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After the third sandwich is down, it’s off to the shower for me. Miracle of miracles, there’s still hot water. In my parents’ mansion, there are several hot water heaters, each top of the line numbers that never run out. I’d never realized what a luxury a hot shower could be until I left college for adventure. Standing naked under the steaming water now, I say a prayer of thanks to whoever invented portable shower units.
Once clean, I grab another cup of coffee and two more sandwiches. No chance of the coffee keeping me awake—I am too tired for that. But it is hot, and it goes down easy, and that’s all I care about. The sun casts faint streams of orange to penetrate the tree canopy. It’s gonna be a gorgeous sunrise. Too bad I’ll be unconscious for it.
When I get back into our tent, Miranda’s out. Pretty sure I could toss my sandwich wrapper into her wide open snoring mouth, and she’d sleep right through it. Just as I debate trying it, Cap pokes his head into our tent.
It catches me off-guard completely. He never comes into our tents, and he never looks as shocked as he does now. This will not be good news. In fact, I expect catastrophe. I blurt, “Wind change again?”
“You have a visitor, Mac.”
“The fuck?”
He arches an eyebrow at me.
“Uh, thank you, sir. I’ll be right there.”
He nods once and ducks back out.
I was right. A catastrophe. As I yank on my coat and hat, a sickening feeling takes hold. Has to be one of my brothers, and they would not come all this way to see me in person for good news.Did Dad…or Mom…fuck. I don’t even want to think the words. I can’t. They can’t be gone. It’s too soon. I’m not ready for this.
It takes a minute for me to open the tent flap. I didn’t know I had the energy for a panic attack. Not after everything I’ve been through in Maine. I should be too tired to scrounge one up, but right now, I can’t even breathe right. Something lodges in my throat, and I’m pretty sure it’s my stomach. I’d wake Miranda to help me through it, but there’s only one way to deal with the loss of a parent, and that’s plowing ahead.
Not like I have any other choice.
I force a breath in and open the tent flap. The sunlight blinds me for a moment, and I can’t even see who is standing there. As my eyes focus, it’s like the fire became a person. A halo of fiery red on their shoulders. When my vision clears, my heart stops.
Aria stands nervously in front of me, and I can’t breathe.
-
23
Aria
Even after thirty hours of labor with Owen, I didn’t look as tired as Everett does right now. He’s freshly scrubbed, but the bags under his eyes have their own bags, and his thick shoulders are rounded forward. Looking him over, my breath catches in my throat. “What happened to your hand?”
“Good morning to you, too.”
“Sorry, I just…are you okay?”
He shrugs noncommittally. “I’ll be alright.” Gone is the flirty, highly energetic guy I knew. Now, he’s a breathing shell.
I cannot imagine everything he has gone through, besides learning about Owen. Even after cramming my brain full of everything firefighter and smokejumper for the past week, none of the people looked as hollow as Everett does right now. We’re not even a couple, but my heart aches for him to feel better. Maybe it’s the mom in me, but I fight the urge to insist on taking care of him right now.
“Well, um, I’m glad you’re going to be alright.”
“Is something wrong with Owen?”
I shake my head, and his shoulders slump further. Only then do I realize what he must have been thinking. “You thought because I showed up…that he—"
He gives a silent nod.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you like that.” Though, it feels good that he was worried about him, even just briefly. “Your boss says you’re not in the middle of anything, so I was hoping we could talk.”
He shrugs. “So, talk.”
I clear my throat and begin the speech I’ve rehearsed for the entire drive. “Everett, I am sorry for how you found out about Owen. That was not what I wanted for you. Not at all. I had planned to call you and set something up—coffee or something—so I could tell you in person. I told Lily I was going to call you…but I chickened out and delayed it, and since Lily thought I had told you, she told Cormac. That’s not their fault, and I hope you’re not mad at them.”
A small grunt of acknowledgement is all he gives me.
