Page 22 of That One Heartbreak

“It’ll be okay,” he told James as Tayto pulled up outside the Connelly house.

“No it won’t.” James’ face fell.

“Want me to wait here for you?” Tayto asked as Marley pulled the door open.

“Nah you get back to the station, I’ll walk.” He wasn’t about to make the whole crew wait up on him.

“I’ll make sure everything’s taken care of before I leave,” Tayto said. “You just get home and get some sleep after this. We can meet at the station in the morning.”

Marley hopped out of the truck and turned to James. “Come on then,” he said. The kid followed him, his jaw tight as they walked up to his front door.

“Time to face the music,” Marley told him, ringing the bell to the front door.

Kate sat bolt upright in her bed, her heart racing as she tried to work out what had caused her to so suddenly awaken.

And then the doorbell rang. A glance at the clock beside the bed told her it was almost one in the morning.

Her first thought was James. He wasn’t home. Was he hurt?

She grabbed her robe, wrapping it around her as she rushed down the stairs.Please let him be all right. She’d sent him a message before she went to bed, wishing him good night, but he hadn’t responded.

She’d assumed he was too busy playing video games or whatever it was that teenage boys did at sleepovers.

But what if something had happened to him? What if it was the police at the door telling her he was in the hospital? Or something worse? She should never have let him go for a sleepover without talking to the parents first.

Panic pulled at her stomach as she opened the door.

And then she saw James standing there and relief washed over her.

“What are you doing here?” she asked him, her brows knitting as she pulled him in for a hug. She sniffed at him. His breath smelled sour. “Have you been drinking?”

Then she realized they weren’t alone. A pair of deep blue eyes were looking at her, concerned.

“Marley?” she said, confused. “Why are you here? What’s going on?” It was way too late for him to be out for a run.

“Can I come inside?” he asked. That’s when she realized he was wearing his firefighter uniform. The familiarity of the heavyblack pants made her chest tighten. How many times had Paul come home wearing the exact same uniform?

Until he hadn’t.

“Have you been at the station?” she asked James. He shook his head but said nothing. There were two pink discs on the apples of his cheeks. And he still wouldn’t meet her gaze.

Marley pulled the door closed behind him. “We got a call out to a party in some fields to the west of the town. James and his friends were there.”

“What?” She looked at James, who was staring determinedly at the floor. “Is this true?”

“Yeah.” His voice was little more than a breath.

“You’d better come into the kitchen,” she said, because she couldn’t just stand here. “Would you like a drink?” she asked Marley.

“A water would be great.” He pulled at his t-shirt. “Sorry if I smell. It gets a little sweaty under the gear.”

“I can only smell smoke,” she said softly. “Was there a fire?” She pointed at the kitchen table and Marley took a seat. James hovered in the doorway, as though all he wanted to do was bolt away. Trying to compose her thoughts, she grabbed a glass from the cupboard and filled it from the faucet before passing it to Marley.

“Sit down,” she told James. Thankfully, he did what she asked.

“I’m sorry.” His lip was wobbling. “I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

“Did somebody force you to go to a party?” she asked him. Why wouldn't he look at her?

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