Chapter Thirty-Six

 

 

 

 

Simon

 

 

 

 

 

I slept like shit and was running on fumes when I reported for duty the next morning. My men picked up on my shitty attitude quickly and most of them stayed out of my way. Hughes made a snippy comment about how I needed to get laid and the douche ended up with bathroom duty. He sure was getting good at cleaning those fucking toilets.

“Okay. What’s wrong?” Jones asked as she jumped on the treadmill next to me. I was already three miles in and just shook my head. I didn’t want to talk. She was a pain in my ass, though, because she didn’t let it go. “Something with Megan?”

I turned my head to look at her and sighed before focusing back to spot the wall. “I fucked up our reunion by accusing her of cheating on me.”

“Shit,” she muttered as she started a slow jog. “You’re a moron. That girl thinks you hung the moon. She’d never fuck around on you.”

“I know, Tori. I fucking know. I was stupid and I let my exhaustion and confusion take over. She won’t even talk to me.”

“I don’t blame her. So what’s your plan?” Jones ramped up her speed until she was meeting my pace.

“I’m just giving her space,” I explained simply. “I don’t know what else to do.”

She nodded in understanding and continued running quietly for a few minutes before she spoke again. “I like Megan. You guys will be fine. You just need to kiss some major ass.”

I agreed, I did need to kiss some major ass, but I didn’t respond. Tori Jones was a good woman but I’d be damned if I told her that.

The rest of the morning was quiet. There was one medical emergency call but the Ladder Company grabbed that while my guys stayed behind. I was able to get most of my equipment inspections done before sitting down to eat lasagna that Jones had made.

After lunch was over, Engine Company suited up and headed out to do fire safety inspections of a few different businesses. We were all wearing either gray or navy-blue fleece jackets over our turn-out pants and we had our turn-out coats readily available just in case. Inspections were easy and Jones and I had been heading them up for well over a year while we’d been without a lieutenant. The first one went smoothly but the second was a pain in my ass.

I used my clipboard to gesture to the ceiling above me. “You need to get this sprinkler system fixed within the next sixty days or we’ll have to close the building due to fire hazards.”

The building manager rolled his eyes but nodded as he listened. “We’ll get it fixed.”

“Good,” I said as I wrote on the paper in front of me. “And I want to see your fire extinguisher count double when we come back to recheck. There needs to be one readily available every two hundred feet. Do you understand?” When he nodded again, I handed him the clipboard. “Sign there, please.”

I tore the paper off the sheet and gave him his copy as I promised that we’d be back to do another surprise inspection soon.

As my crew loaded back in the truck, I looked at Dickerson and shook my head. “That guy was a prick.”

I pulled my headset on as Barthe took us out one the highway. Everyone chattered around me as I pushed the finished report into the folio and pulled out a blank one. I began filling out the information for the next place so I could have it ready when we arrived. When I looked at the address, I scoffed and let my head fall back against the seat. We were inspecting a building next door to Megan’s office.

“Barthe, stop at that bakery that’s up here on the right. It’s called Bella’s or some shit like that.”

He did as I said and I left my company in the truck while I ran in and bought two dozen assorted cupcakes. I got back in the truck and threatened everyone’s lives if they tried to touch the cakes.

When we pulled up in the parking lot, I hopped out before anyone else and shivered in the cool air. I looked at the building we were inspecting and then over at Megan’s.

“Jones. Do you mind taking point on this one?”

She nodded and took the clipboard I was offering her. “Sure, Lieu, I’ve got it.”

She, Barthe, Dickerson, and Christos all headed towards where we were inspecting while I gathered the cupcakes in my arms. I walked over to the doctor’s office and inhaled a deep breath as I pulled open the door. I strolled to the reception desk and smiled at the two gossips that sat in the front. Both of them looked me up and down twice, not trying to be subtle at all, before they looked at each other.

“Ladies. How are you?”

The blonde gave me a bright smile and shook her head. “Did you two make up?”

“Can you give these to Megan for me?” I cleared my throat and offered up the box of cupcakes while ignoring her question. “Just makes sure she gets them?”

“That’s so sweet,” the brunette said as she took the box with a nod. “I’ll take them to her right now.”

I smiled and thanked them before turning to leave. I headed back to the truck but Jones’ voice came over the radio hooked to my shoulder when I was halfway there.

“Lieu. Can you come inside? We’ve got an issue.”

I sighed and press the button on my mic. “I’m coming, Jones.”

When I got inside the office building, I saw that my crew was being refused access to what they needed. The manager was arguing with Jones and it wasn’t until I stepped in and mentioned calling for back up that we were allowed in. I let the facility manager yell at me while Jones conducted the inspection and wrote them up for several violations.

