Burning Ember

Chapter 7-Hale

Weeks had gone by since dinner with Ember and Ivy. The only interactions I had with her aside from my regular deliveries had been the enactment of my plan and installing her security system. Our little game of hide and seek had gotten interrupted, though it still shook her up quite a bit, but that was the point. I never would have hurt her, but she needed to understand that she couldn't hide away forever. She needed to be able to live her life without being in constant fear. Letting me install the security system was a step in the right direction, but I still felt she needed a little push.

Yesterday she called again, asking if I would take her to town so that she could run a few personal errands, to which I happily agreed. I rose early, took a shower, and dressed in a nice shirt with cologne and topped it off with a thick black jacket before heading out to my truck. After a quick tidy-up, and removing any trash, I fired up the engine. On the drive to her place, I couldn't help but feel a bit of nervousness, which was unusual for me. This seemed like a significant moment for us; she was trusting me in a new way, and I was determined not to do or say anything that would ruin it.

I waited in the driveway for her to come out. A few moments later she opened the door, turning to lock it behind her. Her shiny black hair was pulled half up and cascaded beautifully over her shoulders. A few strands blew across her face with the wind as she came down the steps and walked to the truck. "Hey," she said as she got in. "Thanks for giving me a ride. I appreciate it."

"It's no problem at all," I grinned and shifted the truck into gear. Beside me, she gazed out the window, seemingly ensnared by her own reflection as we drove.

"Something on your mind?" I questioned.

She shook her head and gave a partial smile. "No, I just feel bad having to rely on you so much."

"Well, if it makes you feel better, I really don't mind. I enjoy your company." Her cheeks flushed a gorgeous shade of pink before she turned back to the window. "Where do you want to go first?" I asked as we approached Dover.

"Store first," she answered. "Walgreens," she quickly added in clarification.

"Sure thing." With a left turn, we were headed that direction.

As I parked the truck in the lot, Ember grabbed the handle and turned to me as she went to get out. "I'll just be a minute." Then she left from my sight into the store. She returned a few minutes later carrying a white bag and placed it in the floor between her feet as she got back into the truck.

"Where to next?" I asked as she buckled in. "But before you answer, I do have a suggestion." She turned to me with her brows furrowed inquisitively.

"What?" she asked, nervously fiddling with her thumbs.

"There's a gun store not too far from here and it has a shooting range and everything, I was thinking after what happened, you could use one."

Her brows lifted as she thought it over. "Okay, let's go," she said with more determination than I had seen from her yet.

My mouth parted into a wide grin as I popped the truck in reverse and pulled out of the parking lot. Though Ember agreed to purchase a gun, she still looked nervous as we walked the store peering into the cases. If I wasn't mistaken, I'd say that she had never been around one, much less held one. I suggested a few different ones that I felt she would be comfortable with. She chose one of the smaller sized sub-compacts. We went through and selected a few boxes of ammo before I took her around back to the firing range.

"I have no idea what I'm doing," she disclosed as I opened the case and filled the clip for her.

"That's okay, I'm going to show you. Here," I said as I placed the pistol in her hand. "This is the safety, in order to fire it you have to press that, then pull this slide here." I watched as she pulled the slide back, struggling to get it far enough. "Hold on," I said as I wrapped my arms around her and adjusted her grip on the gun. "You need to keep your thumbs here, so it doesn't pinch." Her fragrance was sweet and floral, and I wished I could stay like this with my arms around her.