“I fucking knew it!” I knew it! “I knew you had been waiting to say I told you so for months now!”
“But did I not tell you so?”
“For fuck’s sake, Mel! How was I supposed to know they were raising an army? Your magical gut didn’t tell me all that!”
“I knew she was a problem!” Mel counters.
“Which is why I said go ahead and kill her but have a valid reason. Now you are—”
“What’s that smell?” She paused to asked me.
I paused, too. And it was only when we were both quiet that we heard the whistle along with the scent of gasoline. I glanced down to the bloodshot eyes of the midget as he moved slightly, a smile on his face as he lit a match with his hands.
“Fuck!”
“Window!”
Running toward it, I felt the heat and saw the blaze rise like a fireball from hell in the reflection of the glass before bracing myself as we broke through the pane. The night sky was a blur before the rush of cold water engulfed me. Pieces of debris, wood, glass, and metal flew into the water with us. Sinking to bottom, I searched for Melody, only for her to find me first. Her hand linked with mine, pointing to the opposite corner of the pool. Even under the thick layer of water, I could hear the house erupting into flames above us.
It felt like hours had gone by, but we needed to make sure no one was outside. Slowly, I lifted my head out of the water behind a piece of a broken chair.
No gunshots were a good sign.
Rising out of the water onto the ledge, I took a breath before rushing to Melody’s side of the pool, sticking my arm in. A second later, she floated up.
BANG!
“Liam!”
I am really too old for this, I thought as I saw her beautiful face pass me and I hit the water.
Damn her gut.
And damn that fucking bitch, Calliope.
ETHAN
“Are you thinking about me?” she asked, sticking her head right in front of mine as if she were a damn cuckoo bird.
“No.”
“Weird, I could I have sworn I felt someone curse me,” she replied, taking a seat on my lap, even shifting a little to make herself comfortable. The smell of vanilla and rose in her long brown hair now filled my nose. Her red lips spread into a slight smile. Her gray eyes bore into me as she brought her face closer. “And seeing as how you are mad at me, I figured we’d talk it out before I go.”
“Calliope, I’m trying to read.” I waved the tablet beside her head just in case she hadn’t noticed.
“I’m thinking of having a family dinner this week.” She didn’t look at it because she did notice and didn’t care. “Tonight is date night.”
“Calliope—”
“What do you think? Dinner or the opera?”
I turned my head, looking back to the document I was reading.
“Dinner it is.”
There really was no point in my speaking. She was fully capable of having a conversation without me.
“Ethan, you are supposed to interject and say, ‘But aren’t you going to be tired after spending your whole afternoon at brunch, my love, la mia anima?’”