Chapter Nine
Amy
I looked at my phone for the thousandth time, wondering if I should at least give Eric a call. After I got home, I unpacked all the groceries that Eric had bought for me, having a good laugh at some of the things he had put in there. While most of it was things that I loved to eat, he had thrown items such as pickles and sardines, a nod to crazy pregnancy cravings.
I hated to admit it, but he had made my day in more ways than one.
Sighing, I threw the phone on the bed beside me, rubbing my full stomach lightly. He was trying, I had to give him that at least, and I was torn on whether or not to let him into my life, into this baby’s life. I wouldn’t intentionally shut him out, but if I found out that he had anything to do with the club fire or anything else that was going on, then I would kill him on the spot. It was going to be hard enough to explain this to my father, and once the identity got out, I knew it wasn’t going to be easy.
But still, I was glad it was Eric. We’d had some good times before all hell broke loose, both in bed and out.
***
I eyed the place with some trepidation.
“I thought we were going back to the fret house?”
Eric chuckled as he shut off the engine, his grin causing my insides to melt.
“Not yet. What? Are you scared?”
I drew in a breath.
“No, I’m not scared. I just… I can’t skate.”
“What?”
I looked over at him, wanting to deck him for the grin on his face.
“I can’t skate, okay? I never learned.”
Eric reached over and caressed my cheek, his warm hand reminding me of the heat we had just experienced at my place. The fret house had now turned into a meeting place for us, allowing us to jump each other’s bones as quickly as possible without wasting time getting to his place or mine. I had even continued to wear dresses so that we would have easy entry, having barely enough time to kick off my heels before he was on me, his hands caressing my skin and making me want so much more.
It was enough to drive a person crazy.
“Come on,” he finally said, reaching for the door. “I’ll teach you.”
I grumbled as I climbed out, my heels sounding on the pavement as I followed him to the door. Skating was something that Hayley did really well, but I had never picked it up, clinging to the railing along the sides of the rink while she blew past me with a laugh. It was my worst nightmare, being here.
Eric took my hand as we walked inside, and I was glad that there was hardly anyone there at this time of night, the entire rink dark except for a few neon blacklights. Good. No one would see me bust my ass tonight.
“Size?” Eric asked, pulling out his wallet to pay.
“Seven-and-half,” I grumbled, taking the skates that I was handed and walking to the bench.
Eric joined me, and I laughed as he handed me a pair of socks, realizing I was wearing heels.
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome,” he responded with a grin on his face. “I swear they are clean.”
“You seem way too happy about this,” I replied as I slipped on his socks and shoved my feet into the skates.
“It’s been quite some time since I’ve been on skates,” he responded as he shucked his boots and did the same. “I used to go skate every day after school. It was a way for me to forget who I was.”
There was something in his voice that made me pause from asking any more questions, realizing I knew nothing about his life or how he had grown up. Apparently, it hadn’t been all roses.
He stood and held out his hands.
“You ready for this?”
I drew in a breath as I placed my hands in his.
“You ready to catch me when I fall?”
His eyes grew soft.
“Always.”
***
That night, I had had the time of my life. Eric, true to his word, had caught me every single time while trying to teach me how to skate. I had just enjoyed the fact that we were two people in each other’s arms, having the time of our lives.
And now he was still trying to catch me.
Blowing out a breath, I grabbed the phone again. I really should thank him for the groceries and maybe, just maybe, invite him over for dinner. It would give us a chance to clear the air and decide what we should do next. I didn’t want to go through this by myself.
A sound of glass shattering had me jumping out of bed, reaching into the nightstand to grab my gun in the same breath. Tonight, I had two guards posted outside courtesy of my father, showing me that he was still worried about my safety.
I just hoped it was one of them and not something else.
Grabbing my phone, I walked down the hall toward the kitchen, my gun clenched in my sweaty hand. I wasn’t afraid to shoot anyone, but I would prefer not to.
It was then when I smelled it.
“Oh god,” I breathed, stopping at the doorway to the kitchen.
The kitchen was on fire, the churning smoke starting to grow thick and black. The fire was already licking up the wall, catching the cabinets on fire, and I turned away, coughing as I hurried back down the hall. I knew I needed to get out, but I didn’t want to leave without my purse and the photos at my bedside, the ones I had pulled out from my cleaning earlier today.
