Hearts Ablaze (Hearts On Fire Series) (13 page)

“Hey, baby.” I swear I still get butterflies every time I see him. Nobody has ever made me feel like this.

He opens the passenger door for me, then helps me climb inside. Grayson helps Kenni into the back and then gets in after her. Noah starts the truck and we’re off. He has the radio on, and Kenni and I both screech when we hear Sam Hunt. I lean forward and blast the song, both singing at the top of our lungs. The song ends and we’re both still giggling and having fun.

“I don’t know why you’re getting so excited over him. That dude ain’t got nothing on me,” Grayson jokes, raising his eyebrow at Kennedy.

“Grayson Michaels, you may be hot, but you have nothing on Sam Hunt. You wish you were half as good-looking as him.” Kennedy laughs.

“Pshh. If he could only be so lucky,” I chime in.

Noah is laughing at us teasing Grayson, who is only getting more aggravated.

“Oh, calm down Grayson. I still think you’re hot,” I tell him with a wink.

“Thanks, Aub. That’s like my sister telling me I’m hot. Way to make a guy feel special.” He flips me off then starts laughing. I just roll my eyes at him and turn back around in my seat.

We make it to the mini-golf place and head inside to pay, each choosing a club and ball before heading out to the first hole. We all make a bet—losers have to cook dinner for the winners. We break into teams, guys versus girls. Noah and Grayson have no idea that Kenni and I used to go mini-golfing all the time during college, since it was a really cheap way to do something when we were poor college students. We kick ass. And needless to say, an hour later the guys are not too happy that we didn’t let them in on our little secret.

“Oh, calm down, guys. So you lost. Boo freakin hoo!” Kenni is just egging them on and giving them a hard time. And it’s hilarious. Grayson is being such a sore sport I’m afraid he may throw himself on the ground and have a temper tantrum.

“Ya’ll are cheaters. Beautiful, but cheaters,” he whines, as we head out to Noah’s truck. We all climb in, Kenni and I sitting in the backseat together.

“I’m sorry, Gray. Was that supposed to be a compliment?” I ask, leaning forward in my seat. I can see the smirk on his face and I know he’s done being a jackass.

“Let’s just get some pizza. I’m starving,” Grayson states, putting an end to the conversation as Noah steers the car out of the parking lot. We head to our favorite pizza joint and go inside, getting a booth in the corner. We order a couple pizzas and a pitcher of beer, Noah pouring each of us a glass when it arrives.

“So, do you guys need help moving around your classrooms? We get off shift that morning if you need us for anything.” Noah takes a sip of his beer and puts his arm around me on the edge of the booth.

“I’m all set. Kenni, do you need any help?”

“Nope. I’m gonna use the tables that Caroline left in there from this year. She got new furniture for the new first grade room, so she left everything for me to use. I was going to use the tables I already have, but she has those oval-shaped ones and I figured they might work better for the kids.”

“Okay, well, if you need us, just give us a call,” Noah offers before changing the subject.

Our pizza arrives soon after and we all quickly dig in. They’re back on shift tomorrow, so I know this won’t be a late night. As we’re waiting for the check, we make our plans for the rest of the night. Grayson left his car at Noah’s the night before, so we all head over to Noah’s house after. We turn the TV on to watch the highlights from a baseball game and settle on the couch.

Glancing at my phone, I see it’s barelyseven thirty, but after our late night last night I’m exhausted. Yawning, I look over at Kenni.

“You ready to go? I’m beat.”

She nods and stands up. I walk into the kitchen to grab my purse when Noah stops me.

“Grayson can give you a ride home, Kennedy. Baby, aren’t you staying here tonight?” He reaches out and brushes my hair back from my face.

“But you’re on shift tomorrow. I always go home on those nights.”

“Yeah, I know you do, but I want you to stay tonight. I’ll leave my spare key for you tomorrow and you can leave whenever you feel like it. Please.”

How can I refuse?
“Okay. Kenni, you don’t mind, do you?”

“Hell no, girl!” She turns to Grayson. “Let’s go, Sam Hunt wannabe. I’m tired. My house has a bubble bath and a glass of wine calling my name.” She gives me a quick hug, grabs her purse, and walks out the front door with Grayson following behind her.

“Is there room in that bathtub for two, Kennedy?” he asks her as they shut the door.

God, I would have loved to hear her response to that. I make a mental note to ask her tomorrow how it goes.

Noah locks the door behind them and starts turning off all the lights in the house. I go into the fridge and grab a bottled water, then head into the bedroom.

