Ember

by Skye Moon

  “I’m fine.” He gripped the container, wishing he had enough self control to fight whatever pull it was that she had on him. The more his mind told him to push her away, the more he found himself wanting to flirt. “You missed me?” He questioned with a lopsided grin.

  “I was concerned about you,” Danica corrected quickly. “There’s a difference.”

  “You don’t have to worry about me, Dani bae, I’m cool.”

  “You didn’t seem cool when you rushed out of my house after eating my good food like your mama didn’t raise you with manners.”

  “My apologies, beautiful,” Tucker’s dimple made yet another appearance. “I can’t leave right now, but will a walk around the block help get me off your bad side?”

  “Not quite, but I suppose it’ll do for the moment.”

  “Aye, Charlie,” Tucker barked, tossing the container at his squad member when he came into view. “I’ll be on the radio if you need me.”

  Charlie raised an eyebrow, but said nothing while watching the two stroll off. As they walked side by side, Tucker couldn’t help wondering why the heavy strings of life seemed to free him whenever Danica was around. He was still haunted, but the bleak outlook he tended to have about life was missing when she was near.

  He loved it, but it also scared the hell out of him. The feeling was like nothing that he’d ever experienced before, and he wasn’t quite sure how to respond to it.

  “So,” Danica was the first one to break the silence as she bumped his shoulder with hers. “How have you been?”

  “Busy,” he replied truthfully. “I picked up a couple extra shifts this week, so I’ve been on go nonstop.”

  “Is that the reason why you couldn’t pick up your phone?”

  Grimacing, he rubbed the back of his neck while trying to come up with an explanation he felt would appease her. “Not exactly. I felt that it was necessary to put some distance between us so you aren’t subjected to my bullshit.”

  “That’s not a decision that you get to make for me.”

  “Dealing with me ain’t a walk in the park, Dani bae.” His nose twitched upon realizing how comfortable he was with using a pet name for her. “My girl walked out on me and left her ring on the table, because I couldn’t get my shit together with her.”

  “And with all due respect, I’m not her.” Danica came to a stop, turning to look up at him. “Is it hard dealing with someone who’s suffering from trauma, you’re damn right about that. But hurt people have a way of understanding other hurt people. I’m not letting you push me away. Don’t forget, you pulled me out of a car that was seconds away from blowing up, while somehow managing to keep me calm when I was sure that I was about to die. So the least I can do is listen to you vent.”

  Everything that she was saying sounded like music to his ears, but Tucker was resistant for more reasons than one. If he let go of everything that he’d been harboring since the day he lost Charlotte, there would be nothing fueling him to push through his days.

  He’d used his anger and hurt to get by, and without it, he had no idea how he would function. Part of him was almost afraid that he wouldn’t know what to do if life ever went back to being normal. At least, whatever was normal was for him.

  “Danica,” he tried once again to get her to listen to reason, but she reached up to place a hand over his mouth, silencing him.

  “You’re not getting rid of me.” She assured him. “Not that easily.”

  What other choice did he have other than to agree to whatever it was she was demanding of him?

  “Fine.” He jerked his face out of her reach. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you, alright?”

  “I’ve survived teaching a sixth-grade class the difference between soprano, alto, and tenor. I’m sure I’ll fare with you just fine.”

  “You think you're tough, huh?” He licked his lips as she pranced away from him, ponytail swinging in the wind.

  She whirled around so that she was facing him and walking backwards. “No, you just aren’t as tough as you try and make yourself seem.” Danica argued with a shrug. “Not to me. You can put on that act for everyone else, Keaghan Tucker, but I see you.”

  “Yeah?” He kept a watchful eye on the sidewalk behind her as they continued walking and talking. “And what is it that you think you see?”

  “Right now, a man that needs somebody to be there for him the way he’s there for everybody else. A person that’s not going to allow you to push them away, that understands you have moments so dark that it feels like you’ll never see the light of day again. And I get it, trust me, but you can’t let it consume you. You have to push through it, because there’s people in the world that still need you.” Stopping in her tracks, Danica didn’t falter as Tucker walked directly into her personal space. “And you need someone that knows how hard it is to drag yourself out of bed in the morning and push through a day that you’re not even sure you want to see. Tucker,” she brought both of her hands to his face, steadying him. “All you really need is somebody that understands you. And I know that because, for the longest time, I needed somebody that could understand me.”

  Gathering her into his arms, Tucker felt like he was having an out of body experience as he leaned down to capture her lips with his. Danica jumped in his arms from the unexpected gesture, but quickly accepted his display of affection.

  Cupping her face in his hands, Tucker deepened their kiss, parting her lips with his tongue and delving it into her mouth. He had no idea what the hell he was doing, or which direction things were going.

  All he knew was that for once, things felt right, and he wanted to hold onto the moment for as long as possible. The universe apparently had other plans, as the alarm from the station sounded off, causing the two of them to jump apart.

  “I gotta go,” he mumbled, tracing his lips with his index finger. “Can I call you later?”

  “Yes,” she answered quickly, putting him at ease.

