Living In Flames. by Emily Zimmerman. (best free novels .TXT) 📕

I figured Linda would know better than anyone, so I agreed, opening the back door and stepping out. She didn’t acknowledge me when I sat down beside her, so I scooted to the left until we were close enough to touch, and wrapped an arm around her. She tried to wipe her tears away, almost as if she could still hide her feelings. But after a moment, she gave up, turning so her face was buried in my chest, and letting out a pitiful sob. It broke my heart, seeing her like this. She had cried in front of me before, but not like this. Never like this. I pulled her into my lap and pressed a kiss to the top of her head, rocking her back and forth in silence.

We stayed like this for hours. Eventually, she’d stopped crying, but I cradled her anyway, never wanting her to feel like she couldn’t confide in me. I wanted to comfort her, to let her know that it was going to be alright.

The days that passed were...easier. I laid my emotions out for Dan to see, and now that he knew just how frightened I was...he was extremely attentive to me. He was careful about what he said to me, and when he couldn’t be with me, he’d have one of his men with me when I went to work or the store, or anywhere. When he left for work, he could see how anxious it made me. He would take me into the garage and just...be with me. He would press sweet kisses to my lips, and tell me that he would be home soon. He would stare into my eyes, or just ask about how I was feeling. He would hold me close to him until time was up, and press sweet kisses all over my face. It was very, very sweet. The sweetest, most heartwarming part, was when he had to leave. He would pull me close to him, and tell me he loved me, over and over.

It was one day until Michaels met with me at the lake. I was more anxious than usual, and I think Dan noticed, because he took me into the garage earlier than usual, and just held me close to him and kissed me for a long time. I was lightheaded when he pulled away, and he gave me a soft smile. “Breathe, Sky,” He whispered, tracing my lips.

I complied to the reminder, sucking in a breath. He chuckled and pulled me close to him, hugging me tightly. “I love you.”

I wrapped my arms around him as best I could, splaying my hands across his back. “I love you too, with my whole heart.” I whispered, my voice thick.

I was trying hard not to think of this as goodbye...but it was hard. There was only a few people that I really wanted to tell, and Dan was number one priority. I absolutely needed to tell him how I felt, so he knew exactly why I was going to meet Michaels.

“Sky...are you okay?” He asked, pulling me back to look into my eyes.

My eyes were blurred with tears, so I blinked them back. “You’ve been so good to me lately...I just don’t think I’ve told you how much I appreciate it. You make me so happy, and I wish I could tell you just how happy you make me in words. I love you so much I just...I just-”

“Sky,” Dan said in surprise as I buried my face in his chest, “Are you really okay?”

I wrapped my arms around him again, shaking my head. I was about to panic. My mind warned me that my careful composure had cracked. I just snapped, like a rubber band.  I couldn’t do this! I couldn’t live like this! I just couldn’t handle knowing I was going to die. I my breath was coming out shallow and tight, and my legs gave out beneath me.

“Skylar!” He said in alarm as he caught me. “What’s wrong?” He asked me.

“I-I c-can’t!” I cried, shaking my head as strangled sobs escaped.

“Skylar!”

I let him hold me as he sat us on the ground, rocking us back and forth. I couldn’t help it, the whole story spilled from my lips. He just sat rocking me as I sobbed out the truth. His eyes were angry, but his face was carefully composed.

“I just couldn’t tell you, Dan! I-I was so afraid a-and I didn’t think...oh please don’t be mad at me!” I begged him.

He didn’t answer, and he wouldn’t look at me. His lips were pressed in a thin line. As gentle as if I would break if he moved too fast, pulled me off of his lap and sat me down. I stared at him in confusion, fearing that didn’t even want to touch me anymore. “D-Dan?” I asked.

He grimaced, but didn’t stop. “Dan...I’m sorry...please I...I just didn’t want Linda hurt and I...Dan, please don’t leave,” I begged brokenly.

He paused for a moment, and I felt my breath start to hitch as I realized that he was going to do exactly that - leave me. He reached for the door handle, and he finally spoke as he left, “I’m going to speak with my men,” He muttered.

When the door closed behind him, I could feel my heart rip into pieces. This was all my fault. If I had just told him...

I could only sit on the ground and stare at my hands, tears slowly falling as I waited for the pain in my heart to kill me. Now I’d done it. Dan didn’t love me anymore. I deserved to be left here, cold and alone.

