s blood. I felt nothing. It was like the fire had burned away all my emotions, leaving a hollow, numb shell. I couldn' t even smell the antiseptic that u

d eyes, came and sat next to me. He h

as a massive coronary event. The smoke inhalation... it wa

ht with Liam, it had all led to this. The doctor' s clinical words

inued, "but they found the ignition point near a spilled con

nodde

the watch I' d given him for his last birthday. I was folding his robe when the door opened.

voice cold and flat. "He' s got second-degre

rds. My father was dead. Our restaurant w

d, stepping closer. "People are talking. They' re sa

ered, my voice raw. "You

o do? Die with him? Liam was hurt because of you. An innocent

n' t even form a response. She saw my silence as weakness. She so

for my hand. "We' re hurting. But we have to be st

rom her touch lik

hoked out. "Do

ed by a mask of concern. Just then, her phone buzzed. She g

spital. Liam'

rm, her grip sur

ou' re comin

ing back. I felt weak, diz

are going to go to his room, and you are go

I was too broken to fight. We arrived at Liam' s room, and his mother, a severe-looking woman wit

e hard across the face, the sound echoing in the qu

She just stood there, her arms crossed, watching with cold, detached eyes. She didn't move a musc

d, his arm heavily bandaged, a pained express

said, her voice devoid of any emotion. "They n

k at me, her eyes

me blood type, Et

my mind struggl

re you s

d, as if it were the most logical thing in the world. "It' s the l

r her to use, a debt to be collected, a body to be harvested to fix the problem she had created. My father was dead, my ca