Chapter 5

5

EMBER

E mber had woken up feeling like shit. Everything hurt, initially. Then she felt like her whole world was falling apart when her mother had walked in and introduced her recent lover as that friend of hers she’d been wanting Ember to meet. That was right. Ember had been sleeping with her mother’s friend.

Fuck.

But there was no denying that they wanted each other. She felt it reflected in Josephine’s eyes they moment their hands touched. Ember knew right away that although Josephine was clearly concerned about sleeping with her friend’s daughter, it wasn’t going to stop. She wanted more. So did Ember. She was determined to continue to pursue her. The issue about both of them using fake names was thrown aside. Ember found that she didn’t care about the reasons why. All she wanted was to be with Josephine again, to feel her touch.

The next time the hot doctor came to her room, Ember could feel the tension in the air. She could feel the butterflies in her stomach. Something she hadn’t felt since her last crush as a teenager. When they finally kissed, Ember could have sworn there were sparks going off in the background. Well, that could have been the painkillers they gave her.

Sadly, their moment was interrupted by a knock on the door. Ember had to suppress her irritation when Rory walked in. Not like it was her fault she was hooking up with the doctor at the hospital.

Rory glanced back at the door after Josephine left.

“Is it just me or is that doctor smoking hot?!”

Ember immediately felt a flash of jealousy. Suddenly, the thought of losing the doctor to her pretty friend crossed her mind. Rory was beautiful. She’d noticed Josephine giving her a once over when she went to open the door for her colleague. Rory had that effect on everybody.

“I know,” Ember admitted, grinning widely.

Rory’s eye narrowed in suspicious. “Wait, did you…? Oh my God! You slept with her, didn’t you?!”

“Remember that date I had the other night?”

“That was her?!”

“Yeah.”

“Sweet! Good work, Thompson! I’d totally hit if you weren’t interested.”

“I’m totally interested so keep your grubby paws off her.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Rory waved off her warning and took a seat.

“There’s a problem though,” Ember said, eyes downcast.

“What is it?” Rory asked worriedly.

“So, that friend my mum kept talking about wanting me to meet?”

“Yea—oh, shit. She’s your mom’s friend?”

“Yup. And Mom is not going to like it.”

“She’s definitely not,” Rory agreed. “But it doesn’t look like that’s going to stop you, though, does it?”

“Nope,” Ember replied without hesitation. “We just need to find a way to keep my mom from finding out.”

“You sure that’s a good idea?”

“It’s the best one I got.”

“Fair enough.” Rory collapsed into her seat. “That’s kinda hot though.”

Ember merely chuckled.

“So, how are you feeling? I mean, with the accident and everything.”

Ember shrugged. “Pretty okay, all things considered.”

“Really?” Rory pressed.

“Yeah. I’m a firefighter, remember? We deal with emergencies like these all the time.”

“Yeah, but it’s not the same as being involved in one. I’ve been in a car crash before. It messes with your mind almost as much as it messes up your body.”

“I swear I’m fine. No nightmares, no PTSD, nothing. I feel okay.”

Rory seemed to believe her.

“How about the other people involved? The driver of the car that hit me, how are they?”

“It was some sixteen-year-old girl, racing her dad’s muscle car. The car was totaled, she’s traumatized. I don’t think she’ll ever be able to drive again. She’s fine though, besides the mental trauma.”

Ember looked away in thought. She felt bad for the young girl. She understood what it was like being that young and making bad decisions. Hell, she was almost thirty and she was still making bad decisions. It was probably for the best however.

“And Joan?” Ember asked hopefully hoping for a better answer on her beloved car.

Rory winced. “Yeah, she’s gone. There’s no fixing her. Your mom’s trying to work with the insurance company, but you know how they are. It’s a modified car so they’re likely not going to pay the full cost of replacing it.”

Ember sighed deeply. “Fuck.”

Rory came and sat next to her, taking her hand gently. “Hey, it’s alright. I’m sorry Joan was lost but you’re okay, that’s what matters the most.”

Ember laughed. “That’s the same thing my mom said.”

Rory hung around for a little while until she had to leave. The nurses tending to her brought her meals and made sure she was comfortable. If it weren’t for the bruises and the headache that came back every once in a while, she felt like she was on vacation. Then, Josephine came back. Ember knew she wasn’t going to let the hot doctor leave with making love to her this time.

When Josephine finally touched her where she wanted her most, it felt like she was going to explode.

When her orgasm came crashing into her, her mind ground to a halt. Her lungs forgot how to work. All of her muscles went rigid as though to brace her for the force of the orgasm as it cleaved through her body. The feeling was electric, lighting her nerves up with pleasure beyond anything she’d ever felt before.

Afterwards, as Josephine held her close and leaned in and kissed her hair she whispered, “Stay with me, Ember. Don’t stop talking to me, don’t leave me. I want you to stay with me.”

Ember looked at her, surprised by the honesty of her words but also realizing she also didn’t want to leave Josephine.

“I won’t leave. I’m yours for as long as you would have me.”

Becky walked into her hospital room later on.

Ember gave her mother a tired smile. Josephine had left to go home a few minutes before. Of course, not before they shared one last passionate kiss. Ember was tired, but it was the good kind. She was feeling so much better.

“You look happy,” her mother commented.

“Well, I decided to listen to you and be grateful for the fact that I’m still alive.”

Becky looked at her suspiciously. “You never listen to me. What’s changed?”

“I almost died.”

