Incendiary (Inferno 4)

I have to walk quickly to fall into step beside him.

“Wait, one sec.”

He sighs as he glances down at me but gives me the couple of seconds I need to write a note to my mom to let her know why I left the store before she got there.

Priscilla will take notice and man the register until Mom arrives, so it’s not like I’m abandoning my post.

I make up an excuse, deciding it’s best to not let her know who I’m leaving with, instead writing that a friend showed up to ask me to go to dinner and an apology for not calling to tell her.

I sign it with a few hearts, then my name, before I drop the pen on the counter, smack my hand down on the desk bell, and crane my neck.

When I see Priscilla, I wave at her to let her know that I’m leaving, and she waves back with a smile.

I walk over to Luke and link an arm through his. He raises an eyebrow at me before shaking his head and pushing the front door open for me.

I always wondered what my grandfather was like.

Mom and Grandma made up so many lies about him, that I knew he had to be someone great.

And, honestly, I never thought I’d ever get to meet him, but I knew it was him when I saw the girl.

We do look alike and now I have a family that won’t lie to me or treat me any differently.

It’ll be nice to know what it’s like to be loved and wanted for once.

Mom stopped loving me when I kept asking too many questions and I never saw Grandma again after the day she said she was going to check on her other kids.

She made me feel like they were more important than me, but now I get to show them all.

I already love my grandfather more than I love them.

Now I’ll get to show him how much if he’ll let me.

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