Extinguisher (A Sequel to Firefighter)

Chapter 64

Chapter 64 Extinguisher

Alexa's POV

My dad opened the back of the car and we all grabbed bags, taking as much as we could to prevent having to make multiple trips. I felt more jet lagged than ever, grogginess taking over my body. I moved slowly, trudging up the front steps as I felt a wave of nausea wash over me. We were all grumpy and I could tell that my dad was getting frustrated, trying to pull a sleeping Aaron from the car.

"I'm just going to leave him in here."

"No, you are not. Let me get him." I heard my mother insist as I slowly unlocked the front door with my key.

I didn't stop for anything, heading straight for the stairs, in an urgent attempt to get to my bed as quickly as possible. I felt the need to sleep this off and I wanted nothing more than to lock myself in my room for hours. I left my suitcase at the bottom step, tiptoeing up the stairs. The house was eerily quiet and with every step, I began to realize that I didn't like the silence that filled the air.

I reached for my doorknob, rubbing my tired eyes with one hand as I pushed the oak door open, the familiar creak filling the stale air. My eyes immediately focused on my bed and my bag fell to the floor, making a thud against my hard wood. My heart began to pound, tears relentlessly filling my eyes a spilling over the brim in mere seconds.

Cole was seated on my bed and I watched as a shiny blade sliced a slit into the skin over his bicep, beads of blood protruding around the cut as tears fell down his tanned cheeks. He looked up, noticing I was there. He quickly dropped the blade to the floor, his body slipping off the side of the edge of my mattress. He collapsed onto the floor as I hastily shut and locked my door, running to his side. I fell to my knees, shaky hands reaching for him as I mutter hushed 'no's' under my breath. I kept whispering, having not the slightest idea what to say to him. My completely shattered heart pumped rapidly against my ribcage and I shook my head, tears running all the way down to my neck.

"No. No." I whispered, shaking my head frantically as his eyes met mine, dark circles noticeable around them.

I shook my head, reaching out and attempting to sit him up. I pushed the blade away, making it slide across my bedroom floor as I took his arm into my grasp.

"No!" I cried, seeing fresh cuts littered across his arm, breaking me in two and shattering all that was left of my heart.

"No!" I broke down, burying my head into his neck and crying harder than I ever had in all my eighteen years of existence.

I knew that I was having a mental breakdown. I could feel myself slowly breaking as his hand traveled up to rest on the small of my bag. Sobs racked through my entire body, making me shudder in his hold. I wound my hands around his neck, toying with his dark hairs. My body was pressed all the way against his own and he was weakly holding me with one arm, the other still resting to the side as blood dripped down his tan skin. I pulled my face away from his body, wiping his tears frantically with my hand as more fell down my own face. He hadn't uttered a single word but his tear ducts produced more tears that fell faster than my hands could wipe them away. My hand was wet with his tears and I fisted his cut off T-shirt into my grasp. I couldn't speak as I released my grip on his clothing and I held him in my arms, rocking our bodies back and forth. I held him tighter than I ever had, knowing the pain he must be feeling was simply excruciating. My brain was fuzzy and my body felt so weak as I pulled away once again.

I looked into his eyes, shaking my head. He was just staring at me blankly, like my Cole no longer inhabited his body. He looked as if he was no longer the same person. He wasn't the same Cole as he'd been before I'd left.