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Dani looks up at Officer Samuels. “What’s going to happen if it is him?”
“Ultimately, it’s up to the judge. However, we are pushing for attempted rape and with arson charges on top of that, he will most likely be looking at ten to fifteen years behind bars.”
“Good,” she nods.
Officer Samuels gets us all to sign some paperwork and asks us to meet them at the girls’ place in a few hours to go through their possessions.
We head out together and have lunch down at Micky’s. I ply Dani with a few drinks to help prepare her for what we’re about to see.
As instructed, we arrive at the girls’ place a few hours later to inspect the damage.
Dani climbs out of my SUV and stands firmly in the grass before the house, looking up at it in horror. I reluctantly rip my eyes from hers to the house and find it barely a skeleton of the home that was here just yesterday. The structure is black and smoky with the whole front burnt to a crisp. I can’t imagine what the inside looks like, let alone what the girls and Jared must be feeling right now.
Sophie hops out of Tank’s truck and walks over to Dani, reaching out to take her hand. They both stand in silence as they take in what’s left of their home. I glance over to Jared to see him making his way over to the girls. He wraps his arms around them both and pulls them into his chest. The girls cry into him, and he does his best to soothe them. I desperately want to go to Dani and tell her everything is going to be okay, but she needs this moment with her friends.
Officer Samuels comes out of the house wearing a grim expression, followed by a few others, all sporting bright yellow hard hats. Her eyes land on our group and she makes her way over. She reaches out to Sophie and places a gentle hand on her shoulder.
Sophie turns around as Jared drops his arms, and the three of them concentrate on whatever Officer Samuels is saying. A few moments later, Dani turns around and walks over to us. “We’re going in,” she says, looking down at the ground. “We’ll need hard hats.”
“Okay,” I say, taking her hand and leading her over to the truck that holds all the equipment. I grab a few hats and help her to put one on. I knock her on the head and smirk when she finally smiles up at me, a silent message letting me know she’s as alright as she can be. I put on my hat and lead her over to the others before handing out the rest of the hard hats.
Once we’re all ready, we follow Officer Samuels into the house.
Dani gasps as we bypass the living room, tightening her hold on my hand as she takes in the charred remains of her home. I pull her closer and hold her to me as we make our way deeper into what used to be their home.
The kitchen is the same as the living room; absolutely gone, and unable to wait a moment longer, Sophie takes off and heads down the hallway toward her room with Tank following. Jared and Ashton do the same, and I lead Dani toward her room and stop her halfway down the hallway. I turn her in my arms and look down at her. “Are you sure you’re ready to see this?” I ask as I study her reaction.
Her eyes begin to water. “No. But it’s now or never, right?”
I rub my hands up and down Dani’s arms as she takes a deep breath. She turns back around and continues down the blackened hall. She stops by her door, takes another deep breath, and steps over the threshold.
Chapter 21
Danielle
I step into what used to be my bedroom and sink to my knees onto the sooty carpet as a loud sob rips through my chest. I’m distantly aware of Miller behind me, holding onto my shoulders as I cry into my hands.
This place had been my home since the day I left Brett. It had been my salvation from a bad life, the place where I became whole again.
I glance around my room to find absolutely nothing. The room is barely a frame. My bed, my camera, my laptop, my clothes, all of my possessions. Just gone.
Miller grabs me under my arms and hauls me to my feet so he can hold me tight to his chest as I cry into his shirt. I feel his hand rubbing circles on my back as he tries to soothe me. “They’re just things. Things can be replaced,” he tells me. “It will be okay.”
I nod into his chest. I know he’s right, but it doesn’t change the fact that it still hurts like a bitch. I don’t know what I would do without him today. He has been my rock, keeping me going when all I’ve wanted to do is crumble into a ball and give up. I pull myself out of his arms and make my way around the room, making note of everything before coming to my closet, hoping to God that something might have survived inside.
