounding chorused. They are the brightest shades of orange and red I've ever seen. I can feel the heat radiating off of them as they illuminate the night and flash wildly, and I wonder how much they will destroy as they continue. I get my answer as everything begins to turn black and crumble before me, and I can't handle it.

It wasn't suppose to be this way.

And then, screaming.

It rings through the air, piercing and high strung, scared and desperate.

And then,

"Save her! Please! You have to save her!"

Sirens. Crying. And it seems as if the world is falling to pieces, right in front of my eyes.

All your fault all your fault

She would hate you if she ever knew what you did

"Drew!"

My heart pounds wildly in my chest as I bolt upright in bed, immediately realizing every inch of me is drenched in sweat. My clothes cling to my body and my breathing is quick, heavy, uneven. I wipe my forearm down across my face and pull together my thoughts as they slowly come to me.

By now, I should be expecting this. It's been happening every night, ever since the accident; these dreams, these nightmares. But every time, it still has the ability to take my breath away, to make me feel sick to my stomach, to make me think that I'm reliving that night as if it wasn't three years ago but right now instead. It's like I'm being ripped from reality, and thrown back into that very moment; the only moment in my life where I've ever been truly terrified. And even though I could run away from all of it during the day, keep it all locked up, it never failed to find a way to creep up on me while I slept.

Because it was always with me, lurking around the farthest corners of my mind, waiting to suck me in at all the wrong moments; the reality of the accident, the reality of what was all my fault.

And every time I think it might have finally drifted away, it always comes back, reminding me there's always something that hangs over my head; something that I will never be able to take back or forget. Something that could've been prevented, if I had only paid attention.

But I deserved it.

So now, I try to get my trembling under control and fake a smile as I realize my sister is standing at my bedside. She's in a bright green princess dress with a large tear along the bottom hem, and has some kind of pastel pink powder smudged across her cheek. Her light brown hair falls in messy waves around her face, tangling at the edges.