Burn (Spine Ridge University #0.5)

Chapter 1

Emilia

I stare at the stick lying on the sink in front of me, my body feeling numb to the core.

My pupils dilate, and my heart begins to throb in my chest.

It’s as if the walls of this grimy bathroom are caving in on me. Like the ground underneath my feet split open and threatens to devour me whole.

Two lines.

That’s all it takes to destroy my world.

What I thought was just a bloated feeling these past few weeks and nausea from eating some bad food turns out to be a whole different kind of thing. A child … growing inside me.

I plant my hand against my belly and touch my skin, suddenly feeling cold to the bone. I gaze up at the girl in the mirror, the girl whose eyes fill with tears.

This wasn’t supposed to happen.

It was just supposed to be a one-time thing.

I’m only nineteen. How am I supposed to raise a child?

“Emilia! Get down here. Dinner’s ready,” my mom’s shrill voice pulls me from my thoughts.

I swallow and rub away the tears, trying not to think about the human growing inside me while I turn and make my way downstairs.

My mother is already sitting at the table, throwing sloppy, hastily made stew into a bowl before she sits down to eat without waiting for me.

She gazes up when I quietly sit down and grab the spoon.

“Kinda late, don’t you think?” she says.

“Sorry,” I mutter, my voice mousy. Quiet. Like I’m supposed to be around her.

“You’d better be grateful for that food,” she growls, slurping the stew like it’s her last meal.

I nod as I pour some into a bowl. “I am. Thank you.”

She gazes up at me again, her eyes searching my face like she’s trying to find the lie.

“Your face is red,” she mutters.

I stop and look down at the stew, which smells so nice even though I know she can’t cook. Any food is better than none.

“Have you been crying?” she asks with a condescending tone.

“No, no,” I say, laughing it off. “The water was just hot.”

She puts down her spoon and stares at me. “You have been crying.”

I don’t know what to say. “I … I…”

She slams her fist onto the table, and I jolt up and down in my seat. “Don’t lie to me!” She points at me like I’m a criminal in need of punishment. “I see the tearstains on your face.”

She pauses, waiting for me to give her a reason, but I don’t want to give them to her.

“Tell me why,” she says through gritted teeth. “Is it because of that fucker Dean?”

I quickly shake my head.

“You know it’s thanks to him we have food on the table right now,” she adds, taking another bite with her spoon.

I clutch myself, staring at the food. “I know.”

“No, I don’t think you do. You’re crying your eyes up there, and for what? It’s not like he’s going to see those tears.” She takes another big bite. “What do you even want? You want a hug? You know they don’t fix anything.”

“I’m fine,” I say, rubbing my belly with my hand.

“I give you food. Clothes. A roof over your head,” she mutters. “It’s about time you showed a little g—”

Suddenly, she stops eating. Her eyes travel down to my hands.

And it’s as if the blood leaves her skin.

Oh God.

She stands.

I do too.

We stare at each other for a moment. Then she rushes upstairs before I can.

“No! Mom, wait!” I scream as I try to catch up with her.

Too late. She’s already opened the bathroom door and ran inside faster than I could chase her upstairs. Her hand clutches the stick, almost breaking it in two as she glares at me, her eyes almost spewing fire.

“You’re pregnant?!”

“I only just found out,” I mutter.

“I don’t fucking care!” she screams. “I told you not to get pregnant!” She throws the stick at me. “What are we supposed to do now, huh?”

“I don’t know,” I say, tears welling up in my eyes.

“You’re going to cost me everything I ever worked for!” Her face turns red from the screaming.

Redder than mine ever was, despite crying my eyes out only moments ago.

“A baby? Really?” she says. “You think I have the money to feed another one?”

“Can’t you help me?” I ask. “We can think of something, right?”

“Help?” she screeches, shaking her head. “I’ve helped you so goddamn much already.” She picks up a piece of my clothing and throws it at me. “Every fucking time you fuck up, I have to clean up the mess.”

“Mom…”

“No, I’m done,” she yells, picking up more dirty pieces and throwing them all at me. “I’m done helping you, I’m done with teaching you, I’m done with everything!”

“Please.” My whole body is shaking. “Don’t do this.”

“Get out,” she says, her low tone completely devoid of any emotion.

More tears well up in my eyes.

“I don’t have anywhere to go,” I say.

“I don’t care!” she replies. “I’m not dealing with another fucking baby.” She shoves me away. “Now get. Out.”

I pick up the clothes and clutch them close, desperate for something to hug.

“But I can fix this,” I mutter.

“No, you can’t!” she says. “It’s illegal. Did you forget the fucking news? It’s not allowed here anymore. And I’m not going to go down for your mistake. Not again.”

Again? I’ve never been pregnant before.

Unless she means … giving birth to me.

She pushes me so hard, I have to grab ahold of the staircase railing to stop myself from falling.

“Leave!” she shrieks madly.

I turn and run down the stairs, terrified she might throw me down if I don’t go faster.

The scent of food fills my nostrils, but I push my hunger away and head straight for the front door.

“And don’t you ever think of coming back again!” she yells as I shut the door behind me, blinking away the tears that keep coming. “You hear me? Leave me alone!”

I run out into the streets, as far away from the house as possible without looking back.

I can’t stomach the thought of looking, let alone thinking about the home I left behind.

