Page 33 of Blaze

“We even have a lawyer in town.He’s the executor of the will.We can go to him tomorrow and have him write up exactly what our wishes are for our future kids.”

She sobs.“We just met yesterday.”

“It’s never too soon to plan, is it?”

She shakes her head.“No.I’m sure my mom didn’t plan on dying so young, nor did my dad, and yet he left me with my stepmom.I should be grateful she kept me.She could have tossed me into foster care, but I never felt like she loved me.”

“That will never happen in this house.”I climb off the side of the bed and jog over to the door.After opening it, I drag all the boxes in from the hallway.

Victoria wipes away the tears as she sits upright.“What are you doing?”

“Finding you some clothes.I love you wearing nothing but my T-shirt, but that’s not how I want you to officially meet my cousins and their spouses.”I start opening boxes and pulling out clothes.

She covers her mouth and giggles.“The loose things from the inside of the car are all dirty.Open my suitcase.That was packed to take into the bed and breakfast.”

“Ah.”I grab it and bring it to the bed before opening it.

Victoria reaches over and lifts out her toiletry bag first.She unzips it and pulls out a brush.“My hair is going to be wild when I brush it.I don’t usually brush it out when it’s dry, so prepare yourself.”

I sit on the edge, grinning like a loon.She’s so beautiful.Does she not realize that’s the only way I will ever see her?I don’t care if her hair is wild and untamed or a messy bounce of ringlets.

While she brushes, she nods toward the bag on her lap.“Can you find me a hair tie?”

I love that she trusts me to dig through her things.It feels so intimate and personal.

I quickly locate a black scrunchie and hold it up.“This?”

“Yep.”She gathers her hair at the top of her head and holds out a hand to take the hair tie from me.

I’m transfixed as she wraps it around the bundle of curls, doubling it until it’s up in a perfect bun.

“Why are you grinning?”she asks.

“Because you’re so gorgeous.”

She rolls her eyes.“I’m a mess.I’m covered in bruises.My hair needs some serious help.And there’s a gnarly gash down my leg.”She holds up a finger.“Oh, and that’s just what people can see on the outside.The inside… Whoa, baby…” She rolls her eyes to the ceiling.

I chuckle.“Tell me about the inside, Victoria.”I want to say her name often because it makes her light up when I do.I had no idea she’d experienced so much trauma.She’s mine now.That shit is in the past.

At the same time, I’m worried.I don’t like the way the hairs rose on my arms when she told me about her childhood.Something doesn’t feel right.I’m going to hire a private investigator immediately.

She sighs as she hands me her brush and leans over to pull clothes out of her suitcase.

I watch, mesmerized.She tugs out a plain white bra and panties.Not a matching set.More like practical items.She rummages more and ends up choosing jean shorts and a pink top.

With all this in her lap, she looks up at me.“The inside… It’s messy in there.The best years of my life were at college.I pretended to be a normal girl.Someone from a normal home who showed up as a freshman, smiling and meeting new people.I had never been away from home and surrounded by people who didn’t know me.”

I set my hand on her thigh, listening intently, holding her gaze.

“I was so fake, but it didn’t matter.I felt normal for the first time in my life.Just one of thousands of co-eds.I told anyone who asked that my mom couldn’t be there because she was working.”Victoria rolls her eyes.“I’ve never known Sheila to work a day in her life.”

Sheila… So that’s her name.

“But I followed the other girls’ lead, made myself soundnormal.And I had a great four years.But then it was over.I had to tuck my tail between my legs and go home.I don’t even know why my stepmom encouraged me to move back in with her.She isn’t my real mom.She’s never shown any particular interest in me.I always felt like I was a random foster kid, beholden to her for taking me in.Which is essentially what happened.”

I grit my teeth.I hate this for her.I don’t know what to say.She needs me to listen, so I do.I have questions, but I won’t ask them yet.

Victoria sighs.“Sorry.I don’t mean to trauma dump on you.”