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She’s got to admit, she doesn’t mind the thrill of this. The sirens blaring as they tear down the highway at full speed. Kind of makes her wish she’d been given the opportunity to drive but she gets it. She’s a guest.
And it’s not that she’s excited about the disaster they’re seemingly driving towards. Plumes of smoke rise up into the air ahead as Violet slows the ambulance down to weave through the parked cars which have ground to a halt as a result of the accident. It’s bad. That much is obvious. It was obvious from the moment the call came in and typically, Hailey gathers, this is further north than the fire house would be called to and that’s another sign that it’s bad when the cavalry are called in.
‘Are you ready for this, doc?’ Violet says as she switches off the engine.
Hailey nods. She does well in these situations. Operates at her very best when the pressure is on, but she’s used to doing it in the confines of the hospital rather than on the road.
They exit the ambulance and grab the equipment they need and Hailey jogs behind Violet over to where another couple of ambulances are already parked.
It’s carnage. At least twelve vehicles have been caught in the pile-up. In the distance, she hears the sirens of approaching fire engines though a couple of fire captain vehicles have already made their way through the melee and are working on the lorry that’s causing the smoke rising into the air.
‘We’ve got the driver of the lorry out and the woman from the car which went through the central barrier. Looks like a heart attack behind the wheel. Those that could move we’ve moved to over there but there are still a few people stuck in cars.’
Hailey nods along listening to one of the other PICs explain the situation.
‘We’ll start in the middle lane,’ Violet says and Hailey scurries after her scanning for where people remain in their cars.
A sudden bang reverberates through the air and they both shield their eyes before a blue people carrier a few cars down bursts into flames.
‘Shit,’ Hailey says. ‘You okay?’
‘’I’m good, I’m good,’ Violet says.
The two of them run down towards the car when they hear a child’s cry and through the smoke they see a man smash the back windscreen of the car whose hood is up in flames. Smash it from the outside.
He’s climbing into the car.
‘Oh for the love of god,’ Hailey hears Violet say before she speaks into her radio. ‘We need that engine here now. At least one trapped passenger in that car that just lit up.’
And she swears she hears Violet mutter about the man having a death wish beside her.
Hailey watches as the man’s torso disappears into the backseats of the car as she and Violet approach.
‘Halstead, we’re here. Talk to me,’ Violet shouts in the direction of the man’s legs.
It’s loud. So damn loud. Hailey’s never been in a scenario before where she’s had to realise how loud fire is. And it’s fiercely hot too. The kind of heat that’s hard to describe.
‘Kid coming out,’ she hears the man say. Halstead.
He manoeuvres himself awkwardly where he hangs half in the car and before she can overthink it, Hailey half climbs into the car behind him to make it quicker to get the girl out. Violet reaches for the little girl, no more than a toddler, who comes crying out the shattered window of the back of the car.
Tear tracks stream down her face and there are angry marks visible beneath her shirt from her seatbelt doing its job but otherwise she looks okay. ‘Mommy,’ she screams.
‘Whoah, whoah. We’re gonna get your mom out. She’s gonna be okay,’ Hailey says as she climbs out brushing the girl’s hair out of her eyes. Hailey looks around scanning the crowd. She needs to get this litte girl away from the flames. Away from whatever is happening to her mom right now.
She hears Violet screaming Halstead’s name as she hands the little girl off to Hailey and Hailey turns to see the man fully disappear into the car to try and retrieve the girl’s mom.
Another medic runs towards them and Hailey hands over the little girl running off her visible injuries before turning back to look at the car. It’s penned in. The back window was the only way in.
And the only way out. The fire is growing.
‘Violet, what do we have?’
Hailey feels relief seeing Lieutenant Severide, whom she’d met this morning, and a couple of the other guys from Squad 3 behind them.
‘The hood exploded. The mom is trapped. Halstead is in there trying to get her out.’
Hailey doesn’t miss the way Severide’s head whips around. ‘Jay? What the hell is he doing here?’
The lieutenant doesn’t even wait for Violet’s confirmation before climbing in through the back of the car after him.
Over the flames, she can hear him shout to Halstead telling him to get the hell out of the damn car.
Hears the other man’s response that he nearly has her before she and Violet step back as the flames get stronger.
At this distance, there’s no way they can hear what’s being said but she sees Cruz pass some equipment through the back window and then a few agonising moments later a blackened face appears coughing hard as he’s hauled out the back of the car by Cruz and Cap.
