Walking into Fire
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Walking Into Fire Ch. 04 free porn video
Tessa opened the closet door looking for the blouse and skirt she wanted to wear for Duncan that night. The closet was sparse, nearly bare of all clothes. She didn’t have many clothes to start with but the bulk of what she did have was now residing in Duncan’s closet. Tessa lifted a rueful brow. It wasn’t just the contents of her closet at Duncan’s house.
Most of the things in her bathroom were items she usually took when she traveled since her regular toiletries were in Duncan’s bathroom. There was nothing worth mentioning in her fridge. She suspected that what food she did have in there turned to penicillin a while ago. Her cupboards were also bare.
Why didn’t she move in with Duncan, she wondered. It wouldn’t be very hard. The only things left to move were furniture, electronic equipment, some dishes, and a few odds and ends she hadn’t taken over there already.
‘Are you listening to me?’ Jessie impatiently asked from her perch on Tessa’s bed.
‘No,’ replied Tessa. She scratched her chin and started thinking about the pros and cons of moving in with her boyfriend, drowning out her friend’s incessant chatter.
Jessie had followed her from the Junior High softball diamond, to the high school game where Tessa had stood in as coach for one of her sick friends, and finally back to her apartment. The whole time Jessie chatted away about her feelings, thoughts, and questions concerning Danny. Tessa stopped listening when Jessie started to become redundant. The woman went round and round, circling over the main problem, yet not landing on it.
‘What do you think?’ Jessie’s question brought Tessa back from her musings again.
It was the fiftieth time she asked that question. Tessa had long since reverted to shrugging half way through the high school game when the answer ‘marry the man’ didn’t work. It started to make Tessa think the question was rhetorical, but she decided to throw out a different answer this time. Simply because she was sick and tired of listening to Jessie’s constant jabbering about a situation that was ridiculously basic. It was Jessie’s stubbornness that made it difficult.
Taking a deep, fortifying breath she turned to her friend and said, ‘Jessie, you’re afraid to say yes even though you desperately want too. He hurt you badly in the past and you don’t want to revisit that pain again if he decides to up and dump you again.’ Tessa sat beside Jessie on the bed and continued, ‘If you set aside that sense of betrayal you feel, you’ll see that you still love him – have loved him all along. Why else would you still be wearing the fire truck charm he gave you? If you don’t fight for love, then it’s not worth it. I told Danny the same thing.’
Jessie turned wide eyes to her asking, ‘You talked to Danny about me?’
‘Of course I did! He asked me for advice. There aren’t many men willing to do that. I think it shows determination. It shows that he means forever this time.’ Tessa gave her friend a companionable nudge with her shoulder.
Laying back on the bed, Jessie stared at the ceiling and said, ‘There’s nothing I can do but to give him a second chance. I don’t want to let him go and there’s no reason to keep fighting with myself…other than stubbornness.’
Tessa let out a snort of laughter. ‘Stubbornness is your middle name. I’m not surprised you’re trying to fight your feelings for Danny. It’s annoying having to listen to the two of you.’
Jessie looked around the bedroom for a clock and found none. ‘What time is it?’ she asked.
Lifting her arm, Tessa read her wristwatch. ‘Looks like half past five.’
‘I think Danny’s waited long enough. Time to tell him the good news!’ Jessie hopped up and started for the front door.
‘Good for you! Have fun with all the sex!’ Tessa yelled after here.
When she heard the door close, Tessa dubiously eyed the blouse and skirt hanging in her closet. The last time she wore women’s clothes Jessie was there to help. Since she’s currently taking care of her own problems Tessa was on her own.
She thought it was a good thing that Duncan made no mention of make-up and shoes in his demand. Jessie supplied the make-up last time because Tessa didn’t even own a tube of lipstick. As for shoes…
Tessa looked down at her bad knee. The swelling had gone down considerably. Instead of a watermelon, her knee looked rounded like a softball was lodged between her calf and thigh. She could bend it at a ninety-degree angle, but not all the way back. Even after all the progress she wouldn’t be able to walk around in high heels for another day. Duncan would have to live with her flats.
–~~–
He wasn’t there. Jessie came back to her house expecting Danny to be impatiently waiting for her. Instead, she came back to emptiness and a clean kitchen.
