It sounded vaguely familiar. Comforting. When I pinpointed who the deep voice belonged to, I knew I was hallucinating.
“Corey?” I mumbled.
Chapter 36
Jocelyn
“Where are they?”
I paced, my entire body trembling while I stood across the street from the burning building. Tears stung my eyes as I watched the front door like a hawk, waiting but not seeing anyone come out.
God, why had I run out of there? I should’ve stayed even after Don slammed that door in my face. No, I should’ve made him come with me. We both should be out of that hellhole.
Right before I could entirely fall apart, sirens wailed in the distance. I breathed a little deeper when I saw multiple fire trucks and police cars coming down the street. I waved my hands like a maniac in the middle of the road for them to see me.
“Jocelyn,” Carter yelled, the first one to jump out of the rig.
“Carter, they’re inside. You have to get them. They don’t have any protective gear on and—”
“I got Don’s message,” Carter said, “We rushed over here from our other call.”
“You have to help them,” I said.
“Them? Slow down. Don’s inside? And who else?” Captain Waverly asked.
I didn’t get a chance to respond to Carter’s question because a loud boom sounded from the side of the building. Rushing over, I saw that it was a door I hadn’t seen before, pushing open. Two figures stumbled out.
“Oh my, God.” I broke away from Carter, I ran as fast as I could toward them. I threw my arms around Don, hugging him to my chest. “Don, oh my God. Are you all right?”
His arms banded around my waist, and relief, as I’d never known it before, filled me.
“What am I, chopped liver?” Corey chided. “What about me?”
“Oh, God, Corey.” I broke free from Don and squeezed my brother with the same intensity, crying into his shoulder. “Thank you.”
I moved back to Don and cupped his soot-covered face in my hands, looking him over with a frown as he coughed. “Are you okay?”
“He needs oxygen,” Corey said.
A flurry of movement surrounded us. Don and Corey were both directed to the awaiting ambulance. They were seated at the back of the ambulance. The paramedics covered both of their faces with oxygen masks.
Rescue Four and the other station trucks that arrived unloaded their rigs and began beating down the flames in the building.
I kept my focus on the two most important men in my life. I couldn’t stop staring at them and touching Don.
“Keep your mask on,” I fussed when he tried to pull it off for the third time.
Despite my protests, he lowered the oxygen mask slightly, his voice strained. “I need to tell you something.”
“What?”
He smiled as I placed the mask back over his mouth and nose. “I love you.”
I melted. “I love you too.”
I squeezed his hand and looked over at my brother. He stared at us curiously.
“I love you too,” I told him.
