Love and Flames

FIVE

AVA

Colourful bunting hung from the street lamps, flapping gently in the wind. Bright pop-up stalls were scattered around the town hall, offering handmade crafts and sweet treats. Children's giggles filled the air as they chased each other around, filtering through the crowds of people. People's chatter created a joyful atmosphere. The soft strum of a guitar cut through the noise, adding calm to the chaos.

My eyes darted around the crowd as I took in my surroundings, noticing some familiar faces from the cafe. I spotted Olivia in the crowd. I quickly strolled towards her; I muttered some quick "excuse me's" as I filtered through the crowds.

I tapped her shoulder lightly. "Hey!" I beamed at her.

"Hey Ava!" She smiled. I looked at the uniformed police officer next to her. He was tall, with blonde hair neatly swept over with hair gel, his face was chiselled and clean shaven. "This is Thomas, or just Tom." She interrupted my thoughts, and I nodded.

"Ava, as I'm sure you heard," I smiled at him.

He nodded. "I hear your cafe has become quite the hot spot."

I smiled sheepishly. "You could say that." I hated bragging. It was never something I enjoyed. I preferred to just let people see how I get along with things rather than boasting.

I decided I was probably intruding in on their conversation. "It was nice meeting you, Tom. I will leave you and Olivia to it," I said. I offered a wink and walked away. I heard Olivia huff as I sauntered towards the big red fire engine.

As I approached the fire engine, the familiar sight of Caleb caught my eye. He was standing with his back to me, talking to an older man. His hair was his usual brown mess. His uniform hugged him perfectly, and the black leather belt around his waist only made his built frame stand out more. I felt the heat rush to my cheeks as I stood there admiring the tall firefighter. I gather myself and stuff my hands in my pockets, fidgeting with the inner seams in an attempt to distract myself. The older man he was talking to nodded over at me, causing Caleb's body to turn towards me. His green eyes landed on me, and he smiled.

"Ava, I'm glad you could make it," he says as he strides towards me. His boots thumped loudly, or maybe it wasn't loud, but my senses were heightened and my heart was beating rapidly as he approached.

"I couldn't turn down your offer, could I?" I shift my gaze quickly towards the fire engine, leaning against it and then turning my attention back to him.

"I suppose not, not after the kitchen incident," he joked lightly.

I feel my chest vibrate as a giggle escapes my lips. "Not you too! All the girls at work have started to call it that too," I pout.

He laughs, "It's catching on."

I nod in agreement.

"Ah, where are my manners? This is David," he gestures to the older fireman standing where he was when I arrived. "He's the station commander." His voice dripped with respect, David's hair was greying, and his face looked rugged. You could tell just by looking at him that he was well respected.

I smiled in his direction. "Hi, I'm Ava."

"I know who you are, honey," he replied, looking at Caleb knowingly. Laughter came from the other side of the engine. Caleb huffed in annoyance. I peered around from where I was standing, noticing two more firemen standing there giggling like kids at a playground.

"Ignore those two; they're arseholes," Caleb grunted, glaring at the two men.

"Wow, Brooks, not even going to introduce us." The shorter man of the two said this, holding a hand to his chest and making a playful expression. I mentally noted to myself that 'Brooks' must be Caleb's surname. "Jack," The shorter man nodded towards me. "I remember you; we put out your kitchen," Jack said.

I nodded, a smile creeping onto my face. "That you did." I agreed with him.

I watched as Caleb spoke with the other man, who had been giggling moments ago. His jaw tensed as he spoke, and his expression looked serious—a side of Caleb I hadn't yet seen. I studied his expression once again, watching as the two men spoke. He turned back to me and smiled. My cheeks flushed a ferocious pink as he did, and I knew he had caught me staring.

"Enjoying the view?" He commented, his lips tugging up into a smirk.

I opened my mouth and closed it again. I glared at him. "I wasn't staring," I replied, trying my best to sound confident but failing miserably.

He hummed. "Of course you weren't," he teased.

I rolled my eyes at him playfully and spun on my heel, walking away from him. I could hear his heavy footsteps behind me as he got closer to me. "I'm only playing," he said. He grabbed my wrist with his big, rough, calloused hands. They were most likely rough in his profession. I would be lying if I said my stomach didn't knot as our skin made contact. My eyes darted down to his hand wrapped gently around my wrist. His hand instantly dropped my wrist and flew to his neck, scratching it awkwardly. I've noticed he does this when he's nervous.

"It's okay; I know you were playing," I said, a soft smile playing on my lips.

His eyebrows knitted together for a moment, and he looked lost in thought. "Ava," he finally said. I looked up at him, and our height difference suddenly became apparent to me. He must have been at least six feet tall, if not taller. I was five foot four. "Let me take you out properly," he finally said, looking nervous. I thought about it for a moment. I'd be in denial if I said I didn't feel something towards him. But I knew I wasn't ready to let another man steal my heart—not just yet.

"Okay," I finally decided. I knew I had to talk to him about why I was in Serenity Falls.

His eyes lit up, and he looked like a puppy. "Uh, Monday?" He says. He looks nervous, and for some reason, that brings me comfort. I nodded. It was Thursday today, which gave me time to prepare.

He smiles. "I'll pick you up at five." He asks me.

"Sounds good," I nod. He nods back and smiles at me once more before turning and walking back towards the fire engine.

I stand in my place, replaying the agreement I made just moments ago.

Fuck, am I moving too fast?

Authors Note:

Hello lovely readers! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I've been hitting higher rankings recently, so thank you all for reading! As always, please feel free to leave any feedback, it's all appreciated!

- Serenjtyx