Anxious to tell him her decision, she left her house and had gone to the firehouse looking for him only to find everyone out on a call. Even though it was his day off, he could have gone out with the unit when the fire alarm went off. Ted was lurking around the back of the brick building. Jessie suspected he was hiding from his wife and kids again.
She cornered him and asked if he’d seen Danny. He had not. Jessie sighed her dismay. She thought to go over to his place and see if he was waiting for her there.
When her hand hit the doorknob to the front door, she realized she had no clue where he lived. She doubted that he lived in his old house since it had been sold to a family five months after his family moved.
Jessie used to go by his empty house constantly like an obsessive stalker with nothing but the subject’s remains to stalk. She stopped her late-night reminiscent drive-bys the day the house was sold. Her forehead hit the wood of the front door with a loud ‘thud.’
She damned herself and her insistence on having their liaisons at her house. It was her need for control — albeit a false sense of control – which demanded everything sex related was done in an environment that she could manage. If she had misread any of the men she propositioned, they could have easily overtaken her even in her own home. Jessie admitted that she wasn’t as muscular as Tessa, nor did she have her friend’s formidable height.
It was daunting acknowledging a brutal truth about herself. The drama queen persona she had adopted the day Tessa was injured was nothing but a ruse, a mask to fool the people around her. She had been doing it for so long that she even started to believe it herself. Until now.
Jessie realized she was still the dreamy teen Danny had left behind. She had held onto that charm in the desperate hope that he would come back to her. It was a symbol that others might take of her body, but they would never claim her heart and her soul because Danny owned those.
She lifted her head and glimpsed her reflection in the pane of glass that was part of the door. There were tears running down her face. Her crying didn’t surprise her.
Only Danny could make her cry. She had been a tough little girl, an even tougher teenager, and a cold hearted, warm bodied drama queen that never cried. The night he told her the story of his scars she cried for the little boy who couldn’t save his father, the night he dumped her she cried buckets of tears for a week, and then again last night when he had confessed to her.
A shake of her head cleared her wandering thoughts. Her main objective was to talk to Danny. She was going to have to go back to her own house until he either called or decided to show up. The most she could do was call his cell phone and leave a message.
She made him wait for her. It was fair that he mad her wait too.
–~~–
After Jessie left, Tessa checked her cell phone to see if she had any messages. Duncan’s number showed on the caller ID along with the voicemail icon. With her best friend pestering her, she had forgotten the circumstances with which she
left him that morning. At least he hadn’t hunted her down to bring her back home. Although, according to the message, he had seriously thought about it.
Even though he didn’t take such drastic action, he warned her he would tie her to the bed next time if her knee was worse or did not look better. She thought about his threat and came to the conclusion she only liked the idea if her knee wasn’t involved.
The message went on to add that he picked up her car with Ted’s help and, he was helping Ted work on his classic truck restoration project in return. Duncan also made sure to remind her of the promise she made.
Tessa snorted at the reminder. As if she would forget when he had made his demand so eloquently. She shivered with the images of his harsh face as he mastered her body and bent her tomboyish nature to his will. There was a secret hope that he would do it again in the future.
Through the three years of their relationship, Tessa had expected their sex life to grow predictable, the pleasure dim over time. It never happened. Their physical relationship held a certain amount of spontaneity. Sometimes, without reason or provocation, they would pounce on each other like horny rabbits. Occasionally, he would talk dirty to her and encouraged her to do the same. Then there were the intense moments when they expressed their love. She savored those, held them close to her heart.
He said he loved her every night before he left for the firehouse, even on his days off. Tessa used her body to say the words. She did say them every once in a while, but thought they sounded droll, fake even. They didn’t seem to convey the depth and scope of her love for him. Duncan was able to say the words in a way that made them sound poetic. His deep, rich voice caressed every syllable just like he caressed every inch of her body. Considering this, Tessa felt she did it better by showing him.
It was certainly hypocritical of her, especially in light of what she told Danny about a man’s habit of physically expressing love. Men would know if women loved them by a certain touch. Right? If they didn’t, they still assumed women loved them. They didn’t crave to hear the words like women did.
