It Burns Within Us | Wildfire Series Book 1

F O R T Y - S E V E N

Finally, Beau pinned me with his bewildered look and jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "Who's that guy and what did he do with Bren?" Then Beau flashed a sly grin. "Or what did you do with Bren?"

"What do you mean?" I laughed despite the aftershocks rolling through my body from Bren's words.

"Dude's confidence is like off the charts. I mean, damn."

I just smiled and went to get a soda from the fridge. I wasn't sure what to say. I think that side of Bren had always been there, he'd just been holding it back. Or someone needed to expose it. Something.

Beau was still shaking his head in disbelief when I walked over to him. His classic aviators were propped up, flattening his already stick-straight black hair to his head. He wore matching Adidas sweats, looking ready to model for an athleisure photoshoot. Not much had changed. "Hey, Beau?"

"What up, girl?"

"Thank you," I said quietly. "For this." I gestured to the house around us. "And him." I pointed to Bren, who I could see settling into a chair on the patio, the fire blazing behind him and Nessa, illuminating their figures in front of the purple-ish sky.

Beau shrugged. Then he glanced up and froze at seeing my face. His expression softened. "Don't do this to me right now. You're gonna make me cry before I've even had one drink."

I nudged him with my elbow. "You're a big softie, aren't you?"

"Hell ya, I am. Ain't nothing wrong with it, either." He sighed, taking a drink of his beer. "It's nothing, Madie," he said, leveling with me. "No one should have to go through the shit you've gone through. It's the least I could do to find you a place to escape from it all." Beau peeked over his shoulder. "As for him, well, you should know something. I didn't go get him from Fresno just for your sake. It was also for his."

I cocked my head to the side, listening.

"Caroline called me from his phone, you know," Beau said. "Because Bren was a fucking mess out there, and she had no idea what happened. He was chain-smoking like he wanted an early death and not talking and barely eating."

Even though I'd always be a bit hurt by how Bren left me in the hospital, it hurt me even more to hear this. I wanted to go back in time and give him a hug and tell him to stop putting everything on his shoulders.

"You're a good friend, Beau," I said finally.

Beau leaned against the edge of the counter, getting comfortable. "I had a lot of friends in high school, but now that I've left town, I've realized how fake they all were. You guys are different. Suddenly friendship isn't some dumbass competition." He shrugged. "You're my people now. And you don't let down your people."

He gave his head a little shake and blinked a few times. "Ah, shit. Now you've done it. Let's go outside before I actually cry."

I laughed, not really knowing if he was faking it for dramatic effect or if he was serious. But I knew his words were sincere. I followed him out onto the patio. The fire had been successfully lit in the sand, crackling a few feet out from the house. It competed with the sound of the ocean.

Bren and Nessa were laughing about something when we stepped outside, and I didn't get that annoying gnawing feeling like I used to when I'd see them working together at The Grounds. Instead, I grinned and weaved my way through the empty chairs to sit down on Bren's lap.

He slipped an arm around me, pulling me closer while he finished whatever he'd been saying to Nessa. I wasn't really listening to their conversation. I think it was about some indie artist they both liked who'd just released a new album. Nessa had been listening to Bren, but as I sat down, her attention drifted to me. She cocked both brows, eyes wide at how I was curling into Bren like it was the most natural thing in the world.