The Stranger Behind My Orgasm novel Chapter 60

Chapter 60: FIRE

Finnegan

There were firefighters on my fucking lawn.

My eyes moved up the building of my home, where a thin thread of smoke was still curling from the kitchen wing, heavy in the night air.

Victoria was on the sidewalk wrapped in a grey blanket, two paramedics crouched around her. Her hair was loose, spilling over her shoulders,and her mascara ran in long black lines down her face.

She cradled a picture frame against her chest. My brother’s face pressed against the blanket like she was shielding it from the smoke.

I crossed to the head firefighter. "What happened?"

"It was a kitchen fire, sir. We were able to contain it to the east wing, but the damage is significant though. We’ll assess the building some more tomorrow but I wouldn’t recommend anyone staying in the building tonight."

"Finn," Victoria sniffed behind me. "I didn’t mean to. I was making a casserole and I... I forgot it was in the oven. I went to lie down and when I woke up the smoke alarm..."

She pressed her lips together, fresh tears spilling over her cheeks. The sight unnerved me for two reasons. Fifteen years of our marriage had been mostly Victoria trying to guilt trip me with her tears. The second reason was Victoria didn’t cook.

I had never once seen Victoria Wolfe set foot in a kitchen with any intention beyond locating where the wine was. She didn’t make casseroles, she barely even knew where the oven was.

"Get in the car," I muttered, before turning to the firefighters. "Please keep me informed."

"Of course sir,"

James held the door for Victoria to slide in the backseat, still clutching the photograph and the blanket. I got in beside her and the car pulled away from the smoke, the lights and the neighbors watching from their driveways.

"Why did you bother cooking?" I asked, turning to face her just in time to catch a smirk on the corner of her mouth. It disappeared once she noticed I was looking.

Cold rage moved through my veins as I realized. "You did it on purpose?"

Her head snapped around. "What?"

"You set it on purpose."

"Finnegan." She gasped, clutching the blanket around her. "That is....how could you even.... James," She turned toward the front seat. "James, did you hear what he just said to me?"

This was her usual reaction when I caught onto her games, Fortunately for James, he kept his eyes on the road. He knew better than to fucking interfere in our discussions. Immediately, I put up the partition.

"I can’t believe you." Her voice broke again but I could see through her theatrics. "My home just burned and you’re accusing me of... I could have died in there, Finn,"

"But, you didn’t," I spat. "And would you quit the melodrama, why the fuck did you burn the house down?"

Was Victoria going nuts?

She broke into a sob, turned back to the window, her shoulders shaking. I watched her for a moment, unable to believe what the hell I was seeing.

When did she become like this? Why would she burn down our house? There had to be some reason, some reason I couldn’t fathom now.

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