Chapter 5

"Grandfather is forcing me to drive you home," Julian said, his voice flat and devoid of the usual malice. It was just... empty.

I just nodded, too tired to argue, too broken to care.

We walked to the car in silence. Cassandra was already there, waiting in the backseat, her expression a mixture of impatience and victory. She shot me a venomous glare as I approached.

"I called you a ride," she said to me, her voice sharp. "You can wait for it."

Julian ignored her. He opened the front passenger door for me. It was a small, meaningless gesture, but it was so out of character that it felt strange.

I got in, and the car pulled away from the Heath mansion. In the backseat, Cassandra chattered on, her voice grating on my nerves. She was talking about their wedding plans, the venue, the dress, the guest list.

Julian drove, his eyes on the road, his hands tight on the steering wheel. I could feel the tension radiating from him.

"I remember you said you always wanted a wedding by the sea," he said suddenly, his voice low.

I froze. It was a memory from a lifetime ago, a childish dream I had shared with him when we were young. A dream I thought he had long forgotten.

He didn't forget. He just chose to give it to someone else.

The pain was so sharp, so sudden, that it took my breath away. All these years, I had held onto a tiny, foolish ember of hope that he remembered the boy he used to be. Now, that ember was extinguished, leaving only cold, dark ash.

He remembered. And he didn't care.

Suddenly, a pair of headlights appeared out of nowhere, speeding directly towards us.

"Look out!" I screamed.

The world exploded in a shower of glass and screeching metal. The impact threw me forward, my head hitting the dashboard with a sickening thud. The car spun violently, the sounds of the crash echoing in my ears.

Through the chaos, I heard Julian's voice, frantic and terrified. "Cassandra! Are you okay?"

I looked back. He had thrown his body over hers, shielding her from the impact. He didn't even glance at me.

The driver was slumped over the wheel, lifeless.

My leg was trapped, pinned by the crushed dashboard. Pain shot through me, hot and sharp.

"Julian," I called out, my voice weak. "Help me."

He looked at me then, his eyes wide with a flicker of something I couldn't decipher. But he didn't move. He just held Cassandra tighter.

"The car is leaking gas," I gasped, the smell of fuel filling the air. "We have to get out."

I tried to pull my leg free, but it was no use. I was trapped.

"Julian, please," I begged, tears of pain and desperation streaming down my face.

He looked away, his face a mask of indifference. He was focused only on Cassandra, unbuckling her seatbelt, pulling her from the wreckage. He didn't look back.

I was alone in the mangled car, the smell of gasoline getting stronger.

I saw a shard of broken glass on the floor. With a surge of adrenaline, I grabbed it, the sharp edges cutting into my hand. I didn't care. I started sawing at the seatbelt, at my own flesh, anything to get free.

The car was going to explode. I knew it.

"Julian!" I screamed one last time, a final, desperate plea.

He was a safe distance away, with Cassandra in his arms. He turned, and for a split second, our eyes met. I saw a flicker of shock, of horror.

Then the world erupted in a ball of fire.

The force of the explosion threw me clear of the wreckage, my body a mess of burns and broken bones.

The last thing I heard before the darkness consumed me was Julian's voice, screaming my name.

A name I would never answer again.