Fire and Romance

by Melanie Shawn

  She swiped the box and read the message. Then she re-read the message. Hey baby. My meeting out of town was cancelled. My night just freed up so there’s no need to rush. Make sure to bring a toothbrush. I love you.

  Her brain was having a difficult time processing what it was seeing. It took her several moments to realize what was going on.

  Simon was seeing another woman. One he called “baby” and said “I love you” to.

  There was no other explanation.

  Without thinking, she typed back, I think you sent this to the wrong person.

  She took a beat, then added: We’re done.

  She pressed send and the only sound in the room was her breath as she tried to catch it. A strange numbness spread from her head to her feet. Her eyes scanned the room and her mind raced as it tried to digest what had just occurred and how she felt about it.

  Things had never been perfect in her relationship with Simon. They’d definitely spent more time in the valleys of love than they had at the peaks. She’d rationalized that by telling herself it was normal.

  When she’d met the man that she’d spent half of her adult life with, things had started off hot. Sizzling hot. They hadn’t been able to get enough of each other. But things had fizzled out as quickly as they’d sparked.

  What had begun as them tearing their clothes off of each other every time they were alone turned into nights spent binge-watching Netflix. She’d told herself that that was what relationships were. They were doing the mundane things in life. It had never even crossed her mind that he’d cheat on her, even if he weren’t satisfied.

  Simon was a person that spoke his mind and didn’t apologize for it. She’d always assumed if he didn’t want to be with her anymore, he’d leave her. It would be that cut and dry. She’d never suspected him of seeing someone else because she didn’t think that’s how he was made.

  Her phone rang and Simon’s face popped up on her screen. She considered ignoring it, but she realized that she was curious to find out what he’d have to say for himself.

  “Hello.” She heard her own voice but it sounded like it was coming from outside of her body.

  This entire thing was like an out of body experience.

  “It’s not what…I don’t know what…I know you think…I didn’t mean…we haven’t been…you and I haven’t been…she’s just a friend.”

  Ninety percent of the physicians, especially surgeons, that Sydney knew had a God complex. They never questioned themselves. Never apologized. Always believed that they were right. That they were all-knowing.

  Simon was no exception. He was always in control. She’d never heard or seen him flustered. Even during his residency when he’d lost his first patient, he’d taken it in stride. He’d said that he was fine, that patients die sometimes.

  It was as if it hadn’t even occurred to him to be upset, or to question whether or not he could’ve done anything differently.

  Now, hearing him stuttering, unable to finish a thought, and fumbling over himself confirmed her worst fear. It made what she’d seen real and was the final nail in the coffin of their relationship.

  “We’re done,” she spoke aloud the words that she’d texted. “Goodbye, Simon.”

  She hung up the phone and was surprised at what she felt. It was relief. She felt lighter than she could remember feeling in a long time.

  For the past few years she’d been wondering where her and Simon’s relationship was going. They talked about moving in together, even talked about getting married, but those conversations never went anywhere.

  She still lived alone and there was no ring on her finger.

  And now she was single.

  At her ten-year high school reunion.

  Maybe having a Dirty Dancing moment tonight wouldn’t be such a bad idea after all.

  Chapter 3

  ‡

  The lesser of two evils. That’s what this dance with his ex was.

  Fifteen minutes was all Marco was able to take at the table with his friends. The time limit that he could tolerate being around people he used to spend hours, days, even weekends with had dwindled down to exactly one quarter of an hour. He wasn’t sure if it was them that had changed or him.

  As if reading his mind, Avery’s eyes narrowed as her arms wrapped around his neck. “You’re different now.”

  “Am I?” Marco didn’t feel different, but it was obvious something was.

  “You are.” Her eyes searched his face, as if she were trying to find clues as to what the differences were. “You’re serious now.”

  He wasn’t, but he understood why his ex would think that.

  In high school, he’d partied a lot more than he’d wanted to because he’d wanted to fit in. He’d always felt like an outsider, because he was. Partying helped him feel like he belonged but it was never really his thing, it was never who he was.

  “What happened?” Her expression grew more irritated than curious or concerned, but that was Avery in a nut shell.

  “I grew up.” He loved a good time, but not to the degree that his friends still did.

  “Yes, you did.” Her eyes sparked with a familiar gleam. That gleam used to excite him because he knew where it was headed.

  But now, it held no appeal whatsoever.

  Avery’s hands ran over his shoulders. “You know that James and I are separated.”

  “You mentioned that.” Right after she’d told him how much she’d missed him and commented on how much he’d “filled out.”

  “And you’re not here with anyone.”

  “No, I’m not. But I’m also not interested.”

  His blunt statement didn’t seem to register with her. Taking no for an answer wasn’t her style. When Avery wanted something, she was relentless.

  “Come on, don’t you ever think about me?” Her fingers played with the hair at the base of his neck as she stepped into his body, pressing against him. “Don’t you miss me?”

  “No. Not really.”

  The song ended and Marco stepped back. “Thanks for the dance.”

  His heel slid easily on the wood floor as he turned, but he didn’t make it even one step when he felt long fingers wrap around his wrist.

