Page 30 of Jarrn
“How was the fire your fault, Delia? You weren’t in the building.”
She must feel as I do, that the time is long overdue for us to discuss this, because she presses through her tears and shaky breathing to explain.
“Mom’s getting older. More nights than not, she falls asleep in her chair watching vids. I knew better than to get her the adaranth-scented candle she wanted, but it was the only thing she asked for on her birthday.”
She hiccups through another wave of tears, then presses on. “I read the report. The fire started in apartment 516, Mom’s apartment. It was the candle. She was sleeping so soundly, you had to enter her apartment and lift her off her couch to save her life. That’s when your face got burned.”
She presses her palm to my scarred cheek and even through her tears, the love shining out of her eyes is warm enough to touch my soul.
“It’s all my fault.” She rubs her chest with her fist, as if she could massage away the pain she’s been carrying all these months.
I pick my words carefully, as though they’re the most important things I’ll ever say, because I imagine she’ll replay this conversation a hundred times between now and our fiftieth wedding anniversary.
“I love you, Delia. I’ve wanted to be a firefighter since I was six. The danger of the profession was very clear to me when I applied for the job, when I trained for it, and every single day I worked.”
I kiss the top of her head, then lean back to look into her eyes.
“Sometimes a firefighter can do everything right and still get hurt. It’s the nature of the job. I did it gladly. And, Delia? I’m so glad I saved your mom’s life.”
I kiss the tip of her pretty little nose.
“It was the best thing that ever happened to me.”
I knew this would surprise her, so I wait for her response, which is to look at me, her brows quirked in question.
“Because it was how I met you.”
Her expression of blissful relief transforms into joy and love as she leans in to give me the sweetest kiss we’ve ever shared. It says everything I need to know about how she feels about me.
“Jarrn!” Strogoff pounds on the door. “Time’s wasting!”
Chapter24
Delia
“Strogoff expects you to leave with him right now,” I say.
Jarrn snorts. “Then he’ll be disappointed.”
I reel back in his arms, still unable to believe I went from being willing to let him go free only to have him show me once again that neither of us is free unless we’re together. “You can’t pass up this amazing opportunity.”
“It’s not worth it if it costs me my relationship with you.”
He eases me onto the bed and rises, stalking to the door, which he opens. Leaning his palm on the frame, he looks Strogoff up and down. “Do you need something?”
“Are you packed?” Strogoff says in an exuberant voice. “Hurry, hurry. We need to leave right away. The shuttle’s waiting, my friend.”
“I’ve changed my mind,” Jarrn says. “I’m not signing with you.”
“What?” Strogoff storms past Jarrn, into the room, coming to a halt when he sees me standing beside the bed. His eyes widen and a snarl rips up his throat. “What are you doing here? You should be–”
“Jarrn and I were just having a conversation,” I say in a shaky voice. I still can’t believe the emotional trauma this guy put me through. I stalk over to him. “You planned to grab Jarrn and take him from me before we had a chance to talk, didn’t you?”
“Of course not.” A smarmy expression takes over Strogoff’s face. “What gives you that idea?” Before I can answer, he turns to Jarrn. “Do you see that? Your girlfriend is jealous of your rising success. She wants to hold you back.”
“She’s anything but jealous,” Jarrn drawls. “Delia has supported me from the start. She loves me and I love her. You thought she’d find a place to sit and sob while whisking me off the ship. By the time I realized what you’d done, you’d have some likely story lined up that would convince me Delia didn’t want to be with me. Didn’t you?” He grabs Strogoff’s arm and hauls him toward the door. “Well, it didn’t work. I don’t want success if Delia’s not by my side. Go. We don’t need you.”
Strogoff straightens his caftan and wiggles his spine. His chin lifts and his lips twist in a sneer. “Without me, you’re nothing but a stripper on an interstellar cruise ship. You’ll go nowhere and do nothing.” He swipes his four hands together. “Don’t expect a second chance.” Pivoting on his heel, he rushes from the room.