Jamie McGuire - Beautiful Oblivion

“You were going to move in with T.J. Why not Trent? He’s as stable as anyone.”

“Don’t make me feel worse than I already do. I was just mad.”

“He knows.”

“Then why hasn’t he called?”

“Maybe he feels guilty, too. Maybe he’s mortified that you flinched.”

“It was a reflex. I couldn’t control it.”

“He knows. Deep down, he knows. I think you just threw him for a loop. He’s mentioned before that he feels it’s his purpose to protect you, right?”

“That’s what he said.”

“But then he scares you.”

“Not on purpose.”

“Still. I can see why he’d take that hard. Calvin!” she yelled, making me jump.

“What?” he yelled back.

“Let’s close this shit hole! No one’s been in all day, and Cami’s leaving for the Red, anyway.”

Calvin walked to the front, all emotion absent from his face. “Did you just call the shop a shit hole?”

“Yes,” she said. “Am I fired?”

“Has Bishop been in?” he asked.

Hazel nodded. “Yeah, but he got a text fifteen minutes ago. There’s a fight tonight.”

“What?” I said, standing up. “Is that where he went?”

Hazel nodded. “Yeah? So?”

“So Trent’s going to be there tonight. He’s betting big money, and he’s supposed to watch Abby for Travis. I guess some guy attacked her last time.”

“No shit?” Hazel said, her almond-shaped eyes wide.

“We can close, if you take back what you said about the shop, and if we can drink at the Red,” Calvin said, looking to me, “for free.”

I shook my head. “I’ll buy your first round, but giving away drinks is grounds for termination, so that’s a no.”

“I take it back,” Hazel said. “This is the prettiest, most wonderful shop ever, and I never want to leave. Except for right now.”

Calvin nodded. “I’ll meet you there.”

Hazel clapped. “I have the best! Job! Ever!” She stood up and rushed back to her room to gather her things.

I closed out the register and the computer, and Calvin shut down the lights from the back.

I walked out to the Jeep, pausing when I noticed Trenton pulling up in the Intrepid. He parked quickly and jumped out. He pulled my keys out of my hand, opened the driver’s side of the Jeep, started it, and then got out. “It’s fight night. Keaton Hall. I gotta go, I’m already late, but I just wanted to see you.” He kissed my cheek.

A weird panic came over me, like he was saying good-bye. I gripped his shirt, stopping him from walking away. “Are we okay?” I asked.

He looked relieved. “No, but we will be.” He flashed a sad half-smile, his dimple sinking into his cheek.

“What does that mean?”

“It means I’m a fuckup, but I’m going to get it figured out. I swear. Just . . . don’t give up on me, okay?”

I shook my head. “Stop.”

“I have to go, baby.” He kissed my forehead, and then jogged to his car.

“Call me when you’re done. I have a weird feeling.”

He winked at me. “Me, too. That means I’m going to win a shit ton of money tonight.”

He backed out of the driveway, and I hopped into the Jeep. It was warm, and I hugged my steering wheel, overcome with affection for the man who always took such good care of me. Hazel honked the horn of her black Eagle Talon, and I followed her straight to the Red.

EVERYONE IS GONE. IT’S A GODDAMN TRADGEDY,” RAEGAN said. “Those damn fights. Those damn fights!”

“So dramatic,” I said, watching her angrily toss a quarter into her empty tip jar. “Do you remember last time you cursed the Circle? They all came in after, we worked our asses off, and they all got kicked out before they could even order a drink.”

“I remember,” Raegan said, smashing her cheek upward with the heel of her hand. She blew a strawberry, and her bangs blew upward.

“Don’t look so sad, babe!” Kody called from across the room.

A girl ran in, making Kody jerk for half a second in reaction. She spoke quickly to one of five guys at the pool tables, pulled on his arm, and they both ran out at full speed.

Then I noticed people checking their text messages, and answering their phones, and then running out.

Raegan noticed, too. She stood up, her eyebrows pulling in. “That’s . . . weird.” She waved at Kody. “Fight outside?”

He leaned back, trying to make eye contact with Gruber at the entrance. “Something going on outside?” he yelled. His voice boomed, carrying across even the club music. Kody shook his head at Raegan. “Nothing.”

Blia ran in, holding up her phone. “Holy fuck balls! It’s all over Facebook!” she cried. “Keaton Hall is burning!”

