Page 23 of Dice & Dekes

Viktor cocks his head. “I was worried about you. After all, you’re my…”

“Arch enemy?” I supply.

“Knova.” Viktor reaches for my hands. “I’m worried about you. On the phone, you sounded—”

I yank my hands away from his and look around to see if anyone is watching. “What are you doing?” Fortunately, nobody seems to be paying any attention. I can’t let him touch me. Not when my skin already feels scorched with shame. If he holds my hands, I might crack. And worse? I might let him see it.

It would be bad enough to have my family find out about our drunken mistake under any circumstances, but given how many times I’ve screwed up today, this would be the absoluteworsttime for that revelation. I’m already the daughter who made her celebrity parents look bad by being musically inept at one of their favorite placesandthe daughter who ruined their property. That’s more than enough, thank you very much. Besides, I know how my father feels about Viktor. Having to explain that I ended up hammered and hitched would permanently cement my position as the family fuckup.

When all I ever wanted was to be perfect for them.

Viktor has the gall to look hurt by my hasty retreat. He flinches, just a tiny hitch in his brows like I cracked something soft under his armor. “I wanted to see if you were hurt.”

I scoff. “Stay in your lane, puckhead. I’m the only one here trained in first aid. I’m covered. I’ve saved lives in combat. More lives than the years you’ve been on this earth annoying everyone.”

Viktor sets his jaw. “I may not be trained in first aid, but even I can see that your hands are burned.”

“It’ll be fine. It’s minor.”

Viktor ignores me and turns to one of the nearby firemen. “Can we get an EMT over here?”

I barely register the fireman who nods and peels off. In my periphery, hoses are still snaking across the lawn, steam hissing as they hit scorched earth. The smoke is thinner now, more ghost than monster. But it’s still clinging to everything, just like the embarrassment coating my skin.

“I said I’m fine!” I exclaim.

Viktor doesn’t even glance my way. I hate when people get like this, acting like they know what I need better than I do. My dad does it all the time, which I suppose is his right as a parent, but Viktor has no business taking charge of my well-being.

He’s my temporary husband. He’s sure as fuck not my friend.

Instead of an EMT, the fire marshal strides over. He takes one look at my hands and shakes his head. “You should get those examined by an EMT.”

Viktor raises his eyebrows as if to signal that he’s scored some kind of point.

Without waiting for my response, the fire marshal raises his voice to get my parents’ attention. “Folks, I’m sorry to tell you that you’re not going to be able to stay here.”

Dad takes this in stride. “From what I saw, the poolhouse was demolished.” He walks over to us and pats my back. “Ah, well. Probably needed an updating anyway.”

I sniffle at his words. I know what he’s doing: he’s trying to make it clear that he doesn’t blame me and that he’s not mad. And that’s worse, somehow. The kindness in his voice guts me more than yelling ever could. I’m not used to screwing up this big, not in ways that matter. And yet here he is, patting my back like he’s the one comforting me for his loss.

I recognize the play. When Knight and I were younger, and we did something dumb like dig holes in his lawn or draw on the walls with permanent markers, he’d lecture us about responsibility and dole out punishments. Any time we got hurt, though, his first concern was always our well-being.

We both know that I screwed up, but he’s letting me off the hook, even for a mistake this huge. I lean against him to show that I appreciate him, even if I can’t find my words right now. Dad rubs my back in a small, circular motion, and my shame ebbs away and takes some of my anger with it.

I may have been unfair to Viktor just now. Maybe I’ll apologize when things settle down.

“It isn’t just the pool house that’s damaged,” the fire marshal explains. “There was some damage to your roof as well. Some of it is smoke damage, some of it’s on us—the fire truck got too close to the house. Your plumbing and electric are connected, too, so you’ll want to get that checked out before you move back in. I’m going to ask you to review and sign a hold harmless agreement for the damage to the roof, and we’ll cover those repairs…”

He and Dad fall into a detailed discussion about the minutiae of what comes next.

Ranger, another of Dad’s best friends and a longtime neighbor, hovers near my mom and the Abbotts. I shuffle away from Dad’s grasp and make my way over to them, with Viktor trailing on my heels.

“Hey, Knova.” Ranger gives me a wary smile, like he’s not sure where I am emotionally.That makes two of us, buddy.“I was just telling your mom that you three can stay with me.”

“Or you could crash at my place,” Viktor offers.

“Thanks to both of you, but I’m going to call Knight,” I say.

I step away before my eyes get too wet to hide. My throat’s tight, my brain is buzzing, and the blanket around me suddenly feels like a costume I don’t deserve to wear.

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