Peace in Flames: A Peace Series Novella

by Caroline Andrus

  "Someone torched the freakin' bus depot last night!"

  Valerie’s jaw dropped. The bus depot had burned? Last she saw, Chris was still inside. Even after what he'd done, her stomach churned at the thought of anyone—even Chris—being caught in the blaze.

  "Was anyone hurt?" she asked, swallowing past a lump in her throat.

  JoJo shrugged. "No. They don't know what happened yet, but they're suspecting arson." Her eyes lit up and she leaned across the table toward Valerie. "Can you imagine? An arsonist. In Peace!"

  Valerie let out a sigh of relief. JoJo was way too excited by this, but Valerie knew that if this had happened yesterday, she would have been just as amped up at the thought of something finally happening in her boring small town. But today? Suddenly too much was happening in Peace.

  "Wow," Valerie said. "Do they know how it started? Any suspects?"

  JoJo shook her head. "No, they're not saying anything to the public yet. If only we knew someone who was a volunteer firefighter..." She trailed off and gave her best friend a sad puppy dog look.

  "You want me to ask my dad, don't you," Valerie said dryly. She didn't like to bother her dad with stuff like this, but it was temporarily keeping her mind off of Chris, so she agreed.

  They all left the trailer together and climbed into JoJo's car. They took a detour past the bus depot to check out the remains. The large brick building was marred with ash but more or less in one piece. Through the open doorway Valerie had entered and exited only hours before, she could see that some of the timber beams inside had fallen.

  JoJo parked the car on the street next to the parking lot, which was roped off with police tape. She frowned when they climbed out of the car and stepped right up to the edge of the tape to get a closer look. "I thought it would look more.... I don't know... burnt to the ground."

  "Brick isn't wood, JoJo," Valerie pointed out. "It doesn't burn." She took in the ashy monstrosity before her, then added, "Looks like a structural fire. I'd bet you anything this dump isn't safe for anyone anymore."

  "If it even was before," Liam added.

  Valerie shuddered. She stood with her arms crossed over her chest and rubbed her arms through her sweater for warmth and comfort. "Can we leave now?" Even knowing Chris was no longer here, simply being in this parking lot filled her with a sense of dread.

  They climbed back into the car and drove the short distance to Valerie's house. It was a Sunday, so both her parents were home.

  Valerie pushed open the front door and was greeted with a, "Hey honey," from her mom. She was seated on the couch when they walked in, a book in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. "Oh, hello," she added when JoJo and Liam trailed in the house behind her. She set the book and mug on the end table and stood.

  Valerie quickly introduced Liam and her mom.

  "Hey, Heather," JoJo said. "Is Mike around?"

  "He's sleeping," she answered. "I don't know if you've heard, but someone set a fire in the abandoned bus depot last night." She shook her head. "It was only a matter of time before something happened in that place. I'm just glad nobody was hurt. Burn victims would have to be airlifted all the way to Billings."

  JoJo's eyes glazed over as Valerie’s mom went into "nurse mode".

  "Wow," Valerie jumped in. "Do they, uh, know who did it?"

  She shook her head. "It's an ongoing investigation. Your dad didn't know much when he came in early this morning, just said that it was pretty bad and there was nobody in the building or near the scene."

  It was everything JoJo had already told them.

  "Oh, okay. Thanks, Mom. I think we're going to hang outside for a while. I just wanted to check in."

  "Sure, hon."

  Valerie turned to leave, when her mother said, "Oh! But you still haven't told me about the dance."

  "Later, Mom." Reliving that night was the last thing she wanted right now.

  "Promise?" Her mother wore a gleeful grin, no doubt ruminating on her own experience with the high school date auction. Valerie was certain her mother’s date hadn’t ended the way hers had.

  "Promise."

  They exited the house and JoJo took a seat on the porch swing. Liam sat next to her. Valerie remained standing, her mind flashing with memories of the previous evening. She was sure she'd never enjoy a peaceful evening sitting on that swing ever again.

