Page 6 of Flames of Desire

Alex nodded curtly, his jaw set. “Yeah, let’s.”

We stood in an awkward silence for a moment before I decided to head back to the living room. The fire was still going strong, casting a nice warm glow around the room. I sat down on the couch, trying to calm my racing thoughts.

A few minutes later, Alex joined me, sitting in the armchair opposite. He stared into the fire, his expression unreadable. I couldn’t help but steal glances at him, wondering what was going through his mind.

“So, what now?” I asked, breaking the silence.

“We wait it out,” he said, not looking at me. “There’s nothing else we can do.”

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. The fire crackled in the hearth, casting flickering shadows across the room.

“I’m sorry,” I said, my voice barely a whisper.

He finally looked at me, his eyes softening just a bit. “The fuck happened back there?” he asked, his tone surprisingly gentle.

I shook my head, staring into the fire. “I’m not entirely sure what happened. One minute we were fine, and the next...”

“You said something that hit a nerve,” he admitted, turning to face me directly. “But maybe I overreacted.”

I looked up at him, surprised by his gentle tone. “I didn’t mean to insult you. I was just...I don’t know.”

“Frustrated?” he offered.

“Yeah, frustrated,” I agreed. “This whole situation is just...”

“Complicated,” he finished for me.

We sat in silence for a moment, the tension between us slowly easing. It was strange, this truce we seemed to have reached. The storm raged outside, but inside, there was a weird sense of peace.

“I’ll make us some tea,” Alex said, standing up. “It’ll help warm us up.”

“Thanks,” I replied, my voice soft.

As he moved to the kitchen, I watched him, my thoughts a jumble of confusion and curiosity. Could it be that the infamous Alex Sinclair was more than just the town’s bad boy? There was something deeper, something I hadn’t seen before. And as much as I hated to admit it, I wanted to know more.

He returned with two steaming mugs, handing one to me. Our fingers brushed, and a spark of electricity passed between us. I took the mug, feeling the warmth seep into my cold hands, and my eyes flickered to him, but he didn’t seem the least bit fazed by our little contact.

“Here’s to surviving this crazy snowstorm,” he said, raising his mug.

“To surviving,” I echoed, clinking my mug against his.

As we sipped our tea, the cabin felt a little less cold, a little less lonely.

“Why did you do all this?” I asked suddenly. “I mean, the whole thing with Ginsberg. I know for a fact that there’s no way an ordinary fireman from Greendale would be the manager of the famous Richard Ginsberg. Why go through all this trouble?”

He chuckled slightly, taking another sip of his tea. “Because I wanted to help. And because...I wanted to see you.”

I felt a lump in my throat. “Why?”

“Why do you think, Lily?” His voice was low, almost tender. “I realized how I must have come off back at your store. I figured you deserved an apology and an explanation.”

“But I don’t, though,” I said with a little laugh. “I mean, this is the longest I’ve seen you in years, Alex. What does it matter how I think of you?”

Alex sighed. “I guess you’re just someone whose opinion of me actually matters to me.” He gazed at me with a small smile. “Always have to be honest.”

His words hung in the air between us. I didn’t know how to respond. Part of me wanted to believe him, to let myself feel sympathy for him, and probably something more. But another part of me was still wary, still guarded. I mean, it was Alex, after all.

“Alex,” I began, but he held up a hand.

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