“Look, ma’am, have your emergency exits cleared by the next inspection or we’ll shut down the building for violating fire code,” I said simply as I signed the form under where Jones had as well. “If there was a fire right now, half of your occupants wouldn’t get out before the smoke inhalation killed them.”

She glared at me and ripped the paper out of my hand when I offered it up. I could see Jones open her mouth in my peripheral but I spoke first.

“Have a great rest of your day, ma’am.” I gave her a huge smile and turned around. “Company 21, let’s load up.”

I walked back to the truck and chuckled as Jones told me about the other things the awful woman had said and when we made it to the rig, I hoisted myself up into the truck. Before I sat, however, I could feel her eyes on me so I turned towards Megan’s building. She was standing outside the door in a pair of mint-green scrubs with her arms wrapped around her to keep her warm. We stared at each other for a long moment and finally, I smiled as I held my hand up in a wave. A few beats later, she did the same and I felt like I could breathe again. Progress.

I wanted to go to her but I didn’t. Instead, I sat in the front seat and gave Barthe the all-clear to get us out of there. My eyes didn’t leave Megan’s once and she stayed out there, just watching as we pulled away.

We were in the middle of one more inspection when we were called out to a car accident. As soon as we got that clear, we were called out to a false alarm follow by a medical emergency. It was late in the evening by the time we got back to the house and we reheated the leftovers from Jones’ lasagna.

I yawned as I watched everyone head to their bunk rooms. Two people had to stay awake and Dickerson had volunteered to stay up with me. He immediately took over the Xbox to play some first person shooter game and I walked down the stairs to my office.

I stayed up until the early morning before Jones relieved me. I got about ninety minutes of sleep before we were called out to traffic accident around six that involved four cars. It took us three hours to get it cleared as we tried to do our jobs and let the snarled Friday morning rush hour traffic through. When we got back to the station, I was dead on my feet.

Driving to my brother’s house rather than the apartment I’d basically been living in for months sucked. Despite how tired I was, I just wanted to be with Megan.

I made it home after ten and was grateful that the house was empty. I didn’t want to explain why I was there to Alex but just wanted to sleep. I took a quick shower and fell into the bed, cuddling with my pillow as I did. It couldn’t have been more than five minutes before I’d fallen asleep.

When I woke again, I knew I’d slept for hours before I’d even opened my eyes. I also became very aware that I wasn’t alone in bed. I forced my eyelids open but I knew it was Megan before I could focus on her.

My arms were wrapped around her warm body, holding her close to me while I’d slept. I couldn’t see her face but I could tell she was asleep as I watched her chest rise and fall. I gently buried my nose in her hair and inhaled deeply, savoring everything about. I closed my eyes and tried to go back to sleep but she stirred beside me.

I kept my arms around her as she rolled over until we were facing each other. Her hazel eyes were barely visible under her heavy eyelids.

“Si.”

I pressed my lips to her forehead before giving her a small smile. “Hi, beautiful.”

“I’m sorry for sneaking in like a creep,” she said quietly as she let her eyes close again. “Your phone was going right to voicemail so I came over and you were asleep. I didn’t want to wake you and I really just needed…” She trailed off quietly but I knew what she’d meant to say.

“I needed you, too,” I confessed. “Please don’t apologize.”

Megan buried her face into my chest and sighed. “Do you honestly believe I would sleep with Alex? Or anyone?”

Her voice was muffled and I tightened the hold I had on her as I let out a long sigh.

“No. I really don’t. I found the ring about fifteen minutes before you showed up and I racked my brain, trying to think of logical reasons as to why it would be in the bed but the only thing I came back to was if it was on you and then in the bed, then you had to be in the bed.”

“Even if I was in the bed, Si, don’t you think there would have been an explanation that didn’t end with me and Alex together?” She pulled her head back so she could look me in the eye and I nodded.

“I just saw red and was so trapped in my own head… Sometimes I worry that you regret leaving Alex.” I swallowed loudly and felt stupid admitting that out loud.

“What?” She shook her head as confusion filled her face. “I don’t understand. Why would you think that?”

“Al comes with these perfect little kids and a sense of stability. I come with a worry and wonder. We don’t have to worry about Alex leaving to fight a fire for two weeks or that a ceiling is going to flame out under him.” My voice got quieter as I spoke and it was a whisper in the end.

Megan pushed up to a sitting position so she was looking down at me. “Don’t diminish what you do, Simon. You putting your life on the line is a gift to the world and it makes me so privileged to know I’m a part of that, even in some small way. No one is guaranteed anything in this world but people like you help make that stability possible.”

