AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Brooke remains speechless. Her fingers picking at each other, repeatedly. I place my hand on her thigh and squeeze. She glances down at my hand and then out the window.
“Everything will be okay,” I say, as I rub her thigh, hoping to soothe her.
We turn the corner as firetruck sirens blast through the winter air. A blaze like I’ve never seen engulfs my vision. Brooke and I stare for a moment, and I pull over at the first available spot across the street. Brooke slams the door and runs straight ahead, yelling, “Lettie. Lettie.”
There are three fires spread throughout Lettie’s complex. My first thought turns to Caleb. “Lettie doesn’t have Caleb, does she?”
Brooke’s eyes soften at the edges. “No.”
I didn’t think so, and I breathe a sigh of relief, but now, we have to find Lettie. Grabbing Brooke’s palm, I tug her behind me. Part of me just wants to put her on my back, so she’s safe but also so she doesn’t do anything stupid like run into a burning building for her friend.
A figure runs towards us, and her chest collides with ours. “Dane’s inside. He won’t wake up. He’s too heavy. I couldn’t pull him out. Oh God. Oh God,” Lettie cries out.
It’s a millisecond before it sinks in, but I drop Brooke’s hand and head straight to Lettie’s apartment. Honestly, it’s instinct. The firemen arrive, and one finds my arm, but I jerk out of his hold. I didn’t even realize I was inside until the heat hit me with such force, I had to shield my face.
“Dane. Dane.” He’s not in the living room. The kitchen opens to the same area with a breakfast bar dividing the two rooms. The bedroom. “Dane. Dane, yell. I’m coming.”
The smoke is so thick I can’t see. Black heavy air billows from the room as I cover my palm with my sweatshirt and push the door open. It’s so hot it nearly singes the material. I see two long feet over the edge of the bed. “Dane.”
Panic sets in as I realize that the wall adjoining to the next apartment has caught fire. With every passing second, the flames grow more menacing, threatening to engulf the room. Desperation wells up within me as I call out to him, but there’s no immediate response.
He’s shoeless, rendering him unable to walk through the perilous conditions. Without thinking twice, my instincts kick in, and I muster every ounce of strength to tug his tall, lanky frame over my shoulder. In this harrowing moment, it becomes clear that I must carry him to safety.
As I make my way out of the bedroom, I’m met with a courageous fireman, his protective gear concealing his face. Without hesitation, he throws a fireproof blanket over both Dane and me, shielding us from the scorching heat and guiding us through the chaos. In the face of danger, the selfless fireman leads us to safety, ensuring our escape from the raging fire that has consumed Lettie's apartment.
I don’t know if it’s been a few minutes or a few hours, but my body feels weak until I hear Brooke’s voice calling me. “Is he okay? Are you okay?”
“Ma’am, step aside. They both need treatment.”
“No, I’m coming with my boyfriend.”
From there, it’s a whirlwind of activity—stretchers, fire hoses, flames, screams, and smoke that blocks the stars that were sprinkling the sky only minutes ago.
The paramedic checks my oxygen level and administers much-needed oxygen. As I inhale, it stings. The woman sits me on the edge of the ambulance. “Stay here. I need to check and see who else needs help.”
I nod and see Brooke’s arms folder over her waist with tears in her eyes. “I’m okay. Come here.”
She shakes her head no. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
Extending my hand, I beg, “Please.”
When she takes it, I draw her closer; just feeling her skin makes me feel better.
“Why did you do that? What if I would have lost you?”
I don’t know why, but I peer into her cloudy, green eyes, reflecting sparks of the inferno in front of us. “Maybe I wanted to be known for one good thing in my life. Even if no one but you saw or knew about it. I want to be worthy of you.”
Her arms fly around my neck, but being unable to breathe is stopping me from cherishing the embrace she’s giving to me. She pulls away, only a few inches from my face. “You big goof. You’re one of the kindest men I’ve ever met,” she says, kissing my soot-covered skin.
“Go check on Dane and Lettie. I won’t move.”
“Okay, only if you’re okay.”
She’ll only believe I’m fine if I act like my usual self. So, with a wink and a sugary smile, I pat her on the ass and press a kiss to her pliant, gorgeous lips.
Blue and red lights flash throughout the complex parking lot. Scanning the area, I see multiple vans from the local news outlets. Camera crews flank out all positions behind the yellow tape, warning,do not cross. It feels as if I’m in a vacuum, and it takes me back to my fifteen-year-old self. The tragedy of it all.
The more I’m around Brooke, the deeper in I fall. And as much as that scares the hell out of me, I know she’s the woman I want to be with, not just now but forever. Will it be easy for her to hear what happened when I was a teenager? No, but will she believe me? It’s a chance I have to take. Will she understand I had to protect myself and my mom? I hope and pray she will.
