Page 151 of Sins or Secrets
I should move away from the fire, but I can’t bring myself to move.It’s like I have to watch it, watch over it.
How did this happen?
I don’t have anything in the studio that would have caused a fire.
There are plug sockets for my stereo, but I hardly use it because Bree plays the piano.
And how can a fire start with nothing plugged into the sockets to start it?
I look around frantically, wondering if this could be something else.
Like if someone set the place on fire.
That’s the only thing I can think of that makes sense.But why?
And who?
Who… the only person I know who’s vindictive enough to do this is Riley.
Wailing sirens cut into my thoughts and seconds later a fire engine tears down the drive.
I move out of the way to allow the firemen to do their work.
When I walk onto the terracemy phone rings.
I answer quickly without looking to see who it is, hoping it’s Logan.
“Logan,” I blurt.
“No, it’s Ethan, Quinn. I just got word there’s a fire at the house.Are you okay?”
“I’m not hurt…” My voice trails off because I don’t know what else to say.I might not be hurt physically, but I am emotionally and I can’t figure out how this fire started.
“Where’s Logan? Is he there?”
“No. He hasn’t been home in days.”
There’s a pause, and then I hear shuffling and the jangle of keys.
“I’m on my way.”
* * *
Ethan sits with me in the kitchen while we watch the firemen on the lawn packing everything away.
The sun has come up now and I can see the damage.The studio is gone. It’s in worse ruins than it was when I first got here.
Ethan’s been sitting with me for about two hours while we watched the firemen extinguish the fire and cordon off the surroundings.
“Do you want more tea?” Ethan asks.
“No… thank you.”
I give him a little smile, grateful for his company.He didn’t have to call me, and he certainly didn’t have to sit with me for the time he has.
He made me some of Lilly’s chamomile tea, knowing too that chamomile was good for calming.
It’s hard to believe the old high school bully people wouldn’t dare mess with was sweet enough to make me a cup of tea and fill my plate with cookies.
