Page 44 of Yesterday's Tomorrows

We jerked apart. Holt cursed under his breath as he reached for his phone while I inhaled deeply to calm my nerves. I tried to escape the room once again, to hide among his family, but he blocked my path and held up a finger asking me to wait. I almost ignored him since he seemed engrossed in the call until his eyes flashed to me. They narrowed as he scowled and a bad feeling formed in my gut. His answers were limited to mostly, "I see.” “Are you sure?" and finishing with, "I will" before hanging up.

"Is everything alright?" I ventured.

"That was John McCloskey. He got an update on the fire at your apartment because his name is listed as the co-signer on the lease."

"And?"

He stared at me, a dark expression on his face. "The fire marshal believes it was arson."

I staggered backward. "You mean someone started it on purpose? Who would do that?"

He peered at me with narrow eyes. "I don't know, Madelyn. Who do you think might have done it?"

"Why are you asking me?"

"Because it was started in your apartment."

22

Maddy

I backed away from him until I bumped into the dining room table. "Wh...what? Are you sure? How can they tell?"

My mind was racing. I'd been doing lots of cooking earlier that day before Serafina had knocked. Had I been so distracted I'd forgotten to turn off the stove or oven? No, I wiped down some spills on the stove top which I couldn't have done if it was still hot. Or was I remembering that moment from the night before? Details I felt certain of only seconds earlier now seemed cloudy.

"It's only preliminary, but based on the kinds of charring, they can tell there was some sort of flammable liquid used."

"Oh, my God! Who would do that? And why?" My mind was racing. Charly? It was just irony the fire happened the same day I got her second note saying she was worried about some ‘bad people,’ wasn’t it?

He crossed his arms. "I don't know, Maddy. Why don't you tell me?"

"Tell you, what? I don't know anything!" My voice was shrill, and I started shaking. I looked into his stern face. Only moments earlier it had looked warm and caring. "You think I did it, don't you?"

I was outraged. Just earlier he was trying to convince me that he knew there was more to me than my past. And now he was using that same past to damn me.

"Everything alright in here?" Cal asked from behind Holt.

"Get out," Holt demanded while I simultaneously responded, "Your brother's an arrogant, pig-headed, stupid..." I sputtered trying to find more words and finally settled for, "...ass."

Cal pushed past his brother and stopped beside me. "Well, I can't fault your assessment, but what he'd do this time?" He had an amused sparkle in his eye.

"Cal…" Holt's voice sounded ominous.

But his brother remained undeterred and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. His expression grew more concerned as he looked closer at me. "Do you need to sit? You look a little pale." He looked up at his brother. "What the hell is going on in here?"

"I'll tell you what's going on," I answered. "He tries to convince me of one thing one minute, then practices the opposite the next."

"He's bullheaded, for sure," Cal responded, pinning his brother with a glare. "Hard to believe he's a lawyer, isn't it? Always suspicious. Always stubborn. Always--"

"Fucking enough! It's not like that." Holt roared, causing other family members to come running in. "Damn it, Maddy! That's not what I meant."

"Unca Hulk, you said a bad word," little Andrew said.

Sara gathered him in her arms. "I'll take the kids upstairs," she mumbled, looking between Holt and me. As she passed Holt, she whispered something in his ear. His eyes still looked angry, but he nodded, and his shoulders relaxed slightly.

He ran both hands along the side of his head, holding the back of his head before slowly sliding them down his neck and to his sides. He took a step toward me. I tried to step backward, but the table was in my way. Cal sensed my effort and stepped slightly in front of me like a shield.

"I think you need to calm down, little bro," Cal said.

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