She shrugged negligently and pushed the thoughts aside throwing the cell phone on the bed. Tessa looked at herself in the full-length mirror, twisting and turning to scrutinize her outfit. She had taken her time in getting ready to see Duncan, even going shopping for lipstick of her own. To her, the outfit wasn’t right without a bit of make-up.
She put a little on her lips, making sure to carefully color inside the lines. Pressing her lips together a few times, she stepped back from the mirror and took in the full scope of her outfit again. She nodded to herself in satisfaction thinking she looked perfect.
Her cell phone went off startling her. She looked around guiltily acting as if someone bore witness to her traitorous girlie demeanor. The phone continued ringing, echoing around the room. Tessa walked over to pick it up.
‘Hello?’ she asked.
‘Tessa?’ asked Duncan’s urgent voice. ‘Is Jessie there with you?’
Bewildered, Tessa replied, ‘No, she’s at her house with Danny.’
‘Not with Danny, honey,’ Duncan gave an impatient sigh over the phone. ‘You have to hunt her down and tell her Danny’s in the hospital. I just got the call from Jackson. He said they found Danny unconscious in a burning building a few blocks from Jessie’s house. He managed to save a woman and child before passing out. We don’t know how bad he is.’
Tessa fought through her shock. ‘I’ll find her and we’ll meet you at…Mercy Hospital?’
‘Right.’ There was a click on the other line and a dial tone.
Finding Jessie was easy since she was still at home. She had picked up the phone thinking Danny was calling. There was a pang in Tessa’s heart the way her friend answered the phone. It hurt to be the one to tell her friend the bad news.
The conversation was very brief. Jessie stayed quiet while Tessa told her the limited information. After Tessa said which hospital he was at, the phone went dead on the other end. Jessie had hung up. Tessa wasted no time getting into her own car.
–~~–
The Emergency Room wasn’t bustling expected. Instead, there was a tense atmosphere as grimy firemen clustered around a group of chairs closest to the ER door. Tessa walked towards them when she spotted Duncan.
He was the only clean one among the horde. A doctor walked out the ER doors and went straight towards the group. All the firemen crowded around the doctor to hear the news about their downed comrade. Tessa stood outside the group, unable to gain access to the wall of backs she faced.
She could barely make out the doctor’s low voice as he told the group the critical news. There was a collective sigh from them before they disbursed. The bulk of the group headed towards the exit doors shaking their heads and making low comments leaving Duncan and Mattie behind.
Duncan was busy asking the doctor questions while Tessa stood next to Mattie. She looked at him surprised that he stuck around. He looked like he was in a trance.
‘Danny saved a woman by busting out a window on the ground floor,’ he mumbled. ‘After he helped the woman climb out the window, he went back in for the kid.’ Mattie ran a hand through his dirty hair. ‘When we got there, Jack and I followed the screams around to the side of the house. We saw the kid standing at the window crying. Jack managed to get the kid out. I looked back inside to see Danny passed out on the floor.’
Confusion marred his handsome face, his left cheek, forehead, and nose smudged in soot. ‘Everything happened so fast, it’s all a blur. We got to him before the roof caved. He wasn’t breathing when we brought him out. I used CPR on him, but his breathing was very shallow. By then, the ambulance arrived to take him.’
Mattie turned and left, leaving Tessa in stunned silence. Her heart pounded painfully in her chest. If Danny died, Jessie would be inconsolable.
Duncan finished questioning the doctor. She walked up to him as he turned looking as if the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders. Tessa took it as a good sign.
He wrapped his arms around her and gently rocked. They were silent for a time, both lost in their own thoughts.
Then Duncan said, ‘Danny will be fine. The doctor ran a few tests and they’re waiting for the results. He doesn’t think Danny has any lasting damage. As soon as they’re sure, they’re going to release him.’
Tessa leaned back to look at him. ‘That’s very good news. Jessie will be relieved.’
Jessie seemed to burst through the sliding doors of the Emergency Room. Duncan and Tessa jumped apart feeling unreasonably guilty. Jessie was still wearing sweats, her hair wild and out of control as she walked straight to Tessa with single-minded determination.
‘How is he? Any word?’ Jessie asked the questions so fast they all sounded like one word.
Tessa put her hands on Jessie’s shoulders in an effort to instill some sense of calmness into her. ‘The doctor came out and told us he’s fine. They’re running tests to make sure there’s no permanent damage. We’re hoping they’ll let him go soon. The doctor did say that his lungs were most likely fine and the tests were precautionary only.’
