Sizzle & Share: A MFM Firefighter Romance (Surrender to Them Book 9)

by Kelli Callahan

  And now it’s too late. We’re going to graduate in a few days and then I’ll never see her again.

  “Maybe she’ll come to the graduation party.” Preston leaned against the wall and looked over at me.

  “I doubt it. She hasn’t been to any other parties this year.” I grunted and turned towards my locker, sneaking a glance at her curves as she walked by.

  “Maybe this will be the one—and you can get lucky.” Preston nudged me.

  “You guys talking about the party?” Our friend Dave walked up and dropped his backpack on the floor at his feet.

  “Yeah. Hudson is trying to figure out how to get into Eliza Abner’s panties.” Preston smirked and motioned to me.

  “I hear you can just shake a bottle of liquor and she’ll come running.” Dave chuckled and shrugged.

  “You hit that?” Preston tilted his head inquisitively.

  “Nah, I don’t really dig the goth girls. I’ve been trying to hook up with Melanie Andrews, but she’s playing hard to get. Not much longer though.” Dave grinned and started opening his locker.

  “You only have one more chance.” I raised an eyebrow. “You better move quick.”

  “Nah,” Dave smirked. “She’s going to the same college I am. When she gets homesick—guess who will be there to remind her of Andalusia?”

  “You better be careful. You might end up marrying her.” Preston chuckled and slammed his locker shut.

  “Nah, fuck that.” Dave grabbed his books and laughed. “I’m never getting married.”

  “Me either.” Preston shook his head back and forth. “Catch you later, bro.”

  “Yep.” I nodded and started walking towards my next class.

  Preston and I were brothers, but we didn’t have much in common except football. That was our father’s influence who was a living legend at Andalusia High School from his days on the field. He lived like a rock star when he was our age—and that lifestyle left him with two pregnant girlfriends before he ever graduated from high school. To his credit, he stepped up and took care of his kids, despite the drama that came from knocking up two girls at the same time.

  Our family dynamic was weird to say the least, especially after we were old enough to understand how strange our situation was. My Mom married someone else when I was still a toddler, and her new husband wasn’t that fond of having her high school fling’s kid around. Preston’s mother left town shortly after he was born and never returned. He lived with his grandparents for a couple of years before Dad showed up with him one day and introduced me to my brother from another mother—literally.

  * * *

  The graduation party

  “Look how many hot girls came to see us graduate from high school.” Preston put his hands on his hips and looked around like a king observing his subjects.

  “You know they’re not all here for you, right?” I rolled my eyes and chuckled.

  Although some of them are—I see the way they’re looking at my brother.

  Preston had always been boisterous and cocky. He did his thinking with his dick, and the graduation party was going to be no different. He was king of the school and I didn’t even feel like I was on his level sometimes. It wasn’t a lack of confidence, because I had plenty, but I just lived in his shadow because I was the other Anderson brother. He was the quarterback. I was the guy who ran the ball. Even when I did a good job, they celebrated his decision making for giving me the ball. I got a few pats on the back, but the quarterback was the one people talked about.

  I just learned to live with it because it didn’t really make me jealous. I was proud of my brother, and if he wanted to hook up with half the girls at the party, I would just get drunk. High school was over, so it wasn’t like he was going to be wearing the homecoming crown much longer. I was planning to become a firefighter as soon as I was accepted into the fire academy, and he was going to the University of Alabama on a full scholarship.

  “Preston’s certainly planning to get crazy tonight, isn’t he?” Dave walked up and chuckled as he sipped his beer.

  “Yeah, but what else is new?” I shrugged and lifted my beer to my lips. “I’m sure he’ll spend the next four years doing the exact same thing.”

  “You know it.” Dave nodded. “Have you seen Melanie tonight?”

  “No. Have you seen Eliza?” I looked over at him.

  “Yeah, I saw her outside earlier.” He motioned towards the back porch where some of the playgoers that smoked had congregated.

  She’s here? She’s actually here?

  I looked around the entire house for nearly an hour, searching for Eliza in the crowd. It wasn’t an easy endeavor. There were so many people there—way more than we graduated with. I even saw a few people who graduated the previous year, obviously still clinging to their high school memories. If Eliza was at the party, she wasn’t easy to find. I grabbed another beer, asked a few people if they had seen her, and one of the guys said he saw her heading upstairs. Upstairs—where the action took place.

  I shook my head angrily and drank the beer as fast as possible. I didn’t want to believe the rumors, but obviously, they were true. Perhaps it was morbid curiosity that made my feet start walking towards the stairs once I refilled my beer. Maybe it was just the hero complex that made me want to follow in my Dad’s footsteps—if she was drunk and some guy took her upstairs, she might be in a situation she didn’t want to be in.

  That probably isn’t the case but fuck it. I’ll never see her again after tonight.