  "Well, that was no help." JoJo crossed her arms and rocked the swing back and forth. She pouted in silence for a moment, then brightened. "So, what are we doing today?"

  Valerie nervously bit her lip. "I'm really not feeling the greatest." It wasn't a lie. It wasn't even that she didn't want to be around people, where she would have to lie and pretend everything was okay. She really didn't feel well.

  JoJo grinned. "Lightweight. Take it easy next time, okay?”

  She forced out a nervous chuckle. "There won't be a next time."

  "Go sleep it off," JoJo said with a roll of her eyes. She turned to Liam. "Want a ride home?"

  "Nah, I'll walk."

  JoJo shrugged. "All right. Later." She stood from the swing and walked down the steps to the driveway, across the street, and entered her own house.

  "You sure you're all right?" Liam asked quietly. He checked to makes sure no one was within earshot and lowered his voice even more. "We can still call the cops."

  She shook her head. "I'm fine." Her voice was shaky and she fought to keep it steady. "Nothing even happened anyway." She waved it off. She caught the look of disbelief on his face and quickly averted her gaze to her shoes.

  "Are you serious? Something definitely did happen."

  "No." She fought to keep calm and lowered her voice. "Nothing happened. You saw to that."

  "If nothing happened, how do you explain those bruises on your arms?"

  Her sleeves hid the skin on her arms, but she tugged them down over her hands anyway. "You're imagining things."

  He scoffed and she looked up and met his eyes now.

  "Telling yourself it didn't happen doesn't make it true." He stood from the swing, sending it gliding backward. "Call or text me if you need anything."

  "Liam," she said softly.

  He paused, his back to her. He turned his upper body and raised an eyebrow in question.

  She knew what he wanted her to say. Liam had turned out to be her knight in shining armor. She wanted to make him happy, but she couldn’t do it. She couldn’t give him what he wanted. Instead, she whispered, "You promise you won't tell, right?"

  Something dark flashed in his eyes and he nodded. "Yeah, I promise." His voice was hard and she flinched. She hoped he’d keep his word.

  Valerie spent the rest of the day confined to her bedroom, hiding from the world. Her mother dragged her down for dinner and when she commented on how quiet she was, Valerie told her she was tired. She went right to bed after dinner and slept fitfully.

  She woke up to a sunny Monday morning and groaned. She may have been able to hide herself away yesterday, but today was a school day. There was no way her parents would let her skip, and it's hard to fake sick when your mother is a nurse. She knew she would probably have to face Chris at school and the very thought made her nauseous.

  She dragged her feet getting ready. JoJo pounded on the front door and Valerie rushed to open it.

  "You weren't out front." JoJo sounded confused. Valerie was always out front waiting for her best friend.

  Valerie nodded. "Sorry. Running a little behind today."

  JoJo reached out and felt her forehead. "You okay? Punctuality is your middle name."

  Valerie faked a laugh. "I guess I'm still recovering from Saturday night."

  JoJo nodded knowingly. "All right, well, are you ready?"

  Valerie hadn't eaten breakfast yet, but with her stomach in knots, she didn't think it was a good idea to try. She nodded and together the girls walked out the front door and climbed into JoJo's car.

  The drive to school was short. JoJo parked the car in the school lot and climbed
out. Valerie was slow to follow. She dragged her book bag from the seat as though it weighed a thousand pounds, then stared at the familiar building. A wave of dread wash over her. It was hard to believe that only a week ago she was lamenting over how boring her hometown was. Amazing how that peace could be shattered in just one night.

  "Hey."

  Startled by the new voice, she swiveled to find the source. Liam jogged up to them, face red with exertion and slightly winded. He wore his leather jacket again, with a navy blue hoodie underneath, hood up of course. Valerie felt a sense of relief at his presence.

  "Hey," she said in return. JoJo nodded in greeting.

  "Ready to face another day?" he asked. She knew the words held a double meaning. Today she would have to face Chris.

  She nodded.