Setting my water on the nightstand, I go into the bathroom to brush my teeth, since I leave a spare toothbrush here. I quickly wash my face and return to the bedroom, where Noah is doing something on his cell phone. He plugs it in and heads into the bathroom, stopping to give me a quick kiss. I can hear the water running, so while he’s getting ready I find a shirt of his to sleep in, stripping out of my clothes before throwing the shirt on.

Throwing my phone onto the nightstand, I take a sip of water. Twisting the cap back on, I place it on the table next to my phone, shut the bedroom light off, and pull the covers back before climbing into bed. Lying down on my side to face the bathroom, I want to wait for Noah to come out, but I’m just so tired I’m pretty sure I’ll be asleep before he comes out. Closing my eyes, I start to relax when my cell phone rings. Grabbing it, I check the display to see Kennedy calling me.

“Hey I was just about to fall asleep. What’s up?”

“Tell Noah I said his best friend is a dumbass. And if he ever offers to give me a sponge bath again, I’m chopping his balls off!” As I’m laughing, I hear her hang up. I have no idea what Grayson did, but he sure pissed her off. I’m putting my phone down when Noah comes out of the bathroom. He only has on his underwear, and when he climbs into bed he pulls me to his chest.

“Who was on the phone?”

“Kennedy. Apparently, Grayson is a dumbass and I have no idea why. She didn’t explain.”

Noah laughs and holds me close, kissing the side of my neck. “Does she really need to? It’s Gray we’re talking about.”

I let out a giggle then lean back against him, trying to get comfortable.

“No, she doesn’t.” I turn my head to give him a kiss and then lay back down on the pillow.

“Good night, Noah.”

“Night, baby.”

CHAPTER 18

NOAH

It has been a crazy couple of weeks. Between my shifts at work and spending time with Aubrey, I don’t have much time for anything else. I finally got to visit with my sister when my parents had us all over for dinner one night, and she was able to meet Aubrey. They got along great, and I promised Carmen that we’d take her out for celebratory drinks next month when she turns twenty-one. My parents had a blast at Aubrey’s parents’ party; I still can’t believe I have such an amazing girlfriend, surprising me like that.

Now I’m stuck at the firehouse, wishing my shift would hurry up so I could get home to her. I suck it up and head into the lounge, finding Grayson and a couple other guys playing a game of poker.

“Hey, man. Kennedy wants to know if we have plans tomorrow night.” Grayson looks up as I walk in.

I shake my head at him and take a seat at the end of the table. “No, I don’t think we’re doing anything. Why?”

“I guess tomorrow they’re getting their classrooms taken care of and want to know if we want to meet them at the movie theater after. Something about a new Ryan Reynolds movie. I have no idea.”

I raise my eyebrows at him and then shake my head. “Ya know, Gray, for two people who want nothing to do with each other, you sure spend an awful lot of time together.”

“We’re friends, dude. Friends can’t talk?”

“Grayson. Aubrey and I are the ones who are dating, yet it’s almost always you and Kennedy who set up our plans together. Grow a pair and ask her the hell out.” I get up and head into the firehouse kitchen to grab something to eat. I’ve just pulled out all the things I need for a sandwich when the alarm rings out, but it’s just a call for the ambulance. I hurry through making my food then bring it back into the lounge, eating as quickly as I can then lean back in my chair. Pulling my cell phone out of my pocket, I see I have a text from Aubrey.

Aubrey: Hey, you. So I guess we’re going to the movies tomorrow, huh?

Noah: Yeah, Gray just told me. Wonder when they’ll pull their heads outta their asses and hook up. It’s starting to get a little ridiculous.

Aubrey: Yeah, not likely. They’re dumbasses. I’m headed out to the gym, so I’ll talk to you later. If I don’t, I’ll see you tomorrow at home. Have a good shift, Noah.

Noah: Thanks, baby. See you tomorrow.

I put my phone back into my pocket, and then I realize—she just said she’ll see me at home. And I really like the idea of her calling my house ‘home.’

The rest of our shift is fairly uneventful. We have a couple calls, one to assist with a car accident and another for a small house fire. I spend most of my downtime online, just killing time. Grayson and I are supposed to be off shift at eight in the morning, but last night before we all went to bed our chief asked if we could stay for an extra half shift to help train the newest candidate. Second shift is short on staff, and we’ve all been taking turns working an extra shift. After agreeing to work, I called Aubrey really quick. She said it was fine, that we could always catch the movie another night since it had just come out.

***

I wake up and walk into the showers, and after hurrying through my routine, I head into the kitchen to get a cup of coffee. Grayson isn’t awake yet, so I grab a pad of paper and a pen and sit down. Chief wants us to start training the new guy, so I write down drills I think we should start him on. Grayson comes padding out a few minutes later, looking barely awake.

