Forever Yours ✔️

24 | love

Dead?

There's a lot of thoughts going through my mind the minute Cara said Wren and dead. Was it self-defense? Was Chance involved? I feel Stella brush her hand against my arm.

"What is it?"

I gradually look her way still with the phone pressed into my ear. "Wren."

"Reign," Cara says into the speaker, pulling me away from Stella. "I need you here. Now."

"Where are you?"

"I'll text you the address. Please hurry."

She ends the call. I set my phone into the cup holder and quickly start the ignition, my GPS says we will arrive in thirty minutes. Shit. Do I turn my flashers on? If I do that, then it will be obvious that there's an emergency.

I press firmly on the gas, revving up the engine, and go ten miles over the speed limit. Stella grabs onto the side of the door handle. "Reign, you're scaring me. What's wrong?"

I keep my grip tightened on the steering wheel making my knuckles turn white. "It's Wren."

"Wren?"

"He- he might be dead."

"Oh my God!"

I ran two red lights at sixty-five mph. My thoughts consume every part of me thinking the absolute worst. Please don't let him be dead. If Cara or Chance were involved...

This isn't going to end well.

"Reign," Stella's voice brings me back to reality. "Please slow down."

My foot comes off the gas instantly. I gaze over towards her and see the worried expression fill her beautiful face. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. Let's just get there in one piece, please."

• • •

I've never been through this part of town before. It reminds me of a junkyard. Only two houses remain standing while the other campers and trailers have been broken into. It's dead out here.

I see Chance's car parked outside a small house with one window by the front door, which has been kicked down. I start to panic when I see Cara crying in the gravel.

Stella and I jump out of my Jeep and sprint towards her. My heart was racing. When I stand in front of her, I instantly kneel and place my hand on her back.

"Cara? What happened?"

She quivers at my touch and abruptly looks up. Mascara tears are covering her entire face. She tries to open her mouth, but Chance suddenly cries out my name.

"When we got here we found him like this."

"Like what?" I stand up. "Where is he?"

He moves to the side letting me walk in front of him. The house is quiet. Too quiet. Goosebumps fill my arms the second I stepped in here. It's chilly and an awful smell hits my nostrils.

"Jesus Christ!"

Chance finds me near the hallway. I freeze in my stance when I see a bloody handprint smeared against the wall. My feet walk slowly towards a room with the door wide open. I can feel Chance walking behind me.

There he was. Lying face down on the carpet. His eyes were open, staring straight at me. Through my soul. I immediately looked the other way before stepping back into Chance's chest.