Page 128 of The Forever Rule

“A transformer blew because of lightning and somehow the whole place caught on fire. The door wouldn’t open and I was so damn scared. We had just been talking before. Setting things straight. We’re good now. I promise.” And I promptly burst into tears as Meredith hugged me. Aston looked between us, confused as he held my shoulder, before moving to the side so the paramedics could check us out. When he took my hand, he didn’t let me go, and I just looked over at Meredith, realizing that perhaps trauma could bond you more than I thought. Because I was never going to forget today, even as the paramedics poked and prodded.

“Blakely?” a deep voice asked, and I looked over to see a familiar firefighter from my dad’s old station.

“Mr. Snow?”

“Oh hell. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Really.” I coughed, making that a clear lie.

“Keep the oxygen on your face,” the paramedic warned, and then pointed to Meredith. “You too.”

Fireman Snow looked between me and the building the firefighters were currently working on and let out a breath. “I’m calling your father.”

I groaned, knowing that soon the entire station was going to be checking to make sure Baby Blakely was fine, but that didn’t matter. I just leaned into Aston’s arms as he held me, my other hand still in Meredith’s.

“I love you so much. Never do that again.” He kissed the top of my head, as we tried to explain what had happened.

It turned out Aston had finally made it to the street to meet with me, only to see it catch on fire. He had run around the back as the front was blocked. He’d used a crowbar to get the door open as the authorities pulled up. When we explained that Meredith had been there to apologize, he just shook his head, listening. I knew we’d have to explain again, because I wasn’t going to let him blame Meredith. It was literally lightning. But for that one moment, he had been scared it had been his ex. But it hadn’t. No, it had been a single storm that still raged around us.

“Okay, so we’re not going to buy that building,” he said with a laugh. But again, no humor in that.

“I don’t think so.” I held onto him, the shakes finally hitting my body from the adrenaline.

“It was not up to code,” Meredith said in her most prim voice, and somehow, I was laughing and coughing, holding onto Aston, and wondering exactly how this was my life. But then again, the man that I loved was holding me, and we were safe.

And I was never going to take that for granted again.

Chapter Twenty-One

ASTON

The Rules According to Aston Cage: Make your own rules.

The Rules According to Loren Cage:

Rule #1: There is no such thing as forever.

Rule #2: Never lie to your family.

Rule #3: Only lie to your family if #2 is unavoidable.

Rule #4: Cage First. Always.

Rule #5: Never let the world see.

The Rules We Needed:

Rule #6: (Added by Aston) Remember who you are vs. who you need to be.

Rule #7: (Added by Aston) Break the rules.

Rule #8: (Added by Aston)Forever might never be enough, but it’s always worth trying for.

The Rule that Matters:Make your own rules.

“I still cannot believeyou were in an actual fire.” Isabella held Blakely’s hands and from the look on Blakely’s face, my sister seemed to be squeezing her hands a little too tightly.

“You might want to let Blakely go so she can feel her fingers later.”

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