Since then, my world consisted of nurses, doctors, oxygen masks, police officers, and beeping machines. My family had been steady, holding vigil in my hospital room as the doctors treated me. Luckily, it turned out not to be as bad as they’d originally thought. And thanks to the quick treatment, the doctors were hopeful that, if there was scarring, it would be minimal.
The damage to the building was also minimal. The firefighters had been able to put the fire out fairly quickly, and the presence of an accelerant on the scene was a clear indication it had been arson.
My mother’s voice called to me. “Lennox?” She squeezed my arm, the one that hadn’t been burned. “Baby?”
I opened my eyes. “Mom.” I coughed, wincing at the pain shooting through my chest. I hadn’t talked much since they’d brought me in, because it hurt. Everything hurt.
She held out a cup of water. “Drink some of this.”
I took a sip of water and burrowed into the pillow. “How is Julia?”
My mom’s eyes softened. “She’s going to be okay. Her burns were more severe than yours, but the doctors expect a full recovery.”
Squeezing my eyes closed, I tried to forget about her screams, about the terrified look in her eyes. “I’m glad.”
“Jace stopped by,” Mom told me. “It was Dory who set the fire. Apparently, she turned herself in late last night. Your father is livid. He’s pushing for attempted murder.”
As much as I’d hoped she’d move on and get the help she needed, the revelation didn’t shock me. I’d had a feeling it was her from the beginning, from the moment I’d found out the fire had originated in my office.
“Vaughn and Emerie will be here soon,” my mom continued.
I shook my head. “They don’t need to come. They should be packing for their move.”
“I couldn’t talk them out of it, and I wouldn’t. They love you.” She placed her hand over my heart. “We all do, babe. We love you so much.” Leaning down, she kissed my cheek. “Praise God you’re going to be okay. The whole church was praying.”
“Tell everyone I said thank you.”
“I will.” She smiled down at me. “There’s someone who wants to see you.”
Meeting her gaze, I frowned. “Who?”
“Me?” I looked at the door, surprised to see Blake standing there, a bouquet of flowers in her hand and a tentative smile on her lips. “I couldn’t figure out what to bring you, so I picked up these manly flowers on my way here from the airport.”
Chuckling, I said, “Manly flowers?”
Blake inched closer to me. The tears swimming in her eyes were unmistakable. She’d been crying. “I probably should’ve went with a plant, huh?”
“It doesn’t matter. I don’t care about flowers or plants. I just want you.”
My mom sniffed. “That’s so sweet.”
“Mom?”
Mom blinked. “Oh, I’ll just leave you two alone.” She hugged Blake. “I’m so glad you’re here,” she whispered before quietly exiting the room.
Blake set the flowers down on a table and grabbed my hand, burying her face in my palm and kissing it. “I was so scared,” she confessed. “Good thing my mom flew back with me. I was a wreck—I must’ve cried the entire way here.” She laughed. “See what you did to me?”
The sight of her standing there, so vulnerable, was overwhelming. I wanted to hold her, to assure her everything would be okay. But I still wasn’t sure where we stood. “You came back.”
“I’m so sorry, Lennox.”
I closed my eyes and let her apology wash over me. My father’s words to me flitted through my mind. We needed to talk before we did anything else. “Blake, we need—”
“No, Lennox,” she interrupted. “Let me finish. I’m not one to act like I didn’t fuck up. Because I did.” Her chin trembled and she let out a shaky breath. “I’m going to be very transparent with you, okay?”
“Okay.”
“If I start crying again, don’t tell anyone.”
