“Warned you, Janel, but you wouldn’t listen. We’re not taking that fucking kid. We’re getting out of Gingham Lakes and out of this country, and I won’t have anything slowing us down. Now, let’s go.”
“Where is she?” she screamed.
Even though he seemed to avoid it, Aaron’s attention darted back to the diner, expression twisting in the briefest flash of guilt.
Guilt aimed at my gramma’s diner that was going up in flames.
No.
Oh my God.
Slowly he shook his head. “Didn’t expect the fire. That’s not on me. Now get in or I’m leaving you behind.”
Janel’s expression froze in horror. And I thought maybe it was the first time I saw any true humanity in her. Any true care. Just as fast, it was gone, and Janel started around to the front of the SUV.
She was just going to leave her.
I spun around in my own horror. Flames licked out from the back window and glowed through the gaping door.
For a flash, my eyes squeezed closed, my gramma’s voice a whisper in my ear. Her presence overwhelming, so much I could feel her belief penetrating to the depths of me.
All moments matter. We just rarely know how important they are until the chance to act on them has already passed.
I’d always known Rex and Frankie were worth the chance. This one might cost me it all. Everything. But they would always, always be worth it.
My feet pounded against the pavement. Adrenaline and fear were a thunder that stampeded through my veins and whooshed in my ears.
I held up my arm as if it might protect me when I barreled through the doorway and into the kitchen.
Smoke swallowed me.
Taking me whole.
Black.
Thick.
Suffocating.
Holding my breath, I tried to get as low as possible as I began to search.
When I couldn’t do anything else, I tugged my shirt over my nose and gave in.
Inhaled.
It burned.
Burned so badly that my lungs wept, just the same as my insides.
Heat licked across my skin, so hot I wanted to scream.
Scream for help.
For sanity.
For Frankie.
Most of all, for Frankie.
