Read Things Lost In The Fire for Free Online Page A

know you don’t like to talk about it, but I’m sure just being here brings it all back up again. You survived, Sadie. You got lucky or saved or whatever you want to call it, and then you survived every day since. Not many people would’ve been strong enough to do that.”
    “I ran,” Sadie replied, irritated with herself. “At the time I had no choice, but I could’ve come back. I was—am—just too afraid.”
    “Well, maybe this is one of those ‘everything happens for a reason’ things,” Tess suggested. “You kept your distance for a long time, but then Valerie gets sick and you make up your mind to come back. And maybe while you’re here, you’ll discover some reasons to stay for good this time.”
    “I don’t know about that.” Sadie laughed, nervous at the thought. She took her hand back and drank more wine.
    “Hey, you never know,” Tess mused. “Maybe you’ll wake up tomorrow and feel brave enough to try out the stage.”
    Sadie coughed and shot her friend a horrified look. “No way. Absolutely not.”
    Tess chuckled, her shoulders lifting in a shrug. “Just a thought. You know, you really are good. People love you. Well, they love Piper Gray.”
    “What if someone recognizes me?” Sadie asked, mortified by the thought. “My cover’ll be blown. I’ll have to shut down my page, get rid of all my videos. I’ll never be able to sing again.”
    Tess looked at her for a long moment. When she spoke, there was curiosity in her voice. “Why do you think you can’t sing as Sadie McRae? Why can you only sing as Piper?”
    “Because then my parents will find out, and the press will be crawling all over my grandparents’ house, demanding interviews and pictures of me. My life will be over. I don’t want the spotlight. It scares me more than anything else in the entire world.”
    Tess nodded. “I get that. But I really don’t see the harm in doing a couple shows as Piper Gray. No one’s going to think twice about you being anyone other than who you say you are. It’ll be fun for you, and it’s a risk I think you’re ready to take.”
    Sadie’s lips parted in a silent retort, though she couldn’t find the words. She turned away and sipped her wine instead, draining the glass. She shook her head. “I don’t know.”
    “You’re thinking about it though, aren’t you?” Tess pushed, eager now. “C’mon, I know the guy that manages The L.A. Rock Lounge. It’s just down the street and it’s not that big of a place, so it’ll be a low key show. I bet we’d sell out the second we made the announcement. People have been begging for a Piper Gray live show.”
    “I know.” Sadie bit her lip, her heart galloping at the thought. “I’m scared, Tess. What if I mess up? What if they hate it?”
    “You won’t and they already love you, so don’t worry about it. You have talent, girl. It’s in your freaking genes.” Tess rose to her feet and slipped Sadie’s empty wine glass from her hand. “Now go take that shower while I order pizza and pour us more wine.”
    “Yes, ma’am.” Sadie teetered to her feet, buzzed from the wine and giddy at the thought of performing. She carried the nerves with her into the shower, surprised she couldn’t wipe the silly grin off her face.

    SHE DRIFTED over the lake in her grandfather’s canoe. Her arm stretched out over the side, her fingertips desperate for a taste of the calm, cool water. It should have been so close, and yet it seemed to fall away, almost like a mirage.
    Sadie kept her balance with her other arm, her weight causing the side of the boat to drop deeply into the water as she reached. Tendrils of her honeyed hair spilled over her shoulders, caressing the skin of her arms.
    Almost there. Almost…
    Beneath the waters she could see nothing but a haze of murky blue. It only frustrated her more. Had she floated too far from her cove? Where was she?
    The sound of pealing laughter ripped through the silence. Sadie pulled her arm back