AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My eyes were letting in too much light, and I squinted them almost shut. It still wasn’t enough. I shut one eye fully and then switched them when I had finally mustered up the strength to push the covers off me.
There were no boots at the foot of the bed. Just slippers, old and worn from years of use, but still fuzzy and comfortable. The boots I had dreamed of hadn’t fit me in a long time and had long since been donated to Goodwill. I wondered if some other teenager had found them and tried to create a new identity like I had when I owned them. It probably involved listening to a lot of whatever stood in the place of Nine Inch Nails now.
I slid my feet into the slippers and reached for the bathrobe draped over the post at the foot of the bed. Standing, I slipped it over my pajamas and shuffled out of my bedroom door.
Thump, thump, thump.
“I’m coming, I’m coming,” I shouted at whoever it was being so damn persistent. It was only six forty in the morning. Normally, the religious wingnuts and kids looking for donations for their school marching band weren’t out just yet. And none of them were as persistent as this knock.
Suddenly, a thought went through me that struck my heart. What if it was about Papa? What if it was someone alerting me something terrible happened at the restaurant?
Picking up my speed a little, I made it into the living room and to the door. I gave myself a second of silent prayer and yanked it open.
The sun was so bright that initially, I couldn’t see anything. It was right above the restaurant now, shining directly into my field of vision. Whoever was on the porch was invisible in the blinding light. I shoved my hand over my eyebrow like a salute in an attempt to block it.
Then a body stepped into the sunlight and shadowed me. A rather large body wearing a dirty white T-shirt and an apologetic smile.
Kieran was standing on my doorstep, and suddenly everything from the night before rushed back into my mind. Getting dressed up in a way I hadn’t done in years. Waiting with my phone in my hand, texting him, calling him as I got drunker and drunker. Waking up on the couch and forcing myself into a shower. Calling out of work.
It was like a jolt of electricity went through my body, and I was as awake as I could be. And I slammed the door in his face.
There was silence for a moment as I breathed in sharp, shallow breaths and stared at the door that was now shut. How dare he? Of all things, showing up at my house before seven in the morning was extremely rude. And to do it after standing me up? What, had he gone on another date that didn’t work out and now wanted to see if we could repeat the night before? No, thank you.
“Sofia.” His voice came through the door in a muffled plea. “Sofia, please, let me explain.”
I stood there, silent, watching the door and listening to his voice on the other side. I didn’t know what to do, frankly. All of this was still new to me. But I knew I was still angry.
“Sofia, please. I know you’re standing right there. Please, just hear me out.”
“No,” I said, not sure if the word actually came out of my mouth.
“What?” came the voice. “I heard you say something, but I can’t hear you.”
I rolled my eyes.
Who did this guy think he was? He stood me up. He was lucky I didn’t call my Papa and tell him to round up some of the boys. Sure, those “boys” were in their fifties now, but they would do anything for Papa. One phone call and I could have him the subject of a million different stereotypes about my heritage.
“I don’t know if you’re still there,” Kieran said, “but I’m going to try to tell you what happened anyway. I got called to a forest fire as I was leaving. It was crazy huge. I spent all night fighting the damn thing and then passed out in the back of an ambulance to get some sleep. They took me back to the station. I am so sorry I missed our date. But listen. If you don’t believe me, go look it up. It’s all over the news right now.”
His explanation stopped me from walking away from the door. He couldn’t be stupid enough to tell me a lie that was so easily verified, could he?
I pulled out my phone, humoring him by looking it up. I typed in the local newspaper’s website, one out of Nashville, and stopped mid-thought.
There was Kieran, in full uniform, looking incredibly, stupidly attractive. He was barking an order to other firemen while the flames burned trees in the background. The photography was excellent and gave a sense of urgency and control of chaos in great detail. Kieran was clearly in charge.
