Jody
It’s been two weeks!
When we got back from Nashville, Nash kissed me goodbye and said he’d call.
I haven’t heard from him since!
I’ve thought about going to Raise Your Glass, where he bartends, but I couldn’t bring myself to be that girl. One of the women he slept with, showing up the next day at the bar wishing for more from a guy who doesn’t want her.
I’m afraid to reach out to him. What if he doesn’t want to see me? What if that week at his father’s was a once-in-a-lifetime thing for us?
He’s never had a relationship. I’m not even sure he wants one.
He’s a bartender and jumps out of planes for a living. He’s footloose and free.
Can have any woman he wants.
Maybe he just doesn’t want me. Oh, but he was so convincing. Telling me I’m beautiful, saying he wanted me there. I shouldn’t have believed him. Still, I let my heart do the thinking, and now look at me. I’m a mess!
My cell rings, followed by the jump of my heart, hoping it’s him. I snatch it from the coffee table. My heart does a quick nosedive when I see the word “Mom” on it.
“Hi,” I say, trying to sound happy to hear from her while dying inside and wishing she was Nash. What a joke!
“Hi, how are you? I haven’t heard from you all week.”
“I’m good. I’m just trying to get an app done I’ve been working on. I’m on a deadline.”
“Well, maybe next week you can take some time out and come over for dinner?”
“For sure. How’s Aiden?”
“He came home for the weekend. Theodore picked him up an hour ago. He’s taking him skydiving. You should’ve seen him. He was so excited.”
Nash took my little brother skydiving, but he can’t bother calling me. The information pisses me off and crushes my heart, confirming what I thought. He knows where I am, knows my number, but he’s choosing to ignore me.
He doesn’t want me.
“That’s cool,” I say, trying to sound excited for my little brother, who’s spending time with the man I want.
“Yeah. He stopped over when Aiden was on school break, but he was out working. It’s so nice of him to think of your brother and be there for him. I think Aiden really looks up to him.”
“Yeah,” I say between clenched teeth.
Nice!
At least he’s there for someone.
Mom doesn’t know about what happened between us. She only knows I went away with Nash, but not the whole story.
“Oh, I called because I wanted to tell you that I’m going out of town Monday for a work thing, but I’ll be back Tuesday. So maybe we can do dinner Wednesday? Sound good?”
Wheels turning, anger spurring, and heart breaking, I’m lost on Nash being there for Aiden but not me.
“Jody?”
“Yeah. Wednesday works for me.”
“Great.” The cell goes silent for a second. “Are you okay?”
Fucking mother’s intuition. I must get it together. “Yeah, as I said, work thing’s got me distracted, that’s all.”
“Listen.” Her tone softens. “I know Joey’s anniversary is coming up next month. I miss him too. If you want to—”
“I’m all right,” I cut her off, hearing the concern in her voice. “Really, Mom. I’m fine.”
“Okay.” She pauses for another second, no doubt contemplating whether to push further. “I love you.”
“Love you too, Mom. I’ll see you Wednesday. Bye.”
I click the cell off and slump back into the couch.
Mom’s right, the fifth anniversary of my twin brother’s death is coming up soon. After that, I’ll no longer be obligated to be his best friend’s friend. Well, I don’t think I need to worry about making any decision about what to do when my commitment comes to an end.
Nash has made that clear.
It all started with my work thing. When he kissed me, I knew then things were going to be different. I just didn’t think I’d fall for Theo Nash, my brother’s cocky, skirt-chasing best friend, this hard.
What was Joey thinking leaving Nash to me in his will?
I stayed home all weekend, worked on the Gracious Giving app, and dabbled with a couple of apps for Nash’s father. We’ve stayed in contact. He genuinely seems interested in hearing about my ideas.
Monday at work, when Ashley asked how Nash was doing, I kept up the façade that we are still dating. I smiled and said, “Great.”
It was a lie.
I don’t know how he’s doing, but fake relationship or not, I’m not ready to break up with him. I thought what we had was real, that the week we shared together meant something, but I guess I was wrong.
The next day, I’m leaving work, and I get a text about a fire.
Good. It’ll get my mind off Nash.
When I’m on a call, there’s no time to think about anything else. But, for your safety and others, most situations require your undivided attention.
Fifteen minutes later, I’m geared up and on my way to the scene. I arrive at the three-story apartment building engulfed in flames and report to my captain. I’m instructed to go help get the line to the second floor.
I push the door open and make my way to the stairwell.
It smells like a campfire.
I wedge the door open. I’m met with thick smoke.
Spotting a firefighter’s yellow stripes, I move toward them. I recognize the guy, John from Ladder 54. Holding the line, he waves me to the stairs. “We need someone at the top.”
In situations like these, there’s a lot of yelling and hand signaling.
Nodding at John, I look up, squinting through the smoke and spotting another firefighter on the first landing.
He waves me along.
Crouching down, I use all my senses to search for the rail through the smoke. I find it and start up the stairs. Reaching the top, I stop.
The man yanks on the line. I assist with getting some slack to the landing. When we have enough, he points at himself and then up.
Nodding, I grip the line with both hands, ready to do my part.
Shit! It’s getting hot!
I hear crackling and note the dark area on the ceiling above me. The fire is spreading fast. I concentrate on keeping the line steady as I feed it through my grip.
When I turn around to check on the slack, there’s a loud sound, and the ceiling gives way. Startled by the noise, I release the line. Pieces of drywall and wood poke down at me.
A piece of debris breaks free, striking me in the shoulder.
I fall back down the stairs.