I didn’t have much, but the room I slept in was mine. The clothes I wore were mine. The tiny bear I had was mine.

I didn’t even have the time to grab any of it before she kicked me to the curb.

After a while, my legs begin to hurt, but I keep running until it begins to rain.

My clothes slowly get soaking wet until I don’t even have that anymore.

I drop them somewhere near a store and keep running.

They’ll only drag me down.

I don’t know where I’m going or what I’ll do next.

All I know is that I couldn’t stay there for a minute longer.

God, I tried. I tried so long, so hard to live according to her rules, but even that wasn’t enough.

I pause when I finally find an alley that doesn’t look like a place where criminals meet. I huddle in the corner, hugging my legs for comfort because no one else ever would.

***

Vincenzo

I lean back against the car seat while the driver turns left and check my phone. Six days until my next scheduled meeting. Fifty-two minutes spent in the previous conversation. Two minutes too many.

I shake my head. That won’t happen again.

My time is precious, and every wasted minute is one too many. Especially on those lot.

My fingers tighten around the phone.

There’s another private message, but I ignore it and stuff my phone back into my pocket, then turn to look out the window.

Gazing at the people going about their regular day-to-day life always calms me.

It’s the fact that it’s quiet. Without any need to respond or smile at passersby.

Like a cocoon I’ve enveloped myself in while I journey from one place to another.

And there is absolutely nothing that I can do except sit back and enjoy.

Until my eyes land on a peculiar girl huddled in a corner between two apartment buildings.

“Stop,” I command my driver.

“Sir?” he mutters. “You never—”

I glare at him through the rearview mirror until he swallows and immediately stops the car near the side of the road.

“Stay here and wait for me,” I say before I open the car door and hop out.

The streets are filled with trash and mud, and I skip over a puddle in disgust. Even an ounce of that type of gunk on my shoes makes me want to hurl. But when I spot the girl again, I forget about caring and walk over to her.

She’s not even remotely aware of my presence as I walk up to her, despite the fact that I tower over her and block the streetlights.

Rain pitter-patters down onto the pavement and my clothes, which would normally annoy the shit out of me.

But right now, all I can focus on is the soft sobs emanating from the girl just a few inches away from me.

Finally, she tilts her head ever so slightly, and her eyes immediately land on my boots. Slowly, they creep up my fitted pants and Colbert until her beautiful brown eyes connect with mine.

Her pupils dilate, and she gasps in shock. “Who are you?” She leans back. “What do you want?”

I cock my head while I crouch and extend a hand. “Vincenzo Ricci.”

Her eyes flick back and forth from my face to my hand, her lip twitching with distrust.

“I’m here to help,” I add.

She narrows her eyes. “Why?”

A smile creeps onto my face.

In this world, a healthy amount of skepticism is necessary to survive.

She’s smart.

“Because you look like you need it,” I reply.

She frowns and wipes a wet strand of hair off her face. “I don’t need help.”

I look her up and down. She’s barely wearing any clothes, and all of it is soaking wet. She’s clutching herself like she needs someone to hug but has no one left.

“You’re on your own in an alley, completely soaked through, crying your eyes out,” I say, lifting a brow. “It’s okay not to be strong for a day.”

She gazes at me but doesn’t inch back when I try to get closer.

“C’mon,” I say, beckoning her. “Let me get you somewhere warm and safe.”

She looks at my hand and then scans my face, almost as if she’s trying to spot the lie.

“You can leave anytime you want,” I add. “You can trust me.”

Her eyes flicker with hope.

She takes in a breath.

Finally, her hand reaches for mine.

The smile on my face grows when her skin touches mine, her fingers fitting so neatly into the palm of my hand.

And when I rise, lifting her up too, I stop only to stare at how gorgeous she truly is.

Her long black hair sticks to her porcelain face, her soft, heart-shaped lips, those round, hooded eyes staring straight into my soul … all of it beguiles me.

I pull her forward, out of the shadows of the alley and into the open. The rain still pours down on us, but my driver quickly hops out of the car and fetches an umbrella from the back, rushing to us.

“Sir, your new Colbert will get wet!” he says, huddling close to us to keep us dry.

“I don’t care,” I say as I guide her toward the car.

She seems unsure of me, and I completely understand why.

Who would ever trust a stranger whisking you off the streets?

Trust is a dangerous thing, only extended to those we deem most worthy. But I will prove myself to her.

“Open the door,” I command my driver when we get to the car.

“Sir, are you sure we should be—”

I throw him a damning look.

Just one simple glance is enough to make him suck in the air.

“Yes, sir.” He swiftly pulls it open and waits for us, holding up the umbrella so we don’t get wet any further than we already are.

It won’t help her clothes, but at least it’ll give her the one thing she lost on her way to this alley: her dignity.

And I cannot fucking wait to restore it to its original state.

I slide in first and pat down on the couch, watching her contemplate her options.

“Get in,” I tell her.

She bites down on her bottom lip and looks around the street.

I didn’t lie. She’s free to go wherever she wants, whenever she wants. I won’t stop her. I won’t go after her if she chooses to flee right now and never look back, and I wouldn’t blame her if she did.

But what I’m offering is something far more valuable than the outside world can ever give her: A new start.

To me, this girl seems like an intricate puzzle.

And I can’t fucking wait to unlock everything she has to hide.