heard of Michael Jackson. Don’t confuse the kid,” Kasey said, taking a seat next to Logan. “Stay on track.” He sat down and leveled a serious look at Denny. You never wanted a look like that from Kasey. “If she graduated with your mom, which I’m sure she did, stay away from her.”
Logan leaned over to whisper in my ear. “Her name is Nicole Polizzi. In case you care.”
I laughed again, shaking my head.
“Don’t bring her around here. Cap might get confused, thinking his sister’s here.” Axe laughed, adding to the conversation.
“Department regulation, no fucking in the firehouse unless it’s your own hand,” Logan told him, throwing the Playboy magazine. It hit him in the chest with a thud. “Fuck away if that’s the case.”
Denny looked at Logan as if that statement was bullshit. All of us had probably done it at least once here. I knew I had with Aubrey, and I knew Logan did with Brooke once. Kasey probably hadn’t, since he’s a rule-following hard-ass.
Most of the time our days started with teasing, ribbing, joking, anything to get a rise out of anyone. Denny was our guy most of the time, being the probie and everything, but we had others we picked on. Axe was a good one. We’d ask him what disease he had this week.
The thing about him, though, was he liked to dish it but couldn’t take it.
Most guys follow the rules. Axe, well, he doesn’t give a fuck. He pushed boundaries most didn’t even know were there. But because of him, thousands of people were alive.
Axe had his fair share of heartache. More than most.
Parents? Died when he was eight. Lived with his uncle until he was eighteen. Uncle, a firefighter with Engine 27, was killed in a fire, which was probably why he became a firefighter. He got married to his high school sweetheart at nineteen. She died of a brain aneurism a year after they married.
Dude’s had a hard, tragic life.
He’s spiteful and selfish but a funny guy, and I understood his position. Most of us did. He’s devoted his life to the firehouse now, and other than sex with random women, he has nothing else.
People always tell you what it’s like to lose someone, and you prepare yourself to a certain extent. Nobody prepares you for the after part. The weeks, months, even years after their death and the longtime effect it has on you.
All Axe knew now was drinking and pussy. If that’s the life he wanted, he had it. In fact, it was the life a lot of firefighters had. When you see the shit we see day in and day out, it’s hard not to find the release those two habits offer.
“Hey.” Logan nudged my ribs with his elbow. “Come help me with something.”
He grabbed both Denny and me, and we walked out to the street where our cars were parked. He pointed to Sean Randal’s car. I hated that conceited fucker, and Logan knew it. He put whipped cream in my heater vent on Saturday, and my truck still smelled like rotten milk.
“A little payback?” He shook a vial of gold and turquoise glitter left over from Amelia’s birthday party. I nodded but then my eyes caught her shop across the street.
There was an ache in my chest when I saw her through the windows. So many times I wanted to run over there and just hold her, let her know she wasn’t alone, but nothing made my feet move.
“I remember when you guys did this to me,” Denny said, laughing so hard he could barely get the glitter down the vent without getting it all over the place.
“You should. It was last week.” Logan wiped the excess off with a napkin. “Dude, his car is black. Take it easy.” He brushed a few more bits of glitter away. Only problem was that he brushed them in my direction, and I sneezed.
That shit went everywhere. And I do mean everywhere. In my eyes, up my nose, in my hair, and even my ears. Ever tried to get glitter off yourself?
It ain’t easy. That shit’s like glue.
Kasey noticed my hair as I walked inside. “Why are you all sparkly?”
Sean, who was standing
Logan leaned over to whisper in my ear. “Her name is Nicole Polizzi. In case you care.”
I laughed again, shaking my head.
“Don’t bring her around here. Cap might get confused, thinking his sister’s here.” Axe laughed, adding to the conversation.
“Department regulation, no fucking in the firehouse unless it’s your own hand,” Logan told him, throwing the Playboy magazine. It hit him in the chest with a thud. “Fuck away if that’s the case.”
Denny looked at Logan as if that statement was bullshit. All of us had probably done it at least once here. I knew I had with Aubrey, and I knew Logan did with Brooke once. Kasey probably hadn’t, since he’s a rule-following hard-ass.
Most of the time our days started with teasing, ribbing, joking, anything to get a rise out of anyone. Denny was our guy most of the time, being the probie and everything, but we had others we picked on. Axe was a good one. We’d ask him what disease he had this week.
The thing about him, though, was he liked to dish it but couldn’t take it.
Most guys follow the rules. Axe, well, he doesn’t give a fuck. He pushed boundaries most didn’t even know were there. But because of him, thousands of people were alive.
Axe had his fair share of heartache. More than most.
Parents? Died when he was eight. Lived with his uncle until he was eighteen. Uncle, a firefighter with Engine 27, was killed in a fire, which was probably why he became a firefighter. He got married to his high school sweetheart at nineteen. She died of a brain aneurism a year after they married.
Dude’s had a hard, tragic life.
He’s spiteful and selfish but a funny guy, and I understood his position. Most of us did. He’s devoted his life to the firehouse now, and other than sex with random women, he has nothing else.
People always tell you what it’s like to lose someone, and you prepare yourself to a certain extent. Nobody prepares you for the after part. The weeks, months, even years after their death and the longtime effect it has on you.
All Axe knew now was drinking and pussy. If that’s the life he wanted, he had it. In fact, it was the life a lot of firefighters had. When you see the shit we see day in and day out, it’s hard not to find the release those two habits offer.
“Hey.” Logan nudged my ribs with his elbow. “Come help me with something.”
He grabbed both Denny and me, and we walked out to the street where our cars were parked. He pointed to Sean Randal’s car. I hated that conceited fucker, and Logan knew it. He put whipped cream in my heater vent on Saturday, and my truck still smelled like rotten milk.
“A little payback?” He shook a vial of gold and turquoise glitter left over from Amelia’s birthday party. I nodded but then my eyes caught her shop across the street.
There was an ache in my chest when I saw her through the windows. So many times I wanted to run over there and just hold her, let her know she wasn’t alone, but nothing made my feet move.
“I remember when you guys did this to me,” Denny said, laughing so hard he could barely get the glitter down the vent without getting it all over the place.
“You should. It was last week.” Logan wiped the excess off with a napkin. “Dude, his car is black. Take it easy.” He brushed a few more bits of glitter away. Only problem was that he brushed them in my direction, and I sneezed.
That shit went everywhere. And I do mean everywhere. In my eyes, up my nose, in my hair, and even my ears. Ever tried to get glitter off yourself?
It ain’t easy. That shit’s like glue.
Kasey noticed my hair as I walked inside. “Why are you all sparkly?”
Sean, who was standing
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