Rekindle

by Morgan, Nicole

  “What the hell ever! Cam, fuck ‘em! They have no idea how talented you are, because they never bothered to see for themselves. You do you and don’t worry about the rest!” The level of hatred I have toward her parents is astronomical. She knows this. It never does any good for me to get fired up about it, but I honestly can’t help it.

  With a wave of her hand, she declares the conversation over. “It doesn’t even matter. It’s done. I am happy with my choices. They can go suck monkey balls. Now, Shayna will be here in twenty minutes. Let’s get ready.”

  There is a knock on the door a few minutes later, and Cam runs to answer it. She and Shayna make their way back into my bedroom. “Hey, woman!” I say to Shayna with a kiss on the cheek. “You look smokin’!” And she does. Her off-the-shoulder sweater looks great with her patterned leggings and boots.

  “Thanks, sugar! Hopefully it does something to catch Micah’s eye.”

  “MICAH!” Cam and I shout at the same time.

  “Well, yeah. I mean, I know he’s a big ol’ flirt, but he’s different with me. Sweet almost. I’ve held back for a while now, but I really just want to go for it with him, ya know?”

  I knew she was overly flirty with Micah, but I didn’t think that she actually wanted a relationship with him. He’s not exactly the relationship kind of guy.

  “Okay, then. Well, if he’s too blind to see what’s right in front of him, then he doesn’t deserve you anyway!” Cam says with enthusiasm.

  “Totally. He’d be an idiot to turn you down,”

  I throw on a coat of lip balm and look at the clock. “Dammit. We’re late. You girls ready?”

  “Sure thing!”

  “Yep, let’s get going!”

  We pile into the car and head for Rhett’s.

  We pull into Rhett’s driveway about a quarter after seven. We can hear the music from the backyard when we get out of the car, so we head back there instead of going inside.

  Micah, Tanner, and Luke are sitting around the table of the patio, and Rhett is over by the grill. Luke notices our arrival first and sends us a chin lift. Micah glances up from his very animated story and sees us walking toward the deck.

  “Don’t yall look like a whole lotta no good walkin’ around! Emma Grace, you look stunning as always,” he says as he loops an arm around my neck and kisses me a little too close to my mouth. I roll my eyes and shove him off.

  “Shay-belle. A pleasure as always,” he says, kissing her hand. A blush creeps up her cheeks. “Come on over and grab a seat.” He pulls out a chair for her. Huh. Maybe there is hope for them after all.

  Cam works her way inside to grab some beers from the fridge, completely bypassing Luke. Go figure.

  “Hey, Tanner!” I say as I lean down to kiss him on his cheek.

  “Emma Grace,” he greets me back with a smile.

  By the time I make it to Rhett, he’s scowling.

  “What’s wrong with you, grumpy pants?”

  “You’ve given out two kisses since you’ve been here, and neither was for me,” he says with a raised eyebrow.

  “Lucky number three.” I smirk as I stand on my tiptoes to give him a kiss. He wraps his arm around my waist and deepens the kiss. His hand skims my ass and he stops kissing me immediately.

  “What?” I ask, perplexed.

  “Underwear?”

  “Boy shorts,” I correct.

  “You want to get punished, don’t you?” He has the cockiest smirk I’ve ever seen on his face.

  “Huh?” I am seriously confused. It must be written all over my face, because Rhett breaks out into a full-fledged smile.

  “My text. I sent it to you earlier, detailing the rules for tonight. You didn’t comply.”

  My mind is reeling, trying to figure out what he’s talking about. Ohhhh! That text. “I still haven’t read it. Cam came home and I got distracted,” I explain, pulling out my phone to check and see what it says.

  “Nope. No excuses. You lose, I win.”

  I read the text and shoot him a look and kiss his lips quickly. Before I leave to grab a beer, I nip his ear and whisper, “Promises, promises.”

  If his sharp intake of breath is any indication, my response has taken him by surprise. Good. I head off to grab my beer and join everyone on the deck.

