Page 13 of Noah

Chapter Six

We spent two hours walking in the cool, summer air. I only knew it was that long because of the crew change once we passed the fire station on our way around the Capital Square. I couldn’t feel my cheeks or nose. My feet were fine thanks to my boots, but it wouldn’t have mattered anyway. I could’ve listened to Lizzie until my bones froze, and then I’d ask her to keep talking. I didn’t tell her we passed my intersection three times. I didn’t want to go home. I figured out her last name eventually, and even her middle name, although she made me promise to never call her Elizabeth Jacqueline Lewis.

She didn’t shut up, and it was comforting. It wasn’t like Callie, where the conversation was always about her, an obvious red flag I didn’t catch in time. In time. Why was I even comparing Callie to anyone? Lizzie didn’t deserve that insult. While we waited for the crossing signal, I thought of Muffin and how he probably left a nice present for me on the living room floor. I didn’t plan on being out so long, but once I told Muffin, I was sure he’d understood what kept me.

“I’m really glad you found me tonight,” Lizzie admitted, slowly stopping our pace as she shuffled her feet. “I went home after dinner. It was pathetic. Maybe I shouldn’t have left Avery and Sean, but his mom was there, and it was just too much.”

“How is Sean?” Lizzie looked up at me in response, and I saw the tears threaten her eyelids. It was miserable. I wanted to wrap her up and make it stop.

“Alive,” she whimpered, her lips tightening as she tried to resist a sob. “I have to work in the morning, and everyone else can go spend their day at the hospital. It just all piled up. It’s been half a year…” Her words broke off into the sob, Lizzie no longer able to contain it.

“What’s been half a year?” When she didn’t reply, occupied wiping her sniffles and tears, I wrapped my arms around her, holding Lizzie against me. It was brazen, but she’d also proposed after ten minutes of barely knowing me. I learned a lot in my training, primarily how far a welcomed embrace could go.

“Can I hug you, Lizzie?” I whispered into her hair, feeling her calm within my arms.

“Yeah.” She took a shaky breath before spilling more against my chest. “He’s been sick since fall and was supposed to be okay from his surgery over New Year’s and his treatment, but now this.”

“That’s terrible,” I commiserated. “I’ve been there, doing what you did tonight with Ben. We all handle this world’s shit in our own way.”

“I thought competing against a drunk paramedic named Billy would help me feel better.”

“His name is Ben.” I chuckled, unwinding myself from Lizzie once her tears stopped. I lifted her chin with my fist, catching her blue gaze with a grin. “How about this sober paramedic walks you home, gives you his phone number, and you meet him for coffee this weekend?”

“I’d like that.” Lizzie smiled at me, and I was floored, enamored for God’s sake, by the faint wrinkles of her smile lines tightening my gaze to hers.

As we walked south in the direction of the downtown bar crawl, along the streets bordering Lake Mendota, I was literally at home. We wandered through the sporadic piles of college kids, some puking on the boulevards and others squealing or sobbing over something I thanked God was ancient history to my life. Although I rescued those same kids from alcohol, fights, and hazing regularly, so their drama was my livelihood on some nights.

Lizzie put her hand around my shoulder when we turned onto Gilman, five blocks from my apartment. “I’m just up this block.”

“You’re on my running route.” I grinned at serendipity. “We’ve probably crossed paths before.”

“I think I’d remember that.” She giggled. “Do you run shirtless? I’d definitely remember that. There’s one guy who runs twice a day, almost naked too. He’s memorable.”

“Not me,” I pouted. “I might take off my shirt, but there’s something to be said for leaving a little to the imagination.” Lizzie’s mouth parted, her eyes wide and on me. I looked at our feet, taking one step closer to Lizzie so our toes touched. I wonder what color her toenails are painted. Does she even paint her toenails? I bet she’s a dark blue, sparkly red, bright purple kind of girl. I felt her arm tremble as her hand fell from my shoulder, returning my attention to Lizzie and her bottom lip rolling inward between her teeth as she stared at me.

Lifting my palm to cup her cheek, I leaned forward and softly pressed my lips to her temple. It was light enough for a friend but smooth enough to give us both something to consider once we were alone.

As I pulled away, I wiped my thumb along her cheekbone and smirked at her. “I like leaving things to the imagination.”

***

I hadn’t heard from Lizzie and, while I tried to suppress the pesky tickle in my chest when I thought of the possible reasons for why she hadn’t called me in three days, I was actually nervous. I worried I’d overstepped, maybe she forgot about me, maybe she really did like Ben, but most importantly I was afraid for Sean. I tried asking around the station once I’d returned to work, but nobody knew anything else about his case, and Esme was even less helpful the two subsequent times I was at the hospital for emergencies.

The chief caught my arm in the hall as I was peeling off my sweatshirt after a shift. “Rossi, the baby you delivered today?”

“Yeah?” I tossed my sweatshirt on the pile of my stuff in the corner, scratching my hands through my hair.

“Healthy. Mom is, too. Good job, kid.” He slapped my back. “I need you to take a double. You up for it?”

I peered at the clock behind him. “Sure.” I hesitated. “You’ll let out Muffin?” He laughed while nodding in response, holding his hand out for my keys. I reached into my pocket and pulled the small chain, handing it to him.

“I’ll bring him here,” he stated while walking away, twirling my keys between his fingers. “Hit the shower, then catch up with Nina for tonight.”

I stood with my fingers knotted on top of my head, turning from side to side in the room of bunks. With the chief getting my dog, I had no excuse but to get started on my next shift. It wasn’t like I had someone at home waiting for me…I needed to rip the heart from my sleeve and quickly.

I’d learned to shower in five minutes or less, mostly less thanks to the demands of my job. I didn’t ask who the double was for or why I needed to cover it, but when I stood with a towel around my waist catching Ben’s bloody reflection in the mirror, I knew it would be a long night.

“What are you smiling at?” he sneered, rubbing his jaw. I watched him in the mirror as he took off his soiled uniform and grumbled under his breath while I got dressed. Ben winced near his locker, the sound of his fist on the metal doors echoing his groan. I leaned against the lockers while he spoke, waiting with my arms crossed and bicep pressing into the cold metal.

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