The Fire House

Head Rush

Chapter Fourteen 

Head Rush 

Lily remained in her room all of the following day dying of severe mortification. 

Satisfied she was okay, and after planting a soft kiss on the top of 

her head, Euan reluctantly left her just before dawn, judging, correctly, that 

she wouldn't want to see him when she woke up. It was Ed who had that 

privilege and who passed on the bad news to Euan that she remembered everything 

and now never wanted to see him again. 

'I know, it's illogical, I mean you did the right thing,' he assured him, 'but 

all she sees is that she got drunk, threw herself at you and you turned her 

down.' Shaking his head in condemnation, Ed added salt to the already open, 

weeping wound, 'Harsh Euan, very harsh.' 

For a moment Euan was speechless, there simply were no words. Determined 

to see for himself he knocked softly on her door, and despite receiving 

no response crept in anyway, looking down at the pale girl so different to the 

girl of last night. Her spirit was broken; her humiliation exposed and her 

shame all consuming. Lily ignored him, hiding under the covers with just the 

top of her head peeking out. 

'Lily, I am so very sorry,' he said quietly, his voice shaky and desperate, 

feeling completely responsible but not really knowing either what he should 

be sorry for. 

'Go away, Euan.' 

He shrank at the coldness of her voice. Matters were worse than ever, it 

had all gone horribly wrong. For a moment he had allowed desire to take 

over and had almost given in to more basic needs; he had forgotten who she 

was and what she represented. He should never have allowed it to get that far 

- and then to turn her away, that was completely reprehensible. How was he 

going to make this right and get back to the reason he was there? He could 

only think of one person who could help. 

'So, er, Ed,' he began, with the stance of the defeated, unable to believe 

he was reduced to this, all his power was worthless compared to Ed's at this 

precise moment, 'I was thinking, it's about Lily, I've messed things up and I, 

er, get the impression that she doesn't exactly like me.' There it was, out, his 

weakness exposed. He stood just inside the lounge his thumbs hooked in his 

pockets, looking down at Ed as he played a game frantically on the Wii. With 

no reaction it was as if Ed hadn't heard him, but he certainly wasn't going to 

say it again. Suddenly the power dimmed, the lights went off, the TV went 

off, the game stopped abruptly, Euan remained tight-lipped; sometimes it was