  “Go straight to your car, alright?” He broke away from her, halfway rushing to get back to the station. “I would walk you, but…”

  “Go,” Danica encouraged, shooing him away.

  With a final glance in her direction, he hurried back to hop on his truck for yet another call. A smile crossed his face when he realized that for the first time in a long time, he had something to look forward to when it was over.

  Chapter 7

  With her hands on her hips, Danica peered warily around P.S. 14. The school could use a touch of TLC, that was for sure. It wasn’t her first round pick as far as employment went, but with weeks passing faster than she could keep up, Danica didn’t have the option to be picky.

  Moving up the steps, she entered the school, feeling at peace. The children were out of school, but there were more than a few members of the staff bustling around the huge hallways. Following the sign to the administrative office, Danica smoothed her skirt down and sucked in a deep breath before pulling the door open.

  The woman behind the counter looked up from the keyboard, giving her a warm smile. “Hello, how can I help you?”

  “I’m Danica White,” she announced, reaching over the counter to shake the woman’s hand. “I’m here about the vacant music teacher position.”

  “Oh yes, of course.” The woman’s smile grew wider. “I’m Sandra Andrews, Principal and whatever other role this place needs filled.” Danica picked up on the stress and disdain in Sandra’s voice, and it made her uneasy.

  Walking around the counter, Sandra headed towards the doors that led out into the hallway.

  “You can come with me.”

  Nodding, Danica followed.

  “So, our school is divided into three different halls. What we like to call A Hall, B Hall, and C Hall. The C hall consists of the music and other elective sectors. That’s where you’ll be assigned if you choose to take the job.”

  “How many students are there usually per class?” Danica questioned, shaking her head at the rundown, metal lockers.<
br />
  “We try to keep classrooms to a maximum of twenty students per class, so we don’t overload the teachers. Though on a good day, you’re lucky if you can get ten or fifteen to show up.”

  “Seriously?” Danica stopped in her tracks. Her eyebrows knitted together as Sandra turned to face her.

  “I wish I could say that I was joking. I can’t even tell you how many students I reprimand a week for skipping class.”

  “They’re twelve years old,” she pointed out.

  “I’m not sure how things were at your old school,” Sandra sighed heavily. “But parents here are a little different. Only a handful of them are fully invested in their children’s lives, and only a fraction of that already small number hold their children accountable for their behavior. You tell a parent that their child skipped a class, or even worse, school altogether, and they’ll call you a liar and say that you marked your attendance sheet incorrectly. They aren’t too big on accountability around here when they think it casts a bad light on their parenting skills.”

  “Noted.” Danica nodded. That was a fact that she understood completely.

  Sandra finished giving her the tour of the school, including the classroom she’d be working out of, before they returned to the office.

  “Your credentials are excellent, and I love the passion in your voice when you talk about how much you love teaching.” Sandra walked back around the counter. “The position is yours, if you want it.”

  “Can I take a couple of days to think about it?”

  “Of course. Take your time and weigh it out. You have my number.”

  The two women talked for a few minutes before Danica took her lead, and the first thing she did when she was settled into her car was call Tucker.

  “How’d it go?” He answered on the third ring.

  “Hello to you too,” she giggled. “And it went well. She offered me the job.”

  “That’s my girl,” Tucker replied warmly. “Are you going to take it?”

  “I don’t know. There are a couple of things I’m iffy about.”

  “Do you have anything to do now that you’re finished?”

  “Not to my knowledge.”

  “You want to come by the station and talk about it? My shift hasn’t started yet, but I came in a little early to fill out some paperwork.”

  “Okay, I’ll see you in a minute. You hungry?”

  “I could eat. Matter of fact, I’ll call in a lunch order for the station and just have you pick it up.”

  “Okay.”

  They ended the call, and Danica took a moment to send a text to the group chat she had with Miesha and Casimir to tell them the news while waiting for Tucker to let her know where to pick up the food. After she picked it up, she made her way to the station, where he was outside waiting for her.

  He unloaded her car and took the food inside while she parked.

  “What has you in such a good mood?” She questioned, walking up to him after securing her car.

  “What’s not to be happy about getting the opportunity to see you again?” He enclosed her into his arms, squeezing once before letting go. “Come on, I’ll show you around.”

  He gave her a quick tour that ended in the common area where they’d started.

  “And who do we have here?” Someone called, capturing their attention.

  “Wade, go head about your business,” Tucker laughed as Danica blushed.

  “Hey, beautiful,” Wade said, extending his hand to her and ignoring Tucker. “I’m Brian Wade.”

  “Danica,” she smiled, shaking his hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “You might want to hide her.” Wade let go of her hand, turning his eyes to Tucker. “The rest of the crew is outside, and you know when they come in…”

  “Ahhh, shit,” Will called, capturing Danica’s attention. “We got a fresh one in the house.”

  “And on that note, we’re going to my office before I end up slapping somebody.”

  A whistle from Charlie came next. “Whew, Tuck, who you got there?”

  “None of your damn business, and the food is on the stove.”

