Page 12 of Burned By Fire

“Why did you move out of your mom’s place?”

“I had no choice.” She presses her lips together, and I study her features.

“What does that mean? I thought you liked being with her.” My voice softens.

“Everyone has to grow up and move out of their childhood home at some point.” Her voice holds a gloomy tone. She doesn’t sound happy about her situation. If this was something she wanted, she wouldn’t sound sad. Her misery upsets me and I want to take the pain away.

“If you liked living with her, you should’ve stayed. I know plenty of grown men who still live with their parents.”

I intended to leave when we reached her home, but I’m not ready to let this conversation go yet. She parks outside the office building, and I follow her inside.

“I thought you were walking home?” she asks.

“We’re not done talking about this. Look, I’m sorry about yesterday. I want to be a better friend.” I feel protective of her and I really want to know what’s going on.

She presses the button on the elevator, even though I’m fairly certain she usually takes the stairs.

“Your apology is accepted. I’ll meet you for a run in the morning if you’re free, but for now, I’m tired, so goodnight.” She’s hiding something, and I’ve been so wrapped up in myself, I missed it.

The elevator arrives and she steps inside, trying to block my path. She selects her floor number on the control panel, and at the last second, I push inside before the doors shuts. I’m not going to leave her when she’s pissed with me.

“What are you doing?” She holds her arms over her chest.

“Our conversation isn’t over, and you’re not quite home yet. I’ll walk you right to the door.” I stare her down. I’m not leaving until I know what happened. I don’t like to see her upset. She’d be the same if our roles were reversed.

We’re almost on the third floor when we’re plunged into darkness and the elevator comes to a stop. A few seconds later, Ember’s phone lights up and she presses a few buttons before she says, “There’s a power cut across the whole of the town. Looks like we’re stuck here until the electricity comes back on.”

I move closer to the light so I can see her. “Tell me what happened with your mom.”

“Her new boyfriend, Robert, kicked me out.” Her shoulders slump. The sadness I heard in her tone earlier is back, and I clench my fist. Ember is a gentle soul and doesn’t deserve to be treated this way.

“And your mom just let it happen?”

She flicks off the light on her phone, and I can hear her slump down onto the floor. I hold the side rail and take a seat.

“My mom took his side. She said I’m twenty-one and it was time for me to leave. I had nowhere to go, so Jackie suggested I rent the old insurance firm’s office which had been vacant for a while.”

“Why am I only hearing about this now?” We used to talk daily until the accident. Something like this is a big deal.

“You’ve had enough to worry about without adding me to your list. Besides, I’m a grown woman. I can sort out my own problems.”

It’s like she’s shot me in the chest with a bullet of pain. I probably wasn’t in the right state of mind to offer a safe place for her to stay, but it still hurts that she didn’t think I could be there for her.

I need to stop drinking and sort my head out. I can’t promise I won’t mess up again, but I’m determined to try and be better. I brush my hand over my face. “I’m fully aware you’re capable of finding your own place, but we’re friends. You could’ve told me what was going on.”

“What, like with the date I need that you so gracefully turned down.” Her voice holds a sullen tone. I should’ve realized the wedding meant more to her than she was making out.

I’m about to throw my usual excuses at her when I stop myself. “Is having a plus one to the wedding important to you?”

“Yes. I don’t want to sit at the singles’ table or be quizzed about why I don’t have a man.”

I blink a few times at her words. Ember hasn’t dated the whole time I’ve known her, but I’ve never questioned why. She lets out a sigh, and my resistance begins to slip away.

“Okay. It would be my honor to go with you.” I’ve let her down lately, and sacrificing a day for her isn’t a hardship. It’s not like I have any other plans.

“Don’t agree to go with me if you can’t keep your word.” I can hear the rustle of fabric from her t-shirt while she crosses her arms. I don’t have to see her clearly to sense the negative vibe.

I close my eyes, allowing the pain to settle in. I’m glad she can’t see me properly while I pull myself together. I want to say she doesn’t have anything to worry about and I’m reliable, but that wouldn’t be the truth. “I’m going to try my hardest to be there for you.”

“I’ll just say I can’t go.” The disappointment in her voice hurts.

“No. Don’t do that. I want to do this for you.” Setting small goals is what Jackie told me to do. It’s just one wedding. I can be there for Ember if she needs me. “When and where is the big day?”

“Well, it isn’t in Armstrong, and it’s a week tomorrow. It’s almost a four-hour drive, so we might have to stay overnight.”

“Where are we talking?”

“It’s at Rocky Mount in Prattville, Alabama.”

Maybe this is what I need. A chance to get away from everything that’s weighing me down. An out-of-town trip might help me put things in perspective. I need to move forward, and maybe something as simple as a wedding can be the first step. “It’s not like I have anywhere else to be. This wedding is obviously important to you, so let me help.”

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