BUT DADDY I LOVE HIM, ᵉᵛᵃⁿ ᵇᵘᶜᵏˡᵉʸ

052

"Woman fell off the balcony from the penthouse floor." Bobby announced to his team. "Luckily, she got caught on that sign on the way down."

Then, a man shouted from the balcony above. "She's over here!"

"We don't have a lot of time, so let's hustle up." Bobby concluded. "Tactical gear all around. Let's go."

"Cap, floor's too high for the ladder." Lucy noted

"Yeah, and it's way too high for an airbag. What's the plan?" Buck asked.

"I'm gonna send you and Rylin down from the roof." Bobby began. "Lucy, Chimney, I want you on the floor below. Kick out that window so we can bring her through there. Hen, find the manager; we need access to the adjacent floors. Ravi, you're with me. I want this whole area clear. Nobody stands underneath here."

Buck and Rylin glanced at each other after Bobby paired them up. They never protested as they weren't entirely against being paired up. However, they were both aware of the slight tension still between them.

Something had shifted just the other night back in Buck's apartment. After Buck kissed Lucy, Rylin had lost hope. But that hope was slowly coming back to her, knowing Buck was one hundred percent all in.

Right now, she was just waiting.

And she wasn't sure what she was waiting for. Whether it was waiting for the perfect time to say fuck it and get back together with him, or waiting to fully trust him again. She was unsure either way. And the thought of it was eating her alive.

Nonetheless, Buck and Rylin made their way to the roof and secured the lines.

"You sure you don't want me to go down?" Buck asked, noticing Rylin still seemed a little off.

"I can do it." she told him. She winced at her tone as it sounded a little harsh.

"The lines are secured, Cap." Rylin breathed as she fastened her harness. "I'm harnessed up. I'm heading down now."

"Copy that. Fast as you can, Rylin."

With the worry of the sign falling, and Hen rushing everyone, Rylin quickly, but safely, made her way to the sign.

"You gotta move fast. She's about to drop." The worry and panic in Hen's voice was clear.

"Help me!" the woman screamed.

"Ma'am, I'm almost there. Try not to move." Rylin told her. "I'm gonna put this harness around you and get you down, okay?"

"Please hurry."

Rylin inched closer, but wasn't fast enough. Just as she reached for the woman, the wire holding the sign—the sign the woman was hanging from, snapped. Rylin's eyes widened as she watched the woman fall.

But then, the woman wasn't falling anymore. Rylin took a closer look and saw Lucy holding onto the woman from an open window. She soon pulled her inside.

Rylin hung suspended in mid-air, her heart still hammering against her ribs—not from fear, not even from adrenaline anymore, but from the quiet, biting rage that was crawling up her throat.

Of course.
Of course it was Lucy who saved the day.

She watched from her line as the woman was safely pulled through the open window by none other than Lucy Donato. She could've sworn she heard a few cheers and words of encouragement. Chimney clapped Lucy on the shoulder as she steadied the woman inside. Hen's voice crackled through the comms, "She's safe. Nice work, Lucy."

Rylin exhaled sharply through her nose. She was careful not to let it turn into a full sigh. Not while she was still dangling out here like some kind of forgotten ornament.