Page 29 of Sparks Fly

Hallie blinks back the creeping sting of tears, her father’s words make it sound so simple. She thinks of all the long, lonely nights she’s spent pouring over training protocols and incident reports. Of the emptiness that seems to fill her chest whenever she imagines a future without someone by her side.

“I see Kaia,” she whispers, her voice cracking with emotion. “I wanted us to build a life together. But I screwed it up, Pop. I ran away. What if I can’t balance my career and a relationship?”

He reaches across the table, his weathered hand covering hers with a gentle squeeze. “No one ever said it would be easy, Hallie. But you’ve never been one to back down from a challenge. If you love this girl, really love her, then you owe it to yourself to fight for her.”

When her mom reaches out to place her own hand on top of theirs, Hallie feels something break open inside her chest, a dam of pent-up emotion flooding her veins.

“You’re right,” Hallie says softly, a sense of calm determination settling over her. “I can’t let her go and just assume I’ll get another chance down the line. She’s here now, and she deserves to be fought for.”

Her parents both smile, pride shining in their eyes as they each give her hand a final squeeze. “That’s my girl,” her mom says gently. “Now, finish your breakfast and tell us all about this Kaia. I want all the details.”

Hallie huffs a small laugh, an easy smile tugging at the corners of her mouth as she tucks into her meal with renewed appetite. For the first time in weeks, she feels a glimmer of hope. A sense that maybe, just maybe, she can have the life her parents have after all.

Later that afternoon, Hallie decides to cut her trip home short and boards the train back to the city, her stomach fluttering with nervous anticipation. She barely notices the sparse towns and arid desert passing her by. This time round, her mind is swirling with all the things she wants to say to Kaia.

I’m sorry. I was wrong. I miss you. Please give me another chance.

The words play on a loop in her mind as the train winds its way back to the city, the gentle rocking of the carriage doing little to soothe her fraying nerves. She pulls out her phone, her thumb hovering over Kaia’s contact as she tries to summon the courage to take the first step.

Come on, Hunter. You’ve got this.

Taking a deep breath, Hallie begins to type, her fingers trembling slightly as she pours her heart out onto the screen. She tries to ignore the previous message she sent. The cold dismissal that Kaia never responded to. Hallie couldn’t blame her.

I need to see you.

My train gets in at 3.

Can I come over?

Hallie’s thumb hovers over the send button, her blood pounding in her ears as she reads and re-reads the words. Should she say more? She would rather say everything she wants to in person. But will Kaia even respond?

With a final, shaky exhale, Hallie hits send, watching as the message disappears into the ether. All she can do now is hope that Kaia will at least give her a chance to speak what’s on her mind. The rest is out of her hands.

Hallie leans back in her seat, her eyes drifting closed as she tries to calm her racing heart. She pictures Kaia’s stunning face, the way her eyes crinkle at the corners when she laughs, the way her unruly dark curls splay over her pillow as she sleeps. She imagines a future filled with lazy Sunday mornings and late-night movies, of coming home after a grueling shift and having someone who understands exactly how it is. Who went through it right by her side.

The thought brings a smile to Hallie’s face, a warmth blooming in her chest that chases away the lingering chill of doubt. She’s ready, ready to fight for the woman she loves, ready to build a life together that’s full of endless possibilities. Even if she never makes captain, she’ll have everything she needs in life to be totally content. To be happy.

Suddenly, deafening screech rips through the air. The train lurches violently, throwing her from her seat and sending her crashing to the floor.

Chaos erupts around her, a cacophony of screams and shattering glass filling the carriage as the world tilts on its axis. Hallie feels a searing pain explode behind her eyes as her head slams against the metal edge of a tray table, the force of the impact sending white dots across her vision.

She tries to push herself up, the emergency responder in her trying to make sense of the pandemonium unfolding all around, but her limbs refuse to cooperate. She can feel a warm, sticky wetness trickling down the side of her face, the coppery scent of blood filling her nostrils as her eyelids start to feel as heavy as lead.

No… Kaia. I have to get to Kaia.

It’s the last thought that flickers through Hallie’s mind before the darkness claims her, dragging her from consciousness even as she fights to cling on.

14

KAIA

Kaia paces the length of her apartment, her heart hammering against her ribcage with a dizzying mix of excitement and nerves. Hallie’s message plays on a loop in her mind, each word a tantalizing promise.

I need to see you. Can I come over?

The text had sent a jolt of electricity through Kaia’s veins when she’d first seen Hallie’s name pop up on the screen, her hands shaking so badly could barely make out the letters at first. After weeks of agonizing silence, of trying to convince herself that she could live without Hallie’s touch, her laughter, her fierce passion, Hallie had finally reached out. She wants to talk.

Just as she’s buttoning a clean shirt with trembling hands, Kaia’s phone buzzes with an incoming call. Her heart leaps into her throat, a giddy smile already tugging at her lips as she reaches for her back pocket.

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