Page 2 of Fire

This house is old and small. The Coles have always been big and grand with so much extra space you could go a day without crossing paths with a family member.

Something isn’t right.

Ivy glances at me as I step outside, like some part of her is aware of who I am despite the helmet covering my face. She makes her way over, wringing her hands, jittery, tense, but unharmed. Thank God for small miracles. A smile lifts my lips as sweat trails down my cheek. It’s so good to see her. Like the seven years between who we were and who we are don’t exist at all. Like I could draw her into my embrace and run my hands through her hair like I used to when we were younger.

“Are you the man who saved my grandma?” Her voice is low. Tremulous. Her eyes tight and wary. “Thank you so much. Just…” She swipes at her face, as if suddenly aware of the soot streaking her cheeks. “Thank you.”

“I promised I’d always be there for you.” Smiling like a lovestruck fool, I remove my helmet. “And you know better than anyone else that I keep my promises.”

I don’t know what I expected from my grand reveal. Surprise. Excitement. Maybe a gigantic smile that matches my own. Shit, part of me thought she’d leap into my arms and scream for joy.

High school sweethearts finally reunited.

Instead, the warmth and gratitude drains from Ivy’s face.

“Micah.”

It isn’t a question. It’s an accusation.

Shit. I’ve looked forward to this moment from the day she left. This was not the way I saw it going.

I cough, raking a hand through my sweat-soaked hair. “Hey, Ives. It’s been a minute.”

She glances over her shoulder, towards her kid and her grandma. Steps back. Purposefully putting distance between us. Considering we spent our teenage years joined at the hip until her family moved to Seattle before our senior year, I would expect…well, not this.

“It’s been seven years.” Another accusation. Her lips a thin line. Her sky-blue eyes hard and unwavering. “Anyway, thanks for saving my grandma. I know you were just doing your job, but…” She lifts a trembling hand to tuck a strand of pale hair behind her ear.

“Ivy…”

I don’t know what I want to say. Anything to thaw the frozen divide growing between us. We used to be inseparable. Part of me always thought she’d come home, and we’d fall right back into the way things used to be.

And here she is.

Home.

But my Ivy never looked this angry.

“I don’t have anything to say to you, Micah.”

I place a hand on her arm and smile into her storm ravaged eyes. “How about we start with hello and then you can follow up by letting me know the EMTs checked you out and gave you the all clear.”

She shrugs away from my touch, like she’s disgusted by my presence. “Thank you for saving Grandma.” Palms up. Stepping back. “But please, don’t talk to me about your stupid promises again.”

Ivy turns on her heel and strides away, her hands balled into fists before she wraps her arms around her stomach and drops her gaze to her feet. I stare after her, dumbstruck.

What the shit was that about?

Sure, we fell out of contact, but that’s on both of us. She could have reached out just as easily as I could. And as I remember, I reached out a hell of a lot more than she did. I drove myself crazy waiting for her texts, her calls. My grades started slipping—and I never had room for mistakes in that department. My mental health fell to shit. It was bad.

Bad enough for my family to intervene…

Besides, she’s the one who showed back up with a kid. The lighting is terrible and the little girl is hidden behind the oxygen mask, but she looks old enough to assume Ivy moved on not long after she moved away.

If anyone’s holding a grudge, it should be me.

But still…

One glimpse of her sunken posture…

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