Something presses on my shoulder.
I see London in front of me, her brown eyes lit with happiness, her palm cupping my jaw as it feathers. The ache to hold her, to press her into me until we’re indistinguishable steals my last breath.
“Milo, wake up.”
My shoulder jiggles, a tight grip squeezing it.
My eyes fly open.
Heids is bending over, her face tilted as she cracks a half smile. “Bud, you fell asleep on London watch. It’s seven o’clock.”
“I wasn—I didn’t mean to . . .”
Wait? Seven o’clock in the morning? Fuck.
My heart races in my chest as I gather up the paperwork that’s now littering the hallway floor. London’s door is open. I glance at it before meeting Heidi’s gaze.
“She’s out on a call with 43. Perez went home sick.”
I slept through the alarm? They... walked over top of me?
“Nice work, Cap.” Heids winks at me and walks for the common room. I get to work on my bunk with the daylight streaming through my window and finalize the last few bits of paperwork.
The house comes to life slowly, like a giant waking after years of rest. At least, with my fuzzy head and aching back from sleeping up against the wall, it feels that way. Cora is chatting away downstairs.
Right, Monday morning.
Perfect.
The cleaner is vacuuming somewhere near the gym, by the sounds echoing up the stairwell.
The tang of fresh coffee meets my senses, but it doesn’t satisfy me the way it used to. So, to quench the need that arose with the smell, I make myself a Milo in the biggest damn mug I can find.
I’m three-quarters of my way through it when Cap’s office door slams downstairs. I bundle up the paperwork I just finished and wander down the stairs. I hope he takes my notes into consideration.
When I make the office, I find Heids inside. She’s arguing something, passionately. “...London lost enough? You, and this department are going to ruin the only good thing 53 has left.”
“That’s enough, Owens, permission retracted.”
Heidi opens her mouth to say something, and he holds up a finger.
Cap walks for the door and opens it, and I can’t move my focus from him or Heidi. Cap glances at me, brows drawn. I slide the files under my arm and brace myself. For what, I don’t know.
“Out, Owens,” Cap says.
Heidi walks to the door and turns back. “It’s cruel keeping them apart, Captain, and you know it.”
She stalks into the foyer before disappearing through the door to the garage.
Cap watches her go before shaking his head. “More heart than all of us put together, that one.” He waves me in. “Which is why I needed your eyes over those documents. Have a seat, Miles.”
I set the files down on the desk and sit in a chair as he rounds the office and drops into his with a long, heavy sigh.
It’s been that kind of a year.
“You have a good friend in Heidi. She is riding my ass over you and London.”
I swallow, not knowing what to do with that.
