Page 13 of Crusher

I hear a beep, and he sighs, “Looks like duty calls again, huh?” and I can’t help the small, proud smile that stretches as I hear rustling, and I slowly walk my way to my beat-up that I’m surprised has survived.

Hayes is now finally doing what he wanted, he’s a paramedic, and he has all his credentials, and I’m happy for him, I am. I just wish he hadn’t hurt me, that he hadn’t broken my trust, that he hadn’t stayed with her, I wish for so much but wishing gets you nowhere.

I sniffle and quickly wipe away a few tears before climbing into my beat-up as Hayes sighs, “Come home, please, baby,” then murmurs, “I love you, wife,” before hanging up, and I swallow as my eyes go to the white gold wedding band with little diamonds around it.

“Do you, Hayes Kayden Smith, take Alexiana Marie Jackson to be your lawfully wedded wife?” Judge Hanks asks, and Hayes smiles wide as he grips my hands and answers, “With everything I am, forever and always,” and I can’t help the happy tears that flow despite knowing Clark, Kodi and the boys, especially Linc, are going to kill us for this.

I blink when there’s a knock on my window and turn and try to hide my wince as Jarrold grins that boyish grin, and I unroll my window.

“Hey Jarrold,” I say as his dark brown eyes go to my white buttoned-up shirt.

“Hey Alex, you now off?” he replies, and I hum as I nod to the time and mention, “I’m actually going to be late if I don’t leave now.”

“Right,” he says as he nods, his eyes going to my wedding ring, narrowing on it a little before he says, “I’ll see you tomorrow then, we’re on the same shift.”

I grunt as I start my car, not looking forward to working with him and not just because I’m a married woman with a husband I haven’t seen in eight years. It is mainly because the man is a womanizer who doesn’t know how to take the word no.

Driving away before he decides to try and make another conversation, I head for the exit with my mind on Hayes as always.

One day, after he gave me his cut and declared we’d be married after graduation, we actually got married because, stupidly, I didn’t want to wait to be tied to him. Two months into the marriage, after being hurt, instead of coming home to his wife, taking comfort from his wife, he got drunk and he kissed someone else, felt her up, pinched her nipple. I only know because someone kindly sent me a video of it, the same someone who has sent me picture after picture, who has had a baby with him.

He never paused, he never thought twice, no, he grabbed her and kissed her back with passion and then when he chose his club instead of me. When he decided to completely tear that trust away, he slept with the same woman and now, they have a kid. I know they are engaged, and not because I was told they were, because she claimed him but because I’ve been sent pictures, but he can’t marry her while married to me and while I’ve sent divorce papers but from near Hill Crest so he can’t find me. He’s always confirmed he’s torn the papers up so either the photos I’m receiving are lies, that she lied, or he’s just using Roxy, I don’t know. The baby? That is very much real.

Taking my eyes off my wedding band that I just can’t seem to take off, I drive down the road and turn left, hoping I’m not late again.

***

Horns beep behind me ten minutes later, and I swallow the sigh of relief that I’m not late while ignoring the people honking, clearly wishing they were early.

I mean, seriously, who honks in a school pick-up line?

I shake my head at the impatient parents behind me as I pull up next and smile as the handsome seven-year-old with black, thick hair and dark blue eyes jumps into the backseat of my car and quickly clicks himself in.

“Hey, trouble, how was your day?” I ask as I wave to his teacher and pull forward, and my little boy gives me a toothy grin that makes him look exactly like his father.

“Good, Mama, I got an A in science again,” he admits, and I chuckle.

“Hello?” A snotty voice answers, and I move the phone from my ear and look to ensure I pressed the right number before I put the phone back to my ear, and I clear my throat and ask, “Can I speak to Hayes, please?”

The woman scoffs, “His name is Crusher, and I don’t appreciate some woman ringing my fiancé up, the father of my unborn child, calling him his legal name. So do me a favor and don’t call again, otherwise I’ll come find you and kick the shit out of you, pregnant and all.”

Wait what? Fiancé?

Pregnant?

The line goes dead, and I choke back on a sob as I stare at the positive pregnancy test before bile rises again. I rush to the motel toilet as coldness runs through me because not only am I now alone, pregnant at eighteen, no family in sight, but by the looks of things, the man who told me he loved me, cheated way before the kiss he admitted to.

Why would he claim me?

“Mama, can we have pizza for dinner?” Kayden asks, and I swallow hard before I murmur, “Yeah, trouble…” I am trying to forget about the past and hope I can give my son the life he deserves.

Chapter 6

Crusher

“Okay, so Blaze, you’ll be out front leading the way as normal, Trick will attend the run this time, and Crusher and Crash will accompany,” Cage says as he reads off his notes before him, most likely checking Trick's shifts in the ER and mine with the ambulance and firehouse. I swallow hard as I look down, trying my hardest not to protest even though every single fiber of my being wants to.

I fucking hate going on the runs. I hate that I have to be reminded every fucking day that I was never the first pick for my dad, that he never trusted me. If he did, he wouldn’t have shoved me to the side as he did, fuck, he wouldn’t have ruined my childhood.