“Hey, if anyone’s up there, you’d better get out of this house right now.”
Only silence. I nod and pour more gas.
Blairs heads outside, looking smug, and I stop on the threshold. “You know what, Cowan? You always thought you were above everyone. You always imagined you were worthy of praise and admiration because you have a talent and a gift, and you think that makes you better than everyone around you. But you’re wrong. You couldn’t be more wrong.” I close the gas cannister and take out a lighter. “Your disdain of people is your downfall.”
Cowan finally struggles to his feet, his eyes wide. “Wait, no. What are you doing?”
“Hurting you the only way I know how, since you don’t give a fuck about anyone but yourself and your stupid, pathetic films.” I flick a flame into life and toss it onto the line of gasoline.
Cowan screams. The gas catches and roars to life, flying back toward his cutting room. I hurry away, dragging Blair with me, and Cowan’s screams get desperate and wild and pained, but he doesn’t come out.
The fire roars to life. We stand in the street watching as the heat blasts against us, shockingly oppressive. I casually toss the gas can under Cowan’s car. Hopefully, it explodes and leaves another ruined wreck on this block.
“Think the fire department will come out here?” Blair asks softly.
“Eventually. Maybe.” I shrug, honestly not sure. “Think he’s going to let himself burn in there?”
“No, I doubt it. He’s got too much of an ego.” As if on cue, Cowan comes barreling out and down the steps, coughing wildly as smoke pours out after him. He stumbles, falls, hits the concrete, and rolls. He’s not on fire and it’s pretty funny watching the piece of shit degrade himself like this. Eventually, he gets to his feet again and hurries way, finally collapsing in the street nearby.
He begins to sob. Slowly at first, then wailing like a dying animal as the house truly begins to burn. The heat is amazing and we have to back off even further, over toward the car. Kenny gets out, staring in total shock, before he goes over to Cowan and kicks the old director. “That’s for all the shit you put me through, you piece of garbage,” he screams and kicks Cowan again. “I hope you rot, you filthy old fuck.”
The smoke is thick and tar black and fills the sky with ash and particulate, and I like to imagine Cowan can literally taste his life’s final work going up in flames.
“By the way,” I call out to the old director as he sobs into his hands. Kenny glares death at him, apparently not afraid to show his face all of a sudden. “Your former assistant here gave us the password to your Dropbox. There are no digital backups anymore. It’s all gone, you piece of shit. Every last stolen frame. All that hard work. It’s gone.”
He only cries harder, an old, broken man in his underwear, watching the last decade of his life go up in smoke.
Something touches my hand. I look over and it’s Blair, smiling as she watches the house burn. Our fingers lace together and my heart does flips, excitement coursing through my veins. I move closer, and we stand there, waiting until we hear the sirens in the distance before we finally turn back to the car. “Time to go,” I say to Kenny and he hops into the back seat.
But before we get inside, I pause and pull Blair close. “I really love you, Blair,” I whisper and kiss her softly.
She kisses me back. “I love you too. Stop smiling like that, I’m still mad.”
“I know you are.”
“You’re going to work to earn me back.”
“You know I will.”
Her lips break out into a huge grin. “Yeah. I know you will.”
I kiss her as the building burns behind us, pumping all our darkness into the sky.
Chapter29
Blair
Five Months Later
The Blair is electric.Every seat is packed, the concession stand is mobbed, and the air feels like it’s supercharged. Baptist puts an arm around my shoulders, hugging me closer, and I put a hand on my clearly swollen, pregnant belly.
“What do you think?” he asks as the band walks out on stage and everyone goes insane. The lighting drops, changes, colors shift, and the show truly begins.
“I think it’s incredible,” I say.
Pride begins to play. They’re a massive local band from the Philly area, and Marie was able to get them to headline our first show, mostly as a favor. They’ve been blowing up, and the show sold out in like ten minutes—which is the perfect way to reopen a venue.
Ansell and Marie stand nearby. I grin at Marie and she smiles back, and even Ansell gives me a little nod—though he never smiles. Marie puts a hand on her belly, and I know she’s mirroring my pose, because she’s pregnant too. Our kids won’t be that far apart, and if we’re lucky, they’ll be friends. I can already see our future, the two little ones running around the theater together, watching the shows, enjoying the music and whatever else. The idea makes me smile, and I lean against Baptist as the music rips from the speakers.