Chapter 7 Aviana Scott #2
Mira’s eyes met mine in a silent apology as we followed Jin out of the bedroom. I could see she knew Jin was being difficult, and she seemed to genuinely appreciate the effort I was putting in. I wanted to give her a nod of encouragement, but Jin’s next comment cut through my thoughts.
Arriving at the kitchen, Jin asked, “Does the kitchen have any more counter space? We like to cook a lot.”
I forced myself to take a deep breath, running my fingers through my hair to calm the growing frustration. “The kitchen’s got a good amount of counter space for the size of the condo. It’s all about how you organize it. You could always add an island or a cart for extra prep space.”
Jin’s face remained impassive as he continued to scrutinize the details. I watched him, wondering if he’d ever be satisfied.
As Jin and Mira disappeared into the walk-in pantry, I heard yet another notification on my phone in my purse.
The notifications had been relentless since I’d entered the condo.
Since I was finally alone, I pulled my phone from my purse and unlocked it, only to see a flood of fire alarm alerts from my Ring camera.
My pulse quickened as I swiped to view the live feed.
Smoke was billowing from my bedroom, but I couldn’t see anyone inside. Panic took over, and I started to hyperventilate.
Suddenly, Jin’s voice broke through my haze. “Did you hear me?”
I blinked, realizing with a jolt that Jin and Mira had emerged from the pantry. “I’m–I’m sorry, I didn’t. But I have to go.” Jin looked slightly annoyed, but I was too frantic to care. “I’m so sorry, but I have an emergency at my house. I need to leave right now.”
Without waiting for a response, I turned and hurried out of the condo.
Standing outside my home, surrounded by the wail of sirens and the crackle of flames being doused, I felt like I was trapped in some surreal episode of The Twilight Zone.
The firefighters worked urgently to tame the blaze that had erupted in my bedroom, but the scene seemed to move in slow motion, like I was watching it through a foggy lens.
I hugged myself tightly. My mind was numb.
I had looked at the footage from our indoor cameras over and over.
There hadn’t been a break-in. Being my best friend, Mia had the code to get into the keyless entry at the front door, but it triggered the alarm since it was set.
The cameras had captured only a hooded figure slipping inside.
The footage showed the figure heading straight for the bedroom, where the smoke soon began to billow after the figure left.
Damar stood beside me, reeling from the sight of the smoke and damage.
His face was a mask of anger and frustration.
“This bitch is crazy!” he barked. “Mia’s lost her fucking mind!
” He turned toward the police officers who had just taken our statement.
“Y’all need to do your fucking jobs and find that bitch before I do. ”
I had assumed that Mia was just letting off steam when she bombed my car, so I didn’t give the police her name. But after this, I told them everything.
I placed a hand on his arm, trying to steady him. “Damar, calm down. I know you’re upset, but yelling at the police won’t help.”
He turned to me, his eyes blazing with anger. “How can I stay calm when she’s doing this? This is some crazy shit.”
I took a deep breath, trying to keep my own anger in check. “I get it, I really do, but it won’t solve anything.”
He took a long, deep breath. Though his nostrils still flared, I could see the anger slowly dimming in his eyes. He pulled me into a gentle embrace, and his strong, big arms wrapped around me.
“I’m sorry, Avi. I can’t believe Mia is doing all of this just because she got caught up.”
I held him tightly, my own heart pounding as I gently rubbed his back, trying to soothe both of us. “It’s okay. Obviously, she doesn’t want me to tell the Feds what I know. She’s just trying to scare me.”
We stayed like that for a while, wrapped in each other’s arms, the noise of the sirens and the sight of the fire fading into the background as we focused on finding peace in each other.
Though Mia was unraveling dangerously, at least, it seemed, she was pushing me and Damar more passionately together.
After the fire was finally under control and the police had finished their initial investigation, a fireman led us inside, past the charred remains of our bedroom, which now looked like a disaster zone. I could see the damage was contained to the bedroom, but there was a lot of it.
As I surveyed the room, my heart sank at the sight of our summer clothes completely ruined. The contents of the walk-in closet were now a heap of ashes and drenched fabric. I was relieved, though, that our winter clothes had been safely stored in one of the guest bedroom closets.
The fireman noted the burn patterns on the floor and walls, which showed signs of where the fire had been purposely started.
He explained that the way the fire had spread rapidly from a specific point and the evidence of accelerants pointed strongly toward arson.
He mentioned the lack of natural spread, the way the flames had been concentrated, and the presence of unusual burn marks.
All of these factors led him to conclude that someone had intentionally set the fire.
As I stood in the middle of the smoke-stained devastation, my heart ached knowing that Mia could do such a thing.
As we finished gathering what we could from the house, Damar and I headed to a hotel.
The fire had shaken me up, and though we’d managed to salvage a few important items, the damage was extensive enough that we agreed staying in a hotel was the best move until we confirmed that there was no structural damage and that the air quality was safe.
After we checked into the Sophy Hotel in Hyde Park and settled into our room, I was looking forward to unwinding and relaxing with Damar.
After everything we had been through, I wanted nothing more than to rest in the comfort of this nice hotel and spend some quality time with my man.
But as he moved to grab his keys, I felt a sinking disappointment.
“Where are you going?”
Damar paused, looking apologetic. “I have to support another promoter tonight. It’s important for business. It’s a good opportunity, and I can’t pass it up.”
I frowned in shock and disappointment. “You’re leaving me alone after everything that’s happened?”
“I’m sorry, Avi. I know it’s been a rough weekend, but this is crucial for the business, and it’s really important now that I have to remodel our bedroom.” He chuckled in an effort to lessen the blow, but that shit didn’t work, so he sighed, saying, “I’ll be back as soon as I can. Promise.”
I let out a frustrated sigh. I rolled my eyes, clearly annoyed, and turned my back to him as I pulled the covers up over me. I got comfortable, hoping just maybe I’d find some comfort and peace in the softness of the hotel linens.
I heard him approach, but I kept my gaze fixed on the TV remote, stubbornly flipping through channels in an attempt to distract myself. He leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to my cheek.
“I’m sorry, baby,” he spoke against it so close that I felt the brief warmth of his lips, but it did little to ease the frustration gnawing at me.
I responded, the sound more of a dismissive scoff than a real reply. “Mm-humph.”