Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 71814 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 359(@200wpm)___ 287(@250wpm)___ 239(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71814 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 359(@200wpm)___ 287(@250wpm)___ 239(@300wpm)
“I can’t believe I’m seeing you right now. I figured I’d run into a few people I know, but I didn’t think I’d see anyone that I talked to a lot in high school,” Zoe told me.
I was glad that I’d caught her name on the emergency services radio. Maybe I would’ve run into her eventually while she was working on her story, but she would’ve been busy talking to other people and getting swept into the craziness of the case. It was nice having a moment alone with her right now before things got really intense.
Because they would.
“Well, I won’t be the only firefighter you’ll recognize,” I said as I nudged her knee through the white sheets.
Zoe lifted an eyebrow at me.
“Who else is a firefighter? I know this is a small town, but sheesh. I didn’t expect to know more than one,” she replied with a faint laugh.
Now that I was really thinking about my next words, I realized that she might not like my answer all that much.
“Garrett and Gabe,” I told her.
Zoe’s eyes widened as she leaned closer.
“Garrett and Gabe Wallace?” she questioned, her voice dropping in volume like we were sharing a secret.
A sheepish expression filled my face as I nodded.
“Yes,” I said, already seeing the tension forming in her shoulders as she stiffened. “I know you guys didn’t get along the greatest back in high school, but we’ve all grown up.”
Zoe ground her teeth as she thought to herself. She then sighed and shook her head, pinching the bridge of her nose.
“Of course they’re firefighters,” she muttered under her breath. It was hard to tell whether she was aggravated or wary. Or both.
The tension in the air around us made the atmosphere a bit uneasy and awkward. The warm, exciting mood from before was long gone now, but that was my fault. At least I got to warn her, though, so that she wasn’t blindsided when she saw them.
“Sorry for the wait, Ms. Collins. I’m Dr. Jenkins,” a voice burst from my right, catching me off guard as a middle-aged man in dark blue scrubs and a white coat strode into the room at what felt like the speed of light. Busy man.
“I’ll leave you to it. Come by the station tomorrow when you’re free,” I told Zoe as I reached out to pat her hand.
Zoe flashed me a grateful look and nodded before turning to the doctor.
I smiled a little to myself as I walked out of the hospital room, knowing that I would see her soon. She was itching to get out of here and get to work, and I was more than willing to help her however I could. The only problem was that I wasn’t sure the other guys would feel the same.
Chapter 3
Zoe
After getting discharged from the hospital and sleeping for about eight hours, it was time for me to go to the fire station and officially kick off my investigation. Despite my eagerness to dive into my work and keep my mind occupied, I was slow to get out of bed the next day. My head still spun from the intensity of last night, and pain crackled throughout my side and upper back from my fall.
Some slow breathing and a Tylenol were good enough to get me moving, and once I got kicked off, my focus shifted to the investigation. I wasn’t a detective or anything, but I prided myself on paying close attention to details and being able to weasel my way into places and situations that a lot of civilians would have trouble pulling off. When it came to journalism, boundaries had to be pushed to reach the truth.
And there was something weird behind all of these fires. Arson wasn’t supposed to happen at such an accelerated rate like this, but the police hadn’t experienced any luck. The firefighters were kept busy fighting the fires. What was the harm in a journalist poking around to find the truth?
Everyone in this town wanted these fires to end before more people got hurt, and I already associated enough death and tragedy with Rockview as it was.
My fingers drummed against the top of my steering wheel impatiently as I waited at the red light just before the fire station. I could see the large, brick building with red doors from where I was, my heart rate immediately spiking. I was finally about to begin!
I would’ve started a little earlier if last night hadn’t been so crazy. Not only did I pass out, but I also saw a ghost from my past. Matty Grady dated my best friend back in high school, so we’d spent a decent amount of time together since he was with Rachel a lot.
Nothing was wrong with that besides the fact that I kind of had a secret crush on Matty at the time. Of course, I didn’t mention it or act on it because I didn’t want to hurt Rachel’s feelings or sever our friendship, but I remembered the sharp ache in my chest when Matty walked right past me to ask Rachel to homecoming. From there on, their relationship bloomed, and I stood on the sidelines, feeling happy for them, sad for myself, and guilty about my conflicting emotions all at the same time.