Flames lick up all around me, eating at the building’s structure as I stomp through the thick plume of gray smoke. I charge forward. The exit is in sight, only meters away. Launching the heel of my boot into the wooden barrier, the door of the apartment building bursts open. I stumble out onto the sidewalk, smiling as the sunlight strikes directly into my eyes.

No matter how many fires I’ve helped fight, no matter how many search and rescue missions I’ve partaken in, I always feel a sense of relief on stepping outside unharmed at the end of it.

"Last man out!" Callahan yells out, dragging the water hose along as he clomps out of the building behind me. "Last man out!

Law enforcement is monitoring the perimeter to ensure that no civilians cross the yellow tape and make a last dash inside to save valuable possessions. At the front of the crowd, I spot a little girl with pigtails and tears streaking down her cheeks. Her arms are outstretched in my direction.

"You got Freddie! You got Freddie!" I glance down at the furry little critter cradled securely in my arms and pull back the visor on my helmet. 

A grin tears across my face as I plod over to her and sink down to one knee in front of her. "You recognize this little guy?" I ask as I ease the hamster into her arms.

"That's my Freddie," she says joyfully as she cuddles the animal to her chest.

The crowd of onlookers erupts into applause. Smartphones are aimed in my direction and I hear camera shutters snapping. "Is there anything you want to say to the fireman?" The child's father asks.

She flashes me a smile, broadcasting a row of missing teeth. "Thank you," she says as she throws a little arm around me and squeezes as tight as she can manage.

“My pleasure, darling,” I say as I straighten and extend a hand to her father. We exchange a vigorous shake.

I feel a hand on my shoulder, leading me away from the crowd. I instantly recognize the low rumble of my brother's laugh. "Well, don’t you have a little pep in your step this morning!" He raps his knuckles against my visor.

"What are you talking about?" I chuckle as we stroll over to where his police cruiser is parked on the curb nearby.

He shrugs a shoulder. "I don’t know. You’ve got a little glow. A morning after glow, maybe." He leans against his car and grins.

"Christ, do you hear yourself?" I pull off my helmet and tuck it beneath my arm.

“Dude, come on.” He angles his head and scowls at me. “You kicked us out in the middle of the game last night so you could invite someone over. The question is—who was the lucky lady?”

I kick at a rock on the sidewalk. “You know I don’t kiss and tell.” I glance off to where my colleagues are beginning to load our gear back into the fire truck. Now, isn’t really the best time to be having this conversation.

“Ben—you’re glowing like a fucking lightsaber.” He folds his arms across his chest. “I’m you’re twin. I know what’s going on.”

“What’s going on?” I challenge, mimicking his posture.

He lowers his voice and grins slyly. “You hooked up with Angie last night.”

I feel fire in my gut at the mere mention of her name. The smile on my face gives me away before I can even rebut his assumption.

He punches the air, pretty damn pleased with himself. “I knew it. I fucking knew it.” He laughs heartily.

To him, this is entertainment.

To me, it’s everything.

Last night was amazing. Having that girl in my arms…that’s something I thought would never happen again. And the circumstances weren’t ideal—she insisted on keeping me at arm’s length emotionally even as I was sinking deep into her body. That hurt me because I want all of her, not just her body. Still, I understand her resistance. And I respect it. But I have every intention of winning her back completely.

Last night was just step one.

“So what happens now?” my brother asks.

“Now? Now, I do whatever it takes to make her mine for good.” I say the words with conviction. I mean every syllable of that statement.

He hitches a brow. “Whatever it takes?”

“Whatever it takes,” I assure him.

“Even if it means telling her the truth about why you really broke up with her?”

At my hesitation, his brow arches higher. Damn that guy for knowing me so well.

He shakes his head in disappointment. "You need to man up and tell that girl the truth. I know you don't want to but if you hold onto this secret, eventually it'll blow up in your face."

“That’s not a good idea,” I protest weakly even though, ultimately, I know he’s right.

“I know what you’re thinking, Ben.”

“What’s that?”

“You’re scared that if she finds out what really happened, she’ll look down on you, she won’t see you the same way. I think you’re wrong. She already thinks you’re a jerk, that you left her for the promise of fame and fortune. If you tell her the truth, at least she’ll be able to see where you were coming from.”

“You think you’re a shrink, don’t you?” I say bitterly.

He won’t back down. “Tell me I’m wrong.”

I run my fingers through my hair in frustration. “It’s not just me that I’m protecting, Madden. If I tell her the truth, she’s gonna hate her father. They already have a shitty relationship,” I point out. “We lost our father and that was some hard shit. I’d hate to drive a wedge between Angie and her father.”

“The man’s an asshole. Whatever happens between him and Angie, he brought it on himself.”

“He was only trying to do the right thing for his daughter. I can’t say that I wouldn’t have done the same for my own kid.” I pause. “Maybe I don’t have to tell her. Maybe I can fix things without having to tell her.”

He rolls his eyes. “I’m sure that’ll work out great,” he mutters sarcastically.

My stomach roils with indecision. I don’t have much time to mull it over, though because right then, Captain MacBride comes stomping around Madden’s cruiser. "Sorry to break up the family reunion, Lieutenant, but we’ve got work to do. On the taxpayer’s dime. Hop to it."

Things between the captain and me have been tense since I fucked up the meeting at the hospital. The promotion is definitely off the table. He straight up told me that he was recruiting someone from the station in Reyfield to fill his position when he retires. That was a major blow for me because I’d been so dead-set on getting that job. But to be honest, Angie is my main focus these days. Making her love me again is the only challenge that really matters.

“We’ll talk later,” my brother says. He claps his palm against mine and then gives me a push in the direction of my squad.

“No, we won’t,” I shout over my shoulder as I walk off.

My brother’s words leave me unsettled. God—what if he’s right? What if Angie learns the truth from someone other than me and that ruins all the progress I made last night? Or what if I tell her what really happened and she decides I’m not worth her time?

She has her walls all the way up and I finally feel like I'm starting to chip them down. Last night was a move in that direction. There's no way she didn't feel the crazy connection that crackled in the air as our bodies merged. I'm making progress. I know it.

And I’m well aware that one misstep could send me careening back to square one.