I hear her exhale through the phone, but her words stun me.“I know.”
My heartbeat seems to echo off the walls.Blood rushes in my ears.“You… know?”
“Everyone knows.You were always funky with matches.Squirrelling them away.Lighting them in your room.It was an accident, though.Right?You didn’t purposely?—”
“Of course I didn’t!”I interrupt.My brain in still stuttering on her words.“What do you mean everyone knows?”
“I don’t know, it was sort of one of those family agreements to never mention it to you, because you probably felt bad enough.No one wanted you to think you were responsible for the house burning down.Even though the fire inspector found the fire started in your garbage can.”
I don’t realize I’m crying until tears drip down my chin.“They did?”I ask through my tight throat.
“It’s okay, Lia.No one blames you.But what does this have to do with your captain?You told him and now he wants you to be a fire inspector?”
I sniff and swipe at the tears on my face with the back of my hand.“Basically, yes.He knows about the fire and he knew I felt guilty.So he’s been…”
“He’s been what?”
“Punishing me.”This is really fucking embarrassing.
“Oh.Wow.Thatiskinky.Did you like it?”
“Um, yeah.Definitely.But then he signed me up for this job.And I found out about his last girlfriend—he jumped in to be her birth coach and the surrogate father to her baby.You see?He has a rescuer complex.And I’m just another project to be fixed.”
“Yeah, I see.That sucks.So did you tell him to back off?”
“I told him to get lost.”
Talia goes silent for a moment.I switch the phone from one ear to the other, then back again.“And now you miss him?”
Damn.How does she always get this shit right?
“I don’t know,” I lie.“I mean, it’s not like we had anything worth hanging onto, right?”
“Hmm.That sounds like your head talking.But I’m guessing your heart says something different.”
Said organ gives a squeeze, as if to prove her right.
“Well, let’s talk this through.I mean, you liked some of it.You liked the kinky sex.You didn’t mind him fixing you when he was doling out your punishment, right?”
My heart picks up speed at the truth of her words.“Yeah.”
“But he overstepped with the job thing.Was that as a boss or as a boyfriend?”
I rub my ear.“Not sure.Both, I guess.”
“Does that interest you?”
“Maybe,” I admit.“But he should’ve asked.”
“No question there,” Talia assures me.“Are you going to go do the training?When is it?”
“Next week.And yeah, I guess.I mean, Blaze took me off the schedule, anyway.I don’t know how he thinks I’m going to pay the rent.”Except deep down I’m quite sure Blaze would’ve come to my rescue on that, too.And he would’ve enjoyed it.
And this time, the thought doesn’t piss me off.It just makes my chest ache.Whether it’s for Blaze or myself, I’m not sure.
Blaze
“I can’t help this time,”I snarl into the phone and end the call.Everyone and his brother wants me to help them move.This time it was Scott, who is helping out some friend I’ve never met.
