Page 92 of Burn Point

“I’m sorry, Captain. I don’t know how it happened. One minute I was on the stairs. The next minute I was falling backwards. Rook and I tumbled together, and my mask was ripped off in the flailing,” I croaked.

Frustration passed over his face. “I think I know what happened and it’ll be dealt with once I get confirmation. Just know, that guy will not be on another one of my scenes. Two shifts back-to-back with fires resulting in injuries is not acceptable.”

Thoren cleared his throat and said, “Hopefully we’re done with our run on structure fires for a while anyway. We’ve had our yearly quota already.”

Having multiple structure fires was not normal for our town. True, with growth came more occasion for it. But with updated building codes, it was rare that we had multiple barn burners. And we’d had far too many recently.

I got Thoren’s attention. “Thanks for saving my ass, man. I owe you one. That could’ve been bad.”

“Anytime. You know I have your back. I love you like a brother.”

I swallowed hard against the sudden tightness in my throat. For a man who’d never felt like he was enough, suddenly my eyes were being opened to all I did have.

As Captain and Thoren left and others filed in, my heart was bursting with all the love my friends were bestowing on me. They didn’t have to be here. They could’ve simply waited at their homes or at the station for a phone call. Instead, they’d spent hours in the waiting room to hear about my condition because they wanted to be close by.

As Mike and Leah, then Kylie and all the rest of the guys filed in and out—every one of them wishing me well, and happy to see me—it took everything I had not to break down and sob like a fucking crybaby, all because my friends were worried about me.

Finally, Jordan pushed through the door with a smile on her face, and I couldn’t hold back anymore— the fucking tears finally won and spilled over. She crossed the room to me in a quick blur. Then my head was in her arms, pressed to her chest and her soft hands were soothing my hair.

“Oh, honey, it’s okay. You’re going to be fine,” she murmured to my head in between kisses.

“It’s not that,” I said, my voice trembling. I swallowed, trying to get control of my emotions.

“My whole life I’ve felt like I wasn’t good enough, like I didn’t matter enough for anyone to give a damn. My parents couldn’t sacrifice their time to spend with me. I didn’t rate high enough for them.” My voice cracked. “Climbing the corporate ladder was always more important.”

Jordan made a sound in the back of her throat and ran her fingers through my hair. I swiped at the fucking tears running down my cheeks.

“All I ever wanted was to be important enough. To be loved.”

Fuck. My emotions were bleeding all over the place. Jordan kept running her fingers through my hair. I slid down in the bed and managed to get my arms around her. She pressed my head to her chest, and I pulled my mask down and tilted my head, burying my face in her neck. In the safety of her embrace, I lost my shit, letting every hurt piece of me, every feeling of inadequacy, fade away.

“I don’t deserve you,” I whispered to her, pressing a kiss to her soft skin, tasting the salt of my own tears. “But I’m so grateful that you are here, and that you are mine.”

She hugged me tighter, then pulled back, shifting and placing a hand to my cheek. “I love you, Nate Williams. I promise to show you every day just how much. Thank you for not dying today.”

She kissed me tenderly, and I cupped the back of her head. Taking my sweet time exploring her mouth.

The door burst open, and my nurse walked in. “Well, it looks like you are feeling better. Ma’am, we ask that you not share the bed with the patients. Although I do appreciate the fact that the both of you are crammed into that uncomfortable thing.”

Jordan pulled away, her face deliciously flushed. I decided that was my favorite look on her.

I swiped at my face once more and smiled at my gorgeous girlfriend.

The nurse fluttered around the room, chattering away, and all I could do was keep my eyes on Jordan.

“…soon as I get the paperwork signed.”

Wait? What was she saying?

“What was that?” I finally focused on the nurse.

“The doctor will be back around shortly, but your vitals are good, and you’ll be free to go as soon as he gives the all-clear.”

The sun was high in the sky, streaming through my bedroom windows, when I woke alone. Jordan and I had made it home in the dark and crashed hard. I had no idea what time it was, or what day it was even. I just knew that I was alive and in love and had so much to be grateful for. I rolled over and hugged Jordan’s pillow, burying my face in the scent of her.

The distant sound of my cell phone ringing, the tone being cut short, and then the murmur of Jordan’s voice finally motivated me to move.

I found her on the phone in the den, huddled in the corner of the couch, one leg tucked under her. She shifted as I crawled to sprawl on top of her, laying my head on her belly, with my arms around her hips.

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