Thank you to that special someone who sent me copies of my missing chapters. You are beyond awesome. I couldn't edit the chapters back in for some reason, so I had to delete them, which means the reviews were deleted too (pout). However, I just want to thank all of my readers for your encouragement, support, comments and reviews :) This chapter was originally dedicated to dphysh... I'm a sucker for tinsel and stars so I quickly typed up this chapter!! Again, thanks to all my readers (especially the one who sent me my chapters!) ****************************************** Save this bleeding heart of mine “There wasn’t a car accident,” I state slowly. We have been driving in silence for the past 10 minutes. I had expected Molly to start yelling at me as soon as we exited the school grounds. Instead however, she just stared at me, waiting. “Okay.” Her voice is trepid, and I know deep down she has a sinking suspicion that this is as bad as she thinks it might me. I bit my lower lip, focusing on the road ahead of me. If I think too hard, I might lose it. I have to stay grounded; I need to be detached from this. For Molly’s sake, I need to be strong. “You told them that Mom and Dad were in a car accident...that they were together,” she says, bringing me back into reality. “I know.” I blink hard. I suddenly hate my family. All that sadness that has been brewing has settled into a comfortable state of anger. I hold on to that feeling as I find my voice yet again. “She called me.” I pause, remembering how pissed off at Brian I was as I left his office: how I didn’t think anything could top that feeling. Yeah_fuckin’_right. “She said… she told me…” I trail off, feeling the burn in my throat. “Justin…” She’s scared now. She has her thumbnail in her mouth. It’s a nervous habit we both share. Exhaling slowly, I try again. “Grandpa did something. He did something… bad. And those people are really mad at him…” She nods, “So, we’re going to the cabin?” That had always been the family plan: if there is a natural disaster or any family emergency: the family base is the cabin. “No.” My jaw tightens. “Mom thinks it’ll be a trap.” Molly frowns, biting her bottom lip, and I can’t believe how alike we really are. “Trap?” she asks nervously. I have to keep my eyes on the road. We can’t stop driving. “Dad is dead.” I don’t wait: I have to keep going. “Everyone is dead. Molly, everyone is dead. Mom is probably already dead.” My voice is getting higher, “I heard… I heard something break when I was talking to her… she said.. she…” I swallow hard, the tears threatening to spill, “she said they’re already here. It’s too late for me…” My breath quickens, and I try to focus on breathing: she also told me she loved me. Her last words were I love you, Justin. I love you and Molly so much… and then she hung up. She’s dead now. I know it. She’s dead. “Molly…” She’s shuddering. Her shoulders quaking as sobs erupt from her small body. I want to hug her, to hold her and tell her it’s going to be okay. But I don’t know that! I don’t know anything except that we have to drive. We have to fuckin’ drive, and we can’t stop unless it’s to steal another car. I wait until her cries become quieter, and then force myself to continue. “Mom said that she called Uncle Richard. If he got the message, then there should be a private plane waiting for us at the Pittsburgh Nexrad Site. Someone should be there waiting for us….” Unless they heard my mother tell me this on the phone… they could be waiting for us at the private airport…they could be in the jet for all I know… it could be the fuckin’ pilot! It could be anyone…we could be dead in the next hour. Molly seems to have read my mind, “But that could be a trap too!” she shrieks, the tears still falling down her face as she covers her eyes with her hands, sobbing. “I want my Mom! I want my Mom! Mom! Mommmmy!!!” My own tears start to fall: I want my Mom too.