  Dinner was so good, and we’re all stuffed. Everyone is lounging around, having a few drinks and playing games. It’s dark outside, but the fire pit gives off enough heat and light that we can hang out here for the night. Winters aren’t particularly brutal in Alabama, thank goodness.

  We’re playing a game called Heads Up. It’s an app you download on your phone, apparently. I’ve never played it before, but it is absolutely hilarious. We’re playing girls against guys, and the guys are terrible at this game. Right now, Micah is the one holding up the clue and Rhett, Luke, and Tanner are giving hints to help him guess it. The word is “Superman.”

  Rhett is standing there, saying, “Uh, uh, uh. Red cape!”

  Tanner is holding his hands out like he’s flying, and he’s shouting, “Dun, dun, dun, da!”

  Luke just keeps giving the most random clues. “He’s that guy. You know. With the thing. And he’s famous.”

  Meanwhile, Shayna, Cam, and I are laughing so hard we can hardly breathe. Micah is getting so frustrated but refuses to pass. He is bound and determined to get this one. The buzzer sounds and time is up.

  “What the actual fuck, assholes? Superman? How about give me a real fucking clue! No wonder the girls are kicking our asses!”

  We take our turn and fly past the fifty mark in points, which means we won. The guys are good sports for the most part, mostly just giving each other a hard time. Micah walks inside to grab another beer, and Shayna follows him. I watch them, waiting to see what’s going to happen. Maybe Micah will be willing to do the relationship thing with her. Who knows?

  They’ve been in there a few minutes when I glance back to the sliding glass door and see Micah place a kiss on Shayna’s cheek, rubbing her shoulder before heading back out to the deck. Never a good sign. Shitballs. I shoot Cam a look and we make our way inside.

  “Hey, lady. What’s shakin’?” I ask as casually as possible.

  “He likes me, but he doesn’t want to complicate our ‘friendship’ by adding sex to it. He’s not into the monogamy thing. ‘Been there, done that, burned that T-shirt,’ whatever that means. He wouldn’t even give us a shot.” She angrily swipes a tear rolling down her cheek.

  “His loss, sweetie. It’s not worth it. And honestly, do you want to be with someone who didn’t want just you?” Cam asks.

  “No, no. You’re right. It’s just too bad. I know that we could be good together.”

  “So show him what he’s missing! If you really care for him that much, don’t give up. Prove to him that you’d stick by him no matter what.” Cam hands out a lot of advice for someone so reluctant to follow it. I smirk at her. She catches my eyes, knowing exactly what I’m thinking, and rolls hers at me.

  “Shake it off, babe. You’re gorgeous and any guy would be lucky to have you!” I try and encourage her.

  She shakes her head and shakes out her arms. “Okay. I’m good, girlies. Let’s go enjoy the rest of our night. I’ll be fine.” She smiles and we hug her close.

  We make our way back outside to join the guys, intent on doing exactly what Shayna said—enjoy the rest of our night.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Rhett

  Yesterday’s cookout was a success. Everyone had a great time, including Tanner. Now to get him to see that he needs to cut ties with the bitch he’s with, and all will be right in the world. I can’t for the life of me see why he’s with her.

  “Rhett,” Micah’s voice booms. “I got shit to discuss with you.”

  “‘Sup, man?”

  “Well you know last night at your cookout? Yeah, so, Shayna kind of propositioned me.”

  “What? Really? You didn’t take her up on it, did you? I know it’s hard f
or you to turn women down, but she’s too close-knit in our circle.”

  “Yeah, I know. I told her that it would only complicate things and she would end up hurt. Monogamy is not my strong suit. I would have thought she knew that by now. I think I hurt her feelings though, and I may act like a jack-off, but I hate to hurt a woman. Especially a good one.”

  I can see the internal battle he’s facing and I hate it.