  The three entered the school together, Valerie sandwiched between her friends. She scanned the students and anticipated the inevitable moment she would run into her attacker. She was afraid of how angry he would be, of what he would do to Liam. And most of all she was afraid he'd hurt her again. Maybe she should go to the police...

  But nothing happened. She kept telling herself that nothing really actually happened.

  Maybe if she told herself that enough times it would become true.

  They stopped at JoJo's locker before heading to homeroom and Liam took that moment to whisper in her ear. "You okay?"

  She nodded. It was a lie, but she didn't want him to know the truth. Didn't want him to know that inside she was terrified of the moment she would come face to face with Chris again.

  JoJo finished at her locker and the trio walked down the hall to homeroom where Valerie knew she would have to face Chris. The knot in her stomach tightened as she scanned the room. He wasn't there yet, but she didn't feel any relief, just more anxiety, knowing she would have to face him and soon.

  JoJo slid into her seat and Valerie sat beside her. She wasn't surprised when Liam took the seat behind her, they didn't have assigned seats in homeroom. Slowly, other students filed in, half of them talking excitedly about their weekends, the other half groggy. The clocked ticked down the minutes until school began and there was still no sign of Chris.

  Valerie was beginning to feel calmer. Maybe he wouldn't show up today. Maybe he was staying home to lick his wounds. Or plot revenge more likely. Her sense of relief was cut short however when, seconds before the bell rang, Chris entered the classroom. His eyes roamed over the sea of students and landed on her. She inhaled sharply and held her breath. He wouldn't start something at school, right?

  He winked at her, a malicious grin spread across his face. She shuddered and averted her eyes, a cold sweat broke out across her body. She stared at her desk and tried to keep her breathing under control.

  Mrs. Robertson called the class to attention and began roll call. Valerie spent all of homeroom waiting for something to happen. But it didn't. Chris was on his best behavior. Every time he caught her eye he would wink or make kissy faces in her direction. It gave her chills. But he didn't act out.

  She spent all day waiting for Chris to make his move. Every minute was worse than the one before. She stayed close to JoJo and Liam as much as possible. By the time school let out, Valerie started to feel like maybe it was over. Maybe he would leave her alone.

  Of course it wasn't.

  Valerie's last period was her school newspaper elective, without Liam or JoJo. As she exited class, she found Chris waiting outside the classroom for her. Before she could dart back into the room, he hooked his arm around hers and guided her away from the classroom, smiling and waving to his friends the whole time. Her heart raced and all she could hear was the blood rushing in her ears. He leaned in close and whispered, "Don't think this is over."

  And just like that, he released her.

  She stood there dumbfounded in the middle of the hall. Her classmates flooded past her, eager to get to their lockers and out of the school. She was frozen in place, barely able to catch her breath.

  She willed her heartbeat to slow, his words echoed over and over in her head.

  Don't think this is over.

  Valerie loved her job. Her boss and co-workers were great, her customers loved her, and the tips she made were the cherry on top. But that afternoon Valerie dreaded the very idea of being out in public, let alone going to work.

  She couldn’t call in sick, though. She had a perfect attendance record and she couldn’t leave the diner short staffed. So she sucked it up and went to work.

  “I want to hear all about your date,” Tammy said with a grin and a wink as Valerie slipped behind the counter and pulled on her work apron.

  “It was good,” she said quickly.

  “That’s all I get?” Tammy threw up her arms. Abandoning the pitcher of ice water on the counter before her, she followed Valerie to the back room. Valerie ditched her school bag in her cubby and shrugged, her back to Tammy. She walked to the hand washing sink and scrubbed her hands.

  “Well,” Tammy huffed. “At least tell me if there is going to be a second date.”

  Valerie shrugged again, grabbing a paper towel and turning off the tap.

  “You are killing me, child!”

  “It’s… complicated,” she said, turning back to face the older woman.

  Tammy pursed her red lips—only a shade brighter than her bottle-red curls—and narrowed her eyes at Valerie.

