SIXTEEN

CASEN

I walk out of Embyr’s room to make some coffee before I leave for the station and turn my head when I hear Trinity’s door open up. I’m surprised to find Reece walking out, pulling a shirt over his head.

“Casen.” He grumbles. Reece isn’t much of a morning person but you would think if he spent the night with Trinity he’d have a little less crank in him than usual.

“Reece. Coffee?”

He grunts, following me out to their kitchen. I make a full pot of coffee knowing Embyr will want some when she’s out of the shower. I fill up two of the one time use to go cups Embyr bought specifically for mornings after I sleep over and have to work. Reece says nothing as he goes about adding cream and sugar. A look at my watch shows it’s just after six o’clock in the morning.

“No sleep last night?” I tease but my laugh stops in my throat when he looks up at me. He seems annoyed.

“Not really. Someone kept me up.”

I’m confused. “That seems to upset you.”

“Yea, well.” He takes a sip of coffee. “Maybe next time you all could be quieter.”

Fuck it. I’m asking. “Are you and Trinity still not having sex?”

“Oh, we are.” Trinty’s sing-song voice fills the kitchen. “We just finished long before you two even started.” She makes herself a cup of coffee, loading it with cream. “I have to say, Casen. You can get pretty loud. Maybe Embyr should gag you.”

I almost spit out my drink. The vision of Embyr putting tape over my mouth and handcuffing me to the bed gives me a nice little fantasy to play out later. “I have no comment.”

She eyes me skeptically then laughs just as Embyr enters the kitchen in a short robe.

“What are you all talking about?” she asks but stops short when she sees Reece. I know there is still a lot of tension between the two of them and I hope it can all be resolved sooner rather than later. I don’t think Trinity knows that Reece cornered Embyr. He did apologize, but I know she is still hesitant around him.

“Oh, just how you need to gag your man,” Trin answers. “He was so fucking loud. Between the two of you, no one got any sleep.”

I wrap my arms around Embyr’s waist and secure my lips over hers, sucking her tongue into my mouth. A loud bang startles us apart.

“Do you want to ride together?” Reece’s voice is laced with annoyance.

What the fuck is his problem?

“Sure.” I give Embyr a quick peck and grab my cup. “Let’s go.”

Once we get to work and settled, we immediately get a call and are out the door. It isn’t until three o’clock that we get any sort of down time.

“So, you and Trinity seem to be going strong. Is it getting serious?”

Reece and I haven’t talked much and I can’t gauge his reaction. I haven’t seen him with other women and now that I know they are sleeping together, not just a one night stand type of thing, I have hope for him. I know we’ve had our differences but I want him to be happy. He’s still my best friend, even if he does make shitty choices.

He twists open a bottle of water before turning on the television. “I think so. I mean, it took a while after Embyr told her all the shitty things I was responsible for back in high school and she still gave me a chance. She was there for Ian’s funeral. There’s just this intense connection I can’t figure out, and the sex is incredible.”

I laugh at him. “That intense connection is love, man. You love Trinity and between waiting for sex and feeling that way about her, I’m sure that’s why it’s so incredible.”

He looks my way. “You think so. You think I love her?”

I nod. “I know so. I’ve never seen you like this before.”

He settles deeper into the couch. “Something still seems off but I kind of like this feeling. Makes me feel like an asshole for giving you a hard time.”

“Well, you are an asshole.” I punch him in the shoulder.

A bang on the doorframe catches our attention. It’s Captain. “Check your email, boys. Results are in.” His smile tells me it’s good news.

Reece and I both race up the stairs to the media room and he hits the one and only computer first. Sure I could check on my phone but if I made it, I want to see it in big letters.

“Fuck, man.” I groan, shoving him in the back. “Hurry up.”

He finds the Yahoo website and enters his info. I pace behind him, waiting to hear if he made Lieutenant or not but hear nothing. After a minute I look to find his head down on the desk.

Fuck.

“I didn’t make it.” He mumbles. “Fuck. I really needed this.”

I put my hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry, Reece. I was pulling for you.”

He clicks out of the internet and stands up, allowing me to take his spot. I’m not sure I want to look at this now that I found out Reece didn’t make the cut. What if I failed too? What if I passed? That would be bad.

I rip the Band-aid off and log in finding the email waiting for me.

It’s worse. Not only did I make it, but a second email states they have an opening for me – here at our station.

“What’s it say?” Reece asks from behind me.

I don’t want to tell him. We’ve gone through and done everything together. College. Training. Finding a job. I knew making Lieutenant might mean we would be separated but I didn’t think only one of us would pass. I take a deep breath knowing that if it was the other way around, I would be happy for him. Right?

“I made Lieutenant,” I tell him in a monotone voice and swallow before I finish. “They have a spot for me here.”

Reece picks up a chair and shoves it across the floor. “Are you fucking kidding me? You’re joking right?”

Offended, I stand up. “I understand you’re upset about not getting a spot but you seem more upset that I got one.”

He shoves me. “I am! Just like I told you, Casen. You always get everything. I’m so fucking sick of it.”

What the fuck? Where the hell did this come from? I thought we hashed it all out.

“Fuck you, Reece.” I shove him back.

He launches at me, and we crash to the floor. I hit the leg of the desk and a shooting pain strikes my head. I push on his chest but he doesn’t move.

“Don’t you get tired of everything being handed to you, Casen?” he yells, punching me in the jaw.

I brace both feet onto the ground, pushing Reece up, and he falls off me. I stand and look down at him. He looks pitiful. “Never fucking touch me again, Reece. Do you fucking hear me? Everything I have I worked for.” I point a finger at him. “I’ve supported you through everything. I forgave you for what you did to Embyr. This is how you react when I get a promotion. You’re supposed to be my best friend.”