  “One more.” Avery wasn’t asking, she was telling.

  Persistent didn’t scratch the surface of his ex when she set her mind to something.

  He’d been blunt and it hadn’t worked. He didn’t want to be cruel but when Avery was in this mode, she was formidable. Thankfully, his phone buzzed in his pocket and when he pulled it out he saw that it was his mom calling.

  “I need to take this call.”

  “Find me when you’re done,” she insisted, still looking at him like he was a steak and she was a starving woman.

  A simple nod of his chin was all it took for her to release his hand. He strode across the dance floor and slipped out onto the balcony that wrapped around the hotel and ran up over the edge of the cliffs that overlooked the ocean.

  As he stepped outside, the sea air filled his lungs and the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks below echoed through the darkened night. There wasn’t much he missed about Sunset Canyon, but the salty smell of the ocean and the rhythmic pulse of the water were definitely things he wished he had in Hope Falls.

  And Sydney. He missed the hell out of Sydney.

  He pressed the answer button and lifted the phone to his ear. “Hey Ma, is everything okay? How’s Pops?”

  “Yes, everything’s fine. Pops is fine. Are you having fun?”

  He had to grin at her enthusiasm. “It’s fine,” he teased. “I don’t think I’m going to be here that much longer, though. I can pick you up some food on the way back to the hospit—”

  “Oh no, don’t worry about coming back tonight. The nurses were just here and they gave Pops something that they said would knock him out. He needs his rest. No visitors.”

  “Did they say that? Did they kick you out?” If his mom wanted to be at her father’s bedsi
de, that’s exactly where she should be.

  “They didn’t.” She chuckled. “He did.”

  “So, he’s feeling better.” Pops could out-stubborn a mule and did not believe in negotiation. It was his way—there was no highway to take.

  Marco had spent a good deal of time with his grandpa growing up. When his parents got divorced, he and his mom had moved to Sunset Canyon and into an apartment above his grandpa’s garage.

  Every morning Pops would wake Marco up to run five miles before school and put him through military drills after school. Literal military drills. His grandfather had been a drill sergeant in the Army for eight years.

  After leaving the service, he’d gone on to coach college football until he was forced to retire fifteen years ago due to being diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, a progressive and degenerative lung disease.

  “He’s just as ornery as ever and I’m headed home to get some sleep. Don’t worry about us. Stay and enjoy yourself.”

  He wasn’t worried about them, well he was, but that’s not why he wanted to leave.

  “Hey, have you seen Sydney yet? Sydney Prince?” his mom asked in a conspiratorial whisper.

  “Sydney Prince?” he repeated, not quite sure he understood.

  His mom had known Sydney because she volunteered at the hospital when they were in high school and his grandpa had been in and out quite a bit. But his mom hadn’t mentioned her in years. He had no idea why she was bringing her up now. “No. Why?”

  “Well, she’s been tagged in several Facebook photos from the reunion and she looks absolutely stunning.”

  Facebook. Of course. His mother was addicted.

  “That’s what I hear but I haven’t seen her.”

  “Well, if you do, tell her I said hello.”

  “Will do.” He was taking off so he doubted he’d be able to pass the message along. “See you soon.”

  “Not too soon.” His mother made one more play for him to stay. “Love you, honey.”

  “Love you too, Ma.”

  He hung up the phone and took one last look out over the cliffs. As much as he loved living in the mountains, he had to admit that he missed the ocean being in his backyard. As he rested his hands on the railing, he realized his curiosity to see Sydney was at an all-time high. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to take another lap, or two, around the reunion.

  Behind him, the door opened as a group of four stepped out onto the balcony. He vaguely recognized them, and so he said a brief hello as he walked past them to return to the ballroom. A cursory glance of the area didn’t reveal any sign of Sydney.

  His eyes searched for golden-red hair and big brown eyes that he’d never been able to shake. He never went more than a few months without dreaming about her while he was sleeping. And he never went more than a few days without daydreaming about her while he was awake.

  As he scanned across the ballroom the anticipation to lay eyes on her grew with each moment that passed. In the back of his mind, he knew that his mounting expectation was ridiculous. He was setting himself up to be disappointed. The last thing he needed to see was that she’d somehow grown into a woman that was miraculously even more beautiful than the girl he’d known.

  She was already the bar to which his brain subconsciously compared every woman he met. He tried not to, but each time he met someone, even someone he was interested in—especially someone he was interested in—he would rate them on the Sydney Scale. Were they as funny as Sydney? As sexy as Sydney? As sweet as Sydney? As quirky as Sydney? As smart as Sydney?

  No. That was always the answer. No, they weren’t. He didn’t do it intentionally. She’d left an imprint on his soul. If he saw her again, he feared the bar would rise higher and the imprint would be even deeper.

  Part of him wanted to see her again but another part of him knew that there was no point. Like he had with his other classmates, he’d kept up with her online. Her profile was sparse and there were barely any pictures of her on Facebook but he did know some basic info.

  She lived in Los Angeles. She was a nurse. And she was in a relationship with a doctor.

