Firefighters pour out, fast and efficient, yanking heavy hoses from the trucks, already shouting commands to one another as water gushes out, blasting toward the flames that are eating away at everything I’ve worked so hard to build.
Someone rushes toward me, guiding me gently but firmly away from the edge of the sidewalk. “Ma’am, are you alright? Were you inside?”
I nod, my teeth chattering, the blanket around me suddenly appearing though I don’t remember when they put it there. Idon’t let go of Igor or my purse, clinging to them like they’re the only pieces of my life I have left.
“Come sit in the ambulance, okay?” the paramedic says softly. I let him lead me, my legs shaking as I sink onto the edge of the bumper.
Someone presses an oxygen mask to my face, the strap stretching tight behind my ears. “Deep breaths. Slow, deep breaths.”
I inhale shakily, the cool air burning my lungs, but it helps. Slowly, the world stops spinning as I focus on one thing. Corbin.
He’s coming.
I grip Igor tighter, rocking slightly as tears keep coming. But there’s a part of me—deep down—that knows I’m safe.
Because Corbin is on his way.
I don’t know how much time passes. Minutes, hours, lifetimes. But when I finally spot Corbin’s car pulling up fast to the curb, something inside me unravels.
Tears spill from my eyes, hot and unrelenting, as I yank off the oxygen mask and stumble to my feet. The blanket someone wrapped around me slips from my shoulders, falling forgotten to the ground.
The moment Corbin sees me, he doesn’t hesitate, he runs. Full sprint, like nothing else in the world matters. And when I reach him, my body folds, collapsing into his arms.
I feel his strength wrap around me, grounding me as my knees give out. He holds me up like he always has when the world feels too heavy to carry on my own.
His voice is a low and steady, repeating like a lifeline, “It’s okay. It’s okay. I’ve got you. You’re safe.”
I press my face into his chest, breathing him in—warm, familiar, and safe. But my voice cracks as I lift my head to look at him. “T-Tate?”
His hand cups my cheek, gently wiping at the tears with his thumb, his touch soft but anchoring. “He’s okay, baby. He’s in the car, fast asleep. He has no idea.”
The air I’ve been holding rushes out in a jagged breath, and I clutch the thin white T-shirt he’s wearing, feeling the way his heart is pounding beneath my palm. My eyes flicker down, noting his pajama pants, as if he left the house the second I called. Exactly how I knew he would.
With trembling fingers, I hold up Igor. “I saved Igor,” I whisper, as if that somehow makes up for everything I just lost.
Corbin lets out a long, shaky exhale as he takes the robotic snake from me with one hand, while the other stays firm at my waist. “Of course, you did,” he breathes, like he knew I wouldn’t leave without something for Tate.
His gaze searches mine, looking me over like he needs to reassure himself that I’m really okay. “You’re okay?” he asks again, like he won’t believe it until I say the words out loud.
I nod, though my body still trembles. “I’m fine.”
But Corbin doesn’t take my word for it. He cups my face in his warm palm, and before I can say anything else, his lips are on mine. Warm and steady, a kiss that holds every ounce of fear, relief, and love we can’t quite speak yet.
I melt into him, letting him anchor me, as tears continue to fall.
Between kisses, he whispers like a mantra, like if he says it enough it’ll be true for both of us. “You’re okay. You’re okay. You’re okay.”
And for the first time since I ran from that smoke-filled apartment, I actually believe I will be.
Because he’s here.
And as long as Corbin is holding me, I’ll be okay.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Corbin
Jules sleeps quietly beside me, her breathing soft and even in the pale glow of the morning light sneaking through the curtains. I haven’t slept. Not in three days. Every time I close my eyes, all I see is smoke and flames. And the sickening thought of what could have happened if she hadn’t made it out in time.