“I just want to be enough,” I said as I sat up and dropped my forehead against hers. “I want to give you the world.”

“You are more than enough.” Megan’s voice was forceful as she brought her hands up to cup my jaw. “I have the world because I have you. I’d like to think that one day we’ll have our own perfect little kids and a place we can call home, but even if one or both of those things didn’t happen, we would figure it out. Together. I need you to trust me when I tell you that I am in love you with, Owens. That you are it for me. You can’t treat me like I’m expendable when you’re feeling low. You have to trust me enough to talk to me.”

“I’m so sorry,” I whispered as I shook my head slightly and covered her hands with my own. “I said some shitty things to you the other day. I never want to hurt you, Megan.”

She blinked rapidly and swallowed as she tried to keep back the tears I could tell threatened to appear. “We have to have faith in each other or we won’t work.”

“I do. I promise I do.” I wrapped my arms around her back and tugged until she was cuddled in my lap. “I was so tired and so moronic. I heard the ridiculousness coming out of my mouth as I was saying it but I couldn’t stop. I’m so sorry. Can you forgive me?”

“You know what hurts the most?” she asked as she pulled back so we were looking at each other again. “When you basically told me that you’re expecting me to cheat on you. What happened between you and me… that wasn’t typical and I am not that person.”

“Oh, Megs, I know. I was just being stupid.” My lips pressed against her temple. “You’re one of the gentlest souls alive and would never hurt anyone. I saw how the guilt of what we did tore you apart even though we were so right. You would have stayed with Alex forever and been unhappy just to avoid hurting him. I’m an idiot. My mother would have kicked my ass if she’d heard our conversation.”

“Don’t think it didn’t cross my mind,” Megan muttered quietly and I chuckled as held her tighter.

Neither of us spoke for a few minutes as I worked up the courage to ask what I needed to know. Finally, I just let it tumble out.

“Are we okay?”

Megan nodded her head almost immediately and I felt like a weight had been removed from my shoulders in an instant. I let out a long, deep breath I’d been holding and kissed the top of her head.

“But you’re not off the hook,” Megan said as she pulled out of my grip and stood from the bed. She was still wearing her light blue scrub bottoms but she’d taken her top off and was in a long-sleeved purple undershirt. My eyes ran up her body before landing on her eyes.

“I don’t expect to be for a long time. I’ll take whatever punishment you dish out.”

Her hands went to her hips and she gave me a smug smile. “With no complaints?”

“Well, now I’m scared,” I replied with a small chuckle. I stretched to pull her back into the bed but she stepped out of my reach.

“I need to go home and change and then we are going to the mall to do some Christmas shopping.”

“On a Friday night?” I groaned and Megan immediately raised her brows to shut me up. “I mean, yay.”

She walked over to where I was and bent down to press a kiss to my lips. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her onto the bed, rolling us so I was on top of her. She kissed me back feverishly and didn’t object when I pulled back to tug her shirt over her head.

We made quick work of the rest of the clothing between us and I made love to her slowly as I worshipped her body with my hands and my mouth. We were both so wound up and it’d been way too long so when she came under me, I immediately followed her, swallowing her cries as I kissed her. We cuddled next to each other in silence as we caught our breath and Megan eventually sat up with a smile.

“I love you, Si,” she said as she kissed my chin. I sat up, too and pressed my lips to her bare shoulder.

“I love you, too.” I handed her different articles of clothing and sighed once we were both dressed. “I’ll meet you at your place?”

She nodded her head but her reply was cut off by Kendra opening the door to the basement and running down the stairs.

“Uncle Simon! Megan!”

Megan’s face went red and she looked at me with panic on her face. I just grinned and shrugged my shoulders.

“You didn’t lock the door?” I caught Kendra easily and she babbled on about the school concert she and Hudson were both in. Alex appeared at the top of the stairs with an apologetic look on his face.

“I tried to stop her but she was through the front door before I was even in park.”

Megan’s face went red again and she cleared her throat. “We were just napping.”

Alex rolled his eyes and I laughed as I nodded my head in agreement.

“Yeah, Al. Just napping.”

“Simon,” Megan admonished quietly as she slapped my shoulder. “And on that embarrassing note, I’m heading to my place. Be mall ready and meet me there, Owens.”

She kissed the side of Kendra’s head before climbing the stairs and playfully shoving Alex’s shoulder. I could hear her say something to Hudson and I put Kendra on her feet so we could walk upstairs. Alex made another comment about napping and I hit him more forcefully than Megan had, but I was smiling when I did.