Linda came out what seemed like hours later, and sat beside me. She only wrapped her arm around me and pulled me into her. We sat in silence for a few minutes, before I finally whispered, “He hates me.”

“He does not hate you.”

“Yes he does! He wouldn’t even look at me!” I wailed, sobbing yet again.

“Oh, sweetheart, don’t cry. He doesn’t hate you, no one does!” She pulled me into her, rubbing my back.

“Then why did he leave me?”

“I don’t know, but I’m going to beat some sense into that man!” She said, getting up, and pulling me with her.

I pulled away as she tried to pull me into the house. “N-no! I’m not going in there! I don’t want to see him.” I said, backing up until his car was against my backside.

Linda’s eyes hardened as she scrutinized my face. “I’m ‘gonna kill him!”

I watched as she left the garage, leaving the door open in an obvious attempt to make me come in. I bit my lip, debating. I decided that I’d come in, having no car to leave with. I’d probably call Lillian to pick me up. I was going to lock myself in my old guest bedroom, and wait for Lillian to get here.

I hesitantly made my way through the house, hoping I wouldn’t run into Dan. Luck was on my side, as I reached my old room without as much as hearing a word from them. I closed the door, locking it behind me, and I pulled out my phone to call Lillian, trying hard not to cry as memories hit me.

“Hey girl, what’s happening?” She asked brightly.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and tried to make my voice happy, “Hey, Lilly-bear. I need a ride home. I’m at Dan’s.”

“What happened to the sexy-sleepover?” she asked me.

I couldn’t help but smile at the way she phrased it. “I need to go home. I’ve been gone too long.” I lied.

“Oh...okay. Well I’m at work. I’m off in twenty.” She said.

“Okay. I’ll...I’ll wait.” I said.

When I disconnected, I felt very alone. I didn’t want to sit on the bed, with an irrational fear that his scent would still be there from when he would comfort me...kiss me.

I pushed those thoughts from my head, forcing myself to climb up, and curl into a ball. There was a few minutes that passed, and I felt as if I were dying. My heart was breaking into pieces, and with each piece that fell, my thoughts smashed them down like a bug.

A rational part of my brain told me that I was overreacting, and that he still loved me. It said that he wasn’t angry at me, that he was angry at the situation, but I wouldn’t listen. The irrational, overreacting part of my brain claimed that he hated me, and that I’d screwed up big-time. Naturally the irrational part of my brain won out.

After a few minutes of thinking about it, I started to get angry. He hated me for trying to protect Linda! I was afraid! I wasn’t just going to tell him what happened! He was the one overreacting!

I was hurt, angry, and heartbroken, and I wasn’t going to leave without giving Dan a good slap in the face. With a new determination, I jumped from bed and strode to the door, throwing it open.

My anger was stunted when my eyes met Dan’s. He was standing with his fist poised in the air, ready to knock.

“Skylar...we need to talk.”

Without a word, I moved aside to let him through. He walked across the room, turned, and leaned on the bed. I closed the door and leaned on it. We stared at each other for a while before Dan moved, almost making me jump as we’d become so still. He leaned his head down and pinched his nose between his thumb and forefinger. “I should have never let you stay here, that first night.” He muttered solemnly.

I furrowed my eyebrows, I wasn’t expecting this. I couldn’t answer, the hurt I felt at his words was forming a lump in my throat. “I should have just reported John to the police the moment you told me.” He let out an exasperated breath and looked up into my eyes. “But you’re so beautiful! You exude beauty with everything you do, whether it be braiding your hair, or the way you jutt that full bottom lip out when you’re mad or you’re being stubborn. You’re sweet as hell, and loving and...everything I needed. Everything I need. I put you in danger for my own selfish reasons, and as much as I didn’t want to, I fell in love with you.” He admitted, looking down as if ashamed.

I was speechless, he’d never blatantly told me how he felt like that. It was a shock. He thought I exude beauty? But...didn’t he hate me? He looked up at me, his eyes pained, but determined. “I have to leave you.”

This was what I was expecting, but it didn’t make it any easier to hear. My heart fell to pieces once again, and I felt like someone was repeatedly stabbing me in the chest. I now knew how it felt to be truly heartbroken. His eyes slowly became agonized as he read my expression. I couldn’t feel anything but the pain in my heart, and I felt myself slide