Page 126 of Branded Hearts

“Yeah, he has. He also told me that he knows about us.”

“You can trust him.” Bradley says.

I nod. “I know. It’s okay. It was nice of him to check in.”

His face softens. “I’m glad he did, too.”

I process everything he must have gone through and wince at the thought. “I still can’t believe that all happened. It sounds so terrifying, but so incredibly brave of you,” I say.

He shakes his head. “It’s just part of the job. We got her out, though, and others. That’s what matters.”

I shake my head. “No, Bradley. That’s really,reallybrave. You’re like ahero.”

“Nah, the real heroes are the fire service teams. They took most of the brunt of the fire.” How can someone be so humble when he literally saved a young girl’s life?

“Well, you’re a hero in my eyes.” I snuggle closer, feeling his heartbeat steady and strong beneath my hand. “I’m just glad you’re here. Safe.”

“Me, too, sunshine,” he says, his voice soft and sincere. “Me, too.”

We sit in silence, the weight of the evening settling around us. At some point, I’d changed the channel back to the news, and there, on the screen, in large bold letters, reads:“Local Officer Rescues Young Girl from Burning Building.”

His name is mentioned afterward, along with a snapshot of hisacademy portrait. My heart swells with pride. His actions haven’t gone unnoticed. This small town of Wattle Creek will forever remember the actions performed by Senior Constable Bradley Mitchell.

Mymanis a hero. I’ll never forget.

After a few moments of silence, a thought occurs to me. “Wait. Where did you tell your family you were going before you came here?”

“Uh, that I needed to head back to the station to grab some things.”

“And the overnight bag?” I nod toward his bag on the dining table.

“That was for visiting Daniels,” he says, throwing up air quotes with his free arm. “You know, to be with him, for emotional support.” He shrugs with a smirk.

I nod, a bit puzzled. “But haven’t they been wondering where you’ve been off to these past few weeks? Like your mum, dad, or Liv?”Well, it’s been over a month now, or more, technically.

“Nope, not really.” He shrugs, and I can’t help but feel a pang of curiosity.

As I sit there, basking in the relief of having Bradley safely by my side, my mind drifts to Olivia. She’s been in the dark about our relationship, and it weighs heavily on me. I know she cares deeply for both Bradley and me, but the thought of telling her about us fills me with unease. It’s a conversation that has been a long time coming.

I take a deep breath, gathering my courage. “Bradley, I... I think we need to tell Liv about us. Likereallysoon,” I say hesitantly,my voice barely above a whisper. He nods, brows furrowed, lost in thought.

“I’m just... I’m concerned about how she will react,” I admit.

“We will tackle it together,” he offers.

I acknowledge his words with a nod, but a knot of unease tightens in my stomach.

“Okay.”

As I lean into his comforting presence, I appreciate his support, but my mind is consumed by worry about the challenges ahead. This isn’t a small matter; it’s a secret we’ve been keeping for a while now. We’ve let it drag on for so long that I worry it might be too late to fix things with Liv. Her reaction could change everything, and I fear the consequences of our actions.

The knot in my stomach tightens with each passing moment, and I can’t shake the sense that this conversation will lead to complications that we may not be able to overcome.

42

Let Em Go - Matt Hansen

Staying at Amelia’s feels like a sanctuary, a rare place where my mind finds peace. At home, my thoughts swirl endlessly, and work brings its own barrage of distractions. But here, with Amelia, it’s like I’m anchored, grounded in her presence.

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