Chapter 11
Jeremy
Smoke is billowing in the sky, able to be seen from blocks away, letting us know the fire is out of control. This is my first response since beginning at the department, and everyone has their eyes on me to see how I do in the middle of panic. Coming around the corner of Garrison Avenue, it’s a gated community, and residents are staying away from the building with Police and EMS already on the scene. The fire has compromised most of the structure already, and we need to get it under control before it spreads to the surrounding buildings.
The chief parks the truck and we jump out to start assembling the hose to start taking down the fire, but Eli has a different approach. Two birds, one stone is my thought. Yet, he is only using this as a competition, and I’m not letting him bait me. It’s one thing to fuck with me outside of work, but when I’m on the job, I have to focus. All eyes are going to be on me, and I can’t make any mistakes today. I’m not losing my job over some petty shit with Eli. Guys like him get off on superiority. They need to be on top, and have everyone cower, but I’m not that guy. He’s mistaken.
Damon, Liam, and myself get the two hoses prepped, and let the water hit the structure, trying to diminish the fire. But this one is hefty. How long did they wait to alert someone? Usually, it takes a solid amount of time for it to get to this point. After about an hour, we get it put out.
“Have all residents been accounted for?” I ask the police officer.
He shakes his head. “No deceased either.”
A death on my first call isn’t something I want to go home with on my conscience.
“The new boy seems to know how to handle a hose pretty well. You have a lot of practice with something hard in your hands?” Eli asks, turning to his buddy James, and laughing.
“No, but I know who wants to be next.”
Right after it comes out of my mouth, I feel like a fucking douchebag. Why do I let him bait me? Raquel doesn’t deserve that shit, and I know he’s going to run and tell her what I just said. Fuck.
Eli pushes his chest out and starts flexing his knuckles, but he won’t start a fight here. He might hate me, but he loves his job. Would he risk it just to punch me?
“Come on, boys. Let’s get back to the depot,” Chief yells.
On the ride back, I text her.
Me: Been a rough day. Hope yours is going better.
James is trying to look at my phone, and I hold it up for him. “You wanna read the messages? Go ahead.”
He shakes his head and leans back in his seat.
The three dots show up, and I wait for her message to come through, but then they disappear. Maybe she is busy. Our dinner went great, and honestly, I plan on just being patient until we can give us a chance. Nothing good ever comes easy, so I just need to be calm and collected. Eli might pose a threat, but Raquel seems to be a very independent woman, and I doubt her brother will have much say on who she gets to date.
Back at the station, everyone swarms in the break room after getting out of the gear and pulls out snacks.
“How was your dad’s first night at the center?” Damon asks, stuffing his face with pretzels.
I sigh. “I’ll find out after work. Haven’t talked to him yet.”
On my side, the night was shit, and I couldn’t stay asleep. The house was too fucking quiet and ominous. I’m used to it being me and my dad, and without him, it feels empty. How the hell am I supposed to sleep in this fucking house all by myself?
Hazel and Aiden are gone out of my hair, which means I don’t have to worry about them being all up in my business, but they will still find out about everything. Never fails with the Jackson’s.
Raquel: What’s this about being hard in my hands? What the hell is Eli talking about?
Already? He didn’t even give me time to explain myself, and now she thinks I’m a jackass. Why am I letting him screw this up? Just don’t engage in anything he says, and he can’t use it against me.
“What now?” Damon asks, seeing me pissed off.
“Eli has a big fucking mouth,” I respond, showing him the text.
Damon is like the grandpa in the group, and he tries to keep things civil, but he wants no part of any drama. In fact, he’s been that way for as long as I’ve known him. He’s a no nonsense type of guy and that’s what I like about him. He’s a good friend to me and never put me in a bad spot.
Me: I’ll explain later. Be in for a visit after work.
I want to call and try to talk myself out of the hole now, but Eli is in the next room. Why is he being such a dick? Does he not want his sister to be happy? The dude doesn’t even know me, yet he is trying to make my life a living hell. I think about having a real conversation with him, man-to-man, but with his personality, it wouldn’t end well. He is the type of person that needs to be in control and have all the say. Maybe that’s a big part of why he is still single. Sure, he says it’s because he likes a revolving door of women, but at his age, he should be thinking about settling down at some point. He’s never going to get a lady with his attitude.