  I walked up the stairs and nudged the doors as I passed them, listening to see if I heard anything that could be a semblance of help. I definitely didn’t want to walk in on her with some other guy if she was there willingly, but at least I could quell the dismay inside my stomach. I reached the door at the end of the hall and it was ajar. Inside, I saw Eliza with her head tilted back and a pair of lips were smearing that raven-colored lipstick. She didn’t seem to be there against her will. I dropped my head and sighed until I saw who was kissing her—Preston. My own fucking brother? My veins flooded with anger. He knew that I liked Eliza. I pushed the door open and balled the fist that wasn’t holding my beer.

  “There he is.” Preston pulled back from Eliza’s lips and grinned. “Do you mind if my brother joins in? He’s always had a crush on you.”

  “Huh?” Eliza looked over her shoulder in confusion.

  “Come on, baby. This will be a night you never forget.” Preston put his hand between Eliza’s thighs and she immediately moaned.

  “Yeah—I guess that’s okay.” She nodded and closed her eyes.

  Holy shit. Is this really happening?

  3

  Eliza

  Present Day

  “Eliza, Preston and Hudson Anderson are so fucking hot!” Melanie’s eyes opened wide when we got back to her car. “Oh my god!”

  Now I have to maintain my composure because Melanie doesn’t know my secret—the past I share with the Anderson brothers.

  “Should Dave be jealous?” I raised an eyebrow and looked over at her, feigning as much amusement as I could pull out of my spinning thoughts.

  “No.” She shook her head quickly. “I love Dave with all my heart, but a girl can look. I didn’t stare—too much.”

  “They definitely get your attention.” I exhaled sharply and reached for her purse. “Can I smoke in your car?”

  “Only if you give me one.” She giggled. “I feel like I need one after seeing those two hotties!”

  “Well, they’re in your purse, so…” I let my words trail off as I pulled out two cigarettes and handed her one.

  I hoped I could return to Andalusia and avoid the demons from my past. I was wrong. I felt like prey that had been wounded in the ocean, just waiting for a shark to finish me off. There was no way they would let me swim for shore now that they knew I was back in town. I couldn’t go through that again. I left Andalusia with the pieces of my heart in my hands, and when it finally mended itself, there were scars
left behind. One scar for each Anderson brother. Preston with his devilish good looks, a stare that melted my panties off my hips, and lips that set my soul on fire. Hudson with his hot-as-sin physique, eyes that opened mine like curtains being ripped off a window, and passion that manifested itself in lust. I gave myself to them—my innocence—my everything. Then when I needed them most, they didn’t reach out to grab me. They pushed me headfirst into oblivion with nothing to cling onto.

  They were the best excuse I had to avoid Andalusia for the rest of my life, and now my heart is going to bleed because those memories are as sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel.

  * * *

  Five years ago

  I knew what people said behind my back. They called me a whore—called me a slut. I simply didn’t care enough to correct them. What good would it have done? They liked spreading rumors, and I was a good source of entertainment. They could make me the butt of their jokes if they wanted to. It wasn’t like a gave a damn about fitting in with the crowd. Melanie was my only friend, and that was good enough for me. I already had my future mapped out. As soon as I graduated from high school, I was going to take every penny I managed to save over the years and buy a car that would get me to California. If the car didn’t make it, then I would just buy a bus ticket. I had a scholarship waiting on me in California—I just had to get there. A fresh start was the only thing that could save me because I was going to go crazy if I didn’t get out of Andalusia.

  “You’re looking a little pale today.” Melanie sat down next to me in Economics class. “You really need to let me give you a makeover.”

  “I’m fine.” I shook my head back and forth.

  “People are going to start saying you’re a vampire next.” She sighed and opened her textbook. “I can’t believe we still have class this close to graduation. It’s not like we’re going to learn anything that’s on the final at this point.”

  “Yeah…” I nodded aimlessly.

  My makeup was partially a defense mechanism. It also reflected the darkness that resonated deep in my soul. I had been bounced around so much in the foster system that I gave up hope of ever feeling an emotional attachment to another human being. Melanie was the exception, but part of that was because we had been best friends since a family in her neighborhood fostered me. We always seemed to pick up where we left off, no matter how much time we spent apart. Despite my own turmoil, I was glad to be back at Andalusia High School, because that meant I got to graduate with my best friend. That was one simple piece of happiness that I was going to allow myself. I might even smile.

  “Oh, you have to go with me to the graduation party.” Melanie leaned across the aisle and didn’t seem to care that the teacher was trying to get started.

  “Are you out of your mind?” My eyes bulged, and I quickly waved her off. “You want me to go—hang out with the people that call me a whore?”

  “It’s just one night. Preston Anderson will be there.” She winked at me.

  “Yes, and he’ll probably be so drunk that he’ll throw up on me if I am in his vicinity.” I rolled my eyes. “He might even make that his goal.”

  “You never know. Wild things happen at those parties…” She giggled but immediately put on a serious face when the teacher stared her down.

  Yeah, let me just hop right on that slut train and ride it straight out of Andalusia. Give me a freaking break.