“Fair point, I suppose.” Becky nodded. “Have you had dinner?”

“Yeah, Josephine got me some takeout.”

“Josephine? The two of you got chummy while I was away, I see,” Becky joked.

“Mom.” Ember rolled her eyes in exasperation. She looked away to hide the blush that tinted her cheeks. Her mind flashed back to moments earlier. She could vividly recall the taste of Josephine and how hot she looked with her skirt rolled up and her panties off. And how good it felt when she?—

“Are you okay?” her mother asked worriedly. “You’re red all over. Should I call the nurse?”

“No, Mom, I feel fine.” Ember sighed. Becky had gone full “mother-mode” ever since the accident. It wasn’t a bad thing, but she could be overbearing each time she was like that.

Ember spent another day in the hospital even though she felt fine after that full first day since she woke up in the hospital. The headaches had stopped. No blurry vision. She could move around with no trouble at all. There were just bruises and a few aches and pains. Her mother brushed off her complaints, simply saying the doctors wanted to be certain she didn’t have a concussion before they let her leave. Normally, she would have made a bigger fuss about it, but she’d been subdued—mainly because of Dr. Josephine Mars.

Her doctor was diligent. She made sure Ember was in good health and attended to her needs accordingly. They had plenty of time alone together at the hospital after Josephine was done with her rounds. It was a wonder nobody had caught on to them yet.

Sadly, all good things must come to an end. It was time to leave. While Ember would miss having easy access to her lover, she was also eager to return to work. She’d missed the fire station and each time her colleagues came to visit, it reminded her that she had a duty to return to.

Josephine wasn’t around to say goodbye. That was alright, they already made plans to meet at her place later tonight. This time she was accompanied by her mother and Rory.

Rory looked ready to pounce on her with a million questions. Ember dreaded the moment they would be alone together. The young woman would force her to spill everything about her time with Josephine. Ember wasn’t quite certain she was ready for that yet. Thankfully, Rory took her own car while Ember rode in her mother’s SUV.

“It’s a little sad that we didn’t get to say goodbye to Josephine before we left,” Becky mused on the drive to her apartment.

“Yeah,” Ember replied absently, feeling slightly guilty about the secret affair. Her mother still thought they were strangers to each other. The irony of that was Ember knew Josephine far more intimately than her mother did.

Her mom dropped her off at the apartment and pitched in to help her clean up the place before they settled in for lunch. It was a great afternoon where they got to spend time with each and just hang out. Eventually, she had to leave after Ember had reassured her multiple times that she would be fine her own.

Ember’s phone beeped later that evening. A text.

Ready?

Her heart thumped slightly with the anticipation. Yes, she texted back. Ember had invited Josephine to her place. The doctor agreed, which was a pleasant surprise. Ember knew Josephine was very reserved and somewhat averse to taking risk. Their time together at the hospital had shown her that much. But it acted as something of a two-sided coin. Taking risks seemed to turn Josephine on.

On my way. Be there soon, came her response.

True to her words, Josephine showed up at her apartment, dressed in casual clothes. She brought food and it smelled good. Ember smiled when she set eyes on her lover. Josephine returned it with a dimpled smile of her own. Josephine’s lovely caramel hair was tied neatly in a low ponytail. Her dark green eyes sparkled, and she even looked good in the jeans and T-shirt she was wearing. Her breasts looked good under the thin fabric.

“Hey,” she said.

“Hi,” Ember replied. She stepped back to allow her inside. She took the bag from her and dropped it on the kitchen counter. The two sat on the couch, mostly in silence.

“What?” Josephine asked, when she noticed Ember was staring.

Ember shrugged, “I just wanted to take in your face. You look beautiful.”

Josephine blushed. “You’re stunning and I’m old.”

Ember leaned in, placing a chaste kiss on her nose. “No, you’re perfect.”

Having her at the apartment was different. Up until then, they’d never really gotten the chance to be comfortable with each other. It was significantly more intimate and more relaxing. They had the rest of the evening to themselves. There was no rush, no fear, no other eyes were there to stare.

“Would you like to watch a movie?” Ember offered.

“Sure,” Josephine agreed. “Which one would you recommend?”

“Oh no! My taste in movies is terrible. What are you into?”

“Action movies,” Josephine replied.

“Well, we should be able to find something enjoyable.”

The rest of the evening was spent watching a classic romance movie from the 80s. Somewhere along the way they’d abandoned the search for a decent action movie and settled for something familiar.

“Josephine?” Ember turned to her lover as they cuddled on the couch.

“Yeah?” Josephine looked a bit sleepy.

“I’m glad you came over.”

The hot doctor smiled. “Me too.”

For the first time in a long time, everything felt alright with the world again for Ember. The hole that had lingered in her life had been filled. She had found her place in the world, and it was by Josephine’s side.

“I love you.”

The words came unbidden. She couldn’t have kept herself from uttering them if she had sewn her mouth shut. This was not the time to worry if she had spoken those words too soon. Not with everything that had happened. The accident had shown her how easily she could lose everything. If she hadn’t survived it, that morning at the hotel would have been the last time she set eyes on Josephine. It would have been the end for them. The moment felt right.

“I’m not expecting you to say it back,” Ember added, her voice gentle. “It just felt right for me to say it right now and so I did.”

Josephine didn’t say anything in response, but Ember felt Josephine’s arms tighten around her. Ember wasn’t sure what she had been expecting, but as long as Josephine didn’t leave or shy away, it was enough for her.