“What the fuck is going on in here?” Captain yells, stopping short when he sees me. “You’re forehead is busted open, Parker.”

My fingers brush my temple and bring back blood. “Fuck.”

Cap points at Reece. “He do that?”

Reece rises to his feet, seemingly ready to accept whatever is about to happen to him.

I shake my head no. “I fell.”

Captain looks disappointed. “Head to the ER. You probably need stitches. I’ll call someone in. Want me to write a report?”

I glance over at Reece. His hands are on his hips, and his head has fallen to his chest. Coward won’t even look at me. “No, not necessary. I’ll keep you posted.”

I’m almost to the door when Captain calls me back. “Congrats.”

I nod in thanks. Reece is looking up now but he still has murder in his eyes.

Three stitches. Three stitches were all I needed, and I was ready to go back to the station but someone had already been brought in. Luckily, when I called Embyr and told her I was headed to the emergency room she took the rest of the day off and met me there. Sexiest fucking nurse ever. She picked up some ice cream and beer on the way back to my place and ordered a pizza. She won’t let me lift a finger.

“Baby, I can take my own shoes off.” I laugh watching her try to untie my double knots.

She waves me off. “No, no. I got it. Or I will eventually.”

“Come here.” I command, forcing her up and into my lap. She kneels on either side of my legs and wraps her arms around my neck. “Thank you.”

Her brows furrow. “For what?”

I shrug. “I don’t know. It’s just nice to have someone take care of me. I only had to get three stitches. I can’t imagine if it were something worse.”

Her eyes slit. “Don’t talk like that.”

My lips meet hers and on their own accord my hands slide up under her shirt. She moans and then detaches herself from me.

“No, Casen.” Her ass lands on the cushion beside me. “You know I’m not buying that whole ‘I fell off my bed’ bullshit you gave the doctor. Do you want to tell me what really happened?”

“I made Lieutenant.” I grin at her, giving myself the first chance to be proud of my accomplishment.

“Ahhh.” She taps her chin. “And you decided the best way to celebrate was for you to bang your head on a wall?”

“No.”

“Jump off the fire truck?”

I laugh. “No.”

“While I am so beyond proud of you and will give you a lap dance later to celebrate, I’d like to know how that has anything to do with the gash on your forehead.”

Breathing out a harsh breath, I turn my body toward her. “Well, right before I found out I passed, Reece got an email saying he didn’t.”

She hesitates. “Oh no!”

I frown. “Yeah and to twist the knife in deeper, they had a spot for me in our station.”

She slaps me on the shoulder. “That’s amazing!”

“It is, but Reece...” My head throbs so I rub my bandage. “He didn’t take it so well. Threw a fucking hissy fit about how I get everything handed to me and he gets nothing. I don’t know what his fucking problem is but I know we can’t repair this. He threw a chair then tackled me to the ground. I hit my head on the leg of the desk.”

Her gasp fills the room. “He attacked you? Oh my God, Casen! What the fuck?”

“That’s what I said. I don’t get it. He has had this pole way up his ass lately, and his mood is only getting worse. I don’t even know what will set him off anymore. We grew up wanting to do this together but I would hope that if the roles were reversed I would be happy for him and then go grumble over a beer or six.”

Embyr is quiet and I leave her to digest it all. I know she and Reece aren’t getting along and this won’t help.

“Well,” she pats the cushion and stands up, “I’m going to get you a beer and then we’ll eat!”

I’m worried about her tone. It almost sounds Stepford wife-ish. “Are you okay?”

Her body twists back to mine. “I’m great. I’m just trying to get this night moved along so I can give you that lap dance I promised.” And with a wink, she walks into the kitchen.

***

It’s well past nine o’clock at night before dinner is finished, dessert has been consumed, and everything is cleaned up. Embyr hasn’t let me do a damn thing and I watch as she flutters around my house. She knows where everything is and I can envision her living here and us building a life together. I wasn’t joking when I told her I could see myself marrying her. If we can get through all the shit we have so far, I have no hesitation that we can’t make it through the rest of our life with one another…starting with us moving in together. So, I blurt out. “You should move in with me.” Or tell.

Turning around to face me from the counter, she pops her hip out. “Why’s that?” A smile plays on her lips.

I get up from the couch and walk over to her, circling my hands around her. “I like having you here.”

Arching up on her tiptoes she kisses me. “I do too, but I just bought my condo and I’d like to maybe not rush into anything just yet. We have time.”

Slapping her ass, I give in to her reasoning. “You’re right. Now if you’re done, I’d like to open my blinds as wide as they will go and have you strip down to that banging fucking body you have.”

Her face burns bright, and she playfully shoves me. “Won’t someone see me?”

My eyebrows rise. “I’ll turn the lights off. You can dance with the light of the moon.”

A notification from her cell comes from inside her purse. She heads over to get it. “Go sit down.”

I comply and watch as she pulls her phone out of her bag and swipes the screen. She lets out a “hmm” and then hits the button to shut it off.

“What was that about?” I ask while settling myself in and getting comfortable for the show.

Her fingers grab the hem of her shirt and she pulls it up and over her head, leaving her in just a thin tank top and lacy white bra. “My boss.”

Her boss? It’s late. “Why is he texting you?” I can’t keep the jealousy out of my voice. I thought that asshole knew she was mine.

She slips her socks off and crosses the distance between us after flicking off the light. I scoot forward, going straight for the zipper of her dress pants.

“He told me to come see him in his office first thing tomorrow.” She slaps my hand. “And stop it! This is a strip tease. I do all of the stripping.”

I lie back and enjoy the show.