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Hearing that she had wanted to ask me out to dinner made me feel like a sixteen-year-old again.Giddy with the anticipation of taking out a pretty girl.At least this time I don’t have to borrow my dad’s old beat-up Camaro.
I shake myself out of the thoughts that are on my mind and look at myself in the mirror.
“It’s just dinner, you schmuck.”
I chuckle to myself before going to my closet to grab some clothes.I settle on my dark wash jeans, a black Henley, and my black boots.This is the version of me that Echo knows, and I don’t have to pretend to be someone I’m not for her.
Grabbing my keys, I lock up the little bungalow-style house I bought before moving back.Jumping in my truck, I leisurely drive over to Cake My Life, knowing that I am ten minutes early.It’s a force of habit, something I picked up in my early days as a probie.
An upbeat country song plays through the speakers, and I bob my head to the tune as I drive through our sleepy little town.
It takes me a moment to understand what I am looking at when I see black smoke in the general direction of the bakery and my years of training instantly kick in.There is a fire somewhere downtown.Grabbing my cell, I call the firehouse.
“White Bridge Fire Department.How may I direct your call?”
“Arlene, It’s Colton,” I try to keep my voice calm as I speak to the night shift operator.She needs to be able to hear me clearly.“There’s a fire downtown.”
“Shit.Hold on,” I hear the siren go off in the background alerting all the available firefighters that they are needed.“Where?”Arlene asks when she returns to our call.
“I’m not sure yet but I’m driving in that direction,” I reply as I take a right turn much faster than I should and my tires squeal loudly.“I’m going to put you on speaker.I’ll shout the address, but I might need to move quickly.”
Tossing the phone on the dash I silently pray that Echo is fine, but I have a bad feeling about this.When I see the front of the bakery in flames, I curse my gut instinct for always being right.
“It’s Cake My Life,” I say loudly before rushing from my truck.
I know every bit of protocol and I know I should never enter a burning building alone.But I also know that Echo lives in the apartment above the bakery and that she was waiting for me.She is inside and I have to get to her.
From the bed of my truck, I grab the old axe I used to chop some wood yesterday and swing it at the glass door.The glass shatters and the flames press forward.I wait a moment after it breaks, praying the fire will recede and grant me entrance.I hear the siren of my approaching firefighter brothers, but I don’t know how long the fire has been blazing and I am not willing to take the chance.I should wait for them, but I don’t.
I see a gap in the flames and run head-first into the burning building, praying that she is okay.
“Echo!”I yell as I take the stairs two at a time.Luckily the fire hasn’t spread too far to this side and the structure is still stable.“Echo!”I can hear the panic in my voice.
“Colton,” I hear her yell back softly through a cough.
“Where are you?”I call as I kick in the door to her apartment.She doesn’t answer and fear threatens to strangle me.“Echo!”
“I’m in the bathroom,” her voice is soft and hoarse, and I know that it’s from inhaling too much smoke.
I push the door open to find her fully dressed but submerged in a tub full of water.She has a wet towel pressed to her face and if I wasn’t so scared right now, I would be proud.I taught her this when she was in high school, and I was still a probie.
“We need to get out of here,” I say as I lift her out of the water.
“But the fire!”Terror laces her every word.
“Do you trust me?”She stares at me for a moment before nodding.“I got you.”
Cradling her to my chest I cover as much of her as I can with the wet towel before moving out of the bathroom, down the stairs, and back outside.Firefighters are everywhere, trying to get the blaze under control.A paramedic is parked beside the curb, and I head directly to him, needing to make sure Echo is going to be okay.
* * *
Echo
I smelled the smoke while I was doing my makeup.At first, I didn’t think much of it, but the smell just kept getting stronger and I was afraid Darla may have forgotten to switch off one of the ovens.Imagine my surprise when I opened the door to my apartment to find my bakery engulfed in flames.
I quickly shut the door and backtracked to the bathroom.When I was in high school, an old lady died in a house fire because she hid under her bed.I was so sad that she died in such a terrible way and for her family who would never have a chance to say goodbye.
A few days later, Colton explained to me that she probably hadn’t died from being burnt to death but from inhaling all the smoke.He told me exactly what to do if I was ever trapped inside a burning building so that I had the best chance at survival.