“Morning, Gray. So I started a list of what we should do with the candidate. I think Chief said his name was Daniels. Got any ideas?”

He drops into a chair next to me and we spend the next thirty minutes brainstorming. While we’re working, the rest of the guys from the shift arrive and hang out in the lounge. Daniels shows up right on time and is hanging back, definitely looking unsure of what to do. I figure the first step is to give him the grand tour, so I walk over and introduce myself before we head out.

We start out in the bay, where all the tools and equipment are stored. Once we show him the sleep quarters, shower, and locker room, we get to work. Over the next several hours, we put Daniels through the ringer. I almost feel bad, but he needs to be able to handle anything. It may not seem like much once your adrenaline is running, but you need to be able to rely on the people you work with, and if they aren’t ready then it can be dangerous. Being a firefighter isn’t easy, and we don’t want him to think that. It’s hard work and can sometimes be incredibly challenging, but it’s rewarding and always worth it.

As we finish with Daniels, the truck on shift gets a call, so we stay back and ready our stuff to head home. I’ve texted Aubrey a couple times but haven’t heard back from her. Having left my phone at my bunk several hours earlier, I grab it and checking the display, seeing I have four missed calls and three texts. I scroll through all the messages, but none are from Aubrey; instead, they’re all from Kennedy.

Her last message makes my heart race. And not in a good way. It came in about three hours ago.

“Hey, Noah, I know you guys are busy but I can’t get in touch with Aubrey. We were working at the school when she went racing out. I rode in with her, so I got a ride home and she’s not there. I’m worried about her. Call me back.”

What the hell is going on? And where is Aubrey?

I leave the sleeping quarters and go looking for Grayson.

CHAPTER 19

AUBREY

Today, Kenni and I are heading into the school to get our classrooms set up and moved around. Luckily, all the new supplies I ordered online have come in, and I’m starting to get really excited. I picked up a large cardboard box from the packing store to keep it all organized. Kenni’s car is in the shop, so we’re taking mine. I just hope everything fits.

After hurrying through a shower and drying my hair, I go back into the kitchen to get a cup of coffee. Looking at the clock over the stove, I see it’s ten.

Noah called me last night and told me that he and Grayson were going to be staying after work until about three to help train the newest guy in the firehouse. It was hard not to be disappointed, but I understand, so Kenni and I bought a couple bottles of our favorite wine and watched the newest Nicholas Sparks movie on pay-per-view. We haven’t spent a lot of girl time together since Noah and I got together, and it was actually a pretty good night. I really wanted to grill her about what’s going on with her and Grayson, but I didn’t want to push her.

“Kennedy comes walking in the kitchen with a huge smile on her face. Morning, girl! I’m so excited that we’re going to be classroom neighbors!”

“I know! It’s gonna be such fun! Maybe we’ll have the same recess times too!” I pour her a mug of coffee and she takes it from me with a grateful look.

“You’re the best.”

It’s a beautiful day out with a nice light breeze. I’d much rather be down at the beach again, but I’m still looking forward to the day. I’m hoping Noah won’t be too tired when he gets off shift. I miss him.

Once we finish our coffee, we grab some stuff and go outside to start loading up my car. Luckily, we’re able to get everything inside and we get on our way. Most of the teachers in our wing of the school are already there, so we say hi as we carry our stuff into our rooms.

“Okay, if you need any help just holler. Have fun, biatch!” Kenni heads into her room and I just look around. This is my new classroom, and it’s huge. I’m going to be able to do so much more with the kids in here.

I head over to the back wall and get to work, moving the tables into the position I want and hanging my posters and decorations. I also bought name cards to tape to the kids’ cubbies.

***

A couple hours later, the room has really started to come together. Glancing up at the clock, it’s just after twelve. I’m starving, and I’m sure Kenni is up for going to grab a bite to eat. As I grab my purse, my phone starts to ring, so I pull it from my back pocket and see it’s my brother calling. I don’t think anything of it as I answer my phone.

“Hey, Land, what’s up?” There’s a pause and a feeling of dread hits me.

“Aubs.” He doesn’t say anything else.

“Landon. You’re freaking me out. What’s going on?”

“It’s Dad, Aubs. You need to come to the hospital.”

I can already feel the tears coursing down my cheeks.

“Is he okay?”

“Oh, Aubrey. Fuck. They’re running tests, but I think this is it. We’re waiting for the doctor. You need to hurry up and get here, sis.”