  “I know you don’t like having to hurt her, but in the long run, you’re saving you both a lot of heartache. You can’t be faithful to her; you said it yourself. Believe me, brother, the day will come when you meet a woman and you will not want another. You will give up your booty calls and your partying ways. When you meet her and she’s the only person you think of, then you’ll know you’ve found the right one. ‘Til that day comes, you just have to be you. Since Shayna isn’t the woman who brings you to your knees, you need to let her find the right man for her. It won’t be fair to her or anyone else involved if you try to force feelings or emotions where they aren’t meant to be.”

  Engine 24 respond. Apartment fire, 829 Crossview park. Engine 24 respond.

  I look to Micah and see horror on his face, and I’m certain my face is mimicking his. That is Micah’s apartment complex. We rush to the truck and head off, uncertain what to expect when we get there.

  When we pull up to the site, the flames are visible from the outside, flaring out the windows, black smoke billowing from every crack and crevice. The black smoke is a good indication that the whole place is about to give and crumble to the ground.

  Micah immediately takes off to the entrance, ready to search for any people that may be trapped inside. Chief grabs him by the arm and shakes his head.

  “Nobody goes in, Micah. This place is about to go, and I won’t risk you and the other men,” Chief tells Micah.

  “Chief, just give me one minute. That’s all I’m asking,” Micah pleads. “I just want to make sure it’s clear.”

  “Son, you won’t have a minute,” Chief tells him, just as the whole apartment booms and cracks, the roof crashing to the ground. I see Micah’s jaws clench tight. His fists are white from squeezing them so tightly, but he keeps his emotions in check as he watches the rubble burn.

  Our men are on top of it, putting the hoses to it and trying to drown out the angry flames. I watch as Chief pulls Micah into a hug and whispers something to him. Micah nods his head and walks away.

  “Hoyt’s already on his way out here. We’re hoping this is just some freak accident, because if not, this arsonist is getting careless and it only seems to be getting worse,” Chief says as he approaches me. “We need to get Micah back to the station as soon as we can though. He is barely keeping his emotions in line. Won’t take much to send him over the edge.”

  I nod my head in understanding and take off in search of Micah. The fire seems to be cooperating, and it won’t take much longer to get it completely out.

  Micah is seated on the back of the truck with his head in hands. I can see the weight of the world on his shoulders and I pray to God that this fire was just an accident, because if not, this just got personal—and I’d really hate to be the person causing all this, because nobody will be able to save him from the wrath of Micah Allen.

  Micah was silent the whole ride back to the station—we all were, actually. The very thought that someone would go to these extreme lengths to wreak this much havoc is mind-boggling to me. There is no legitimate reason for someone to endanger hundreds of lives. When we make it back to the station, I see Cam’s car in the parking lot.

  I step out and I’m immediately tackled. I’m hit with enough force to knock me back.

  “I was so worried about you guys. Where’s Micah? Is he okay? How much damage was done to his apartment?” M fires off questions and I can’t help but smile. She must have heard about the fire and came here as soon as she left work. “Rhett, talk to me, dammit. Is everyone okay?”

  “We’re all okay, M. Micah is shaken up, but he seems more pissed off than anything. His apartment is shot. There’s nothing left but rubble, so he’ll need a place to crash until he can find a new place to stay. I’m going to offer up my spare room and see if he wants to crash at my place ‘til he can get situated.”

  “I have to find him so I can check on him myself,” M whispers. She’s worried about him; I can see it written all over her face.

  “Go check his bunk. I’m pretty sure that’s where you’ll find him. I’ll be up there in just a minute,” I say, kissing her on the head. “Forever, M.”

  “And ever, Rhett,” she replies, smiling, and she heads off in search of our brother.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Emma Grace

  I run upstairs to the bunks in the fire station. I’ve been here a few times with Rhett, so I know exactly where I’m going. I round the corner into the main living area and bypass a few of the guys who are gathered together, talking about the fire. When I enter the bunk room, I see Micah sitting on his bed, elbows to his knees and head cradled in his hands. He’s drowning so deeply in his own thoughts, he doesn’t even hear me enter. I sit next to him and rub his back. He glances over at me through bloodshot eyes.

