Page 7 of Firefly Embers

“You’re gonna catch a cold,” a gruff voice snapped from behind me, bursting my bubble of serenity. I didn’t need to turn around to know that it belonged to the broody cowboy who inhabited the body of my best friend.

“Like you care,” I groused, ignoring the pleasant warmth of his body as he stepped up beside me. We lowered ourselves to the damp earth at the edge of the small creek.

“Sunshine…” he started, but I effectively cut him off by holding up my hand.

“Don’t Sunshine me, Wade Alexander Daniels.”

“Oh, I get the full name tonight,” he said with a sardonic chuckle, and the sound floated across my bare skin like a tingle of electricity.

The glare I shot in his direction could have rivaled the icy chill that was washing over us.

I wasn’t in the mood for his bullshit, which lately, there had been a lot of. I was tired of walking around in circles, attempting to ignore the elephant in the room. This shit was getting on my last nerve.

“¿Me estás tomando el pelo, Wade? ¿Tienes el descaro de venir aquí, a nuestro santuario, y burlarte del hecho de que nos trataste a mí y a todos los que te rodeaban como mierda en la boda de tu propio hermano gemelo? No, vete a la mierda.”

Are you kidding me, Wade? You have the nerve to come here, to our sanctuary, and mock the fact that you treated me and everyone around you like shit at your own twin brother’s wedding? No, fuck you.

His confused silence let me know that he didn’t understand most of what had just come out of my mouth, but the way he wouldn’t meet my eyes told me he understood the bite of my tone. The dejected way he hung his head also told me that he had been effectively scolded.

I wished that thought brought me satisfaction, but it only brought pain. I didn’t want to scold Wade. I wanted him to open up to me like he had so many times before.

I closed my eyes, breathing in deeply to calm my racing heart. I didn’t want to fight with Wade. He was my best friend, for fuck’s sake. He knew me better than anyone else in the world.

I knew this angry side of him wasn’t normal, but it didn’t hurt any less when he lashed out. It hurt more knowing he didn’t feel like he could reach out to anyone, especially me, in his time of need.

Opening my eyes, I was met with the image of a broken man begging for relief from the overwhelming pain and sadness he’d been feeling. The despondent look on my best friend’s face gutted me to my core.

The vibrancy that normally surrounded Wade Daniels had faded, and in its wake was a shell of the man he used to be. His long, sandy-blond hair was pulled back into a bun at the back of his head. His chocolate-brown eyes that normally twinkled with mischief were lifeless, dark purple bags underneath, hinting at the sleepless nights I knew he’d been fighting through.

I tenderly skated my fingers across the back of his hand, softly turning it palm side up and lacing our fingers together. He tightened his grip three times in quick succession. Our silent gesture of the mutual love we have for each other. Three times for three words. I love you.

What started as a childhood secret handshake, one that only we shared, turned into discretely sharing teenage crushes, and eventual adult affection.

In seventeen years of friendship, we’d never crossed the line into anything past the friend zone, except for once. Neither ‌of us was willing to make a move that could ultimately break the sacred bond we’d worked so hard to build.

But seeing him so dejected, and so sad, had me itching to crawl into his lap and kiss away the pain. I’d do anything to take away the torture inside his mind, even if it meant sacrificing my own happiness—but I couldn’t lose the best friend I’d ever had.

RAY - 11 YEARS OLD

I pushed through the woods, prickles and brambles snagging on my jeans as I went. I was suddenly glad I had listened and worn jeans instead of the shorts I’d originally planned on wearing.

Daddy told me to make sure I dressed in tough clothes if I planned to venture out into the woods.

I don’t think he’d be very happy about how far I had gone from the house, though, right before dinner.

I hadn’t meant to walk this far, but I’d honestly gotten a little lost as I tried to remember which way was back to the house and which way was farther into the woods. I heard the gurgle of water, letting me know I was for sure heading the wrong way. Daddy was going to be so mad at me for getting lost out here.

He had told me to stick to the surrounding property, but I just kept walking and walking, relishing ‌the quiet, which was hard to come by at home.

It was almost dark, and I knew soon that he and Mama would be getting the rest of the kids ready for bed, and I needed to figure out how to make my way back.

I pushed through some very thick branches and on the other side found the water I had been hearing. A pretty stream wound past the trees, so I approached the bank, testing the temperature of the water with my fingers.

Past the sandy water’s edge, I felt my sneaker slipping in the mud and braced myself for the inevitable fall that was coming.

Before my butt could hit, a hand reached out and grabbed my elbow.

I tensed, my breath catching in my throat because I hadn’t noticed anyone else here. A scream threatened to jump out of my throat.