  Preston Anderson was my one guilty pleasure—probably because it was safe to crush on the high school quarterback since there was no chance in hell, he would ever look at me. I didn’t know why a casual glance when I walked by him in the hallway made my throat tighten up. I certainly didn’t know why his smile made me warm and tingly, even when it wasn’t meant for me. It wasn’t a new crush. I used to live next door to him in one of the many foster homes that gave me a bed for a few months before they sent me away. I spent a summer hanging out with his brother, Hudson, and I guess we were friends—but Preston was the one that I dreamed about all summer long. Then I ended up with a new family, at a new school, and it was a few years before I saw either of them again.

  * * *

  The graduation party

  Melanie pleaded with me to go to the party with her, and when that didn’t work, she resorted to guilt. I gave her the ammunition when I finally came clean about my scholarship and my plans to move to California after graduation. I didn’t want to leave without saying goodbye to my best friend. I made her two promises—I would go to the graduation party with her, and I would be at her side when she had the beach wedding of her dreams. The first one I had to keep. I wasn’t even sure we would still be friends by the time she met someone and got engaged. At least I wouldn’t have to come back to Andalusia when she got married. There weren’t any beaches for miles. My first promise took me to the one place I didn’t want to be, the den of high school inequity, except everyone was drunk instead of wandering aimlessly through the halls gossiping about everything.

  At least I seem to be invisible here. Nobody has called me a slut since I walked in the door, but the night is still young.

  I kept expecting one of the cheerleaders to look at me and point out the fact I dared to come to a party. If they didn’t do it, I was sure one of the jocks would. The atmosphere was just—different. Maybe it was the high leftover from graduation or the copious amount of alcohol being consumed, but a few people actually talked to me. All they said was ‘hey’ or ‘what’s up’ but that was more positive interaction than I normally had. I decided to get brave, have a cup of beer from the keg, and wandering to the fray of people on the back porch. I wanted a cigarette anyway, and it didn’t seem like anyone was smoking in the house. Apparently, there were some lines that even the worst of humanity didn’t cross. I walked out on the back porch and as soon as I had the cigarette pressed between my lips, someone sparked a lighter and pushed it towards me.

  “Thank you.” I mumbled against the cigarette butt and dipped the tip into the flame.

  “You’re um—Eliza, right?” A tall guy with hazel eyes and dusty-brown hair tilted his head as he lit my cigarette.

  “Yeah.” I nodded and looked up at him.

  “I’m Chuck. We have Sociology together.” He grinned and took a drag off his cigarette.

  “Ah yes, you’re the one always trying to sleep on your book bag.” I chuckled under my breath and exhaled a stream of smoke.

  Was I have a conversation with someone? A random stranger that didn’t even lift his head to look at me when I walked by his desk every single morning was suddenly chatting me up like I was an old friend? I felt like I had stepped into the Twilight Zone. Chuck cracked a few jokes, asked where I was going to college, and eventually excused himself to rejoin the party inside. I started to wonder if maybe I should have tried to go to a party before graduation because the atmosphere was definitely different than high school. I walked back inside and looked around the house where the party was being held. I didn’t even know who lived there, but it was a huge house. Every picture on the wall told the story of a happy family, one with so many kids that I wasn’t sure which one was my classmate.

  I wonder if I would have lived in a place like this if my parents survived the car accident?

  Despite not being picked on or harassed, I wasn’t a big fan of crowds, and the number of people seemed to grow as the night went on. Melanie was talking to some guy that I recognized from the football team, but I didn’t remember his name. I decided not to interrupt their conversation and instead just looked around the lavish home. I never allowed myself to think about the future once I got out of Andalusia. I would obviously start over in California, but then what? Would I get married? Have kids? Did I even want those things after living my own miserable life? The thought of leaving someone behind to fend for themselves if something happened to me was terrifying. I walked upstairs and heard a few noises as I passed by the bedrooms with closed doors. Some of my classmates were having a night to remember—and there would probably be a few regrets
when they woke up the next morning considering how much booze was being consumed by all of the underage drinkers.

  People probably think that’s how I’ll end my night—with my legs in the air. They call me a slut, and not a single one of them knows I’m a freaking virgin.

  I wandered into the room at the end of the hall. It appeared to belong to the parents that owned the house based on the decor. I couldn’t believe they would just let their kid have a party and leave them all alone. I wanted to believe my parents would have been better than that. All of the pictures—that happy family. That was the one thing I would never have. I had a few pictures with the foster families that I lived with over the years, but there was no love behind those frozen moments of time. The family I was currently staying with was a godsend at least. I was already eighteen, so they could have tossed me out, but they agreed to let me stay until I graduated. That was more kindness than most of them had ever shown me. As I stood there lost in my own thoughts, I heard footsteps behind me. I turned towards the door and my heart skipped a beat when I saw who it was.

  “Preston?” I raised my eyebrows in surprise.