I Called For Help, He Called It Jealousy Chapter 04

I Called For Help, He Called It Jealousy Chapter 04

The fire was tearing through the entire building. The whole structure began to sway as I rested against the red-hot steel door, my skin blackened and cracked.

Without the System blocking my pain, I was sure the agony alone would already have killed me.

System: [Time until exit: 5 minutes.]

Another screen opened in my mind, giving me a view of what was happening outside. Ethan stood in the safe area below the building, soot covering his face as he urgently directed the high-pressure hose streams at the third floor.

Jake ran up to him, breathless and streaked with ash. “Captain! Everyone’s off the fourth floor. But we’ve lost control of the fire on five. The stairs have completely collapsed!”

Ethan wiped the sweat off his face, his brow furrowed. “Where’s the ladder truck? Get the aerial up to the fifth-floor windows. Now!”

Jake could barely stand still. “That’s the records floor. All the windows are reinforced, blast-resistant glass. The crew on the ladder can’t break through from outside!”

Ethan froze. When he spoke again, his voice had begun to shake.

“Claire. Claire’s still in there.”

He reached automatically for the radio at his waist, then realized it was missing.

“Where’s my radio?”

“Didn’t you leave it with Ms. Harper to play with?” Jake shouted back.

Ethan snatched Jake’s radio and fumbled with the channel controls, his fingers trembling.

“Claire! Do you copy? What’s your status? How hot is it by the blast door? Do you have your respirator? Stay where you are. I’m bringing a crew up to get you!”

There was nothing but silence on the channel. I watched him on the screen, finally frightened for me, and the bitter irony was almost enough to make me laugh.

“Claire, answer me!” His voice cracked with fear. “Don’t give me the silent treatment. I shouldn’t have snapped at you earlier. But Lily’s condition is different. I couldn’t just leave her!”

“You’ve always been understanding. Just say something. Please!”

I shut my eyes. I couldn’t even bear to look at him anymore.

Understanding? Was that supposed to mean I deserved to be abandoned? That he could lock me in a burning room and leave me to burn alive, because I was the one who could be counted on to understand?

No. I wanted him to spend the rest of his life regretting what he’d done.

System: [Host’s vital signs are deteriorating rapidly. Exit in 10, 9, 8…]

I opened my eyes as the beam overhead broke loose and fell toward me. I didn’t try to move out of the way.

“System. Get me out of here.”

System: [3, 2, 1.]

A deafening explosion tore through the records room. Flames shot upward, and then I heard Ethan’s anguished scream.

“Claire!”