“The rest of
the street is blocked off. You’re going to have to turn around. I’m sorry you had to see this Easton. I know it can’t be easy looking at a fire and not being able to stop it.”
He was right. Firefighting was my passion and to be useless and on the sidelines was a kick in the gut. I felt like a benchwarmer.
“Be safe, Zeke. We love you,” Luna said for the both of us, and my chest swelled, knowing that she thought to add me to that sentiment.
“I love you guys too. I’ll be safe. Don’t worry about me,” he said, patting the hood of the car as we turned around.
The ride home was silent, but not awkward, but the air was saturated with worry and sadness, a hint of fear and confusion. Luna and I still held hands, the comfort easing the stress and anxiety coursing through me right now. I wanted her to come inside. I didn’t want her to go home. She just started accepting me, and I was afraid that if I gave her any space to think about it, she’d take a step away from me.
I couldn’t let that happen.
“I don’t know where you live,” she said, tapping her fingers against the steering wheel awkwardly.
She’d know soon.
“Take this road and then turn into Woodward complex.”
“You live there? Wow, fancy,” she teased.
“Yeah, wait till you see the inside. I have a beer pong table as a dinner table.”
“Why?” she laughed, and I wanted to hear the sound every day for the rest of my life. It was sweet and innocent, better than anything I deserved to hear.
Her laughter was music, and I was the tortured soul that connected to the lyrical notes.
“Because me and my brothers are wrecks.” I wanted to tell her it was because I wanted the Hampton place, but I missed the fucking auction, so there was no way I’d get it now. My dream had been crushed, and it hurt more than it thought it would. “I’ll tell you more inside.”
“What makes you think I’m coming inside?” she asked, parking the car in one of the parking spots, and then shutting off the engine.
That told me she was coming inside.
“Because I’d cry myself to sleep tonight if you didn’t. You’d do that to me?”
She clicked her tongue and thought about it.
And when a few moments passed, it hit me…
Shit, she was really thinking about it!
Chapter Fifteen
Luna
I didn’t want him to cry himself to sleep, but I did want to make him sweat. I gave in because he looked heartbroken, but also tired like he needed to sit down. I grabbed my purse and got out of the car before I changed my mind. I wasn’t going to be afraid anymore.
Easton tossed his arm around me and tucked me in close to his body. Warm and safe, and it felt so organic, so natural, that there was no way something could feel this right. There had to be a catch.
We walked across the parking lot to a beautiful duplex. All of the apartments in the Woodward complex were old homes renovated into duplexes. They were small, the size of an apartment, so that was what everyone called them. Where Easton lived was beautiful. It was a freshly painted light teal, a color that made it very beachy looking since it had a view of the ocean. The steps were painted white as we walked up to his door.
There was a welcome mat on the ground that said, ‘Welcome’. It was a bit worn and old like they found it by a dumpster and shrugged, deciding it would be a good fit.
Men.
There was a plant in the corner in a reddish-brown planter pot, dead and wilting. Easton unwrapped his arm from around my shoulder, dug into his pants that left nothing to the imagination, which I loved, and brought out his keys.
He groaned and leaned against the side of the house to catch his breath. I cupped his face and made sure he didn’t have a temperature. I didn’t want him to get sick with an infection. “Here, let me, sweetheart.” I took the keychain from his hand and picked the key I thought would fit best, slid it into the smooth gold lock, and popped the door open. “Come on, let’s go lay down and take a nap,” I said, slinging my arm around his waist to help him inside. I knew he could walk on his own, but I didn’t want to chance it.