Page 86 of Red Hot Harmony

The pump clicked, notifying me that the tank was full, but I was so out of it that I just continued to lean on the car and stare at the brand-new thickening cloud of smoke rising from behind the hill.

The wind had picked up and ruthlessly tore at my shirt and hair, and I could barely hear Jules on the line babbling away.

“Do you mind if I speak to Pauline?” I asked.

“Of course, but she’s not home right now. Ross took her to the studio. They’re recording some demos for the audition she’s—” Jules stopped abruptly and it wasn’t clear whether it was because it was some kind of a secret or because she realized I couldn’t care less.

“When will she be home?”

“Probably in a couple of hours.”

That was so typical of the Keatons. Acres of land burned. People fled their homes. Firefighters put themselves at risk. But Ross and Jules needed to stay on track with their kid’s career.

“I’ll stop by,” I said, pulling the fuel nozzle out. My hands shook as I clumsily set it back into the holster.

Surprisingly, Jules didn’t argue. “Of course. Let me know if there’s anything we can do.”

Well, for starters, you can get a hold of your daughter and ask her to return my call, because every minute counts.

But I didn’t say that out loud. I knew if I had, this conversation would turn into a fight and I wouldn’t be able to even speak to Pauline, let alone get her to disclose information about Ally.

“Have you gone to the police yet?”

“No.” I rounded the Jaguar and slid into the driver’s seat, then quickly shut the door and pulled Harper’s scarf down. My cheeks itched and I desperately wanted to claw at my face.

“I would if I were you, Camille,” Jules said, and somehow, it felt final.

And she was right. I didn’t know when exactly Ally had left during that six-hour window Harper thought she was asleep in his guest bedroom.

I grabbed at the steering wheel and squeezed my eyes shut, hoping to gain some clarity.

After sitting motionless for several minutes, I eventually reached for my phone and checked the voicemails.

One in particular, from Eden, I listened to multiple times.

Yes, it was shitty—what happened with Dante yesterday—but somehow, the fact that he still made an effort moved the needle in his favor. I couldn’t stay pissed him for much longer. And perhaps that meant I was weak, but being weak for Ally didn’t seem like too big of a sacrifice.

Twenty minutes later, I was pulling into the parking lot of the Woodland Hills Police Station.

10 Dante

I texted Yanneth on the way home, asking her to come over and help me with bringing my property back to its former glory. Ever the hard fucker to knock out, Malik had bounced back to normal quickly. For all the fuss his stunt that had nearly given me another stroke caused, I was expecting more fallout and a stronger resistance from the doctors.

But apparently, advice to go back to rehab was all he’d been given. Well, that and a suggestion to hurry up arranging a ride home before local roads began closing down.

I got Malik’s text asking what time I’d be picking him up from the hospital right after I messaged Yanneth, and since having him arrive at this mess I was currently staring at wouldn't be very friendly of me, I told him to give me until lunch.

That should be enough time to get things under control here, I thought to myself as I stood in the middle of my living room, showered and changed, a lollipop sticking out from the corner of my lips that were still tingling from all the kissing Camille and I had done at her house hours ago. My heart thudded against my ribcage, which, in turn, made my pulse beat faster through my veins.

It wasn’t anxiety.

It was something else.

Perhaps hope that my relationship—the one I’d screwed over so badly yesterday—with the only woman I’d ever truly cared about could still be salvaged.

But putting these complex emotions into words right now with all of Southern California on fire wasn’t my priority. They were there and that was all that mattered. Everything else served as a backdrop at the moment

Besides, I wasn’t as good with words as Frankie-boy.

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