Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 119152 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 596(@200wpm)___ 477(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119152 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 596(@200wpm)___ 477(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
“I’m here. Please.”
Okay, that doesn’t sit well with me. Doubt swarms in my chest. Ben’s plea rings in my ears. Until I get the answers I’m looking for, I want you to stay away from her. My mind flashes with the possible outcomes. She’s here to beg for my forgiveness. Or here to kill you out of jealous rage. She wants to admit she’s crazy and make amends. Or burn the school down with you in it. She’s here to claim her love for Ben and fight me— “Oh, Jesus. You know what? Fine. Let’s chat. I think it’s about time we clear the air.” I end the call and stand.
“Are you okay, Makayla?” Christine asks, concern bleeding from her eyes.
“Yeah. Fine. Um. . . can you tell Mary I’ll be right back?”
She nods. “Sure thing.”
As I walk out, I wonder if I’m making a bad call. My brain spins with indecision. The best thing would be to turn around, go back inside, and tell her something came up. Or that we can have this chat over the phone. I also think I watch too many crime documentaries, and my mind is running away with me. To be on the safe side, I pull out my phone and text Ben, letting him know. Mid-text, my phone dies. “Again, seriously? Ugh. . .” I stall in my step. “I’ve seen this movie before.”
When I reach the bottom of the main entrance stairs, I spot Jenny at the end of the building. She’s pacing back and forth. She notices me and waves me over. My comfort level is in the negatives, and I’m quickly starting to doubt this decision. I cautiously make my way down the sidewalk. Of all the days for the parking lot to be a ghost town, this would be the one.
“Oh, God, thank you for talking to me. I know you must hate me.”
The closer I get, the more the hairs on the back of my neck raise. “I just want to get this cleared up. It’s kind of messed up, to be honest.” She’s been crying.
“I know, me too!” She clearly doesn’t know how to read body language because she comes to hug me. My nerves unravel, and I try to pull back.
“Shoot, I just remembered. Mary was waiting for—Jenny, what are you—”
Her hand shoots out. I don’t have a chance to block her. A sharp pain stabs at my neck. Every nerve ending in my body spasms, and I lose consciousness.
Chapter 36
Ben
“Why are you out here crying, duckling?”
She jolts at my voice and swipes her hands across her cheeks. “Saw you were here. Was really hoping for one night of peace from your lame face.”
I chuckle at her weak comeback and sit next to her, swinging my legs over the pool. Her hair looks shorter. “You know you love seeing this face. What’s really got you upset? Don’t like your haircut? I don’t think it looks so bad you need to cry about it.”
She turns her head to hide her tear-stained face. “None of your business. Why don’t you just beat it? I’m sure there’s some lost soul inside waiting for you to break them down.”
I try to throw a laugh and jab at her, but nothing comes. There’s nothing funny about how upset she is. “Nah, it’s my day off. Which means it’s your lucky day. You get the nice me.”
Her soft snicker does strange things to me. It’s sad. And pretty. And I don’t know. . .
“The last thing I need is anything from you, Ben Wallace. As fun as it’s been, I’m waving my white flag. I don’t have it in me tonight.”
She’s never backed down.
She’s never looked so unhappy.
“What’s the deal, Duckling?”
Her slow intake of breath makes me feel like shit. Why do I care? “What is it now? Seeking attention?”
She turns to me with eyes full of sadness and regret. “Ben Wallace, one day, I hope something or someone comes into your life and literally kicks the legs out from under you. I hope you hit your head so hard, it finally knocks sense into you. Your hate. . . it doesn’t make you a man. Only cowards use words and fists to make a point.”
She gets up, leaving me more confused than I was before she began talking.
“You good, Captain?”
I snap out of my haze and address Brady. “Yeah. Got a lot on my mind.” Not all fires end in victory. A husband and wife lost their lives today, and shit like that weighs on me.
“Like a special brunette with legs for miles and a mouth like a sailor?”
And skin so soft, it puts silk to shame. I chuckle and shake my head. “Possibly. Just glad to be off shift soon. Need some vacation time with said brunette.” I wink at him and chuckle as we pull back into the firehouse. It was just my luck we got a call minutes before I could escape. This station has been my second home for years. I’ve never cared about being off. As of late, I can’t wait to jump ship and get the hell out of here.