  Wanting to escape this line of questioning, Valerie quickly darted past her co-worker and to the soda fountain counter. She grabbed Tammy’s abandoned pitcher of water and left to refill glasses for the few customers in the diner that afternoon.

  She tried to lose herself in the ordinariness of the job. She forced herself to smile and make small talk. Eventually she returned to the counter and began to wipe up a few stray spots of ice cream.

  The diner’s doorbell jangled and she held her breath, expecting the worst.

  “‘It’s complicated’ just walked in.” Tammy nudged Valerie’s side with her elbow, a grin plastered on her face, before leaving the counter to deliver an order.

  Valerie closed her eyes and let the air flow from her lungs.

  “Hey.” Liam approached the counter and took the seat in front of her.

  “Hey,” she said softly.

  Tammy crossed the restaurant behind Liam and grinned like a fool.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked him.

  He shrugged. “Just grabbing a snack.”

  She raised her eyebrows, her hazel eyes boring into his dark ones.

  He sighed. “Fine. I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

  “That’s sweet, but I’m fine.” He stared at her. “Promise.” She returned her attention to the counter and scrubbed at the non-existent spots.

  “Well, I’m going to hang out here just the same.”

  “You’re going to spend the next four hours hanging around the diner watching me work?”

  He shook his head and held up his backpack. “I’m going to spend the next four hours hanging around the diner studying.”

  She grinned; her first real smile in almost 72 hours. “Okay, then. Well, can I get you some homework fuel?”

  She took his order and left him to it.

  True to his word, Liam didn’t vacate his seat the entire evening. Even during the dinner rush, he stayed firmly planted at the counter. She was almost home free, with minutes left of her shift, when the bell above the door jangled.

  She felt Liam’s eyes on her as she stared at the door. She was frozen in place, her hands braced on the surface of the counter, breath caught in her throat. In her periphery, Liam turned his head and froze.

  “Breathe,” he said softly. He reached and gently rested his hand on hers.

  She sucked in a deep breath, his words like an incantation, freeing her of her temporary paralysis. Her eyes followed Chris as he and three of his football buddies took a seat in a booth near the entrance. His eyes found hers and he grinned.

  She shifted her gaz
e to Liam. He watched her intently, his hand still on hers. “It’s going to be okay. He can’t hurt you here.”

  She nodded. She knew Liam was right, but she couldn’t stop the fear coursing through her veins. How could she go on like this? Maybe he couldn’t do anything while she was in the diner, but what about when she was walking home? What would stop him from kidnapping her again?

  She was having an internal debate about whether or not to call JoJo to come pick her up when Liam asked, “Did you drive?”

  “What?”

  “Did you drive to work today?”

  She shook her head. “JoJo dropped me off after school.”

  “I’m driving you home. I have my mom’s car tonight.”

  Valerie glanced at Chris’ table again.

  “Can we get some service?” Chris yelled, cupping his hands to his mouth like a megaphone. He and his friends broke into fits of laughter.

  Valerie turned back to Liam. “Thank you.”

  She turned her back on Liam and found Tammy in the back, chatting with Jeff, their cook.

  “What’s up, doll face?” Tammy asked. “How’s it going out there with ‘it’s complicated’?”

  Valerie bit her lip and shifted her weight from foot to foot.

  Tammy frowned. Normally Valerie would grin or roll her eyes at a comment like that. Tammy knew something was up.

  “Fine. I have a raging headache though,” she lied. “Mind helping the group that just walked in and letting me bolt a little early?”

  “Of course. You go home and get some rest. Your boyfriend giving you a lift?”

  “He’s not—” Valerie shook her head. She didn’t have the energy to banter with Tammy just then. “Yeah, Liam is driving me so I don’t have to walk.”

  “Good. I’ll see you on Wednesday.”

  “Feel better,” Jeff called.

  She nodded in reply and gave them a wane smile before turning and walking to the employee area to grab her bag. She stopped to pull off her apron and shove it into her backpack, then returned to Liam, bag in hand.

  “Let’s get out of here,” she said, shooting a nervous glance at Chris’ table.