“I’m coming now. I love you.” Throwing my phone into my purse, I race out of the classroom. I can vaguely hear Kennedy yelling to me, but I don’t register anything. I just need to get to my dad.

This can’t be happening right now. I thought he had more time. Fuck, I haven’t even gone to see him since a couple days after the Fourth of July party.

I jump into my car and race to the hospital. I don’t even care how many speeding laws I’m breaking; I need to get there now. My phone is ringing, and I’m sure it’s Kenni, but I don’t care. Nothing else matters to me but getting to Dad.

I rush into the hospital and head up to the emergency department. They redirect me to where Dad is and I take off for his room. When I reach his room I don’t even bother knocking, just burst into the room. And I’m immediately overcome with grief. Dad is lying in the hospital bed, looking so frail and weak I almost can’t believe it’s my father. Mom has swollen, bloodshot eyes and even Landon looks like he’s been crying. A sob breaks from my chest as I walk over to the bed. Landon stands and comes over, wrapping his arms around me tightly. I bury my face in his chest and start to cry, wishing this weren’t happening.

“It’s gonna be okay, honey. We’ll get through this.” Landon is whispering to me, but nothing is registering. I pull away from him and sit in the chair next to the bed. Grabbing my dad’s hand, I lean my head onto the bed.

“I love you, Daddy,” I whisper. Mom tells me that he’s asleep from all the pain meds they gave him. I can hear my phone still ringing from my purse, so I grab it and switch it to silent, noticing the numerous missed calls from Kenni. I’m not ready to talk to her.

“What happened, Mom? It’s too soon.”

“I don’t know, sweetheart. He hasn’t been feeling well, and this morning he was having trouble talking, kept slurring his words. He had such a bad headache he could barely open his eyes without being in agony. They told us that as the tumor grew it would get worse. I just don’t know what to do.”

Mom dissolves into tears, so I leave my chair and sit next to her, wrapping an arm around her. I lean my head on her shoulder and just cry. It feels like my heart is splitting in two.

***

A couple hours later, Mom sends Landon and me down to the cafeteria to take a break; I could use a cup of coffee, and I still haven’t eaten. I check my phone while we wait in line and see it’s after two now. I have numerous missed calls from Kenni, and now there are some from Noah, but I just don’t have the strength to deal with either of them. I decide to send Kenni a quick text so she doesn’t worry about me.

Aubrey: Dad’s in the hospital. This is it, Kenni. Waiting on his oncologist still. Call you when I know what’s going on. I love you.

I put my phone on silent and slip it back into my purse before grabbing a tray and put a sandwich on it. I fill a paper cup with coffee and bring it back to the table. We eat in silence, finishing as quickly as we can. When we head back up to Dad’s room, he’s still asleep with Mom sitting next to the bed, just staring into space. She looks up and smiles when she hears us come in.

“His doctor should be here soon. The nurse came in and let us know he’s on his way, that he just has to finish up with another patient.”

Nodding, I sit next to her and take a hold of her hand. Landon just paces back and forth by the window.

We’ve only been back in the room for a few minutes when there’s a knock on the door. I sit up straight, expecting his doctor to come in, but it’s Noah. Aubrey must have called him. He walks over to me and places a kiss to my temple, then leans down to give Mom a kiss on the cheek. I hear him whisper how sorry he is, and I feel the tears well up in my eyes. He gives Landon a quick hug and then comes back to me.

“Aubrey, can I talk to you really quick?” He nods towards the hallway.

Wordlessly, I stand up and follow him. Once the door is closed, I stare at him. I can see the pain in his eyes and he leans forwards, cupping my face in his hands as he presses a quick kiss to my forehead.

“Jesus, baby. I’m so damn sorry. I can’t believe this is already happening.”

He’s right. This is happening fast. And suddenly, I’m angry. I’m angry with myself for spending all of my time with him and away from my dad. I promised myself I wouldn’t get distracted and I did. I can’t blame Noah for that—I’m a big girl and knew what I was doing—but I can’t help it. I’m so fucking mad.

“Don’t worry about it, Noah. It’s not your problem. I gotta get back.” I spin around to go back inside the room when he grabs my arm and turns me to him.

“Aubrey, I know this is hard, but please don’t push me away.”

“You know this is hard? How could you possibly know that? Your parents are alive. They aren’t dying. How the fuck could you know how I feel?” My voice is rising, but it feels good to yell.

“This is all your fault, Noah! I told you I didn’t want to be in a relationship. I told you I had too much going on. But did that matter to you? No! Of course it didn’t. Precious Noah wanted in my pants, so he made sure that happened!” I’m being such a bitch and I don’t care. I can see the tears in Noah’s eyes and I know I’m hurting him, this sweet and sensitive man I’m desperately in love with.

