Chapter 16
FOWLER
Too much fun for people who need to be ready to save lives four hours after last call.
Pope clears his throat. “You keep staring at the door like you’re waiting for Judgment Day, Murph.”
“Not Judgment Day.” I shake out the stiffness in my shoulders. “Maybe more like an ambush.”
We do a round of silent breakfast, me with my oatmeal and black coffee, Pope with his overnight oats and a boiled egg. The rain barreling down outside lets up, but now and the rattle of wind and distant thunder starts to shake the firehouse’s walls.
I’m halfway through my second cup when the door buzzer goes off, startling us both.
Pope raises his eyebrows. “Expecting company?”
“Not unless a cat decided to bring itself in.”
I wipe my hands on my jeans and go for the buzzer. The outer door’s glass, revealing Grace’s profile through the morning rain. Her hood’s up, cheeks pink from the walk, and her jaw is set hard.
Ah, shit. Is she mad about yesterday? I was just trying to help out. Those asshole alphas looked like real pieces of work.
I hit the door release. The firehouse front entry is a hallway lined with steel lockers, but there’s no privacy, so I just step outside, ignoring the wet and the low hang of clouds.
Grace waits at the bottom of the concrete steps, duffel slung over her shoulder, sneakers leaving dark prints on the wet sidewalk.
“Hey, Fowler.” She smiles sheepishly. “Sorry to bother you during shift. I asked Connor which firehouse you work at.”
I nod. “That’s okay. Do you want to step in from the rain?”
She shakes her head. “No, that’s okay. I won’t stay long. I’m already late.” She looks like she hasn’t slept. “And I don’t really want to talk about this in front of the entire firehouse.”
I gesture a thumb over my shoulder. “There’s a laundry room, if you don’t mind the smell of dryer sheets and wet socks. At least then we’re dry.”
She considers this for a moment and then nods. “Sure. Better than the alternative.”
I guide her through the garage, past the rigs and the locker room. Grace keeps her head down, but I can feel the way she tracks everything. In the laundry room, there’s a cheap table and a pair of plastic chairs, both of them battered by years of crew card games and bored firemen.
I shut the door. The hum of the machines fills the silence.
Grace drops her bag to the table and perches on the edge of a chair. Her hands are shaking.
I sit across from her. “I didn’t expect you to come by.”
“That’s fair, given the way I’ve treated you all since the start of summer.” She inhales deeply and let’s it out slow. “I wanted to thank you. Properly thank you, I mean.”
“What for?”
“Yesterday, with Charlotte’s ex-alphas.”
I shrug. “Wasn’t a big deal. I just…did what anyone would.”
More like I saw three alphas approach you and your friend who it was clearly you wanted nothing to do with.
My inner alpha screamed to protect Grace, so I did. Even if Grace will never allow me to be her alpha ever again.
Grace smiles softly. “Still, given everything, I mean. You aren’t obligated to, that’s all. Since we’re just friends.”
Just friends. Yeah, that fucking stings. But whose fault is that?
Mine.
“Who were they?” I ask.
Grace inclines her head. “Charlotte’s ex-alphas from high school. I guess they never quite got the memo that Charlotte’s not interested.”
My lips form a hard line. “That’s not good.”
She shakes her head. “No. She stayed over last night, but she’s okay now. We’ve got rehearsal soon too, so that’ll help her keep her mind busy.”
I swallow hard. “I hope…” I trail off and glance away. Maybe this isn’t the time to talk about this. But Grace looks at me expectantly. “I just hope you know we’re not trying to do that with you. Zev, Connor, and I.”
“I know.” Curtly said.
I push ahead anyway. “We wanted to apologize, and we have. Anything else—if there’s to be anything else—is up to you. We made you feel small and unwanted when we were just scared. That’s on us.”
She nods slowly. “Thank you for saying that.”
I wish it was enough to rewrite the past. I guess I’ll have to settle for smoothing over the present. “If you or Charlotte ever need me again, especially with Charlton Pack, you know where to find me.”
At this she smiles. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I hope I don’t have to.”
“Me either.” Ideally that pack of idiots will just stay away.
Grace gets up to leave. I stand, too. “Have a great rest of your shift, Fowler.”
It sounds so bland. So corporate. “You too.”
Grace hesitates at the door for a moment and then leaves. I sit there for a minute, listening to the dryer spin and the world settle. Did I just let my last chance slip away?
When I finally get up and leave the laundry room, I bump right into Captain Vega. He’s got his favorite baseball thermos in one hand, expression like he already knows what you’re about to say.
He grunts. “Don’t see omegas at the station much. Are you and she in a good place?”
“Define good,” I say dryly. “No more cold shoulder, but I can’t erase what I did.”
Vega’s lips twitch. “Not my circus, Murph. But when they start showing up at your place of work, it usually means there’s hope left.”
I hope so.
The desire hits strong—far stronger than before when Connor had Zev and I over to figure out some sort of plan.
I want to win Grace back. But is there even a chance?