One More Time

“Will do,” Jimmy said. “But you know what she's going to say if I even mention your name— ”

“I know,” I laughed. “Tell her I'm still not looking for a girlfriend.”

“Andi is pretty hot, man,” he said. “Just sayin'.”

“I'm sure she is.”

I still wasn't interested. Eventually, I'd have to give in and meet her. Cassie was a bulldog and once she got her teeth into something, she wasn't one who let up. And her current pet project was making sure I had a woman in my life.

“You'll get to meet her at dinner next week,” Jimmy called back. “You're still coming, right?”

I cringed. I'd already told him I'd be there, but that was before I knew Andi would be there. Check that, before I'd been set up on this blind date by Cassie.

And that was also before I ran into Madison. Or rather, before I saved Madison's life in a way that brought back so many painful memories, I didn't even know where to start.

I nodded, not really committing to anything. I still had plenty of time to come up with an excuse.

~ooo000ooo~

Jimmy was behind me as we entered the building. I knew the house well. The address was a familiar one, because, I'd just left it just hours before.

Jimmy grabbed my shoulder and shouted, “You sure you can—” but I shrugged him off.

There was no time for questions. There was no time to stop and think about whether this was a good idea or not. Of course it was. Because I was one more person who might find her. And right now, she needed as many eyes looking for her as possible.

I had to save her.

Her bedroom was on the second floor and I rushed toward the stairs before anyone could stop me. It was two in the morning; she would be asleep.

The photographs that lined the wall up the stairs were melting into a Salvador Dali-esque painting. Pictures of her and me blended into family photos, all becoming one. Frames were nothing but dripping plastic.

The floor underneath me cracked, the wood weaker already. But I pulled myself upward, remembering the steps instead of looking for them. I'd come up here numerous times. Countless times.

And this would be the last. Whatever happened – I would save her – her home was destroyed. There would be no more late nights together in this house. Not anymore. Not after this.

The Italian leather sofa she'd bought last month after her promotion was gone. Burnt to a crisp before we'd even gotten there. She'd have nothing left. All the little things she'd been so proud to buy, so proud to furnish her own place with – gone. Nothing more than smoldering ruin and smoke now.

But she had me and she could stay with me for as long as she needed.

Even if it meant staying with me forever.

I reached the top landing and called out through my mask, “Lauren?”

I turned the corner and felt along the wall until I found her door. Closed, as usual. She had a weird thing with leaving the door open while she slept. I felt the knob and turned it carelessly. I didn’t think when I opened the door and a column of smoke hit me followed by a wave of flame that rushed toward me like an enraged bull. The heat was intense and the smoke thick. It made it hard to see a damn thing.

“Lauren!” I screamed again, this time not sure if my words even came out of my mouth.

Maybe I was screaming in my head. I didn't know. Panic took over and I rushed, blindly, into the bedroom. I had only a moment to process what was in that room before I was standing smack dab in the middle of it.

Lauren's bed was on fire, flames crawling up the walls and scorching the ceiling. At first, I assumed she was in the middle of the bed, burnt to a cinder like her Italian leather sofa and my heart fell into my stomach. But, then I saw her body crumpled in the corner. I ran to her and found her unresponsive.

She wasn't breathing.

I ripped off my face mask and put it on her face. Her beautiful face. She'd needed air and she needed it right then and there. I wasn't thinking about myself.

I was only thinking about her.

It wasn't until later, when Jimmy dropped me onto the ground outside, on the grass, that I took another breath. It hurt to breathe in and the coughing about killed me coming out, but I was breathing.