I stand a little taller, looking up at the stranger. “I didn’t catch your name.”
“I’m Aaron, Lily’s boyfriend.” He stretches his hand out toward me. I ignore it.
“I’m Parker. Lily’s first.”
She chokes out, “Parker, fuck off.”
“I didn’t saywhatfirst. I’m talking about your first best friend of course.”
“You can leave,” she says through gritted teeth.
“First love too, but that was so long ago.” I can’t help myself.
“Ah,thatParker.” Aaron nods.
“Talking about me, Lil?” I ask her.
“You wish,” she scoffs.
“Appreciate your concern, but we have this handled,” Aaron announces and I glare at him for even being here.
“It’s still a safety risk in there, I can’t let you go in.” I fold my arms across my chest.
It’s hardly a safety issue. The structure is sound, there’s just a significant amount of damage to everything else.
“I need to assess the building to do my job.” Aaron is starting to sound even more annoyed, and I almost laugh.
“And my job is to keep people safe.”
“Pretty sure that’s a cop job, and that’s not you.”
My jaw clenches. Everyone knows firefighters and police have an unspoken rivalry.
“Fine, you go in andassess, but Lil can stay out here where it’s safe.”
“If you’re nearby, I’d hardly consider it to be safe,” she retorts, and I can’t help the smile pull at the corner of my mouth.
“Fine, whatever. Stay out here, Lily, I just need to take some pictures,” Aaron huffs and I don’t argue with him again as he steps inside the building. Alone.
“Really?” I turn toward her as soon as he’s out of earshot. “That guy?”
“Like you’re one to talk,” she scoffs.
“What does that mean?”
“Oh don’t act dumb, and don’t be a jerk.”
“How am I being a jerk? If the building comes down on top of him, that’s on him, not me.” I shrug.
“Go back to work, I’m sure you have lives to save and the rest of the women in town to annoy.”
“Aw, Lil, you forget that the only woman I like to annoy isyou.”
“That sucks, because I’m not yours to annoy anymore.”
I look at her, taking in her bright blue eyes, the way they still shine when they look at me. Her pink pouty lips. Her head tilted back to look up at me. The way we have so much history between us, and something tells me it’s not all going to stay in the past.
I step closer to her, keeping my eyes locked on hers. “You sure about that?”