The bitterness slips. “To ignore me?”
“Your fucking dad is here, Little Dempsey. Our boss. Try to remember this isn’t a normal party for normal people.” Oh, God. He’s right. This has to be weird for Luke. My parents, for as many times as I’ve told them nothing is going on with Hart, know the truth. I’m their daughter and they’d be awful parents if they couldn’t read between the lines.
As if on cue, Luke strides up, blue eyes stormy and shoulders tight. “We have to go,” he rasps, setting one hand on my bare shoulder and the other on my waist.
He realizes his mistake instantaneously and backs away, dropping his hands. A single moment too late. A glance around proves that at least ten people saw the innocuous touch that is anything but harmless. My dad is looking away, lips pinched. Shit. He witnessed it. Same with my mom. The embarrassed wish they were anywhere but here stares prove me right. My heart is hammering. Dagger flashes his white, scary smile and Marissa covers her mouth.
“Well, that was the oops heard around the world.”
Hart’s breathing rapidly as he looks at my dad. “Nah, I have one better,” Luke replies, cryptically, gaze focused on my face.
“Why do we have to go? They just served cake. Mom said champagne is next. It’s early.” I look at my wrist where my watch should be, but it isn’t because we were in a rush.
“Your apartment is on fire, Little Dempsey,” Luke says, looking at Dagger instead of me. “We need to go and it would be nice if we didn’t get anyone else involved quite yet.” Luke looks at my dad.
“What? How do you know?” Why would Luke know something this big and awful before me? A shiver slides down my spine. “Who were you just on the phone with?”
His neck works as he swallows. “Don’t worry about it.” Luke storms over to the back of the patio and hops over the waist-high iron fence.
Marissa reads the panic on my face and hugs me in a rush. In my ear, she whispers. “Go. I’ll deal with everyone here.”
I thank her under my breath, even though I’m not sure what I’m thanking her for and smile and wave as I make my leave for the restroom, but then make a U-turn and exit through the front door and head to the parking lot, a lump in my throat. Luke is waiting for me with the Lambo idling. The passenger door rises and I get in and pull the door closed.
“Tell me everything,” I order.
He pretends to be fully occupied by driving. Which is fine, but in this confined space, my head is swimming in his scent.
When we’re on the main road heading toward my complex, he tries to set a hand on my leg, but I push it away. “Hart, I’m serious. Why can’t I tell my parents? When you say on fire, do you mean like a small kitchen fire or a California forest fire blaze? What is going on? How do you know this is happening and I don’t?” I chance a look sideways and regret it. Luke looks angry. “Give me something.”
He shakes his head as we round the corner, and unfortunately, he doesn’t have to answer one question. Smoke is billowing in mushroom cloud waves, dark and thick, exactly where my complex sits.
“Aara, I don’t know how to say this.”
“I don’t care how you say it, but you need to start talking.”
We pull off the main road onto the street that runs along my condo complex and the fire engines and cop cars come into view, their red and blue lights blinding as we pull into the bustling parking lot. Not too different from the day when Henry was waiting for me, there are media vans everywhere and neighbors who I’ve never met before are loitering around in different states of dress. My building has thirty units alone, and by the looks of it, all three blocks of apartments are going to singe to the ground. Water is pumping from the fire hoses, but it doesn’t look like it’s touching the deep red, angry flames.
With tears in my eyes, I turn to level Luke with my gaze.
“Chase called me. He told me that Ch…one of my exes was angry at me. This might have been her doing.”
“How did Chase know my condo was on fire before I did?” I inhale sharply when I remember to breathe.
His eyes turn down in the corner. “This is why I don’t tell Chase shit, Aarabelle. This.” He waves an arm to my house. “This is why I wanted to keep you hidden away. This is why I wanted you to be a secret. He knew because they’re all fucking connected to each other. All of them.”
“Who are connected other than Chase and your ex-club chick, Luke? Who isall?”
He opens his door and smoke wafts into the cabin. I get out of the car and yell at him over the hood. He lets me. I’m hurling obscenities when a realization dawns.
“You didn’t want my dad to know because you were responsible for this?”
His back straightens as my accusation hits. “I was not responsible for this. Don’t you fucking say that.”
I keep my mouth shut for fear of saying something I’d regret. Something I can’t take back. “I’m going to talk to the officers. When I come back I want details.”
He shakes his head, leaning his elbows on the low roof of the car as he cradles his head. Hiding his face from view. I get as close as I dare because the smoke is suffocating even from the distance of the expansive parking lot. I hear words like arson. Accelerant. A total loss. My stomach sinks when I think of the only thing I care about that was inside my house. The books from my dad. I remind myself that I didn’t have a pet inside or worse, a family. I introduce myself after tapping an officer on the shoulder.
He takes my information down on a notepad and doesn’t really offer much else. The investigation is still ongoing. Through the haze of shock, I see them across the parking lot. I’d call it a mirage of my worst nightmare except Henry is running toward me, calling my name in that cursed accent. Trailing behind him is Aurora Ball in a white fluffy robe holding a small dog, her hair in curlers. What is my life right now? I look up to the stars. Is this the opposite of the best birthday ever?
