Page 29 of Burn for You

“She’s not going to make a forty-minute drive multiple times a day for her shifts in town.” I can see the way his eyes are piercing Heath’s over his shoulder.

“Why not?” I spit, rising up on my tiptoes to meet his eyes.

“You don’t have a car.”

I glare him down over Heath’s shoulder. “Heath will bring me, right?” I look up at him.

“Uhh…”

“That’s a no,” Rafael interrupts. “I’ll start loading your stuff into my truck.” He pushes the door open and walks out.

“Thanks for the help.” I lightly push on Heath’s chest. I can feel my face heating. Feel myself panicking as my mind tries to run through other options.

There’s the Lost and Found. But from what Leo said, there aren’t any empty rooms. I could sleep on the couch? I could call Miles, see if the renovations of his house in Sorrento are done? It’s far away, but all of a sudden, I feel like my world is caving in on me. I don’t know where I’m supposed to be anymore. The one place that finally felt right to me is just…gone.

Heath holds his hands up. “In all honesty, I probably couldn’t be driving you in and out all the time.”

“I could’ve taken a horse.”

“Do you even know how to ride?”

“Not horses, specifically.” I smirk.

“Alright, let’s go. I’ll help you guys pack up the car.” He pushes me towards the door. “And we need to remedy that.”

“Good luck!” Isla yells.

I give her a salute before walking out the door. This might be the worst situation I've ever been in. Even worse than last night.

chapter twelve

RAFAEL

I pushon my front door and hold it open as May walks in, a big bag over each of her shoulders.

“Well, this is a far cry from the cottage,” she says, taking in the big open living space in front of her. She’s not wrong. Compared to Rosemary cottage my house is like a cold museum.

“Only you live here?” she asks. I nod. “Big place.”

“I like having my own space.”

“Hmm, I can see that.” Why does she say it like an insult? Space is good.

She wanders through the house, leaving me to get the rest of her stuff from my truck. Typical.

“You can pick any of the rooms down the hall. Mine’s the last on the right.”

She nods mindlessly before making her way down the hallway. She walks slowly, like she’s still in shock after yesterday. I wouldn’t blame her, I am too.

I can’t stop thinking about that fire, about how quickly it grew, about how I thought that the clouds were suspiciously gray on the drive to her house and didn’t pause to think why that was. But most of all, I can’t stop thinking about May. About how bright her green eyes looked against a backdrop of her burning house.About the flicker of relief I noticed in them when she saw me. About how tightly she clung to me, and the hoarse sound of her coughs.

It made me feel important, like I was the one person she wanted to see, despite everything between us.

“Anyone would think a ten-person family lives here.” May’s voice cuts through the memories as she yells from down the hall. She opens each of the doors, peering into each room before she takes her pick. The room furthest from mine. Go figure.

I walk back out into the cool evening air to grab the rest of her belongings from the back of my truck. I don’t know how she fits this much stuff in that tiny cottage, and I don’t know where she thinks this is going in my house. I’m sure she’s already imagining where she can put all her books.

I sigh at the thought of sharing a space with May for the next…Marina never told me how long she needed somewhere to stay for. I never asked.

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