Chapter 4

After she left, I hesitated for a moment, then called out, "Are you still there?"

The door creaked open.

The man's chiseled face appeared in the doorway.

I thanked him.

He shook his head. "It's just part of my job as a firefighter."

He didn't bring up the fact that he'd watched over me all night.

I pressed my lips together, hesitating. "What's your name?"

"Ryan Collins," he replied.

Ryan glanced at the wound on my arm. After a brief pause, he took a lollipop from his pocket. "If it hurts, something sweet might help."

Just then, his phone rang.

After answering, he looked at me a bit awkwardly. "Miss Bennett, I need to head out now. Something's up."

I nodded.

After Ryan left, it hit me. I'd never told him my full name before.

But honestly, I didn't give it much thought.

Maybe he was one of Frank's crew. I often went to the fire station to see Frank, so it wasn't all that strange that he knew who I was.

The medicine was taking effect.

I felt sleepy, and before I knew it, I drifted off, barely aware as sleep took over.

I had a dream.

In the dream, I found myself back in that raging inferno. Frank stood just outside the wall of flames, his gaze icy and indifferent, watching as the fire closed in around me.

I shouted his name at the top of my lungs, desperate for him to save me.

But he turned his back and walked away, leaving me all alone, struggling helplessly in the sea of fire.

I jolted awake, drenched in sweat, my heart pounding in my chest.

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

I wiped away my tears. "Come in."

Frank stood in the doorway.

He looked at my swollen, tear-stained eyes, and for a moment, something complicated flickered in his gaze, but it was soon replaced by cold indifference. "Emily, we need to talk," Frank said.

"What do you want to talk about? There's nothing left between us," I shot back.

Frank didn't get mad. He sat down and said calmly, "Sophie and I grew up in the same town. Her family always put her brother first. After my dad passed away, my mom ran off with someone else.

"When Sophie turned eighteen, her family arranged a marriage for her, just so they could use the money they got from her husband to send her brother overseas.

"That year, I got into college, and I brought Sophie with me. All these years, Sophie's been working all kinds of jobs to help me pay for school. Sophie isn't like you."

He paused and added, "Only after she was gone did I realize I liked her."

Frank was talking about his previous life.

My heart ached, but no matter what, I just couldn't cry. "If you want to be with her, and you want me to help you two get together, just say it. I almost died in that fire."

"I'm sorry," Frank said.

His apology felt empty, barely making a dent. It just lingered in the air, meaning nothing.

I couldn't help but feel the irony. I gave a bitter smile, with coldness in my eyes. "You really think a single 'I'm sorry' can pay for a life?"

I left the rest unsaid.

Those twenty years of indifference and compromise in my previous life all made sense.

I just wanted to cut ties with Frank for good.

Frank swallowed hard, paused for a moment, and said, "I know I failed you, but Sophie and I have missed out on so much already. I don't want to leave any regrets behind."

I cut him off. "Frank, what exactly do you want from me?"

He pulled a card from his pocket and pushed it toward me. "There's some money. I know your family's well-off, but I still want to repay you.

"If people ask about us, I want to say you were the one chasing after me, and that nothing ever happened between us.

"I don't mean anything else by it. I just don't want Sophie to be the subject of rumors. She's not well."

I slapped the card out of his hand, and it landed on the floor with a sharp clatter. "I'm not someone who needs your pity or compensation. Not before, and not now.

"You don't want Sophie to be the target of gossip, but you're perfectly fine with letting me be the one everyone whispers about, huh?"

Frank glanced at the card on the floor, a flicker of impatience crossing his face, but he quickly pushed it down. "There's one more thing I came here for.

"Sophie's not in good health, and the doctor says she needs to rest. I want to make things official with her. The wedding's next month, so I hope you stay away and don't interfere."

His words killed off the last bit of feeling I had left. Turns out, he came here just to make things clear and put me in my place.

It wasn't just him rubbing it in; it was a warning.

I laughed bitterly. "Don't worry. I'll stay far away. I won't be an eyesore for you two."

Seeing how firm I was, he didn't say another word. He got up and walked out, the door closing behind him with a sharp click.

I stared at the empty room, and the knot in my chest slowly unraveled. All those lingering feelings for him were finally gone for good.