AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“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.
Makayla is constantly on my mind. The truths she spilled last night are on repeat in my head. Every single thing I said to her as kids, and how they really affected her. To be honest, I was never fazed by her clothes or her glasses. They were just an oversight for me. I was too busy focusing on her smart mouth and blazing green eyes. I certainly didn’t start off liking her. Shit, I fucking hated her. The way she got my friends to laugh at me. Make me the center of their jokes. I wanted nothing more than to make her feel exactly as she claimed—like the gum on the bottom of my shoe. It wasn’t until a couple of months before she left that I started to ease up. Show signs of humanity. The last night I walked her home… She was upset, like she’d been waiting for something bad to happen. It created this doubt because I worried she thought I would pull something. Little did I know, it was because she knew what would happen the moment she walked through that door.
My fists clench. Why hadn’t I done anything? Why hadn’t I seen any red flags about how aggressive her dad was toward her?Because you came from a loving family. Abuse wasn’t on your radar.
Makayla is right. Every man in her life has let her down. Including me.
I never saw Makayla after that. Until the night of the wedding. I thought my heart stopped standing in her classroom, or should I say lying when she revealed who she was.
It’s almost hard to wrap my head around how crazy things have transpired between us. My dad always spoke about fate. He used to say that it’s this unknown destiny that waits in the shadows until the time sees fit, and it appears with inevitable fortune. He told me he passed my mom in the hallway three whole times before they stumbled into one another. It was their time, and fate brought them together. I have to believe that this is what he was always preaching about. What he meant with his inscription in the Bible he gave me when I went off to school. He never wanted me to lose sight of myself. Because life has a plan.
“No plan is smooth sailing, son. And if it is, you should be more cautious about what’s about to come. The rough patches give you strength. It’s the smooth parts that allow you to lose faith and forget. And in those times, let God guide you. He is always there when you struggle to guide yourself.”
God, I miss him. Our talks. Leaning on him when I was feeling conflicted. I wonder if he’s watching over me, proud of who I’ve become.
My phone buzzes in my pocket. I pull it out and see Levi’s name. “S’up, dude? Thanks for calling back.”
“You said it was urgent. What’s up? Everything okay?”
“Not sure. Any chance you can dig into Makayla’s friend, Jenny?”
“Oh, boy. Why? You worried she likes her more than you?” Levi chuckles.
“No. Possibly the opposite. I have a feeling she set the fire at Makayla’s house. I’m pretty close to proving it. I don’t trust this girl. I know she’s up to something.”
“Shit. . . well, as a lawyer, I’m not sure what information you think I can obtain. If you’re looking for criminal records or private files, you need to talk to a PI. I can refer you—”
“I don’t have time for that. What can you do?”
Levi sighs. “I can search public records. Any chance you can get her driver’s license number or social? Any last known address? I can start with social media accounts—”
“Dude, I know none of this. That’s the thing. She’s shared almost nothing of her life with Makayla. Just showed up out of nowhere after a supposed bad breakup to house-sit for the people next door. Doesn’t that seem odd to you?”
“I mean. . . not really. Listen. Get me anything. I’ll see what I can find out.”
I swipe my hands down my face in frustration. “I know her last name. Swanson. Jenny Swanson. Can you start there?”