  “Hey, stud,” I whisper. It feels wrong to speak out loud right now. Like even the tiniest bit of noise could shatter him completely.

  “Everything, Emma. All of it—everything I’ve worked for—all of it is in ashes. And everyone else in that building. It’s surreal. I just don’t know what to do.” He shakes his head and puts it back in his hands. His shoulders begin to shake, and I continue to rub his back. “FUCK!” he bellows as he throws his body up and across the room. He’s pacing like a caged animal.

  This isn’t the Micah I’ve come to know. That Micah is always calm, cool, collected, and full of humor and wit. I’ve never seen him so disoriented, and I don’t know what to do to make it better for him.

  “Micah,” I say in the calmest tone I can muster, stretching my arms out. “Come here.”

  He looks at me like I’ve grown three heads, but he takes the few steps over to me and wraps his arms around my shoulders. I squeeze him tightly around the waist as his grip on me tightens.

  “You don’t have to do any of this by yourself. We’re here for you. All of us,” I whisper into his shoulder. “Right now, you need to concentrate on making it through your shift. Tonight, when you get off, everybody is coming to my place, you included. I’m cooking dinner and we’ll figure out a plan for the next few days. We’re going to take it day by day, and you’re going to be just fine, Micah. You hear me?”

  “I hear you, Emma.” He breaks the hug and smirks at me. “You sure Rhett’s keeping you happy?”

  I let out an unexpected laugh. Now this is the Micah I know. “So sure.” I pat his cheek. “See you after your shift.” I turn to make my way back downstairs and stop short of the door when Micah calls my name.

  “Emma?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Thanks. Seriously, Rhett’s a lucky man.”

  A blush heats my cheeks at the compliment. “Anytime, Micah.”

  As I round the corner and run directly into Rhett, I don’t know how long he’s been standing outside the door, but his eyes are shining bright with pride and a smile is lighting his face. His hands grasp my hips to steady me, and he bends to bring his forehead flush with mine.

  “Thank you, M&M. I’ll see you tonight.”

  “Sure thing, McCoy. See you in a few hours.” I place a quick kiss to his lips and flee from the fire station. I have a lot to do by seven thirty tonight.

  By the time I make it home, it’s a quarter to seven and Cam’s car is loaded down with groceries, clothes, and a few essentials for Micah. Cam and Shayna come running out of the condo to help me unload the car. Once we finish, we start cooking dinner for the guys. Grilled chicken, baked potatoes, and salad are on the menu for tonight. I figured the guys could use a good, hearty meal after such a crappy day.

  “How’s Micah doi
n’?” Shayna asks. I know that he turned her down the other weekend, but you can’t help whom you care for, and it’s obvious in her tone that she’s worried about how he’s handling everything.

  “He’s rough, but he’ll be okay. He’s just overwhelmed right now at the fact that everything he owned is gone.”

  “I can imagine. Jesus. Does he have somewhere to stay, at least?” Cam pipes in.

  “I don’t think so. I know Rhett talked about letting him stay there, but I don’t know if Micah will take him up on it. He’s a prideful little shit. But I don’t think he has much of a choice right now.”

  “Well, I’ve got the extra bedroom in my condo. I’ll ask him if he wants to stay there,” Shayna suggests, her eyes never leaving the potatoes she’s washing. Cam and I exchange a look. If Micah ends up staying with Shayna, I’m not so sure he’ll be able to keep his hands to himself, and that could end badly.

  It’s not long before a knock sounds at the door and it swings open. Rhett walks in, followed quickly by Micah.

  “Hey, babe. Hey, Micah. Where’s Luke?” I ask.

  Rhett slides his arms around my waist and bends to kiss my lips. “He’s on his way. He ran by to pick up Tanner.”

  “Sounds good. Chicken is in the oven now and shouldn’t be much longer. Y’all grab a beer and have a seat.”