Chapter Fifteen Lila #2
“I kissed her,” he clarifies. “Yesterday, down in the gym. It was all me. I initiated it. Lila cannot be blamed at all.”
“Well, hold on a minute,” I cut in. “I was a consenting participant in that kiss. Don’t make it sound like you attacked me.”
Evan gives me a gentle look as if to say, let me handle this. Ridiculous martyr. He doesn’t even know what he’s just done.
Hale is merely observing Evan, as if scanning him for the full truth. I squirm in my seat.
Then, Noah lets out a laugh. “I mean, I guess if it’s honesty hour, I should also come clean and admit that I kissed Lila, too.
A few days ago, when we were filming. Technically, it wasn’t at the station, but we were at an official training site, so I also take full responsibility for what happened.
Lock us up, Cap. Me and Evan kissed Lila. ”
I can’t see most of Evan’s expression when he looks over at Noah, but I can easily imagine that it’s one of betrayal and jealousy.
Hale leans forward, resting his elbows on his desk as he starts massaging his temples.
“This is… complicated,” he says.
“We understand if you have to make a formal report to Branson,” Evan assures him.
“God,” mutters Noah. “The Hawk will love to hear that. She’ll probably kill me. Literally, this time.”
Evan shakes his head at him. “Trent, if it’s just a first offense—”
“It’s hardly a first offense for me, dude. You’ll be fine, of course, which is good, because this station can spare a rookie, but not an EMT as good as you.”
“Man, you’re getting ahead of yourself. You don’t know if Branson will—”
“Enough,” Hale interrupts. Evan and Noah halt immediately, turning their attention back to their captain. “There will be no need for me to inform the Hawk of these indiscretions.”
All the while, I sit there and helplessly watch the consequences of all my stupid choices unravel before me.
“No hard feelings either, Reyes,” Noah adds, nodding at Evan.
“Oh, likewise,” Evan responds with a shrug.
Wait… what?
Hale catches my eye again. His throat bobs with a swallow.
“I suppose I would be an unsuitable leader if I continued to be dishonest about my own infractions.”
For fuck’s sake. “Guys, can we maybe just circle back around to the campaign? We could discuss this later? When we’re all off the clock? Because I should definitely also apologize.”
Hale ignores me. They all do.
“I’ve also taken liberties with Lila,” Hale informs them. “Two infractions, the first being the night of the gala and the second being at Lila’s apartment.”
“He was just helping me with my carbon monoxide detector!” I quickly add, because he totally just made it sound like I invited him over for some classic Netflix and chill.
“Oh, that’s nice of you, Cap,” Noah says. “Low battery, I assume?”
Hale shrugs. “Yes, these landlords really do need to be more diligent about it.”
“Maybe we can pitch a PSA?” Evan suggests.
Noah snaps his fingers. “Genius.”
“It’d certainly be useful information to spread to the public,” Hale muses.
I gape at them. “What the fuck is happening right now?”
All three heads swivel toward me. Hale, a cold dawn. Noah, a sunny afternoon. Evan, a peaceful evening.
They all have the audacity to look at me like I’m the crazy one.
“You all just learned that you’ve unintentionally been passing me around and all you can think to discuss is the importance of having a functioning CO2 alarm?”
“It’s just CO,” Evan corrects me politely. “Monoxide versus dioxide. Linguistically, it makes sense, but it’s common for people to get confused…”
I sink lower in the chair and close my eyes. “Please kill me.”
Hale makes a sound. It takes me a moment to realize that it’s a laugh. Just a huff of amusement, but when I open my eyes, there’s a smirk tugging on his lips.
“How would you prefer us to respond to this situation, Lila?” he asks.
“Angrily?” I throw my hands up in exasperation. “With a pissing contest? A brawl? Or maybe you’ll fire me and find a PR consultant who can keep it in her pants? I broke the rule, too. More times than all of you combined, in fact.”
Noah snorts. “I’m not a jealous guy, Blondie. It’s not like I can really fault Cap and Reyes for liking you. You’re a very likable person.”
Evan nods in agreement. “I’m not angry. I can’t even think of a reason why I should be angry. If anything, I’m flattered that you’d bother to kiss me back when Hargrove and Trent are your other options.”
I don’t like the self-deprecation in that remark, and I open my mouth to say so, but Hale beats me to it.
“You’re a worthy, respectable man, Reyes,” the captain says before flicking his gaze back to me. “I’m not in the business of indulging envy, Lila. I care deeply for all of my staff, and I’ve come to see Trent and Reyes as brothers.”
“Aw,” murmurs Noah.