“Baby, please. Just let me hold you. I’m so sorry. I..—” His voice cracks with emotion as he reaches out, trying to take me into his arms. I push him back, not wanting him.

“He needed me and you took up all my time! We should’ve never happened!” I can’t stop the words from coming out. My father is dying and I need someone to blame. This can’t be something that happens just because.

“Aubrey. God, baby, please.” The tears have started falling down his cheeks, and I’m sure a large part is because of my father. Noah and my dad have gotten close and I know he loves him. It’s killing us all. I hate that I’m hurting him, but I deserve to be punished for leaving my father alone.

“Just leave! I never asked you to come here. I don’t want you anymore! I don’t want you here. We’re over Noah. This is over!” I open the door to my father’s room and take a quick glance over my shoulder. Noah’s fingers are laced together, resting behind his head as he looks down at the floor. I’ve just broken him, but I don’t care. I ignored my dad when he needed me most; I don’t deserve to be happy.

Closing the door behind me, I can instantly tell that my mom and brother heard our whole conversation. Landon comes over to me and pulls me into his arms.

“It’s going to be okay, Aubrey. I promise you.” I bury my head in my big brother’s chest and cry, both for the coming loss of my father and for breaking the heart of the most amazing man I have ever met.

***

About forty-five minutes later, Dad’s oncologist finally comes by. Dad woke up only a few minutes ago and he’s still really out of it. The doctor closes the door behind him when he comes in and takes a seat on the stool next to the bathroom door. He’s only in the room for about ten minutes, but it’s enough to leave a crushing blow.

Dad doesn’t have much longer. It could be a few days; it could be a few hours. The tumor in his brain has grown so much that it’s cutting off the blood flow. They could perform surgery to try and lessen the pressure, but Dad refuses. The doctor gives us his sympathies, and then leaves the room. I’m sitting next to Landon, completely numb. I can’t cry; the tears just won’t come. Mom is leaning over Dad sobbing, and I can see him trying to comfort her. Landon has his jaw clenched, tears in his eyes. I lean my head against his shoulder and close my eyes.
Please, God, we need a miracle here.

Dad ends up falling asleep shortly after. I text Kenni to give her an update and she tells me that she’s with Grayson and they’re coming here. I try to refuse, but I know my best friend. For a brief second, I think about calling Noah, but I don’t. I made my decision—he’s gone.

I put my cell away and lean back in the chair, tipping my head back and closing my eyes, hoping to get a little shut-eye. I’m not leaving this room for anything, so I may as well get some rest.

The next couple of hours are tough. Dad hardly wakes up and when he does, he’s in so much pain that he needs meds which almost instantly knock him out again. It’s exhausting watching him go through this. My father, who was once 6’1” and over two hundred pounds, now looks like a frail old man. He has lost at least thirty to forty pounds since his diagnosis, and he seems so little lying in that hospital bed. I hate it so much.

I sit there just watching him when my phone goes off with a text from Kenni.

Kennedy: Hey, you. We just got here. Down in the waiting room. They wouldn’t give us any info, but we’re here. Is Noah there with you? Gray couldn’t get in touch with him.

Aubrey: Thanks, Kenni. No, he’s not. I broke up with him.

I have to bite my bottom lip to keep from crying. I know it was wrong to blame Noah, but it just hurts so much. I feel like I let my dad down.

Kennedy: What the hell, Aubrey? Why? He’s such an amazing guy!

Aubrey: I don’t want to get into it. He was too much of a distraction. He came earlier and I sent him away. He probably hates me now, so it’s for the best.

I put my phone away and look up to see that Dad is awake.

“Daddy! You’re awake! How do you feel?” I sit on the bed next to him, taking his hand in mine and grasping it tightly. He reaches up to remove the oxygen mask he’s had on since he arrived.

“I’m okay, baby girl. Where are Mom and Landon?”

“They went to get some food and coffee. They should be back soon. Do you need me to get them? I can call Mom.”

He shakes his head. “No, I actually want to talk with you before they get back.” He sits up a little bit and fixes his pillows. I lean forward to help him, and then settle on the bed with him once more.

“What’s up, Dad?”

“I just wanted to spend a minute with you. I heard you when you ended things with Noah, and I want you to reconsider. I know this situation has been hard, and I know you, sweetheart. You’re loyal to your family, but here’s the thing you’re forgetting. Noah is family too. That boy is so in love with you I’m not sure he even understands how much. And I know you love him too. You guys look at each other the way your mother and I do.”