Page 103 of Fire Fight

“Her, too.” Cadence relaxes and I understand her fear. “Just because I’ve completely fucked up my great forgiveness speech doesn’t mean I don’t like her. She’ll always be welcome to stay, shitting into a bucket and hoping the next rest area has a public toilet.”

She explodes into outraged giggles against my chest, and I paint the picture with broader strokes.

“I could learn a trade and earn some real money while you complete school—”

“I’m useless at school.Youshould stay at school while I earn money.”

A doubtful noise drifts from my mouth. “But you’ll only earn seventy percent what I would, so… you do the math.”

Cadence clicks her tongue. “Except I can’t because as I just pointed out, I’m rubbish at lessons. But if you’re worried aboutearning potential, I’ll become a stripper. That’ll get rid of the gender pay gap.”

“No chance.” I pop my biceps, letting them prove my point.

We fall silent for a while, our breathing synching.

“Can we really go today?”

“Sure. What would we stay for apart from Emily’s cooking?”

She snuggles against me, and I can’t imagine what else I could ever need in life when I have her safely within my arms.

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

CADENCE

I’m in the kitchen,foraging for snacks to take back to Drake’s room, when I hear a car pull into the driveway. Through the side window, I watch a middle-aged woman emerge from the driver’s side.

Her face is vaguely familiar and I’m still trying to place it when Hudson gets out of the passenger side. Their shared resemblance is what I see. She must be Hudson’s mum.

My stomach muscles tense.

During last week’s apology, he said she was a high-powered lawyer and, judging from the way she hammers on the door, she’s not in the best mood.

I sneak halfway across the lobby as Arnold answers the door, sticking close to the wall where they’re less likely to spot me. The woman’s voice is strident enough to carry, and it doesn’t take a brainiac to work out why they’re here.

As I inch closer, Drake comes into view, sitting at the top of the stairs. He rolls his eyes, smiling. “Your little boyfriend is heavy on the drama.”

I raise my middle finger at the first part, my eavesdropping abruptly ending when Arnold shouts out, “Cadence? Blaine? Can you come down here?”

His face is rosy with anger, but it doesn’t leak into the controlled calm of his voice. Despite his injuries, Drake hustles downstairs, manoeuvring until I’m behind him.

Hudson is furious.

Crimson blotches mottle his face while his hands are balled into fists.

His mother isn’t much better. If they were cartoons, clouds of steam would pour from their ears.

“You’re Blaine?” she asks, stepping straight into his personal space. “I don’t know what you thought you were doing, torching my son’s car, but it’s the last—”

“Stop right there.” Arnold puts a hand in her face, not allowing any room for misunderstanding. “I said you could ask my son and stepdaughter questions. Not yell accusations.”

“It’s what happened,” Hudson insists, backing up his mother. “Your son poured a chemical accelerant inside my car and set it alight.” When his eyes meet mine, they’re hard but as he keeps staring, his expression gradually softens. “Can’t you tell him, Cadence? You know what happened.”

“I know your car was on fire but Drake—sorry—Blainetried to stop it spreading.”

It’s the truth but as Hudson stares at me, I see the disappointment etched in his face. He gives a bitter laugh. “Is that what he told you?”

“That’s what Isaw.”I think of Gretchen trying to give him an alibi and Drake’s immediate dismissal. “What about the cameras? They’ll show you who was involved.”

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