  Danica laughed as Tucker grabbed hold of her hand and dragged her to his office, closing the door behind them.

  “Excuse their ignorant asses,” He apologized.

  “Listen, compared to my brother, they’re a walk in the park.” Danica propped herself up on his desk while he leaned back in his seat.

  “Alright, talk to me.” He urged. “What’s going on in your brain? I thought you were looking forward to teaching again?”

  “I am,” she tilted her head to the side. “And I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to open up for what feels like forever, but taking a job here means that I’ll finally be putting down roots, and I don’t know,” a short sigh fell from her lips. “I guess I still haven’t wrapped my brain around the way everything has shifted in my life.”

  “I get it, Dani bae,” he nodded, scooting his chair closer to her. “I think maybe you need to find a way to give yourself closure to the situation. You have to find a balance between your old life and your new one.”

  “And how, oh wise one, do you suggest I do that?” She smiled, reaching behind her and resting her palm against the desk so her body was at an angle.

  “We cool and all, but I can’t give you all the answers. You gotta work some things out for yourself.”

  “So, basically, you don’t know.”

  “Exactly.”

  The two of them shared a laugh and Danica changed the subject. She spent as much time with him as she could before his shift began and she had to leave.

  “You already know I’m gonna be tied up tonight, but when I have a day off, we’re going out to celebrate, okay?” Tucker announced when they reached her car.

  “I’d like that,” she admitted, pushing herself up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. “I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Be safe getting home.”

  “I will, you be safe on shift.”

  “Miesha,” Casimir slurred, lazily looking over at her. “Why you ain’t got no man?”

  “For the same reason that, outside of the bottom of the barrel thots you entertain, your hand has been your faithful companion for the past year, any other questions?” She drawled, picking up a pillow and slinging it at him.

  “Heyyyyyyy,” Danica blinked lazily, laid out in her bed. “Y’all quit it.”

  “Tell him to quit.” Miesha grumbled. “He’s the one that’s always starting shit.”

  It was quiet in the room for a minute before Danica let out a snicker. “But it’s not like he’s wrong. You don’t have a man.”

  Casimir and Danica both laughed as Miesha kissed her teeth. The three of them had all piled up at Danica’s place for an impromptu celebration of her job offer. Casimir came bearing a bottle, and after an hour and a half of hitting the sauce, all three of them were drunk, full, and in Danica’s bedroom talking.

  “Fuck the both of y’all. I don’t have a man because I don’t want one.”

  “I think you're scared.” Casimir argued. “Or you like women, one or the other. You ain’t gotta live your life in the closet though, sis. You like what you like, and I’ll slap the shit out of anybody that comes at your gay ass sideways.”

  “Cas, I will never understand your ability to insult and defend somebody in the same sentence.” Danica sniggered.

  “I’m going home,” Miesha announced, nearly face planting when she stood up from the bed.

  Grabbing the back of her shirt, Casimir gently slung her back into her previous spot. “No, your drunk ass is not. Lay down.”

  “There are a couple of handsome men down at the station that work with Tucker,” Danica suggested out of the blue.

  “No, thank you, sis, I’ll leave the men in uniform to you. I’m not interested.”

  “Can I talk to y’all about something?”

  “Since when do you ask permission?” Casimir snorted.

  “Shut up
,” Danica frowned, struggling to sit up. Thankfully, Casimir threw her a bone and grabbed her wrist to help steady her. “This is serious.”

  “Okay,” Miesha nodded with her eyes closed. “Shoot.”

  “Me moving back home is okay, right? Like, I’m not making a bad decision?”

  “Hell yeah, it’s okay. We’ve been missing the hell out of you since you’ve been gone.” Casimir assured her. “And if anything, you need us right now.”

  “By moving back home, I think she’s really questioning whether it’s okay or not for her to have feelings for Tucker,” Miesha chirped, eyes still closed.

  “That’s not what I said.”

  “But that’s what you mean, sissy, and yes, it’s okay for you to like him.”

  “Ah, ah, ah,” Casimir’s arm sliced through the air. “Damn, Miesh, can we find out more info about the situation before you go pushing people off the deep end? We don’t know his ass like that for you to give her permission to make something happen with him.”

  “Boy,” Miesha’s eyes finally peeled open as she sat up. “Fine. Danica, does he treat you well?”

  “Yes,” she answered, nibbling on her lip.

  “Is he there for you when you need him to be?”

  “So far.”

  “And how do you feel when you’re around him?”

  Danica paused, staring at the floor for a minute before her lips curled into a smile. “Before him, I felt like I was drowning. And no matter how hard I tried to push myself to the surface, the waves just kept coming and pushing me back under. Figuratively speaking, it feels like he saved me.”

  “Then you already know the answer to your question, sis,” Casimir downed another shot. “You don’t need confirmation from us, but if it helps ease your mind, then you have it.”

  “For sure,” Miesha agreed. “Your happiness is the only thing that matters. To hell with everybody else. And if anybody comes with some negative shit, Cas will just whoop their ass.”