  It was strange to think that a girl that he’d never even kissed had been the only one that had broken his heart, but it was the truth. Sydney had friend-zoned him before he’d even known what the term meant. And from the first time he’d heard her tell people that they were “just friends” until the last time he’d heard it, those words were like a chisel to his heart. She hadn’t broken his heart in one fatal blow, she’d chipped away at it over years.

  The constricting sensation deflated as he set off across the room. He decided to forgo saying his goodbyes. He didn’t need his friends giving him a hard time about taking off, he just wanted to get out of there.

  He’d come. He’d seen. He’d reunited. His mom could rest easy that her son had not missed out on any milestone.

  His long strides were driven by a renewed determination as he headed toward the service entrance of the ballroom. The anticipation that had filled him moments ago was now replaced with resolve. He was headed straight to the door that led to the kitchen and back exit. He was reaching for the door when it unexpectedly opened and smacked him in the face.

  “Uhh,” he grunted as his eyes shut. Flashes of tiny lights burst behind his lids as searing pain spiked up from his nose.

  “Oh my god!” A woman shrieked. “I’m so sorry! Are you…?! Marco…?”

  Since his eyes were shut he couldn’t see the woman who spoke his name in a reverent whisper, but he didn’t need his vision to recognize who she was. He forced his eyes open and was still seeing stars as the woman standing in front of him came into focus.

  Sydney Prince.

  She couldn’t be categorized as the one that got away, because he’d never had a chance with her, much less one he’d missed. Still, for some reason, that’s the relationship file that his brain put her in.

  Her long hair framed her porcelain skin. Large doe eyes stared up at him, searching his face as if she couldn’t quite believe what she was seeing. He had a sneaking suspicion he was doing the same. His eyes were locked with hers as his entire body tensed with awareness.

  “Marco you’re…” Her voice trailed off as her ruby lips parted before her eyes widened and she gasped, “…bleeding. You’re bleeding.”

  Her declaration came at the same time he felt something drip from his nose. Marco tilted his head forward and reached up to press his fingers along the soft tissue to stop the bleeding.

  Out of all the things that he’d imagined her saying to him if they ever saw each other again, Marco, you’re bleeding was one he’d never thought of.

  *

  Blood.

  Seeing the bright red drops snapped Sydney out of her momentarily stunned state. Her brain acted on instinct as she grabbed a cloth napkin off a nearby service table and lifted it up to his nose.

  He took it from her as she lamely asked, “Are you okay?”

  Obviously, he wasn’t okay. He was bleeding. She silently prayed that she hadn’t broken his nose.

  Marco Reyes was here and he might have a fractured septum thanks to her shortcut. She’d thought about going around to the front but remembered that Marco himself had shown her this back entrance when he’d worked here.

  “I’m fine.” He assured her as he moved out into the hallway beside her and the door shut behind him with a thud.

  “Here. Sit.” She motioned to chairs stacked against the wall as she went into nurse-mode. He lowered down onto one of the stacks that had four chairs and given his impressive height, his new position placed him eye level to her.

  She was surprised that he followed her directions.

  Marco had always been stubborn when it came to taking orders. Sydney remembered him telling her once that if someone told him to do something, it automatically made him want to do the opposite. If they told him not to do something, whatever it was immediately became the only thing he wanted to do.

&nbs
p; After he’d shared that unique quirk to his stubborn personality, she’d often use it to her advantage. Most of the time she would just tease him and say things like, “Do not carry my backpack for me” when they were walking between classes. Or, “You can’t give me a ride to school.” Or her personal favorite, “You can’t watch Gilmore Girls with me.” That one only worked when she’d tutored him, since that was the only time they’d spent at her house.

  She wasn’t subtle about it, and he wasn’t an idiot. She knew that he knew exactly what she was doing, but he played along like the good sport that he was.

  A server walked out of the kitchen entrance that was off the back hallway they were in, carrying a bucket of ice and he stopped up short when he saw the bloody scene. “Is everything okay?”

  “Yes.” Marco’s tone was definitive.

  “Actually, can I have some of that?” Sydney asked as she grabbed a clean glass that was stacked on the table and scooped some ice cubes out of the bin.

  The server didn’t seem to mind and continued on his way.

  After wrapping them in another napkin she placed the cold compress to his nose as she apologized, “I’m so sorry.”

  His gaze met hers and she could see the smile in his eyes. She also saw the specks of gold that floated in his sea green irises that were outlined in a deep forest green. Combined with the dark, thick lashes that surrounded them and his olive complexion that caused them to pop, his eyes were intoxicating.

  Marco hadn’t won “Best Eyes” in high school for no reason. He’d earned the title, hands down, each and every time. She had a feeling he would still be the reigning champ if he were in the running today.

  “Is it broken?” she asked, trying not to get sucked into the emerald vortex that was his stare.

  “No.” When Marco spoke, goose bumps broke out on Sydney’s arms. His voice was deeper than it used to be and that just added to his appeal.

  In the years that had passed since she’d seen Marco, he’d grown even more attractive. His face, always clean shaven in high school, now featured a peppering of stubble across his chiseled jaw. It increased his sexy-bad-boy edge tenfold. His frame, which had always been lean and athletic, was now filled out. Even his hands looked larger.