Rylee’s eyes were locked on screen.
“The three-alarm fire broke out just after six this evening, engulfing over six small businesses, including a beloved bakery, a barbershop, and a family-owned bookstore.”
The scene on screen looked catastrophic. Flames still blazed behind the reporter along with plumes of black smoke rising toward the dark sky. It looked bad.
“Tragically, officials have confirmed that three firefighters have lost their lives in the line of duty.”
Rylee gasped and held onto her breath.
Her mind began racing.
Park Slope. Dead firefighters.
And suddenly she remembered…
Xander’s fire company is in Park Slope.
She walked away from the bed and approached her night table, snatching up her phone.
“Their identities have not yet been released, pending family notification.”
Rylee swallowed hard as she tried to key in her phone’s code fast enough to unlock it but kept getting it wrong.
It was then she realized her hands were shaking.
“Several other firefighters from Ladder Company 212 were injured, including two civilians who were treated on the scene for smoke inhalation.”
“Come on,” Rylee whispered when she tried again, but this time her phone remained locked, displaying the notification informing she had to wait one minute before trying again.
She sighed, then swallowed back the lump forming in her throat.
“The cause of the fire is currently under investigation, though officials suspect it may have originated from faulty electrical wiring in one of the restaurant kitchens.”
Rylee’s bottom lip started trembling without her control. Her mind raced with everything it shouldn’t.
What if that was Xander’s fire company who was called to the scene of that fire?
What if Xander had been hurt?
“Tonight, the city mourns its fallen heroes, and this Brooklyn neighborhood grapples with the sudden loss of both lives and livelihoods,” Candace added, the mic to her mouth, her news station’s logo emblazoned beneath the microphone’s head. “I’m Candace Anthony reporting live here in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Back to you in the studio, James.”
The minute felt more like an hour to Rylee, not aiding in her panic. She could hear her heart in her ears when she finally was able to try again to unlock her phone.
This time she got it open, and didn’t hesitate to make her way to the phone app. She clicked in, then clicked Xander’s name that appeared as one of her recent calls in her call log.
The moment she pressed the phone to her ear, she realized his phone had gone straight to voicemail.
Her heart immediately dropped.
“Oh, my God,” she whispered to herself.
Her throat went dry. Legs so weak she needed to take a seat on her bed.
She tried again. Still voicemail. And again… no answer.
Rylee tried to take a moment to collect herself, tossing her phone onto the bed.
In that moment, in her panic, she tried to rack her brain to remember Xander’s ladder company. He had it tatted on his arm but in that moment her brain couldn’t process anything or remember that simple detail.
