Page 27 of Burn

I didn’t notice he had a milkshake until now and in an act to turn it up a notch, I take it from him and try to take a drink. Try being the magic word here because it’s thick as hell and I can’t suck hard enough. “Wow.” I laugh around the straw. “You really have to suck to get that out of there.”

Caleb chuckles under his breath. His jaw tightens and he swallows, slowly. “Have you sobered up?” he murmurs, drawing the words out, while his eyes roam down to my chest.

I’m playing hard to get and dipping french fries in crack just to make him squirm. “Maybe.”

Hardened eyes pin me, and he gives a tight nod over his shoulder. “Let’s go.”

Well Involved

Term of size-up meaning fire, heat, and smoke in a structure are so widespread that internal access must wait until fire streams can be applied.

It’s fucking cold outside, enough that a light dusting of snow begins to hover in the city, moving with each gust of wind that blows through the streets as we step outside the restaurant. Stan clicks the closed sign on the wall, red and green neon lights fading in the night, an indication my time with her is slowly coming to an end.

I don’t want it to. I want to spend days with this girl, just being around her. There’s just something about her that’s calming and almost mystifying. If that’s the right word to use with her.

Mila stands next to me near the windows of Lil Woody’s, my jacket wrapped around her.

Damn, she looks good in my clothes.

Instead of shielding her hair from the snow like most girls do, she smiles tenderly and glances up toward the sky. With a deep breath, she glances over at me, a tentative yet shy look of trepidation.

“I love the feeling of misty snow hitting my face.” She’s looking at me like she wants to ask, but she’s not going to. “I should head back to my friend’s apartment. Do you want your jacket?”

Is she fucking serious?

No way am I letting her leave and not end up in my bed. I shake my head, standing. “Nah, I think you should come back to my place.” I’m not trying to kidnap her, but I hold my hand out. I don’t think I have it in me to watch her walk the other way. “We can walk from here. It’s around the corner.”

Nodding, Mila’s stare remains on mine, drops of snow glistening on her lashes as they lower and she breathes, “Okay.”

I grin. “But you have toaskfirst.”

She stares at me like I’m some kind of delusional fuck. “Askwhat?”

I lick my lips, slowly, my mouth pulling up at the edges. “Ask to come home with me.”

She gives me an eye roll and takes my hand. “You and I both know you’re going to take me home regardless of me asking.”

I refuse to go, and stand my ground, my hands in my pockets again. “No way. You need to ask.” I’m pretty determined when I want to be, and I think she finally sees it.

She whirls around in what looks to be a practiced ballerina move and drapes her skinny arms over my shoulders. “Oh baby,” she shrieks loudly. “Please take me home with you!”

I should mention she yells this in the middle of the sidewalk. It’s pretty late, but still, people look at us like we’re just a bunch of drunk fools.

“I’ll take you home, sweetheart!” some guy hollers across the street, holding his hands up in the air.

“Shut the fuck up!” I yell, grabbing Mila’s hand, trying to keep myself from running across the street and beating the crap out of that motherfucker still yelling. “Okay, don’t beg. I’ll take you home with me.”

Mila lets go of my hand and hooks it around my arm, walking with me up the street. “Was that really necessary?”

“Oh yes.” My arm tightens around hers. “Completelynecessary.”

“Sure it was.”

I wink. “Paybacks for the french fries.”

IT TAKES US a minute of running in the snow to my apartment. I live two blocks and around the corner from Lil Woodies in the Excelsior Apartments.

Mila points to the sign and stops on the sidewalk next to a parking meter. “Is this your apartment building?”

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