Page 32 of Second Down Darling

Someone recorded the fire. Black smoke billows from the unit beneath mine. There are sirens and cops and a crowd, but I don’t see anyfirefighters.

A female voice shouts, “Someone is going into thebuilding!”

“Doesn’t that look like Jake Ramirez, our wide receiver?” someoneasks.

“Holy shit. It is.” The response comes as Jake hops up and clings onto my patio before he swings himself up and over therailing.

I sit there in awe as he kicks in the sliding glass door. Smoke gushes out of my apartment as he heads straight in and returns a minute later with me limp in his arms. He slowly lowers me to the firefighters on the ground who justarrived.

And then he strips off his t-shirt, rips it apart like the Hulk, and straps Duke to his chest before he hops over the railing and drops to the ground. People cheer as firemen drag him away to give himoxygen.

Holy thirst trap. That’s the sexiest thing I’ve everseen.

Then the bottom floorexplodes.

I flinch as my apartment building fliesapart.

Open-mouthed, I stare at the screen when itends.

“Are you crazy? You could’ve been killed.” My eyes sting, and I blink until I’m sure I won’t start blubbering again. I might be upset with Jake, but some part of me would die if anything happened tohim.

“So you wanted me to leave you in a raging fire?” Jake slings a backpack over his shoulder. “You were passed out on your bed, Charlotte. I tried waking you up, but you didn’t budge. Two minutes after I pulled you out, the floor collapsed. If I’d waited for the firefighters, they might not have known you were there. You didn’t answer when I calledout.”

I reach for another tissue and wipe my nose. “I’ve had a tough time sleeping, so I took a few shots of vodka before I went tobed.”

“Well, that definitely worked.” He rubs his forehead. “The one thing I can’t figure out is why there weren’t any fire alarms. Aren’t apartment buildings supposed to havethem?”

Maybe that’s why rent was so cheap—my landlordsucked.

“Where you staying, Chuck? Wanna crash with me?” Billy grins mischievously. He must know I’ll decline theoffer.

Although… whereamI going to stay? “Thanks, but I’ll figure out something. Don’t want to encroach on your nighttime activities.” The last place I want to live is at the Stallion Station with half the footballteam.

Jake stares at us like we’ve lost our minds. “Aren’t you twodating?”

“I wish,” Billy says as he winks atme.

I feel my face flame and roll my eyes. “Billy, you’re a Lambo on the Autobahn, flashing down the road at two hundred miles an hour. I’m an economy car. I like slow, steady, and reliable.”Don’t look at Jake.Don’t.

“My loss, dollface. But if you change your mind about bunking down with me, let me know. I’ll always make room in my bed foryou.”

“Go charm the panties off another girl, Billy. I’m planning to keep mine on for the timebeing.”

“You wound me, Chuck.” He surprises me by leaning over to kiss me on the forehead. “Holler if you need anything. I’m still available if you want to practice your moves. And hey, I’m glad you didn’t die.” With a toss of his chin toward Jake, he struts out of myroom.

Jake’s quiet, and I wait for theinquisition.

He clears his throat. “You guys really aren’tdating?”

“No.”

“So… y’all were more of a friends-with-benefitssituation?”

Pretty sure you need benefits to qualify for that. “We were more of a practicesituation.”

An adorable crinkle forms between his brows, but we’re interrupted when a cute nurse walks in. “Good to see you up, Miss Darling.” She turns to Jake and grins. “Hey, here’s mynumber.”

Of course the nurses are throwing themselves athim.

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