What the fuck?” I say, because seriously. What the actual fuck is going on here?

When I walk into The Well the first thing I see is Mia leaning on some guy, who is rubbing her back and like she’s his. I head straight to them to end that shit.

“Mia,” I say, standing behind them at the bar. According to the empty and half-empty glasses, they’ve been drinking quite a lot. “What are you doing?” I cut my eyes to the guy.

“Weston? What are you doing here?” she asks, turning to look at me.

“I’m wondering the same thing,” I say.

“We’re drinking!” the guys says. He claps my arm and says, “Join us.”

I slap his hand away and they both pause and look at me.

“Come on, Mia. Let’s go.”

“I haven’t finished my drink.”

“I think you’ve had enough,” I say.

“She can decide when she’s had enough,” the guy says.

I look to him. “Brody, is it? Who the fuck are you, Brody?”

He turns to fully face me, like he thinks I really want an answer.

The dumb fuck.

“I’m her friend. And roommate.” He gives me this little grin like all that might mean more for him if he plays his cards right, but no fucking way will he get whatever slimy shit is on his mind.

“Well, Brody the friend, I’m Weston Bridges, and I’m Mia’s boss, and I’m taking her home. She’s had enough to drink, and we still have work to do. Let’s go, Mia.” I hold my hand out to her, and she slowly reaches for it.

“Hey,” Brody says. “You don’t have to leave just because this guy says so.”

“That’s not why I’m leaving,” she says. “I’m tired. And I do have work to finish.”

She takes my hand and slowly stands up. “I’m maybe a little buzzed.”

“You’re fine,” I say to her quietly.

“But you can’t just go,” Brody says, a bit pathetically.

I clap him on the shoulder. “Thanks for the help, boy. I can take it from here.” I toss a hundred dollar bill on the bar. “Drinks on me.”

We leave him there silently, wondering what the hell just happened. It feels pretty good.

I get Mia settled in the car. She is pretty buzzed, but not too bad. Her eyes are glassy, but when she looks at me she smiles, so all can’t be bad.

“Where are we going, Mr. Bridges?” she asks.

“Home. My home.”

“Gonna give me a tour this time?”

“If you like,” I say.

“You went all crazy back there,” she says.

“With that Brody guy? I bought his drinks.”

“No, at the office. You yelled at everyone and now everyone knows I’m teacher’s pet. Now they really hate me.”

“They don't hate you, and anyone who acts the way those people who put up that sign did will be fired immediately. It’s a policy of any business. We can’t have a hostile work environment.”

“So I should thank you?”

“You can if you want,” I say. “But you don’t have to, honey.”

She looks at me and smiles. She scoots closer and rests her head on my shoulder and wraps her arms around mine. We both take a deep breath and, in unison, let it out slowly. I close my eyes and hold her like that for the rest of the ride. I feel calm and good and—Jesus, I feel fucking content.

“Mr. Bridges,” Gerald says from the drivers’ seat. His voice has a note of urgency to it.

I open my eyes and look at the window. We’re half a block from my building, and there are fire trucks covering the street.

My skin goes cold.

“It’s okay, Mr. Bridges,” Gerald says. “It’s the building next door. It looks like they’re close to containing it. It shouldn’t affect your…”

I stop listening. I get out of the car, roughly waking Mia.

“Oh my god,” she says, looking at the flames licking out the windows, some of them twenty stories high. “I hope no one is hurt.”

I’m looking at the flames too, but it’s not this building I’m seeing. It’s my old home, the farmhouse, engulfed in flames that are too far gone to do anything but stand back and watch with utter horror of knowing what has happened. Knowing that everyone I loved was trapped inside and would never get out. That it’s all my fault. If it hadn’t been for me, Samantha would never have been there, and her insane father would have never started the fire that killed his own daughter and my entire family.

“Lucky it’s not your building,” Mia says beside me. She links her arm through mine. “Hey, you okay? I'm sure your building will be fine.”

I shrug her arm off me. Having her near me makes me realize how careless and selfish I’ve been.

“Christ, Mia. I’m not worried about my building. I’m worried about the poor people in the one that is actually burning.”

“No, I know,” she says. “Of course. I’m just saying that…it’s okay. You look really freaked out.”

“Should that be so surprising?” I snap, looking at her.

“No, I…”

“Put it in the papers: Weston Bridges is actually capable of concern for victims burning to death in high rise fire.”

“Sir,” Gerald says, “they’re saying they got everyone out safely. They’re just trying to contain the damage now.”

“See?” Mia says, rubbing my arm. “It’s okay.”

“It’s not okay. Are you listening? Smell that fire? It’s not okay.”

“Weston,” Mia begins carefully. “Seriously, what’s wrong?”

I don’t answer, because if I do I will explode. I wanted her to be here at my place tonight. The thought makes me sick. I feel like I am the cause. If she stays too close to me, she’ll end up hurt again and again.

When will I learn?

“Talk to me,” she says. “Tell me what’s wrong. You can tell me anything, Weston.”

I turn to her and say, “What did I tell you? Not to question me.”

“Hey. I’m not playing games. This is different…”

“No. You do not get to question me. Do not ever do that again. Do you understand me?”

Her eyes fill with tears. “Don’t talk to me like a child. You’re not my father. And you don’t have to be such a dick. I can see you’re hurting, Weston, and that hurts me, knowing you’re in pain. I just want to help.”

I put Mia too close to danger. And everywhere I go, everyone I’ve ever gotten close to, bad things happen to them.

I can’t get involved with her. I learned a long time ago that I am fucking cursed and if anything was meant to remind me of that fact, it’s these dancing flames bringing back all of the awful truth. I was foolish to think I could carry on as if I have no past.

“Gerald,” I say, and he steps to us. “Take Mia home.”

“Of course,” he says, and opens the door.

“Are—are you serious?” Mia asks. “Weston…”

“There’s nothing for you here.” I can’t look in her eyes, so full of tears and confusion and a healthy dose of rage.

“You can’t just send me off.”

If I look at her, I might have a breakdown. Gerald ushers her into the car, and before he shuts the door I almost look back. But I use all my will not to.

“Weston,” she calls through the open window. “You’re an asshole, you know that? I can’t believe you’re doing this to me. I can’t believe you…”

The car finally pulls away. I turn and watch it go. Mia Cassidy, driven out of my life forever. When I look up at the flames of the building flickering so close to my own apartment, I know it’s the only choice I had. Keeping Mia safe from me is all that matters—even if I can never see her again.