Page 38 of Wild Fire

The Barrett Estate is officially mine, but I’m not out of the woods yet. There’s still the issue with the insurance, who has to send someone out and investigate again now that I officially own it, and I’m probably going to have to figure out how long it will take to make the place liveable, because I don’t know how much longer I can stand living in Lacey’s guestroom. Don’t get me wrong, she’s a great roommate. But every day when I come home, all I can see is that damn streetlight at the edge of the road, and it always makes me think of AJ, who I haven’t seen since he kissed me.

Well, kissed me and got me off, which I was not expecting, but I was not complaining because fuck, that was the hottest thing I’ve ever done, for sure.

I need to stop thinking about him. About what we did. It’s clear he wants to forget about it, because if he didn’t, he’d say something. I see him all around town—the store, the park, the damn animal rescue fundraiser. Hell, just yesterday, I saw him at the fucking gas station filling up his truck, which just reminded me of that night, and how he pressed my body against the side and—

You’re not doing yourself any favors, Nate. Seriously.

I rip down the tape, figuring now’s as good a time to start as any and attempt to start collecting debris. I’m hot as hell by the time I’ve got one section cleared, and I groan. This is going to take forever.

Maybe this is a bad idea. I plop down on the bottom step, letting out a heavy sigh and shake my head.

I should’ve never stayed here. I should have left when I had the chance after the fire. Maybe then…

“Need a hand?” a voice calls, and I look up to see a familiar white pickup in front of my gram’s house. Well, my house, I guess, now. Until I figure out what the fuck I’m doing with it.

AJ’s voice carries across the way, and I debate how to answer him. He hasn’t spoken to me, or looked at me, in two weeks, despite how much I’ve seen him around, so I’m not sure what I should do.

I could easily tell him no, and I’m sure he’d just drive off without a care. Clearly what happened between us didn’t mean shit to him. Not like it does to me. I mean, I know I shouldn’t care, but I do.

Not just because of how amazing it was, but because I can’t stop thinking about the way AJ leaned his head on my shoulder and his strained voice as he called my name. Like he was scared or something, which I know doesn’t make sense. He’s a firefighter. What the hell could I do apart from jumping into a burning building, to scare a guy like him? That’s insane.

The truck engine dies as he shuts it off and a moment later he’s out, walking across my lawn, and I realize I’m going to have to say something. Shit.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, as he stops before me. I don’t move from my step, and he doesn’t move from the sidewalk. The space between us isn’t huge, but it feels like it is bigger than the both of us.

“I was… in the neighborhood.” He shrugs, his tone nonchalant.

“Uh huh. Right.”

AJ twirls his keys as he glances over the house, at the small pile of trash I’ve built, which isn’t much in the grand scheme of things. He nods, then turns around, giving me his back, and I silently curse myself for being a dick.

I watch as he gets in his truck and wait for him to leave, telling myself it’s better this way. But then he starts backing up his damn truck, straight across my lawn, and I panic until he gets a mere few feet away from me, parks it, and turns it off. When he gets out of the driver’s side, I have to do a double take.

“What are you doing?”

AJ doesn’t answer me. Instead, he heads straight for my trash and tosses it in the bed of his truck. Then he heads back to the opposite side of the house and starts to lift out a charred piece of furniture which looks like a chair. He throws it into his truck bed with ease, which is hotter than it should be.

“AJ…” I get up and walk over to him, but he ignores me.

“AJ!” I call out, but once again he doesn’t answer me. Just keeps finding things to pick up—drawing attention to his muscles again—and toss in his trunk.

So I step in front of the truck bed and narrow my gaze as I snap, “Answer me, damnit!”

AJ smirks, raising an eyebrow.

“Do you always tell people to do shit and they listen?” he chides, his tone firm and strangely sarcastic.

I gape as I realize what he’s doing.

“No,” I bite, feeling my cheeks flush. “Do you always trespass on people’s property?”

I cross my arms, my heart starting to race again. I don’t move, and neither does he, and once again I realize how close we are. Close enough I can smell his smokey-cedar scent which smells so fucking good…

“If you want me to leave, tell me to leave,” he says with a shrug.

I scowl as fury fills my blood.

This fucking asshole… I swear.