Page 24 of Unpredictable Flames

“Thank you, Doc,” I sighed.

As the doctor made his exit, leaving us alone once more, I turned to Lily to see her pout in annoyance. “What’s wrong babe?”

“Work? Are you serious right now?!” She seemed angry.

“I don’t understand, Lily,” I said.

“Why would you want to go back to work?” she exploded, her frustration bubbling to the surface like a pot left unattended on the stove.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair in frustration. “I'm a firefighter, Lily,” I explained, my tone gentle yet firm. “It's my duty to protect the people of Lakeridge.”

Lily's reaction was immediate, her lips twisting into a pout of annoyance as she turned to face me. “Are you actually being serious right now?” she exclaimed, her eyes flashing with a mixture of frustration and concern.

“Lily, you of all people should know just how important my job is to me,” I explained, my tone gentle yet firm. “I can't just sit around and do nothing while there are still threats out there.”

Her pout deepened, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “But what about us?” Lily countered, her voice filled with fear. “I don't want to lose you, Jake. Not again.”

I reached out, taking her trembling hand in mine. “I didn't get shot on duty,” I reassured her. “We were attacked, remember? Going back to work won't change that. What matters is that those masked men are caught.”

But she continued to protest, her pleas growing more desperate with each passing moment. “Please, Jake," she begged, her voice raw with emotion. "Just stay with me. That's all I ask.”

Before I could respond, the door swung open suddenly, and Cole rushed in, his expression a mixture of fear and relief.

“Jake, are you okay?” he asked, his voice tinged with concern.

I nodded, offering him a weak smile. “I'll be fine, Cole. Just a flesh wound,” I reassured him, my gaze flickering towards Lily as I spoke.

Cole's brow furrowed in confusion. "What happened?" he inquired, his eyes scanning the room for answers.

As I recounted the terrifying events to Cole, memories of that fateful night flashed before my eyes like scenes from a nightmare.

“They came out of nowhere,” I explained, my voice strained with the effort of reliving the ordeal. “I saw them coming for us, so I had to act fast.”

Lily's grip tightened on my hand as I continued. “I rushed at them, trying to put some distance between us,” I recounted, the adrenaline of the moment still coursing through my veins. “I managed to dodge and block most of their attacks, but a few of them got through.”

I winced as I recalled the sharp pain that had radiated through my shoulder, causing Cole to look at my bandaged-up shoulder.

“And that?” he pointed.

“I managed to take down a few of them, but there were too many. And then…” I paused, gritting my teeth in anger. “I heard a gunshot,” I finally admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. “And then everything went black.”

“I pushed her out of the way,” I explained, my voice tinged with regret. “But after that, the pain… everything went blank.”

I trailed off, unable to find the words to describe the agony that had consumed me in that moment.

“We'll catch them, Jake,” Cole vowed, his voice filled with determination. “Trust me, I won't rest until we do.”

I smiled, stretching my hand out for a fist bump. Cole smiled back, connecting his fist with mine.

CHAPTER TWELVE - SCORCHED HEARTS

Later in the day, Jake was discharged from the hospital, and both Cole and I accompanied him back to his home. Cole insisted on staying to help, but I told him to go back to work. “Cole, you don't have to stay. I've got this covered. Thank you for being there at the hospital,” I said, sincerely grateful.

“Of course, I'd come, Lily. Jake's my best friend. I'd drop everything to be there for him,” Cole replied, his tone reflecting his loyalty to his best friend.

As we reached Jake's doorstep, I walked Jake to his room, and when I came out, I met Cole pacing around in the living room. His expression grew serious. “Lily, we need to talk about what happened,” he began, his tone urgent.

I turned to face him, confusion flickering in my eyes. “What's going on? Why the sudden urgency?” I asked.

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