Chapter 3 - Chloe
The heat is unbearable now. My lungs burn with every breath, and the wet cloth Lewis gave me doesn't seem to be helping anymore.
The smoke stings my eyes, making tears fall non-stop.
And yet, with Lewis's arms around me, I feel strangely protected, as if his body could shield me from the inferno closing in.
"They're coming," I say, more to myself than to him. The sirens are louder now, but the building is groaning around us, threatening to collapse at any moment.
"They'll be here soon," Lewis confirms, his voice hoarse but steady. "My brother Ollis is probably with them. He's the best firefighter in Cedar Falls."
I look up at his face, barely visible through the thickening smoke. Despite everything, there's something reassuring about his presence—the solid weight of his arms around me, the calm determination in his eyes.
"You and your brother are close?" I ask, desperate for distraction from the flames creeping closer to our corner.
Lewis coughs before answering. "Yes and no. It's complicated. He's older, always been the star of the family. I spent most of my life trying to catch up."
"And now you both fight fires," I say, understanding something about his earlier admission.
He nods, a rueful smile touching his lips. "Funny how that worked out."
A beam cracks somewhere above us, and I flinch, pressing closer to Lewis. His hand moves to my back, rubbing gentle circles.
"It's okay," he murmurs. "We're okay."
The tenderness in his touch surprises me. This man—this stranger—is risking his life for me, comforting me even as we face the very real possibility that we might not make it out alive.
"Why did you really leave Chicago?" he asks suddenly. "You said expectations, but there's more to it, isn't there?"
The question catches me off guard. Here we are, possibly in the last minutes of our lives, and he wants to know my story. But maybe that's exactly why—if these are our last moments, why not be honest?
"My parents are both high-powered attorneys," I explain, my voice raspy from the smoke. "Corporate law, the kind where you make rich people richer. They had my whole life mapped out—prep school, Northwestern, law school, then join the family firm."
"And you didn't want that," Lewis says. It's not a question.
"I wanted to help people who actually need it," I say. "Not corporations trying to dodge regulations or billionaires hiding assets from their spouses."
I pause, thinking about the look on my father's face when I told him I was leaving. Disappointment and confusion, as if he couldn't comprehend why anyone would choose Cedar Falls over Chicago or small-town clients over wealthy ones.
"When I told them I was moving here to start my own practice, they said I was throwing my life away," I continue. "My mother actually asked if I was having some kind of breakdown."
Lewis laughs, the sound surprisingly warm in our dire circumstances. "So naturally, you decided to prove your sanity by running into a burning building on your second day in town."
Despite everything, I find myself laughing too. "When you put it that way, maybe they had a point."
Our laughter dissolves into coughing as a fresh wave of smoke washes over us. Lewis pulls me lower to the ground again, where the air is just a tiny bit better.
"What about you?" I ask when I can speak again. "Have you always lived in Cedar Falls?"
He nods. "Born and raised. Left briefly for college, but came back when my dad got sick. He's better now, but I realized I didn't want to be anywhere else. Cedar Falls is home."
"That must be nice," I say softly. "Feeling like you belong somewhere."
Lewis looks at me thoughtfully. "You'll belong here too if you give it time. Cedar Falls is good at taking in strays."
"Is that what I am? A stray?" I'm not offended; there's something oddly appealing about the idea.
"A stray lawyer," he says with a smile. "The town's never had one of those before."
Another crash, closer this time. The flames have nearly reached us, consuming the last of the boxes that had been stacked against the wall. The heat is intense, making it hard to think.
"Tell me something good," I say suddenly, needing a lifeline to hold onto. "Something that makes life in Cedar Falls worth it."
Lewis considers for a moment. "The sunrise over Miller's Pond. In the summer, it turns the whole lake gold. I go fishing there sometimes, just to watch the light change."
I close my eyes, trying to picture it. "That sounds beautiful."
"It is," he says. "I could take you there sometime. When we get out of here."
The simple promise—a future beyond these flames—brings unexpected tears to my eyes. Or, who knows, maybe it's just the smoke.
"I'd like that," I whisper.
We fall silent for a moment, listening to the fire consume the room and the distant sound of firefighters working to reach us. They seem so close, yet so far away.
"If you could do anything after this," Lewis says, breaking the silence, "what would it be?"
I consider the question. "Eat the best cheeseburger in town. Then sleep for about a week."
He laughs. "Madeline's Diner has the best burgers. But Max—he's one of my teammates—would argue it's Lou’s Diner."
"I'll have to try both," I say. "Conduct a thorough investigation."
"Very lawyerly of you," he teases.
Another beam gives way, this one just feet from where we're huddled. The crash sends embers flying in our direction, and Lewis shields me with his body, his arms tightening around me.
When the dust settles, I look up to find his face inches from mine. Even covered in soot and sweat, he's handsome in a rugged way I've never been drawn to before. His eyes, surprisingly clear despite the smoke, hold mine.
