She’s here and not inside.

I rush to meet her halfway, and we both stop in front of each other. There’s the smell of burning wood in the air and loud noises as the firefighters try to get the fire under control, but I feel nothing. The only thing I hear is her heavy breathing as the familiar smell of orchids and sandalwood hits me. Maybe it’s just my imagination.

“I’m safe,” she whispers.

I crush her against me. “Thank God. I’d have died if something happened to you, Autumn.” There’s a burning sensation behind my eyes, and my throat chokes. Tears threaten, but this daredevil cares about nothing else than the girl in his arms. “I’ve lost so much. But for you, I’ll fight with the gods. I can’t live without you, Autumn.”

“And I can’t live without you.” Tears leak down her cheeks, but her smile has never looked prettier. I press my lips against her forehead, and I thank the universe for keeping her safe.

“It’s put out!” someone yells and I hold Autumn’s hand as we follow Gavin and her parents.

We all stop in front of the burned wooden door. It’s too dark to see anything inside, but given how much furniture is usually stored in there, I can only imagine the damage this would have caused.

I shiver thinking what could have happened if Autumn was still inside.

“How did you get out?”

44. Autumn

44

AUTUMN

My heart hammers as Lukas’ fingers graze my cheeks. “How did you get out?”

I briefly look at Mom, Dad, and Gavin. This is the moment of truth.

“I was never inside.” I try to keep my voice calm, though inside, my chest is pounding so hard I can hear my heartbeat.

“What do you mean?” He glances at the firefighters as Gavin shakes hands with them.

I grab his hands, holding my face. “This wasn’t a real fire, Lukas,” I whisper. “I mean, the fire was real, but it was controlled by Gavin and his friends.”

My heart sinks into the depths as Lukas takes a step back and jerks his head toward the burned main door of the barn. “What are you saying? I saw the flames. This thing was burning like an inferno.”

“Just behind the door, there’s insulation. The fire couldn’t have gone anywhere beyond that.” Gavin motions toward the door, which is now all black. “We also removed all the old furniture to avoid any chance of an accident.”

Lukas looks between the barn and Gavin. His forehead furrows. “Why?”

Silence stretches for several moments. My pulse beats triple time as Lukas continues to stare at me with fear, surprise, and confusion, until his gaze widens. Realization dawns on his face, and my heart leaps into my throat.

“You didn’t!” He gasps and takes a step back.