‘Shit,’ Violet says as they run towards him. His shirt is sticking to his left shoulder. Sticking to his shirt because part of it has melted. ‘Hailey, you got him?’
‘Yeah, yeah I got him.’
Hailey can see the woman being pulled out the car at the same time as the fire engines can get close enough to get some water jets going on the front.
‘I’m fine,’ Halstead says trying to shrug her off and Hailey sees his eyes trained on the woman being carried out. ‘Is she okay? I need to know she’s okay,’ he asks in between hacking coughs.
‘Violet – she good?’ she calls out figuring this man who climbs into burning cars isn’t the kind of guy who’s going to get checked out until he knows she’s alright.
‘We got a pulse,’ Violet calls out.
‘They’ve got her,’ she says. ‘Now you need to let me have you. Can you walk?’
‘I’m fine.’
Hailey has to fight the urge to roll her eyes at him as she walks alongside him to the ambo. He’s clearly in pain but he doesn’t let it show.
She opens the back doors of the ambulance and eyes the bed but figures he’ll say no. ‘Sit,’ she says gesturing to the floor of the back of the ambo and when he doesn’t move, she says it again a little firmer when another hacking cough leaves him.
She hands him a water as she gets an oxygen mask ready. ‘It’s not negotiable,’ she states as he downs most of the water and then tips the rest over his face and uses his forearm to wipe it away.
He’s still grimy, but she can see him better now and she hates that she registers how gorgeous he is at a time like this. Dark hair and shining eyes to go with the superman act he just pulled off.
She goes to place the oxygen mask on his face, but he bats it away.
‘The little girl is fine,’ she says sternly and fastens the mask on his face. ‘You need the damn oxygen.’
Her words are met with a smile and though she’s sure it’s mainly that the girl is okay, she also thinks it’s a little something to do with her bossing him around.
She puts in her stethoscope and takes a listen to his chest asking him questions. Miraculously, nothing sounds too bad given what’s just happened.
‘I’m just gonna wrap this for now,’ she says finally taking a look at the nasty burn to his shoulder. ‘It will need to be properly treated at the hospital.’
He nods to her and she doesn’t quite bite back a laugh quick enough when she offers him pain meds and he declines at lightning speed.
‘Not sure that’s very professional,’ he says fogging up the mask.
She keeps her eyes focussed on the burn on his shoulder. Given the circumstances, she thinks he got lucky but it still looks nasty. It’s not going to heal quickly.
‘You did a really good thing,’ she says. Mostly because it’s true. Partly to distract him.
She feels his eyes on her but continues to wrap his shoulder. Hears the wince he gives as she has to lift it somewhat.
‘That family were damn lucky they had an off-duty firefighter on scene,’ she says.
He goes to say something but is cut off by the arrival of Violet. Bag on shoulder.
‘She’s already en route to the hospital. Patrol are taking her little girl there too who is going to be just fine. Bad smoke inhalation for the mom but she should be fine thanks to you.’
Jay nods looking relieved.
‘He okay?’ Violet directs her question towards Hailey as she finishes up on his shoulder.
‘All good. Give me two seconds and we’re ready to go.’
‘What were you even doing here?’ Violet asks him.
‘Golfing nearby with a buddy of mine.’
Hailey climbs up into the back of the ambulance to grab another water for him and hears Violet call Jay an idiot when he worries about his truck. She takes his keys from him and says she’ll get one of the guys from 51 to drive it back. Says something too about his brother killing him when he finds out.
Jay must lift off his oxygen mask as his voice comes clearer than it has done.
‘He doesn’t need to know.’
‘You think just because you’re likely going to a different hospital, he’s not gonna find out?’
‘Not unless you or the hot doc rat me out.’
Hailey feels herself blush but she brushes it off climbing back down to give him another water. Wonders how close he’d studied her uniform to realise she’s a doctor and not a paramedic.
‘Thank you,’ he says.
As much as he says he’s fine, he’s still breathing heavily. ‘Stop talking,’ she says to him, ‘and get up here so we can go get you treated.’
He turns to Violet. ‘I like her,’ he breathes heavily directing his words towards Violet.
‘Shut up and get inside,’ Violet grins closing the doors on them both.
