13. Griffin #3
“Okay,” she agrees. “I’ll be here.”
I make my way through the crowd, my mind racing with possibilities. Celeste. Her name feels right on my tongue, like I’ve known it forever.
As I approach the restroom, Beckett steps in front of me, blocking my path. “Whoa there, cowboy. What do you think you’re doing?”
“What do you mean?” I ask, trying to sidestep him.
He moves with me, his expression serious. “With Celeste. What are you doing?”
“Talking to her,” I say, my patience wearing thin. “What’s it look like?”
“It looks like you’re forgetting something important,” he says. “Something about a certain someone you’re supposedly bonded to.”
What the hell is he talking about?
“What?”
He looks at me like I’m stupid before saying, “Caroline?”
The mention of her name hits me like a physical blow, knocking the air out of my lungs. “That’s not—”
“Not what?” he presses, his eyes narrowing. “Not true? Because everyone in town seems to think it is.”
“Why would anyone assume that?” I snap, an irrational anger surging through me.
Beckett holds up his hands, surrendering. “Hey, I’m just saying. People talk. And you know how this town is with gossip.”
“It’s bullshit,” I growl, my hands clenching into fists at my sides. “Complete and utter bullshit.”
“Okay,” he says, backing away slowly. “I get it. Just… be careful, okay? Celeste’s sweet. She doesn’t need to get caught up in all that drama.”
“I know,” I say, my voice tight. “I’m not going to hurt her.”
“I know you’re not.” His expression softens. “But sometimes intentions don’t matter. Sometimes things just happen.”
I nod, my anger deflating as quickly as it rose. “I’ll be careful.”
“Good,” he says, clapping me on the shoulder. “Now go on. Your girl’s waiting.”
I push past him, my mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. Beckett’s right, of course. Celeste doesn’t deserve to get caught up in the mess that’s my past with Caroline. But I can’t deny the pull I feel toward her.
In the washroom, I splash cold water on my face, trying to clear my head.
My reflection in the mirror looks tired, haunted by ghosts I can’t seem to shake.
Caroline’s face flashes in my mind, her eyes wide with hurt and confusion.
I push the thought away, focusing on the present, on Celeste, on the possibility of something new, something untainted by the past.
When I emerge, Celeste is still there, waiting patiently by the pool table. She smiles when she sees me, and my heart does that annoying little flip-flop thing it’s been doing since I first saw her.
“Ready?” I ask.
She nods, grabbing her jacket from the back of a nearby chair. “Ready.”
The night air is cool against my skin as we walk side by side through the quiet streets of Willowbrook. Celeste’s steps are light, almost soundless on the cobblestones, while my boots seem to echo in the silence between us.
“Did you always want to be a firefighter?”
“Not always,” I admit. “When I was a kid, I wanted to be an astronaut. Then I discovered I’m afraid of heights.”
She laughs, that same musical sound that makes my chest tighten. “Funny how life works out.”
“Yeah,” I say, but my mind is elsewhere. Beckett’s words keep replaying in my head. Why would he think that I was bonded to my ex? It’s been years since we were a thing. It doesn’t make sense.
Caroline and I haven’t been together in ages. Not since before I left town.
What the fuck is going on?
“You seem far away,” Celeste says, pulling me from my thoughts.
“Sorry,” I say, shaking my head. “Just… thinking about work.”
“About the fire?” she asks, her gray-blue eyes full of concern.
“Something like that,” I lie, hating myself for it. But how can I explain the mess that is my past with Caroline? How can I tell her that the whole town thinks I’m bonded to someone I haven’t spoken to properly in years?
We walk in silence for a few more blocks, the Rift humming under our feet like a distant warning. I can feel Celeste’s presence beside me. It makes me want to forget everything else and just be here, in this moment.
“This is me,” she says finally, stopping in front of a small cottage with a garden overflowing with herbs and flowers. “It’s not much, but it’s home.”
“It’s beautiful,” I say, and I mean it. The cottage seems to glow in the moonlight, a perfect little sanctuary in the midst of all the chaos.
“Would you… like to come in for a nightcap?”
I want to say yes. God, how I want to say yes. But something holds me back. Beckett’s words, Caroline’s face, the mess of it all.
“Can I take a rain check?” I ask, hating the disappointment that flashes in her eyes. “I’d love to, but tonight’s been complicated.”
She nods, understanding dawning in her expression. “Of course. Another time, then.”
“Another time,” I confirm, relief washing over me. “I’d like that a lot.”
“Me too,” she says, a small smile playing on her lips. “Goodnight, Griffin.”
“Goodnight, Celeste,” I say, watching as she unlocks her door and disappears inside.
Then I turn around and head in the opposite direction. I need to get some answers.