They were all I had of happier times.
Hurrying into the bedroom, I reached for my bag and threw the pictures and my gun in it, sliding a pair of sneakers on my feet. The smoke was starting to make its way to the back of the house, and I pulled a blanket off the bed, my eyes watering as I threw it over me, covering my mouth with a piece of it.
Now I had to get out.
The flames were licking out of the kitchen as I made my way down the hallway, and I fought the urge to panic, the smoke thick and black.
I was not going to die in this house. I was not going to die like this.
My coughing became greater as I hugged the wall, feeling a bit lightheaded as I dropped to the floor for clean air. I could see the front door, but the wall of fire was starting to grow, moving into the living room, and if I didn’t hurry, I was going to be trapped.
Suddenly, the door kicked open, and I cried out weakly as Eric’s frantic voice filled the air, waving my hand so that he could see I was here.
“Shit,” he breathed, his eyes wide as he reached me, scooping me up without any hesitation.
I clung to him as we dodged the flames and made it outside into the cool night air, my coughing growing in intensity as he sat me in the grass a good way from the house. His hands found my face and he forced me to look at him.
I had never seen him so scared in his life.
“Are you okay? Dammit, Amy, say something.”
“My house,” I forced out, my throat scratchy and voice hoarse.
He blew out a breath.
“Don’t worry about the fucking house. Are you okay?”
I nodded, and he grabbed me against him, the smell of smoke wafting into my nostrils.
“Thank God. I didn’t… I was so fucking scared when I saw the flames.”
“You came,” I whispered, clinging to him, tears leaking out of my eyes.
“Of course,” he said roughly, his hand smoothing my hair. “I’ll always be there.”
I believed him. If he hadn’t come when he did, I would have died in that house.
The sound of sirens filled the air, and Eric drew back, his expression serious.
“I have to go.”
I grabbed his arm, frantic that he was going to leave me alone.
“Don’t, please.”
He cupped my cheek, his eyes tender.
“I have to go Amy. I… your father will be here soon, and I don’t want you to have to explain my presence. I… this shit is tearing me apart, but know that I had nothing to do with this.”
“Eric,” I said weakly as he pressed a kiss to my forehead before rising from the ground. “Please.”
He looked down at me, his jaw clenched tightly.
“I love you.”
I gasped as he walked away, disappearing into the smoke that was coming from my house as the sirens grew louder. Before I knew it, I was being helped onto a stretcher and handed some oxygen, while the fire fighters started to battle the blaze.
“Amy!” my father yelled out as he jumped out of his still moving car, a frantic Tessa trying to put the car in park, so she could join him.
I saw the panic on his face, and tears sprang to my eyes as he stopped short of the stretcher, falling to his knees. Tessa touched his shoulder before coming to my side, tears in her eyes.
“Are you okay? What happened?”
I gave her a weak smile, the oxygen helping clear out the smoke.
“I’m fine. Just a little smoke inhalation.”
She looked around, seeing the paramedics also tending to the two guards that had been knocked out.
“Oh God, Amy, this… you could have died.”
Oh, I knew that. If it hadn’t been for Eric, I would have died.
My father finally joined us, his jaw clenched tightly and his eyes haunted.
“Are you alright?”
“She’s fine,” Tessa answered for me, patting my hand. “She’s coming home, tonight.”
Considering I had nowhere to go and no belongings, save what I had in my purse, I couldn’t argue with her words.
My father reached out and touched my cheek briefly, and I was surprised to feel his hand shake under my cheek. He was rattled.
“Yeah, you are coming home.”
I burst into tears then, clinging to him as he gathered me into his arms and patted my back awkwardly. My house was gone. I had nearly died. Eric had told me he loved me.
My life was so screwed up it wasn’t even funny.
Finally, he pulled back and stepped away, grabbing his phone in the process. I knew what he was thinking and, unfortunately, I was thinking he was right about it.
But why had Eric come to my house tonight? Had he come to make amends or because he knew something like this was going to happen? I hoped not, I hoped he had nothing to do with this.
After his words, I felt like he didn’t.
“Come on,” Tessa said, wiping the tears from her cheeks. “You always have a home with us. You know that. Your father will protect us.”
I could only hope that was true. If this was the work of Grayson Barnes, he had just taken everything off the table.
No one was safe.