Page 19 of Blazing Hearts

“Not the time, Scotti,” Kara muttered, keeping her voice steady, though she could feel the heat of her teasing lingering. Her mind flickered to Mallory again, the way her heart had stumbled when their gazes met. She hated the way it affected her, how much she wanted to speak to her, to fix whatever it was that had gone wrong between them. But no. She couldn’t do this now. She wouldn’t let herself.

She glanced over her shoulder for just a moment, catching sight of Mallory again. The brief exchange of glances felt like more than it was, more than it should have been. Their connection was undeniable, but the weight of their past, the complications of everything that had transpired, made it impossible to move forward. Not yet.

Mallory was already moving again, back to the chaos of the ER, and Kara turned away, shaking her head to clear it. This was not the time to get caught up in these feelings. She had to focus on the patient.

As the doctors took over, Kara stepped back, her chest still tight from that brief moment with Mallory. The tension between them was something she couldn’t shake, and she hated it. But for now, she had no choice but to keep going, to keep doing her job. The rest could wait.

The hum of activity in the ER was all around Kara as she stood at the side, watching the doctors and nurses continue to work on their patient. The urgency of the moment hadn’t dulled, but there was something else on her mind. Her thoughts kept drifting back to Mallory, and despite the chaotic atmosphere, it was her presence that had captured Kara’s attention.

She hadn’t expected to see Mallory here today. She knew, rationally, that Mallory- Dr. Storm- worked in the ER, but somehow, the sight of her felt jarring, a sharp reminder of the last conversation they’d had, the one where everything had fallen apart between them.

As Mallory approached the group, Kara tried to keep her attention focused on the patient.

“Kara,” Mallory said, her tone polite but cool. “I didn’t expect to see you here today.”

Kara felt the sharpness in Mallory’s words, even though it was masked by her professional tone. It was as if Mallory had deliberately put distance between them, trying to keep everything at arm’s length. But Kara could see through it, could feel the catch in Mallory’s voice, the subtle tremor in her composure. It was as though Mallory was trying to keep a lid on something deeper, something raw that she wasn’t ready to confront.

“Yeah,” Kara replied, keeping her voice neutral, though it was harder than she expected. “We had a tough call. Hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

Her eyes softened slightly as she met Mallory’s gaze, but she could tell Mallory wasn’t about to let down her guard. The silence between them was thick, the kind that felt like a tangible thing, filling the air and pushing them farther apart. Kara fought the impulse to say something, to break the tension. The words were right there on the tip of her tongue—questions, apologies, anything to bridge the gap between them—but she didn’t know how to start. She wasn’t even sure Mallory would want to hear it.

Mallory didn’t break eye contact either. She was still, her posture stiff, her hands steady as she moved past Kara to assist with the patient. But Kara could feel it, the ache between them, the unspoken understanding of what had been left unresolved, hanging in the space between them.

It was almost too much to bear, and Kara swallowed the sudden lump in her throat. She had no idea how they had arrived here, where nothing seemed clear anymore.

Before she could take another step, Scotti’s voice cut through the tension like a knife. Her teasing tone was unmistakable as she sidled up to Kara, an almost mischievous grin spreading across her face. She didn’t miss a beat, her words a mixture of amusement and curiosity.

“You sure you’re not gonna go after her?” Scotti asked, nudging Kara lightly with her elbow. “I mean, she’s not gonna bite… unless you want her to.”

Kara froze, her heart skipping a beat at the way Scotti had phrased it. She glared at her friend, but it was half-hearted. Scotti knew exactly what she was doing—pushing her buttons, teasing her. But it wasn’t just that. Scotti knew how much the situation between Kara and Mallory was bothering her, how the lingering tension from that night still haunted her, and that only made the teasing harder to brush off.

“Shut up, Scotti,” Kara muttered, her voice low but edged with something sharp. She didn’t want to admit it—didn’t want to acknowledge the way Scotti’s words made her feel—but there it was. She was aware of the chemistry between her and Mallory. She’d felt it the nights they’d shared more than just a fleeting moment together, and she couldn’t ignore it now.

But Scotti wasn’t about to let it slide that easily. She gave Kara a knowing look, her smirk widening as she continued to prod her.

“What? You’re telling me you don’t feel it? The chemistry? Because I sure as hell do. Dr. Storm is a catch, you know that, right?”

Kara felt her stomach tighten. She didn’t know if it was from the intensity of the conversation or just the sheer weight of the truth in Scotti’s words. Mallory was, without a doubt, beautiful, strong, smart, driven, and everything Kara had ever wanted. But it was more than that. It was the way Mallory made her feel when they were close, the way she seemed to pull something out of Kara that no one else could. It was the weight of emotions, the complications that had sprung up after that night they shared, and the fear that it might never be simple between them.

Kara clenched her jaw, refusing to let herself get pulled into this. She was a professional. She couldn’t let herself get distracted, not when someone’s life was still hanging in the balance.

She glanced back at Mallory, who had moved further down the hall, now working with the doctors to stabilize the patient. The sight of her in control, calm despite the chaos around her, stirred something deep inside Kara. Her chest tightened as she watched Mallory work, the pull of desire and unfinished business gnawing at her.

Kara closed her eyes for a moment, trying to ground herself, trying to shake off the emotions that were threatening to overwhelm her. She couldn’t afford to let herself get lost in those thoughts, not now. But every time she looked at Mallory, every time she felt that tug in her chest, it became harder to pretend that everything was fine.

Kara took a deep breath, trying to shake off the heavy feeling in her chest. There was something between them, something undeniable, but Mallory was so guarded, so determined to keep her distance. The ache in Kara’s chest had been there since that one perfect night they’d shared. She’d hoped it could be more, that maybe, just maybe, they could move past their fears and see where it went. But now, standing in the ER, surrounded by the noise and bustle, it felt like that hope was gone.

7

MALLORY

Mallory had tried to bury the feelings, of course. She was always so good at burying things. But no matter how many times she told herself to keep her distance, the pull was still there, still strong and undeniable. And it was only when she allowed herself to glance at Kara—really look at her—that she felt it. A pang in her chest, a feeling she hadn’t allowed herself to acknowledge. The same chemistry that had been there from the beginning, the same connection that she had tried so hard to push away. It was there again. But Mallory wasn’t ready to face it.

She had tried, over the past few weeks, to focus on her patients and her career. It was easier, she told herself, to get lost in the constant demands of her job than to deal with the complicated emotions Kara stirred in her. It was safer that way. But no matter how many tasks she completed, no matter how many patients she treated, Mallory couldn’t erase Kara from her mind.

Kara wasn’t Ember Thompson. Mallory tried to remind herself of that. She was a different personality. And if Mallory was honest, things would have never worked out with Ember, regardless of her job. But there was something about the profession that Kara had chosen that unsettled her. It was too close to the life she had once known—the life she had lost. The constant fear, the anxiety that churned in her gut every time Ember went out on a call, never knowing if she would return. It had been a painful existence—one she wasn’t willing to return to. But here she was, again, feeling that same weight in her chest. Kara wasn’t Ember, but she was still a firefighter. And that fact alone was enough to make Mallory hesitate. Enough to make her pull away.

When Mallory finished up her task with the patient, she could feel Kara’s intense brown eyes on her, even across the room. It was impossible to ignore. Despite the noise of the ER and the rush of activity around her, Mallory could feel the weight of Kara’s gaze, as if it was pulling her in. She told herself to keep walking, to stay focused on the task at hand, but she couldn’t help it. She stole a quick glance in Kara’s direction. Their eyes met for a fraction of a second, long enough for Mallory’s heart to skip a beat.

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