Chapter 6
Finn
Leaving Jennie’s apartment wrenches me, not only because I’m suffering from all this pent-up lust. Being apart just feels inherently wrong. I don’t want to spend a minute without her. Standing in her front room, kissing her, was the best moment of my life.
Yet, amidst this newfound closeness, a flicker of doubt—or perhaps forgotten memory—gnaws at me.
The familiarity of her embrace puzzles me deeply.
We’ve been friends for many years, but I’ve never touched her in that way.
The way her short body fits to my way larger frame, the premonition of her touch, the curve of her nape under my hand, her taste as I kissed her, and her soft moans—all those little things that are uniquely Jennie felt like déjà vu, as if reenacting a moment lost in time.
The gap in my memory, that elusive night of my brothers’ weddings, shadowed by the fire that threatened Jennie’s life, haunts me.
I didn’t wait for the life net to be ready and told her to jump into my arms. The trusting leap—despite the toll it took on my knee and the gaps it burned into my memory—remains a beacon of something significant, something worth every bit of ensuing pain and frustration.
But doubt lingers. Is this how it happened? Glancing at the clock on my dashboard, I realize the monthly meeting of Elken Grove Fire and Rescue is underway. Driven by a sudden, insatiable need for answers, I veer towards the station, determined to confront the past head-on.
My abrupt entrance mid-meeting, though sure to rankle the chief and startle my fellow firefighters, leaves no room for niceties. Besides, telling from the chart on the whiteboard, it’s one of the boring budget meetings anyhow. The guys will thank me for having been spared this.
Dropping into a chair, I cut straight to the chase. "I need you to tell me about the night of the fire."
Cornelius Washington, the chief, attempts his usual authoritative glare. “Now, son, it doesn’t work like this.”
But my patience has worn thin. “It has to. I remember bits and pieces—and they don’t add up. I need the full story.”
The guys move uncomfortably in their seats and are suddenly fascinated with their own boots.
“Look at me!” I demand, desperate for the truth they are withholding.
Cornelius tries to temper my urgency. “You just have to be patient—”
I cut him off, “Nope. I’m done with patience.” The words tumble out, “I spent that night at Jennie’s, right?”
A collective sigh of relief fills the room. Stick, the ever-honest, admits, “Glad we don’t have to hide that from you anymore.”
I lean forward in my chair, resting my forearms on my thighs, looking intently at Stick. “Why keep this from me at all?” I press, seeking the unvarnished truth.
"It was the doctor's orders, relayed by your mom. We were to keep silent until you remembered on your own," Stick explains.
“What happened that night? I was at my brothers’ weddings, so I wasn’t on duty, was I?” I never even had pieced that together before.
There is no answer.
I take my chair and put it right in front of the door. Nobody here is going anywhere before I know what happened. “It’s going to be a long night, boys.”
Shawn, in his usual quiet demeanor, speaks up. “If I was in his shoes, I’d want answers, too.”
Stick nods. “He deserves to know.”
Cornelius, still reluctant, finally relents.
Stick sighs deeply and begins, “So it was the night of the wedding. You walked Jennie home and went up to…” He pauses.
“Have a coffee,” Shawn offers.
I shake my head. “Guys, don’t do that to me. Did we drink coffee? I can’t trust my memory. I need to be able to take whatever you say at face value.”
Stick, now red as a fire-hydrant, admits, “There might have been coffee or not, but I’m pretty sure there was—lovemaking.”
This is what I had suspected. Still, hearing it knocks the breath from my lungs.
Shawn continues, “The shop caught fire and the smoke detectors were dead. You jumped out of the window. Mrs. Sanchez saw you drop as she was walking her dog.”
“So I busted my knee when I hit the ground…” I’m searching for a memory of it, but I come up empty-handed.
“Jennie jumped into your arms and knocked you off your one-and-a-half legs. You both toppled over. You had your body wrapped around hers to keep her safe and didn’t even cover your head when you fell.”
“That’s why I had the concussion.” This makes sense now.
I’ve always wanted to make Jennie mine. Turns out, I did—if only for a night I don’t remember. Time to change that.
“Guys, is there anything else I should know?” I probe.
After a moment of awkward silence, the truth comes out. “You were both… in the buff when you jumped.”
Great. So the entire unit saw me naked, performed first aid on me while I was naked, and, way worse than that, they’ve seen my girl naked. What a night to forget. Time to make new memories, ones that won't slip away.