“You’re free to kiss who you like,” Hale continues. “But I don’t think we need to expose ourselves to Branson’s wrath right now, what with everything else going on.”
“And with that being said,” Noah chimes in, “I just want to make it clear that I do really like you, Lila. A lot.”
“I like you, too,” Evan adds.
Hale purses his lips. “Yes, I’m afraid I have some feelings for you, as well, Lila.”
“So, what? I’m supposed to choose between the three of you or…?”
Hale shakes his head. “I don’t think that will be necessary at the moment. We’ve got many other things to deal with. Let’s just agree to maintain an open line of communication between us moving forward.”
Noah salutes. “Aye-aye, Captain.”
Evan nods. “Agreed.”
The trio of freakishly reasonable firefighters looks to me, waiting for my answer.
“Uh. Okay?”
“Good,” Hale says, as if it’s as simple as that.
Evan pulls his phone out of his pocket. Unlike Lou, his screen actually is lit up with an incoming call. “Would it be alright if I stepped out to take this? It’s my attorney—long story.”
Hale waves his hand dismissively. “It’s fine. We can continue this later.”
I sit there, still a little stunned, as Evan hurries out of the office.
Noah is smirking, glancing between me and Hale. “So, anyway, I should really get my ass down to those trainings.”
Hale nods. “Yes, you should.”
I’m still frozen in place when Noah breezes past me, tossing a wink my way before ducking out.
Just like that, I’m alone with Captain Hargrove.
The last time we were alone, I hadn’t yet kissed the others, but I had admitted that there was a close call with Evan and a desire for it with Noah.
I’d wanted to be honest, and yet now I feel totally baffled by the honesty they’ve delivered unto me.
I don’t know what else to do, so I remain in the chair and watch as Hale rolls away from his desk, resting his elbows on the armrests of his chair and clasping his hands across his middle.
He seems pensive, but there’s a glimmer in his eye.
The same glimmer that has spelled doom for me twice already.
When he speaks, the butterflies return.
“Lila.”
“Yeah?”
“Come here.”
“What?”
“Come here.” He repeats the command softly.
I’m so flummoxed by the events of the past twenty minutes that obeying a simple command seems like the most reasonable action to take.
I rise on slightly trembling knees and take a few steps forward, pausing by the side of Hale’s desk.
“Lila.” He does that half-laugh thing again. “Come here.”
He gestures to the space in front of him, an empty spot between the desk and his spread thighs.
I know she’s not going to, but I almost wish Lou would return. Not because I’m worried about Hale, but because I’m concerned about what kind of trouble I’m going to get myself in now that there’s no buffer between me and Hale. We can’t be alone together.
In fact, it’s apparent that I can’t be alone with any of them.
And sure, they’ve been levelheaded and mature about what’s happened so far, but who knows how one of them might react if things escalate beyond a kiss?
Despite all of that, I move to stand in the designated spot, leaning back against the edge of Hale’s desk. He gazes up at me, all dark and brooding and stoic.
“You’re really annoying,” I blurt.
Another laugh. “Oh? You don’t like being told what to do?”
“No, I do—well, I mean, only in some contexts. But that’s not what I mean.”
Hale’s casual posture, and the way he’s reclined in his seat below me as if he’s perfectly content to admire me from there, only serves to make my stomach flutter even more intensely.
It’s almost like the knowledge that I’ve been canoodling with his subordinates has made him more relaxed than he’s previously allowed himself to be around me.
“Then what do you mean, Lila?”
“You’re annoying because I don’t understand you.
” I brace my hands on either side of my hips, gripping the edge of the desk as if that will stabilize me.
“You kiss me, then push me away. Kiss me again and push me away again. I tell you that I might have thing for two other people on the staff and you run from my apartment, then when it comes out that I’ve gone and kissed them, you suddenly look like… like…”
“Like…?”
“Like you like it.”
Hale cocks his head to the side. “Is it really so hard to believe? That I might be pleased by the prospect of two people I wholeheartedly trust also desiring you?”
“Uh.”
“It’s not the appropriate masculine response, isn’t it?” His gaze drifts downward, though it’s not like there’s much to admire beyond my high collar, loose sweater, and long skirt. “I should beat my chest and let out a war cry when a woman I want is also wanted by another, shouldn’t I?”
“Do you want me? Because, like I said, you’ve pushed me away twice now.”
Hale rubs the light stubble on his jaw thoughtfully. “It’s complicated for me. I know I want you in a physical sense. That’s undeniable. But in terms of other kinds of wanting—romance and emotions and whatnot—I often struggle to figure out how I feel about those things.”
That’s vague, to say the least. “Okay…”