"Why did you really become a firefighter?" I ask, the question slipping out before I can stop it. "You said you followed your brother, but there has to be more to it than that."
"You don't waste time, do you?"
"We might not have much left," I point out.
He concedes with a slight nod. "Fair enough. The truth is, I was always in Ollis's shadow growing up. He was the star athlete, the straight-A student. I was just... Lewis. The screw-up. The one who couldn't seem to stick with anything."
I stay quiet, sensing there's more.
"When he became a firefighter, I thought it was just one more thing he'd be better at than me," Lewis continues. "When I returned from college, I joined the department partly to prove I could do it too, and partly because I didn't know what else to do with my life."
"And?" I prompt gently.
"And I found out I was good at it. Really good.
" There's no arrogance in his voice, just simple acknowledgment.
"There's something about running toward danger when everyone else is running away.
.. it quiets all the noise in my head. For the first time in my life, I knew exactly who I was and what I was supposed to be doing. "
"I get that," I say. "That's how I feel about practicing law. Not the fancy corporate stuff my parents do, but actually helping people navigate a system that's stacked against them. It's the only thing that ever made sense to me."
Lewis nods, understanding in his eyes. "Sounds like we both found our callings."
"And now we might die following them," I say, the reality of our situation crashing back as another section of ceiling gives way.
"We're not dying today," Lewis says firmly. "I refuse to let the first interesting woman I've met in years perish before I can buy her one of those burgers."
Despite everything, I feel a flutter in my chest at his words. "Interesting, huh?"
"Very," he confirms, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "How many lawyers do you know who would start over in a small town?"
"You don't know any?" I ask, surprised.
"Zero, and it's not just that," he says, his eyes never leaving mine. "I noticed how you didn't panic when I told you the rest of my team was across town. Or how you keep thinking about solutions instead of problems. That's rare."
"You're pretty observant for someone who claims to be a screw-up."
"Former screw-up," he corrects with a slight smile. "I'm reformed now. Mostly."
Something in his tone makes me wonder what that "mostly" entails, but before I can ask, a voice calls out from somewhere beyond the flames.
"Lewis! Are you in there?"
Hope surges through me as Lewis calls back, his voice stronger than I would have thought possible. "In here! Northwest corner! Two of us!"
We hear movement, the sound of debris being shifted. The firefighters are close, but the flames between us and them are still intense.
"Hold on!" the voice calls again. "We're coming to you!"
Lewis turns to me, "See? I told you we'd make it."
I want to believe him, but the fire has nearly reached our corner now. The air is almost unbreathable, and the heat is blistering against my skin.
"Lewis," I say, my voice barely audible even to my own ears. "I'm scared."
"I know," he says, pulling me closer. "Me too. But we're going to get through this. Together."
"Together," I repeat, finding strength in the word.
We fall silent again, conserving our breath as we listen to the sounds of the rescue effort. It seems to be taking forever, and I find myself drifting, the lack of oxygen making it hard to stay alert.
"Stay with me, Chloe," Lewis says urgently, noticing my head drooping. His hand comes up to cup my cheek, the touch anchoring me. "Tell me about your first case. What kind of lawyer are you going to be?"
I force myself to focus on his question, using it as a lifeline. "Family law, I think. Helping kids in the foster system. And maybe some criminal defense. People who can't afford fancy attorneys deserve good representation, too."
"Noble causes," he says, genuine admiration in his voice.
"What about you?" I ask, struggling to keep my eyes open. "Any big firefighter dreams?"
He considers for a moment. "I'd like to work with the community more. Fire prevention programs in schools, that kind of thing. Stop fires before they start."
"That's a good dream," I murmur.
"Chloe," he says suddenly, his voice taking on a new urgency. "If we get out of here—when we get out of here—would you have dinner with me?"
The question is so unexpected, so normal in this abnormal situation, that I can't help but laugh. The laugh turns into a cough that racks my entire body.
When I can speak again, I look up at him, this stranger who no longer feels like one.
"Are you asking me on a date while we're trapped in a burning building?"
"Terrible timing," he admits with a sheepish smile. "But near-death experiences have a way of clarifying what's important."
"And dinner with me is important?" I ask, both amused and touched.
"Getting to know you is," he says.
Before I can respond, there's a tremendous crash as part of the wall nearest to us gives way. For a terrifying moment, I think the entire building is coming down on top of us. But then I see firefighters in full gear pushing through the gap, hoses spraying to clear a path.
"Lewis!" one of them calls. "We've got you!"
Relief floods through me, so intense it's almost painful. We're going to make it.
Lewis helps me to my feet, keeping his arm around me as my legs threaten to buckle. The room spins, black spots dancing at the edges of my vision.
"Almost there," Lewis encourages as we move toward the firefighters. "Just a few more steps."
But the few steps feel like miles, and the black spots are growing larger. The last thing I remember is Lewis's arms tightening around me as my knees give way and his voice, loud and afraid, calling my name as darkness claims me.