Page 40 of The Problem with Fire
“What the fuck?” That was Kellen’s voice.
I jerked back to reality and pushed Daria away from me. “Are you fucking-”
“Sayer!” Kellen yelled, and I was with a bout of confusion so severe, I had no fucking idea who to address.
“What?!” I yelled as I watched Kellen and Garrett rushing towards me, both men looking pissed. Then tires screeching against asphalt grabbed my attention, and I turned just in time to see Monroe’s car speeding out of the parking lot.
My chest felt like it’d been kicked in, and my knees almost buckled.
When all the pieces started falling in place, I whirled around on Daria. “You fucking bitch!” Garrett and Kellen had me in their hold, and I let them because it was scary how angry I was at this female standing before me. This was the first time in my life I’ve ever wished harm on a woman.
“What’s going on?!” Chief roared, coming out of the side door, the sound of booted feet telling me he wasn’t alone.
“I’m fucking done!” I spat.
Chief was standing in front of me now, and I noticed Daria had stepped back, hovering near the firehouse building. “What’s going on?” he repeated.
“I’m putting in a transfer,” I told him, my voice straining with the need to call Daria every name in the book.
“What?” he balked. Then his head swiveled around. “What in the fuck is going on here?!”
I shook Kellen and Garrett off, passed a quiet Daria and dumbfounded Lance, Jake, and Demarcus, and headed towards my locker. I needed my car keys, and I didn’t care if it was a dick move to walk off my shift, leaving my family shorthanded. If I stayed, I’d kill Daria.
If I stayed, I’d lose Monroe.
And I needed Monroe.
I needed her more than I needed anything else in the world.
Chapter 21
Monroe~
You have got to be kidding me.
I was staring at Thomas standing on my porch and wondered what I’d ever done to deserve this goddamn bullshit.
It was Saturday morning, and the annual neighborhood summer kickoff barbecue was starting, and Thomas was standing on my front porch.
“What in the hell, Thomas?” I hissed.
“This is Leta’s house, too,” he said. “I thought she’d enjoy the barbecue.”
God, he was such a manipulating bastard.
“So, why didn’t you just leave her with me and pick her up this evening if you were so concerned with her hanging out with her neighbors and friends?”
“I’m ready,” Leta announced from behind me. “This is awesome. I thought I was going to have to miss it this year.” Thomas lifted a smug brow.
We exited the house and made our way down the porch steps. It looked like we were attending as a family, and I resented how that worked out for Thomas. As upset as I was at Sayer, I believed him about Thomas showing up at the firehouse, and I was not going to play this game. And I found I was mad at him in a way I hadn’t been in years. I thought I had purged my anger for Thomas Burns a long time ago, but him showing up at Sayer’s firehouse, to warn him off me, had really pissed me off. That was the reason I had managed to calm down last night, long enough to know I needed to talk with Sayer. Kicking him out of my house was not the way to give anyone closure.
Then I saw some girl kissing him.
I took a deep breath, really beginning to believe that maybe I wasn’t cut out for relationships and all the dynamics that came with it. If I couldn’t see the signs, then I had a husband leaving me after fifteen years together. If I could see the signs, then I was fighting with a boyfriend who clearly had other options.
I couldn’t fucking win.
As soon as we hit the street and we were one block over, Leta spotted Christine Mason, the daughter of our across-the-street neighbors, and they were off gossiping like only teenage girls could. The only problem with that was that it left me and Thomas walking towards the crowd together.
