Page 44 of Stay With Me

“Hey, I’m the one who should be thanking you. I’d have eaten cereal for dinner and sat here alone all night if it wasn’t for you.”

“Well, regardless, I’m grateful. I feel more like myself when I’m around you and I need that.”

The smile fades from Charlie’s face and he leans toward me. “What do you mean by that, sunshine?”

Suddenly feeling embarrassed, I look down at my hands for a moment until Charlie jostles my foot again. He doesn’t let go this time but wraps his hand around my ankle.

“Hey, you can tell me anything, Em.”

I lift my gaze to meet his again. “It’s stupid, really. I just… Well, I think I lost a bit of myself when I was with Teddy. It wasn’t his fault. But his energy was always the strongest in the room, commanding attention. Sometimes it felt like…” I pause, not sure how to finish. His hand gently squeezes my ankle, and it comforts me. “Sometimes it felt like there wasn’t room for me to be me. And I think that I trained myself to be less, so that he could continue to be more because I don’t think hecouldturn it off.”

A tear slips down my cheek. Shit, I didn’t mean for tonight to turn into me crying in front of himagain.

“I just want to find myself again. I want to get back the woman I was and let her heal. And when I’m around you, I feel like I see glimpses of her.”

Charlie stares at me for a few seconds, then scoots over closer to me on the couch and lifts his arm, patting the open space with his other hand. An invitation. I take it and crawl over then nestle myself into his side.

He places a tender kiss on my hair and this— it’s what I need. To feel safe and protected, but not weak. Charlie never makes me feel weak.

After several long seconds, he says quietly. “She’s there, Em, and she’s amazing. I see her. I seeyou.”

CHAPTER18

EMILY

I knew the annual Elladine Fire Valentine’s Day muscular dystrophy fundraiser would include dinner and dancing, but I didn’t expect the show. But that’s exactly what Trina and I get watching Finn, the newest firefighter on B shift at Station Three, as he relentlessly flirts with Shayna. Too bad she refuses to even consider him because, damn, he’s hot. They got off to a rough start, but I still think there’s something there.

I swear, if the announcement calling all participants in tonight’s bachelor & bachelorette auction didn’t just interrupt them, the sparks flying between those two may have started an actual fire.

When Finn walks away with Trina, since they’re both part of the auction, I open my mouth to tell Shayna I think there’s some chemistry between them, but she stops me before I can get started.

“Not a word. Not a single word.” Shayna’s cheeks are pink, and I’m surprised to see her so flustered.

We walk around the ballroom for the next half hour before finding our assigned table, which has a perfect view of the stage for the auction. We settle into our chairs and sip on our drinks for a few minutes when Jack and Ben come and sit at the table.

Our friend Janie from our steamy book club, the Spicy Girls, is the emcee for the auction tonight. She takes the stage and speaks into the microphone.

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming out to support the fifth annual Elladine Fire Department Valentine’s Day fundraiser. The proceeds from your tickets and the auction this evening will benefit the Elladine chapter of the Muscular Dystrophy Association. And now it’s time for the portion of the night I know you’ve all been waiting for—our firefighter auction. Just a reminder, the winning bidders for each of our bachelors and bachelorette tonight will win dinner at a private table with theirprizeand the first dance of the night. So, are you ready?”

The crowd breaks out in cheers and Janie chuckles before moving into her description of the first bachelor.

“Jack, how did you dodge being in the auction this year?” I ask.

“I’m a taken man, now. Reynolds took my place.” Jack gestures up to the stage where Reynolds is currently the first firefighter up for auction.

“I thought he wasn’t single? He was with a woman on New Year’s Eve and Charlie said they were an item. Isn’t she a chief or something?”

“Yeah, he’s with Battalion Chief Malone. But they were keeping it secret initially, so Reynolds agreed to the auction as part of their ruse. When it came out that they were together, he’d already committed.”

Ben chimes in. “Hey, I said I’d gladly take your place in the auction, Jack.”

“And I told you that it has to be a firefighter. No police officers,” Jack reminds him.

“Plus, haven’t you already dated most of the women in Elladine?” Shayna jokes.

“Ouch, sis. That hurts.” Ben clutches at his chest dramatically.

“The truth often does.”

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