“That’s a lot to take given that Elias and I have only been together since Thanksgiving” Luna’s voice dropped off as everyone caught her mistake.
“Since Thanksgiving?” Aiden looked at the guilty faces of Luna and Elias.
“It was one time,” she said. “Tio invited us over for Thanksgiving to his house. He told me about his diagnosis, and after a few drinks, Elias and I—”
“Charming. I remember. I worked so you could spend extra time with Soto who wasn’t feeling well. You didn’t return my text messages; I stupidly worried about you,” Aiden said. He downed the rest of the bottle. “Elias, you’re a lucky guy. Dodged a bullet on that one. She’s all yours.”
“I’m nobody’s. I’m mine!” Luna shouted. “We aren’t ready for that. Marriage is a long time off, and if we could calm down—”
“I’m going to stop you there,” Elias shoved his chair back, finally showing some backbone. “I’ve heard enough. I’ve had enough.”
“Elias,” Luna stood up too. “Can’t we go someplace private?”
Elias laughed. “It doesn’t seem like anything is private here. You like me, but you don’t love me. I could give you love, but you don’t want it from me. I don’t know what you want, but it’s not me. There’s enough dysfunction here without me. Anybody else want to come?”
No one else moved for another second, and then Drew slowly rose, moving away from the table.
“Drew, can’t we—” Theo started.
“No. Staying any longer wouldn’t be fair to you. Uber together?” Drew asked Elias.
“You sure you don’t want to come, Kwon?” Elias offered.
She waved them off, sipping her wine. “I am one hundred percent sure I do not want to be in a long-term committed relationship. Vanessa and I are on the same page.” She checked with Vanessa, “We are, right?”
“I’m good with short-term. I’ll forget your name after you put out.”
“I’m good here.” Kwon gave a thumbs up.
“Elias,” Soto said, “Don’t be too hasty.”
“Yes, don’t be too hasty,” Aiden mocked, “Keep listening to him while he fucks you over. Their whole fucking family will use you and discard you when they’re done with you. You’ll get left holding the bag.”
Elias stared at Luna for a long second. “Do you feel anything for me?”
“I think what we have is great. And Tio is right—”
“Stop lying,” Aiden said. “She slept with you to get ahead. By pleasing her uncle, he recommended her for captain, even though he doesn’t believe women make good firefighters. Notice the second she got hurt, he started suggesting you make a move?”
All heads, including Luna’s, snapped around to her uncle, who said, “That’s not true. I admit I didn’t want Luna to become a firefighter. It’s a hard life.”
“Some other captain at 15 regularly complained that he worried something would happen to his niece. That no one would ‘take care of her.’”
That revelation was met with downcast eyes from Luna and furious glances exchanged between Vanessa and Erin. If he viewed his own niece as incapable of caring for herself, his opinion of women firefighters couldn’t have been much better.
“That wasn’t an invitation to sleep with her!” Soto wheezed. “You showed poor judgment!”
“She showed the same fucking bad judgment! Don’t pass your family drama off on me. I treated you like a father for ten years, and you threw me away. Ten years.” Aiden addressed Elias. “Run NOW.”
Elias and Drew sprinted to the door without a backward glance.
Soto glowered at Aiden. “You think you are helping? Don’t blame me because you’re weak.”
Aiden blanched, eyes haunted.
That was it for Erin. Her team was her family. No one hurt her family. Noah, the true leader he was, understood the importance of the family in a team. He gave their team a second chance. He kept them together and was willing to help Aiden heal.
Not Soto, who had forfeited his authority for the last time.