--------
The hospital doors slide open as she makes her way inside greeting her co-workers. By the time they’d dropped Jay off and gone back to the fire station to complete their paperwork, her shift with ambo 61 was over.
She’d loved it and Violet is great. The guys at the firehouse too. They’d invited her for drinks at the bar Herrmann owes and she tells them she’ll swing by but there’s something she needs to do first.
Violet’s grin had been all too knowing as she’d taken her leave.
‘Hey, Nadia,’ she says to the brunette behind the central desk. ‘Is officer Halstead still here?’
‘Oh you mean the sexy cop,’ Nadia grins. ‘He’s in bay six and his torso has not been a hardship to look at this evening. He’s got quite the fan club if you know what I mean. That nickname did not come from me though.’
‘He good?’
‘Yeah, Vic sorted him out. Think he’s just waiting for his discharge papers now and then he can get out of here though plenty of the nurses were on the verge of offering to take him home themselves from what I can gather.’
Hailey chuckles at her colleague’s words.
‘It true that he got that mom and little girl out on his own whilst it was on fire?’
‘Yeah,’ she nods. ‘Pretty much.’
Nadia whistles under her breath. ‘Good man.’
Like freaking superman, Hailey thinks.
She taps the desk in thanks and makes her way over to bay six and there are definitely more medical staff on the floor than seems necessary right now. And she definitely hears whispers of ‘dreamy eyes’ and that he’s ‘got the brooding hero thing’ going on as well as him continually being referred to as ‘sexy cop’.
She pulls back the curtain to find him perched on the edge of the bed looking like he’s about the make a run for it.
She still can’t believe he’s not a fireman. She’d been so certain of it earlier. From the way in which he’d seemed to take the burning inferno before him in his stride. From the way in which the whole of 51 had seemed to know him.
Turns out he was police instead and she was intrigued before, but it had only piqued her curiosity.
He turns at the sound of the curtain being pulled back and seems relieved when it’s her. Shoots her a small smile.
He’s got a scrub top on that makes his green eyes shine even brighter than they did at the scene and she can see the bandage on his shoulder peeking out from beneath the collar.
‘Hi,’ she says and waves. God, what the hell is wrong with her? Why did she wave? But then he raises a hand in greeting too and she feels less of a fool.
‘How are you doing, Jay or do you prefer to answer to sexy cop?’ she teases.
He smiles and raises a brow at her. ‘It’s sexy detective, thank you very much.’
Detective. Huh.
‘You need a ride?’ she says and her words take herself by surprise. She’d wanted to check on him but maybe her offer has a little something to do with half the floor gawking at him out there.
‘I’m good. My partner’s on the way.’
‘Okay.’
‘Work partner,’ he clarifies looking right at her and Hailey has to look away for a moment under the weight of his gaze.
‘I’ll leave you to it,’ she nods. ‘I’m glad you’re doing alright.’
‘Hey, doc?’
His voice stops her as she reaches the curtain.
‘What am I calling you?’
She turns and smiles at him. ‘Thought it was hot doc?’
He reaches up with his good arm to rub the back of his neck. A little embarrassed it seems. ‘You heard that then.’
‘It’s Doctor Upton, Hailey. The pain made you a little chatty earlier I think.’
‘Only speaking the truth.’
And she feels her stomach swoop from his words in a way that hasn’t happened in the longest time.
But she’s not one to be outdone. Even by this guy who according to Kelly is one of the best.
‘Is this what you do for your fan club out there? Give them some cute nickname and hope they swoon?’
He smirks. ‘It working?’
‘No’
He laughs and she loves the sound. ‘Didn’t think it would.’
‘People love a trier,’ she quips.
‘Do they?’
‘Some people do. Like those pretty ladies crowding the ED outside.’
‘Maybe,’ he concedes, ‘but I’m not interested.’
‘Oh yeah? You know there were a couple of male nurses in agreement too…’
He gifts her a little half smile that makes her stomach flip flop. ‘I’m flattered but still not interested. I like women but not any of those women.’
‘And what do you like in a woman then if it isn’t adoration?’ she challenges.
‘I like beautiful, badass women who give as good as they get. Someone independent who knows their own mind. Doesn’t hurt if they have a very distracting dimple either.’
She feels the heat in her cheeks but she won’t look away. Won’t give him the satisfaction though from the smiles on both their faces, she thinks he knows where she’s at anyway.
‘Sounds like you have someone specific in mind.’
