What if I’m not meant to leave this town?
No, I can’t think that way.
I suck in a deep breath.
They say bad things come in threes, don’t they? My house burning down is number three.
I have to trust it can only get better from here.
CHAPTER 14
NERO
The boiling water in the pot on the stove gurgles. I can hear the soft sound of Blake’s sniffles over it, coming from where she’s sitting in the living room.
My hands curl around the edge of the counter.
Don’t panic.
Do not fucking panic.
Okay, I won’t deny things may have gone a bit off the rails.
I didn’t mean for the fire to getthatbad. I meant for it to singe the walls, maybe damage the flooring. Nothing major—just enough to delay the closing by a few weeks.
But fuck. It gotbad. That bookcase went up like a bale of hay. It reminded me of that time I started a fire at the docks in Brooklyn, and I had no idea they were keeping old firewood hidden beneath the tarps. The thing made the morning news.
This will probably make theDarkwater Hollow Weeklytoo.
I drag my palms down my face. This is why Nero’s not allowed to come out and play. He doesn’t belong in this town, around these people. He causes chaos and suffering, and that’s all fine and good when his victims are deserving, but Blake isn’t.
Guilt pulses at my temples. She looked fuckingdevastated.Seeing her so upset and knowing I’m the cause of it felt worse than getting waterboarded. My moral compass might be broken, but even I know that I crossed a line with this—in retrospect—impulsive plan.
I was so worked up when she announced she was leaving. I wasn’t thinking clearly. I got what I wanted though. She definitely won't be able to leave now.
Neither Darkwater Hollow nor my house, because hers is too damaged to stay in.
She’ll stay here, with me. I fucked up, and she’s my responsibility now. She can live with me for as long as it takes to get her house repaired.
But when I go back out there with the tea and present the offer to her, her response is, “Thanks, but absolutely not.”
I blink at her over the mug steaming in my hands. “What do you mean? Why not?”
She cocks a brow, like I should know I’m asking a stupid question. “Because I don’t know you.”
“We spent Thanksgiving together,” I protest.
“Yeah, and you weren’t exactly a well-behaved guest.”
Fucking hell. You’d think she’d lose some of that bite after she just narrowly escaped a house fire, but there’s a part of me that’s thrilled I haven’t broken her.
“Look, I’m sorry about the kiss. That was out of line.”
“It was actually perfectly in line. It’s what you do. Who you are.”
I set my mug down beside hers. “Okay, is that fair? I saved you from near—“
She sputters. “Saved me? You dragged me out of there instead of allowing me to try to save my precious babies!”
