Clarissa's POV

A family vacation. I wasn’t sure if that’s what we needed now, but it would be good to get out of the house. Maybe this could help Willow’s mood improve as well.

I was in the middle of packing. We would be leaving in a few minutes.

“It’s a beach house,” Autumn said, walking into my room. “That means I get to choose your swimsuits.”

I shook my head. “Did you forget about a certain tattoo on my body?”

I still couldn’t let anyone see it. Besides, Damon already thought I’d gotten rid of it.

“It’s okay. That’s why we have the cover-ups you usually use. I have fancy ones that will have Damon’s head spinning,” she teased.

Autumn seemed to believe that Damon would soon confess his feelings for me, but I didn’t think it would be that simple.

“And what about Willow?” I asked her. “We need to help her relationship with Dante. Those two act like they’re strangers. I understand they were strangers before Anya died, but we have to help them.”

Autumn nodded. “I’ve already been thinking of ways to help her. Dante’s heart does belong to Anya, which means none of this is going to be easy. Willow would also feel like she’s betraying her sister by being with Dante. However, I have noticed her cheeks turn red whenever he’s close to her. I think there’s a good chance she has a little crush on him.”

“Really?” I asked, suddenly very eager to know more. “Why didn’t I notice that before?”

She laughed. “Maybe because you’re too caught up in your love life to notice anything happening around you.”

That was true.

Was this a good time to mention the fire incident? I’d kept this a secret from Autumn, and I didn’t know why. I hadn’t told anyone that the fire had helped me escape that day. How could I explain that fire helped me escape from itself? That made no sense to me, and I was sure it would make zero sense to everyone else as well.

But Autumn had always been very understanding. She was also someone I could easily trust. Out of everyone, she should at least know what happened that day.

“There’s something I have been keeping from you,” I confessed. “From everyone.”

She frowned and set the bikini she was holding aside. “You’ve been keeping something from me?” she asked. “Why? I thought we told each other everything.”

I swallowed. “I wasn’t sure how to bring it up,” I explained. “It’s something that has me a little confused and afraid.”

“And it has nothing to do with Damon?” she asked curiously.

I shook my head. “No, for once, it has nothing to do with Damon.”

“Well, tell me,” she urged. “What can be so bad that you’d consider keeping it a secret from me?”

I played with my fingers nervously. “When someone set the house on fire, I was trapped. There was nowhere for me to escape. The fire was closing in on me, and I was terrified I wouldn’t be able to return to stop the wedding. I hadn’t even found the picture until something strange happened. The fire formed a pathway in front of me. I followed it, and it led me straight to the picture. It’s only because of the fire that I was able to find it, and it’s also the reason I was able to escape. I know you might think I’m crazy or abnormal. Or maybe I hallucinated that day; I’m unsure of anything right now.”

“You’re not abnormal,” Autumn scolded me. “What about me? My father is some insane sorcerer who tried to take over the world. If anyone’s abnormal, it’s me.”

I smiled. “How do you always know how to make me feel better?”

She shrugged her shoulders. “I can’t say. It just comes to me naturally. But it’s strange the fire guided you. I’ve never heard of anything like that before. Do you think it was also trying to help you that day Damon found you in the forest?”

I frowned. Why hadn’t I thought about it before?

“I don’t think it was trying to help. It had surrounded me and was closing in. It didn’t make a pathway for me that day,” I told her. “Do you think I was hallucinating? I was surrounded by a lot of fire. The heat of the flames could have made me think I saw something that didn’t even happen.”

She gently rubbed my shoulder. “Don’t worry. We’ll figure this out.”

Atticus walked into the room and found us deep in thought.

“Every time I see the two of you together, I get scared,” he confessed. “I feel like you’re never up to any good. The two of you combined is a dangerous combination.”

“We’re not up to any mischief,” Autumn assured him. “You don’t need to worry.”

“At least I’ll be able to keep my eyes on the two of you while we’re at the beach house,” he said in a relieved tone.

Autumn rolled her eyes. “You’re being dramatic.”

“Does anyone know where Dante has been sneaking off to?” I asked them. It had been bothering me.

“No clue,” Atticus answered. “I’m going to have to follow him one of these days when he least expects it. Whatever it is he’s doing can’t be any good.”

“He’s not coping with Anya’s death very well,” Autumn sighed. “It was always obvious that Dante loved her. He was the only one out of the three of you who didn’t have eyes for another woman.”

Atticus frowned. “The only one? Does that mean Damon had eyes for another woman other than Anya?”

Autumn and I froze at his question.

I knew she didn’t mean to let that slip out, but what were we supposed to tell him now? He already suspected that Damon and I were sneaking around, but now he knew Damon was interested in someone other than Anya.

We were screwed.