Ethan calling out to me shakes me out of the memory. “Parker, look!” He’s showing off the giant gear hanging off him.
“You look like you’re ready to fight a fire!” I try to sound just as excited as he does.
He’s smiling widely, but then the alarm goes off signaling a call, and I know this field trip is ending early today.
“Can we go?” Ethan asks, practically bouncing up and down as much as he can in the heavy gear.
“Sorry, bud, not this time.”
He groans, and I move him out of the way of my team that’s about to head out. I help Ethan out of the gear before taking him to my truck where he grumbles about not wanting to leave.
“Will you at least hang out and play some video games with me?”
I think about it. Normally I would say yes anyway, and now that Lily is back, and she’s there. This could be a way to spend more time around her, even if she’s not right next to me. Even if I don’t see her, she’s close enough for me.
“Yeah, we can play a couple games. You better not be a sore loser this time,” I tease.
“I am not,” he scoffs.
“I remember you cried last time.”
“No I didn’t!”
I laugh, driving us back toward his house while he continues to insist that he didn’t cry, and takes losing like a champ. Fun fact, he does not.
We get back to the house; I’m excited and anxious at the possibility of seeing Lily again. But when we walk inside, it’s too quiet for her to be around. The woman lights up a room in more ways than one. And you always hear her before you see her.
“Jizz!”
Kind of like Jerry Lee.
“What does that mean? He yells it all the time,” Ethan asks. “My parents won’t tell me.”
“Ask your sister, I’m sure she’s the one that taught it to the bird.”
Ethan nods. “Yeah, she’ll probably tell me.”
We go downstairs in the basement where there’s a second living room with a couch and TV. I notice Lily’s suitcase is still sitting there, so I make sure to carry it down for her and set it outside the closed door I know leads to Lily’s old room. I thinkabout when I would sneak in there at night. Or when we would sneak out the small window in there.
“You ready?” Ethan bounces onto the large couch with a controller, already starting up the game.
“Ready to kick your ass.”
“Hey, language! We aren’t at the fire station anymore,” he scolds.
I chuckle, joining him on the couch and the game starts up. I don’t beat him this time because my mind is filled with thoughts of Lily, and anticipating the moment she comes down here and I get to see her again. She’s my entire focus, and always has been, even when she’s not around.
That’s why I’m going to get her back, and I’ll never let her go again.
CHAPTER 5
Lily
I blowout a breath as soon as I’m outside walking toward the stalls where my mom is with our horses. We don’t have a fancy barn, just some stalls and our two horses don’t mind it. We live close to trails when we want to ride, and my friend Sutton’s in-laws have a ranch that has a large arena they’re always willing to let us use. It’s actually where I used to take lessons with Jameson’s mom, Emily.
“Hey mom,” I call out, and she smiles widely when she turns to see me. I jog toward her, throwing my arms around her neck in a tight hug.
“Welcome home, my Lily bug.”