Page 71 of Middle Ground

Pulling the pin, I aim the extinguisher at the base of the flames and press the trigger. A blanket of white coats everything, and my eyes water from the smoke still clinging to the room.

Eventually, I manage to get the fire down enough that I have a clear path to the door. Dropping the extinguisher on the floor, I then cover my hand with my sleeve and turn the door handle. It’s still burning hot to the touch, but the buffer of the fabric helps. The door swings inward, and I stumble out of the room. I somehow manage to pull the door shut behind me, in an effort to keep the fire contained.

There isn’t much I can do to save this place, but damn it, I’m going to try.

I place my hands on my knees, sucking in the cleaner air. Then Meyer’s hands are on me, tugging me upright andpulling me down the hallway behind her. I should have known she wouldn’t listen.

I can hear sirens approaching now. Some of my panic ebbs, knowing that the professionals are on their way. Hopefully, they’ll be able to stop the fire before it spreads to the rest of the inn.

When Meyer and I burst outside, I fling myself down onto the grass, heaving. She drops to her knees beside me. Her hands find my face as her eyes rove over me, inspecting for injury.

Grabbing hold of her wrist, I squeeze once, but I keep her palm steady against my cheek. “Neverdo that again,” I wheeze.

“What?” she asks. Her eyes are still wide with panic, her body thrumming with adrenaline. “Save your life?”

“Stay in a burning building longer than strictly necessary,” I counter.

“Itwasstrictly necessary. If you die, who else am I supposed to argue with?”

A laugh gets caught in my throat and turns into a cough. “Not. Funny. That was stupid, Meyer. You could have gotten hurt.”

Her eyes flash. “And again, you could havedied.”

Any humour she tried to cling to has now washed away. Her defences are down, and she’sterrified. I want to savour this moment for the simple fact that she’s letting me see behind her walls for once, but I fucking hate that she’s been put in this position.

“I’m okay,” I say gently.

Her eyes shut and her forehead rests against mine, andfor a moment, nothing else exists apart from us. Her nearness settles the racing of my heart. She’s okay. I’m okay. We both made it out of there alive.

“Meyer!”

We quickly pull apart, and Meyer drops her hand from my cheek.

Pippa is jogging our way, Wells hot on her heels. In the chaos of everything, I forgot he was coming back to town today. I’ve been trying to make more of an effort to keep him updated about my life.

“What the hell happened?” he asks when they reach us. “I pulled into the parking lot and there were fire trucks everywhere. I found Pippa outside panicking.”

“The storage room somehow caught fire while I was inside it,” I explain.

Pippa swipes at a tear that trickles down her cheek. “And I’m the one that asked you to go in there.”

I shake my head. “Don’t. Don’t blame yourself for one second. I’m glad it was me and not you. Atticus needs his mom.”

“Did everyone make it out alright?” Meyer asks.

Pippa nods as she releases a shaky breath. “It’s just after check out, so a lot of guests already left. Thankfully, most with reservations for today haven’t arrived yet either. Trystan made sure all others are accounted for, including staff.”

“I should go help him,” Meyer says, trying to get to her feet. “Talk to the fire captain.”

I grab her wrist again, stopping her. Then I twist it so I can see her palm. “Baby, your hand,” I say. “It’s burnt. You should get it checked out.”

She tugs herself out of my hold. “Only if you get some oxygen so you stop hacking up a lung.”

“And just like that, they’re back to normal,” Wells says. He tugs Pippa to his side, his arm around her shoulders. “Told you they would be okay, Sunny.”

Pippa doesn’t acknowledge him. She wraps her arms around her waist, hugging herself. “Is it just me or do all these bad things seem like they’re not a coincidence?”

Meyer and I share a look. They definitely don’t feel like a coincidence. They feel like they’re all connected.