Jessie sank down onto the chair Tessa had been standing in front of. She took a few calming breaths having spent most of the drive to the hospital with a mixture of suspended breath and very shallow breathing. Her first big intake of breath made her head light. With the next several deep breaths, everything returned to normal – her breathing, the beating of her heart, and her chaotic thoughts.
Putting her face in her hands she asked, ‘What was he doing in a burning building with no equipment?’
Tessa sat down in the chair next to her and guided her friend’s head to her shoulder. Jessie
looked tired from all the worrying. Tessa knew well what it was like to love a fireman.
She sighed and stroked Jessie’s unkempt hair before saying, ‘He saw the fire was spreading fast. No one called emergency until he got there and he knew the fire truck would never be in time to save the woman he heard screaming in the house. He risked his own life to save a woman and child, Jessie.’
‘Is this how you feel everyday? All the dread, horror, and fear mixed into one big knot in the pit of your stomach?’ she asked weakly.
‘No,’ Tessa replied, ‘not everyday. Sometimes at night, when I know he’s on duty, I wake in a cold sweat. Then there are times I fear something bad will happen to him. There are also times when I fear he’ll do what Danny did and just run into a building with no equipment to save someone.’ She could feel her eyes fill with tears, but she went on.
‘I knew what I was getting into when I finally decided to be with him. There are a few times when I wish that he wasn’t a firefighter, and I hate that he has to risk his own life for others. But I stop that line of thinking and remind myself that’s who he is and I love him all the more because of it.’ Tears started to fall down her face. ‘It takes more courage than a fireman’s to love them because of all the waiting and the not knowing, but it’s worth it in the end.’
She felt a hand squeeze her shoulder in comfort. When Tessa looked up to see Duncan’s caring eyes gazing down at her, she gave him a watery smile.
Jessie wiped the tears from her eyes and hugged Tessa, ‘At least I won’t go through those times alone,’ she said.
‘You’re not going to let this incident color your decision?’ Tessa asked surprised.
Her friend burst into a mixture of laughter and hiccups. ‘I’ve made up my mind and no foolish action, no fire will take him away from me now. He had his chance to run for the hills, but chose not to.’
Tessa laughed too, wiping tears as she said, ‘Heaven help him.’
Duncan’s hand left her shoulder, which caught her attention. She turned her head slightly to see what had taken him from her side. A bright smile spread across her face when she saw a nurse wheeled Danny out of the ER. Jessie was busy composing herself to notice. Tessa jabbed her side with an elbow, making her scowl in displeasure.
‘Looks like they coughed him up,’ Tessa said pleasantly.
Jessie turned to look. Danny was haggard, slightly singed in places, a cough occasionally escaped his mouth, and he had a cocky grin on his soot covered face. She thought him handsome despite it all, perhaps because of the life-threatening event he had lived through.
In very Jessie-like fashion, she stood up and moved towards him. Her hips swayed, making her baggy sweats seem sexy. She had a seductive look in her eyes, a look that had captured the wits of many men. Danny wasn’t fooled for a second. He knew she was angry with him, and the display was her way of trying to catch him off guard so she could hit him. She’d done it too many times for him not to recognize it.
Duncan left him, preferring to be far from the inevitable explosion. When Jessie was in front of the wheelchair, Danny, Tessa, and Duncan held their breaths in suspense.
The explosion never came, the hitting never started. Instead, they heard uncontrollable sniffling. Danny had his eyes shut, bracing for an onslaught that never came. He cracked an eye open to look up at her. Relaxing immediately at the sight of Jessie’s tears, he tried to reach up and touch some part of her in reassuring comfort.
A wail escaped her lips as she collapsed to her knees, laying her head in his lap, and wrapping her arms around his middle. She couldn’t say anything through her upset crying, though she did try. Nurses, doctors, patients, and visitors in the ER all seemed to stop and stare at the spectacle. Danny didn’t mind. It was better than having her pummel him.
Duncan put an arm around Tessa’s shoulders, guiding her to the exit of the ER. She resisted him a little, the need to be there for her best friend compelling her to stay. Finally giving up when Duncan proved insistent.
Becky
- 27.12.2021
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