need to say it out loud.
“She didn’t want you to know. She begged me not to tell you. Blake said he would tell you himself, but she fought him on it, right in front of me. So I told her you were going to be the one to officially fire her, and she’d have to answer to you.”
“I didn’t need to know,” is all I can say. Blake had a right to be with whoever he wanted. Even though I didn’t.
And then…more pieces come together.
Aspen knew she was being fired.
She screwed my brother in the freezer at MY restaurant.
And then…she lied to me about it.
The fire, which is now being considered arson, was started the night Grant told me to fire her…the night Aspen and Blake were caught.
I thought Blake was gone with his friends that night. Why would they hide this from me? I can’t believe Blake didn’t tell me…or maybe I can. He knew what I’d say.
Something along the lines of, you get to be with my friend, but I don’t get to be with yours?
I push myself up; still gripping the arm rests on the chair. My focus darts to every corner of the room. Everything comes down to one thought: Aspen started the fire.
My God.
“Sit down…you don’t look too good,” Grant says. “I want you to breathe.” I can’t fucking breathe. I can hardly see straight. They shouldn’t have hidden this—them—from me. I can’t believe them. “I might be wrong, but I believe Aspen has always been slightly jealous of you. Jealousy can bring out the worst in people, as I’m sure you can understand. She had mentioned a couple of times she didn’t like being in your shadow.”
What did Blake have to do with that?
“I have to go,” I say, reaching for the door, my mind still reeling, making it hard to focus on anything.
“Felicity,” Grant interrupts my thoughts, “take the rest of the week off.” I say nothing. “You can come in Saturday if you feel up to it. Or let me know if you need more time. Whichever. Okay?” I nod. “I’m really sorry, kid.”
I run out of the office.
I make it outside, unaware of how I got here and realize I’m soaking wet in a heavy, pelting downpour. And there she is…walking in as I’m walking out. Aspen, dead-center.
What the hell is she doing here?
“Get out of my life!” I scream.
“I loved him,” is all the explanation she offers.
“And that’s why you burnt my house down with him in it?” I cry.
“What are you talking about?” she asks.
“You fucking killed Blake because you loved him?” I shove her out of my way, and fight my way into my car. I pull my door shut, pushing her arms out of the way, leaving her pounding on my window.
“Why would I kill him?” she shrieks, her voice muffled through the glass. “And why would I hurt you? I didn’t do it…I didn’t.” She falls to the ground, her head between her arms and knees.
I don’t care.
I turn the car on and take off, leaving her with the splash from my tires kicking up behind me.
I can’t even look in my rear-view mirror. I can’t look at her.
I drive to Mom and Dad’s, blowing through multiple stop signs on the way. The car is barely in park when I jump out.
I pound on their door, shouting for them to open up. The fifteen seconds it takes for them to answer is long enough for the rain to completely saturate my clothes again. I don’t hear much when they pull me inside. My own thoughts are too loud to focus on what either of them are saying. Mom disappears as Dad’s arms loop around me, locking me in tightly against his pillowy chest. He strokes the back of my hair, and a shushing noise hums through my ears.
“Breathe,” I finally hear. Mom places a towel around me and pulls me down onto the couch. I sit huddled between them, crying, wheezing, and coughing. I might vomit. My stomach is twisting and turning and feels sour like I’ve eaten something bad.
“I think it was Aspen,” I cry out. “I think she started the fire.”
“Honey,” Dad says. “What are you talking about?”
For a split second clarity washes over me. The tears stop and the heaviness in my chests breaks apart. They don’t know about the investigation…the arson.
I tell them as briefly as I can. “I think I’m being set up.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
MOM HAS BEEN in the kitchen for a