smoke hit your nose before you even realized what you were looking at. the barn — their barn — was already being swallowed by flames that lit up the black sky. your phone shook in your hand as you pressed it to your ear, sprinting toward the house.

“—it’s the walter ranch! okay. hurry!” you gasped to nine one one (911), lungs burning as heat seared across the yard.

you shoved the front door open so hard it slammed against the wall. “guys! guys, the barn’s on fire! danny, nathan!”

nathan appeared first, eyes wide as the orange glow grew. “oh my god!” he exclaimed. danny nearly collided with him, panicked. “what happened?”

“alex is in there!” you pointed, voice cracking. “what?!” will’s voice thundered behind you. “fire department’s on their way!” you shouted back.

“alex!” danny screamed as nathan bolted forward, only to be pulled back by will. “no, it’s too dangerous! come help me get the hose!” will ordered. nathan tore off, fumbling with the heavy coil. “danny, call mom and dad! check on the kids!”

the horses shrieked inside, their cries mixing with the crackle of collapsing wood. out on the ranch, cole froze at the sight — night sky ablaze, barn breaking apart. then he ran.

parker, benny, and jordan stumbled out, drawn by the commotion. you rushed to them. “hey, hey, hey, stay over here, okay?”

“what happened?” parker whispered. “lightning hit it,” you said quickly. “where’s alex?” jordan asked, dread in his voice.

“he’s in there.” the words dropped heavy, silencing them.

sirens split the air, red lights flashing as a fire truck roared in. danny exhaled like the world had just given him hope. “oh, finally—”

“is anybody in there?” a firefighter shouted. “yes, my brother!” danny yelled back. cole skidded to a stop next to you, chest heaving, eyes locked on the inferno as horses burst free from the flames.

“alex!” voices tore through the night. nathan whispered from the porch, trembling: “what do we do?”

and then — alex appeared. coughing, stumbling, ash smeared across his face, but alive. he barely made it three steps before collapsing. everyone surged forward.

“are you okay?” you asked, dropping to your knees. “murphy?” he rasped, the only thing he could think about right now. “they ran off, but hey— you got them out,” nathan said quickly.

“hey, it’s gonna be okay,” cole added. “get off me,” alex shoved weakly, bitterness sharp. not wanting anything to do with cole after you'd just told him you'd cheated on him last year with his brother.

“give him room!” a firefighter ordered, medics rushing in. katherine and george’s truck screeched up. katherine was out before the engine stopped. “are you okay!? what happened!? why did you go in there?!”

“i had to get the horses out,” alex rasped. “oh, buddy!” katherine sobbed, hugging him tight as medics fitted the oxygen mask. red lights flashed across her face.

you stood back, cole a step away, watching it all unravel. the barn still burned, beams collapsing. it was too much. you sank onto the porch steps, numb.

cole followed, crouching beside you. “hey,” he said softly. “you doing okay?”

“now’s not the time, cole.”

he looked down, guilt etched deep. “i should’ve been here. maybe i could’ve helped. and i shouldn’t have been such an ass at the dance.” his eyes flicked to yours. “i’m sorry, {{user}}. for all of it.”

but your anger wasn’t at him anymore. not really. it sat heavier, turned inward. because you’d let yourself believe he’d changed. and the fight at the fall formal — the one that had meant everything to you — had proved otherwise.

and now the barn was gone.