Obsidian Love

Zarene's heart thundered in her chest as she crept down the staircase, knees bent, footsteps silent. The chandelier above her creaked with each sway of the wind, but the real threat was beyond the living room door—Jace, and his friends laughing, drinking, unaware. "She doesn’t talk back anymore," Jace’s voice drifted from the room, smooth, amused. "I trained her right." Laughter followed. Glass clinked. Zarene bit her lip hard, crouching behind the railing. Not for long, she thought. Then the front door burst open. Calix stepped in, laughing, leather jacket tossed over one shoulder. “Did you guys seriously start without me?” he called as he walked toward the living room. Zarene froze. His boots thudded dangerously close, but his eyes didn’t scan the staircase. He passed her—didn’t see her. Her gaze darted outside. The BMW sat waiting—Calix’s pride and joy, purring with its engine still on, headlights glowing like twin beacons in the dark. This was it. She stayed low, counted the seconds. One. Two. Three. The living room erupted with more laughter. Calix was inside now. Go. Zarene bolted from her hiding place. The cold night air hit her like a slap as she flung the door wide, sprinted to the car, and yanked it open. The BMW’s engine revved as she gripped the wheel. Her breathing ragged, adrenaline screaming through her, she whispered, “Come on, come on…” Then she slammed the pedal down. VRROOOM. The tires screeched violently against the pavement. Inside the house, Jace shot up to his feet. “What the—?” He ran to the front door—just in time to see her. His wife. In Calix’s BMW. Fleeing. Her hands gripped the wheel like she was in a car show, hair whipping wildly in the wind. She glanced back once—eyes blazing with something close to defiance. Jace stepped out, eyes wide, and mouthed the word: “No.” Zarene didn’t care. She shifted gears and was gone. “Son of a—” Jace growled, spinning around. “She stole a car!” He ran to his Ferrari, slammed the door, and burned rubber down the road after her. --- The distance between them shrank quickly. Jace’s car roared like a beast possessed, his eyes locked onto the glowing taillights ahead. But then— His eyes met hers in the rearview mirror. Zarene's glare was brief—cold, furious—but it hit him like a slap. He looked too long. A crossing loomed ahead—one way curved toward the town center, the other dropped off toward the beach cliffs. “Sh*t—!” Jace yanked the wheel too late. His Ferrari veered off-course, slammed into a roadside log with a gut-punching crunch. The car skidded, fishtailed, then stopped dead. Smoke rose from the hood. “DAMN IT!” Jace roared, slamming his fists against the steering wheel. --- Meanwhile, Zarene's breathing slowed. She’d done it. She was gone. One hour later, the BMW’s engine began to sputter. Fuel light flashing. Speed dropping. “No, no, not now,” she hissed. She pulled over near a dark field. Reaching into the glove compartment, she found a phone, a thick wad of cash, and a skateboard shoved beneath the seat. Her eyes widened. “Thanks, Calix.” She grabbed them all, tossed the SIM card into the bushes, and jumped onto the skateboard. The pavement beneath her wheels hummed as she glided toward the town center, her hoodie drawn tight over her head. --- Back on the road... Jace stood by the smoking wreck of his Ferrari, pacing like a wolf. His phone rang. Calix. “She’s just an hour ahead of you,” Calix said, voice clipped. “You can still catch her.” Jace didn’t respond. He was already running. Up ahead, he spotted the abandoned BMW. He threw open the door. Empty. “ZARENE!” he shouted into the night. Nothing. He turned toward the town center, but the street was deserted. She was gone. Moments later, Calix, Levi, and Roen pulled up in the second car. “Did you find her?” Roen asked. Jace shook his head. “She vanished.” Calix opened the BMW’s glove compartment. “Sh*t.” “What?” “She took the cash. My phone. And my damn skateboard.” Jace looked toward the town center—dark, twisting alleys ahead. He clenched his fists. “She’s not getting far.” ---