Always and Forever || Evan Buckley || 9-1-1 (Book 3)

T-H-I-R-T-Y

The last thing I wanted to do was to fall back into my old patterns from the previous summer and waste all the time I'd spent in therapy trying to get better. But I had to remind myself that the world does not revolve around me or my past self-harm ideations.

    "Buck, in case you haven't realized after all these years of knowing each other, you are twice my size, and right now, you are putting all your weight on me," I protested, helplessly bumping his hip with mine, trying to get him to stand up straight. It seemed like his drunkenness was making him forget how to walk correctly. "You can't possibly be that drunk. How many drinks have you had?"

    Evan looked down at his hand as he slowly pulled up four fingers. "I think I drank two."

    "Wow, your math skills are quite impressive." I snorted, pushing the front door open and immediately getting greeted by the chilly night.

    "She just kept giving me drinks, and I didn't want to be rude. You know I can't be rude." He explained before slowly reaching to pinch my cheek clumsily. "I love that you are short. It's adorable."

    I pulled his hand away from my face as we approached my SUV. "Oh, I'm aware you are too good for your own good. Though if you ask me, you should've been rude after she put your and that family's lives at risk tonight."

"Wait, you know about the call?"

"I always know everything. Even when I'm not present."

Word travels fast, no matter how good or bad the news is.

   I was also not about to remind him that the story of how Drunk Blondie did not follow orders and risked everyone's lives by making a risky move that could've easily backfired was reported on the news.

    In reality, her luckiness is what got everyone celebrating tonight. That same luck prevented me from ending her because if I had lost Evan tonight, that woman wouldn't be celebrating at all.

- - -

"And that would be the last box," I said, watching Evan enter the apartment as I taped close the last kitchen box.

For the past two days, we have been packing all his things from his apartment after we decided that it was time to live together again.

There's no denying that the step is a little nerve-wracking considering our lousy track record when it came to living together, but this time things were going to be different. They had to.

This time we are doing it as future husband and wife.

"Hey, what's going on in that head of yours? You've been quiet for almost the past hour."

Evan sighed, resting his hands on his hips as he looked around the empty apartment. "I'm going to miss this."

    "Are you having second thoughts? I understand if you are. I—"

    "No. Of course not, Aggs," He cut me off, turning his LAFD baseball cap backward before he walked over to me. His light blue eyes searched for mine as his hand cupped my cheek. "There's simply a lot of memories here. I mean, this is kind of where our relationship started. Where we had our first kiss and our first time, but I'm excited for the new memories we'll make together and with Maia."