He nods and walks past with Eli in his arms. I watch through the hole as Dec makes it to the exit, and my body sags in relief.
My relief for Eli is overwhelmed with panic as the rest of the ceiling comes tumbling down.
Chapter Eighteen
Declan
I set Eli down on his feet as Robyn and Jack come running towards him - I called them on the way here when I found out where the callout was. I don't have time to feel anything because Sophie is still in there with Pete.
As I turn around to go in and assist, it happens before my eyes, the rest of the roof - the one that was barely intact, crumbles inward, leaving a puff of smoke in its wake followed by a mini-explosion off to the side - the entrance to the play area is blocked from the inside. My stomach lurches, and bile rises in my throat. That was Pete and Sophie's exit.Fuck. Cold starts flooding my body as I realise what this means. They're either trapped inside the roof rubble, or near the entrance and can't get out. Immediately my feet set off running towards the entrance. I have to get to her. Losing her is not an option.
Is this punishment for moving on? I quickly wipe away that thought - I have to concentrate on my job right now, nothing else can come into my head.
I start to move the rubble, and all the other guys come to join me. Please let her be alright. It only takes a few minutes to clear the entrance, but fuck, it feels like an eternity. We are all aware that the structure could go at any minute, so we have to work fast.
I feel like movement and time slows down around me as I see them - Pete with Sophie in his arms. We get the remainder of the rubble out - enough to let them pass, and we stand back as he exits with her. People say relief overwhelms them. Well, relief overwhelms me to the point where my body can't take it. My knees buckle as I collapse with relief. The adrenaline that was keeping my body going now fleeing for the hills and leaving me with nothing. I go numb. I nearly lost her.
One of my men carries her into the ambulance. I can't move.
Jack comes over. “What the fuck are you doing? Get up. She needs you.”
Doesn't he understand? I physically can't – I can't move. The relief has me numb, paralysed. How could I be put in this situation again? Except this one has a whole different outcome.
She survived.
“I can't, man.”
Jack reels back. “What the fuck? Be the man I know you are and get up on your fucking feet now and go and see to your girlfriend.”
He’s right, I know he’s right - I have to get up, I have to be with her. My body starts to shake at the thought of going near her - what the hell is that about? Panic is filling the whole of my body, making it hard for me to breathe. I don't know how to deal with this overflow of emotions.
Jack helps me to my feet, and I stumble towards the ambulance in a state of shock. She sees me and starts running my way. She throws her arms around me but the relief I usually feel when she’s near doesn't come this time. Instead, I just feel panic. Panic that someone I love almost died, re-living Violet and what happened all over again, and I nearly lost Sophie. No. This is not happening. And I don't know why it happens, but I feel it the moment it does. I shut down. I think the fight or flight in my body decides flight - deciding that I'm not strong enough to deal, it decides to shut down my emotions. I will not go through that loss again. Just when I was feeling a semblance of normal, the world throws me a curveball yet again.
She leans back. “Hey...you okay?”
I nod. “Yeah. Are you alright?”