“What?” I sat, every muscle in my body tensing.

“Turn that shit off!” Hank yelled to the DJ. The music was silenced, and Hank pulled out the remote, turning up the flat screen that usually broadcasted sports. He switched channels until the news came on.

The dark image was shaky, but finally it came into focus. Smoke was billowing from Keaton and terrified students were running across the lawn. The caption read Amateur Video Taken by Cell Phone Outside Eastern State University’s Keaton Hall.

“No. No!” I yelled, grabbing for my keys. I pushed up the hinged section of the bar, taking two strides before Hank yanked me back.

“What are you doing?” Hank said.

“Trent is in there! He’s at Travis’s fight!” I pulled against his grip, but he wasn’t letting me go.

Jorie appeared next to us, her eyes flickering. “You can’t go in there, Cami. The place is on fire!”

I fought against Hank. “Let me go! Let me go!” I screamed.

Kody came over, but instead of helping me, he assisted Hank in holding me in place. Gruber rushed around the corner, but he stopped several feet away, watching with wide eyes.

“Shh,” Raegan said, gently pulling me away from them. “Call him,” she said, handing me her phone.

I took it, but my hands were shaking so much that I couldn’t press the numbers. Raegan took the phone from me.

“What’s his number?”

“Four-oh-two-one-four-four-eight,” I said, trying not to freak out any more than I already was. My heart was trying to beat out of my chest, and I was gasping for air after my struggle with Hank and Kody.

We waited. No one moved. No one spoke. Raegan’s eyes danced around until they finally settled on me. She shook her head.

I didn’t wait to give them a chance to restrain me again. I sprinted for the entrance and burst through the double doors, to my Jeep. My hands still shaking, it took me a few tries before I got the key in the ignition, but once the engine started, I peeled out of the parking lot.

Campus was less than ten minutes away, and I rolled over several curbs to get past the traffic and to the parking lot closest to Keaton Hall. The scene was even more frightening in person. The water from the pumper trucks had already soaked the ground and had reached the asphalt. As I ran across the lawn, my boots sloshed on the saturated grass.

The red-and-blue lights from the emergency vehicles flashed on the surrounding buildings. What seemed like miles of hoses ran from the hydrants to various windows and doors of Keaton, where firefighters had run toward danger. People were screaming and crying, and calling out names. Dozens of bodies were lying in a line, covered with yellow, wool blankets. I walked along them, staring at the shoes, praying I didn’t come across Trenton’s yellow work boots. When I got to the end of the line, I recoiled. One pair of feet was missing a heel. The other foot was bare, displaying perfectly manicured toes. The big toe was painted with a black-and-white chevron, with a red heart. Whoever she was, she was alive when those toes were painted, and now she was lying lifeless on the cold, wet ground.

I covered my mouth, and then began searching the faces around me. “Trent!” I screamed. “Trenton Maddox!” The more time that went by, the more bodies were dragged out, and fewer people were being saved. It looked like a war zone. So many of my regulars went to these fights—classmates, from college and high school. Since I’d arrived on the scene, I hadn’t crossed paths with any of them. I didn’t see Travis, or Abby, either, and I wondered if they were among the dead as well. Even if Trenton had made it out and his brother didn’t, he would be devastated. After a time, it grew eerily quiet. The crying was reduced to whimpers, the only sound the buzzing of the hoses, and the occasional yelling among firefighters. I shivered, and realized for the first time that I wasn’t wearing a coat.

My cell phone rang, and I nearly dropped it trying to get it to my ear. “Hello?” I cried.

“Cami?” Raegan said. “Stay put! Trent is on his way to you!”

“What? You talked to him?”

“Yes! He’s okay! Stay put!”

I hung up, and held the phone to my chest, shaking uncontrollably, and looking around, waiting and hoping Raegan was right. Trenton appeared, a hundred yards away, running at full speed in my direction.

My legs gave out, and I fell to my knees, sobbing. Trenton fell in front of me, wrapping his arms around me. “I’ve got you! I’m here!”

I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t do anything but sob and claw at his shirt. Trenton ripped off his coat and draped it over my shoulders, and then his arms were around me again, rocking me until I calmed down.

“It’s all right, baby,” he said, his voice calm and soothing. His face was streaked with soot and sweat, and his shirt was filthy. He smelled like a campfire, but I still buried my face in his chest.

“Travis and Abby?” I finally managed.