Page 26 of Stuck with my Brother's Firefighter Besties

“Are you good at it?” she asked.

I shrugged again. “I manage.”

Small talk.

Safe.

Keep it safe.

But she shifted in her seat, looking at me like she was searching for something. “You’re quieter without the other guys around.”

Caught off guard, I fumbled. “Am I?”

“It’s okay,” she said quickly. “I like quiet.”

Quiet.

She liked quiet.

Colt snored from the backseat, breaking the moment. Lila laughed again, covering her mouth.

“You’re close with your brother, huh?”

“Yeah. Been through a lot together.”

I gripped the wheel tighter. Colt had always been there, had always had my back.

“Must be nice,” she said softly.

“It is.”

Another stretch of silence followed, but this one felt different. Easier.

She leaned her head against the window, watching the trees blur by.

Biscuit’s leash was coiled in her lap.

I wanted to say something. Something meaningful. But the words stuck in my throat.

The silence stretched, but it wasn’t heavy. It was waiting.

Eventually, Lila spoke. Her voice was softer now, like she was testing the water.

“I didn’t really want to come on this trip.”

That caught me off guard. My hands tightened on the wheel, but I kept my tone even.

“Why not?”

She hesitated, her gaze fixed on the snow-covered trees outside.

“Just… everything feels so complicated lately. Nate means well, but...” She trailed off, chewing her lip.

“But what?” I glanced at her, careful not to push too hard.

She exhaled slowly. “It’s hard being back here. I thought it would feel like coming home, being back in Medford, but it doesn’t. Not really. Everything’s the same, butI’mdifferent.”

Her words hung in the air, but I understood where she was coming from.

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