chapter 32

zoe Half an hour earlier “Did you grab the paint thinners?” I ask Ava as we line up at the hardware store. She rummages through her basket and holds up the tin, and I nod. We’re revamping some outdoor furniture and stopped on our way to the school to grab a few things before picking up the kids. “You think it’ll get it off?” Ava asks, reading the instructions on the back. “Yeah, it’ll work. Just don’t get it on your skin, it burns like a bitch,” I tell her while we go through the self–checkout. I take the tins from her and quickly scan them, then pay for our items before walking back out to my little car. We’re loading everything into the trunk when I hear the screech of tires on the road and we look over our shoulders to see a red van race past at alarming speeds. Both of us watch the commotion on the main street before the car leaves our sight. “Geez! Asshole. It’s school time,” Ava says, shaking her head. I sigh, quickly closing the trunk before climbing into the driver’s side. I’ve