Chapter 7

7

D ejvi

It was my first day back at the firehouse, and as I always did, I stopped by Supreme's chocolate shop for some sweets for the station.

"Something is different about you," he noticed, handing me the box of chocolate drizzled popcorn and fruit.

"Whatchu mean?"

"I mean you standing there humming and smiling and shit. That's weird… even for your friendly ass."

All I could do was laugh. I may have bullied him into a friendship, but it was needed. He'd been closed off and guarded because of childhood trauma, and I felt it, just like I felt something weighing heavily on Enjell's spirit. It took some work, but Supreme proudly called me his friend now, and if you knew him, you knew how big of a fucking deal that was.

"I can't just be in a good mood?"

"This ain't just a good mood." His eyes squinted as he looked me over, making me laugh harder.

"Supreme…"

"Nah, you got some pussy."

With a groan, my head flung back. He laughed and I joined in. This mane was just as bad as my brother.

"That's neither here nor there. Just let me be in a good mood."

"Yeah, aight." He agreed through his chuckle. "Just let me know when the wedding is. I'll be one of your groomsmen."

We talked for a little while longer before I headed down the street to the station. I couldn't even deny that the time I spent with Enjell had lifted my spirit. Two days had passed, and she'd yet to call me, but I was confident that she would. Ian was so used to my routine that he was waiting in the kitchen to see what I'd brought back. While I wouldn't say Ian and I were friends, he was probably the closest person to me at the station. He looked out for me tough after I couldn't save Theo a year or so ago and tried to keep me from getting too into my heart.

After that loss, I started to heavily consider quitting. My finances were better, so I didn't need this check anymore. I was a server and helper and would never deny how fulfilled being a fireman made me. However, losing Theo was traumatizing in a way that nothing or no one had been able to prepare me for. It made me feel like I'd failed, and the punishment for it was him losing his life. It didn't matter how much people told me it wasn't my fault and that the fire grew too massive for us to stay inside. I tried, and I didn't plan to leave unless he came out with me alive. But that wasn't the case, and that was a guilt I carried every day.

It wasn't even an hour into my shift, and we were being sent out on a call. My energy was all over the place, as it had been since Theo. Adrenaline surged, and I was looking forward to helping whoever was in need, but there was also that anxiety of not being able to save a life if it came down to it and the guilt and sadness of losing Theo. Those three things plagued me every day… every time that bell rang and I hopped in the truck. Honestly, I didn't know how much more I could take.

All of my guilt and doubts flew out the window when we made it to the house, and I saw Enjell standing outside. My first instinct was to go to her, but I followed protocol and allowed Captain Lawson to give us our orders. When we were cleared to go inside, we did, and it didn't take long to put out the fire that had started in the kitchen. There was quite a bit of damage there, but thankfully, it hadn't spread too much further.

As soon as I could, I made my way over to Enjell. She was hugging an older version of herself from the side, but when her eyes landed on me, she pulled away and immediately made her way into my arms.

"Dejvi," she called, holding me tightly.

"You didn't have to go to such an extreme to see me, love," I teased. "You could have just called."

That made her smile like I hoped it would. "You're so silly."

"Is everyone okay? They're going to check to see if y'all need medical attention but…"

"We're fine." Her head shook as she ran her hands up and down my arms. "Only my grandma was here. This is her house. She… she has dementia." That explained why she shifted when I mentioned my grandmother. "The spell she had today led to her forgetting she was cooking. The fire started, and she was so upset she couldn't move. Her neighbor heard her screams, thankfully, and called for help. We were already on our way here to take her to breakfast."

"Thank God for her neighbor." Pausing, I licked the corner of my mouth. "Are you… going to be okay? Do you need to tal—"

"We're heading out, James," Captain Lawson informed me, calling me by my last name.

"I'll be fine, baby, really."

"Are you sure?"

"Mhm." She nodded and forced a smile. "Go on. I don't want you getting in trouble because of me."

"Fuck him and this job. If you need me…"

"I'll be good, I swear. I'll call you tonight."

"Promise?"

She gave me a more genuine smile. "I promise."

After placing a kiss to her forehead, I looked into her eyes for confirmation.

"Let's go, James!" Lawson yelled from the truck.

As I walked away, I heard someone in her family say, "Is that Mr. Chlorophyll?"

"Malaysia! Please shut up," Enjell said through gritted teeth.

I chuckled, unsure what that was in reference to, but I'd definitely be asking her about it when she called.