‘As of about four hours ago – absolutely.’
She bites her lip. Stops herself from saying something stupid right now. ‘Goodnight, detective.’
‘Doctor.’
--------
Her shift was supposed to end a half ago but it’s been a hell of a day. A shit day truth be told. She’s done this job for a long time, but it still hurts.
The cool night air hits her as she steps outside and heads for the staff parking lot.
‘Doctor Upton.’
She stops when she hears her voice called and it’s not a colleague calling her back inside. She knows that voice. Turns to see him step out of the shadows.
‘Geez,’ she says looping her thumbs under the straps of her backpack. ‘I must look tired if I’m Doctor Upton and not hot doc today.’
He sidles closer. Small smile playing on his face. ‘More like I figured you’d hit me if I called that out across the parking lot.’
She smiles despite her day. He’s not wrong.
‘You look beautiful. Definitely still hot doc territory.’
And his words are playful but there’s a truth in his eyes.
‘Well, that’s something after a crazy long shift I guess.’
‘You good?’
She shrugs. ‘Just a hard one. Lost a patient.’
‘I’m sorry.’
‘Thank you.’
‘My brother always says he knows it’s part of the job but he still feels like he failed when it happens.’
‘He a doctor?’ she asks because his brother’s words sound an awful lot like someone who knows the job.
‘Yeah, he’s head of the ED over at Chicago Med.’
She watches the small smile that plays on his face. The brotherly pride. Come to think of it the name is familiar – Doctor Halstead. She’s definitely heard of him since moving back to the city a few months ago.
‘Wow. Your parents must be proud - doctor and a detective.’
She sees the way his expression falls a little and she could kick herself. She of all people knows not to make assumptions about people’s families but there’s just something about this guy that makes her forget herself.
‘I’m sorry. That… I shouldn’t have said that. I don’t know your family circumstances.’
‘I know you don’t,’ he says kindly. ‘That’s okay.’
‘Okay,’ she nods. ‘How’s the shoulder?’
It’s only been two days and part of her wonders how he got here because the man sure as hell shouldn’t be driving yet and from what she gathered, he’s pretty injury prone, and often ends up at Chicago Med rather than up here so she doubts he lives close by.
‘Yeah, it’s okay. I’ve had worse.’
She tilts her head at him but doesn’t comment. Not many people can say I’ve had worse when it comes to a burn like that.
‘You too tired to go grab a drink or something?’ he asks and for someone who seems to ooze confidence, he suddenly seems a little uncertain, but she doesn’t know why he would be.
Not when he’s occupied far too many of her thoughts the last forty-eight hours.
‘Possibly,’ she answers honestly and there’s a moment before she can get next words out quick enough where his face falls. ‘But I don’t think I’m too tired for a loukoumades.’
He smiles. This one a full-on grin. ‘I mean, count me in but I have no idea what you just said.’
‘They’re my favourite dessert. Greek. I’m starving and could do with some sugar.’
‘Lead the way,’ he says and she feels her tiredness begin to slip away as they head for the parking lot exit.
There’s a good place a couple of blocks over and the conversation comes easily between them. The place doesn’t offer seating, so they walk slowly back down the sidewalk taking the long way to loop back to the hospital. Him carrying the box whilst she does most of the eating and she thinks maybe he doesn’t have a very big sweet tooth from the way in which he stops after one.
He walks her all the way to her car and the act doesn’t surprise her. She asks if he needs a ride but he shakes his head telling her he’s good. Sets the box from the bakery down on the roof of her vehicle and in the moment, Hailey realises how close the two of them are now standing.
He dips his head. Eyes burning into hers and she feels herself swallow hard as her heartrate quickens in her chest. Feels the way his gaze drifts to her lips before he speaks.
‘Can I kiss you goodnight?’ he mumbles. ‘I’m gonna kiss you goodnight.’
She smiles, as is becoming habit in his company. ‘What was the point in even asking?’
He cuts her off with his kiss before she’s even really finished her question. His lips capturing hers softly. Once. Twice. Before his hand slides into her hair and he deepens the kiss. Her mouth opening up under his and she’s sure all the bones in her body turn into jello.
Medically, she knows this isn’t possible but kissing him makes her melt. Kissing him feels different. Kissing him makes her forget herself.
They pull apart for air but his lips remain within reach. Feels his breath against her face when he speaks. Sees the smile on his face and the flush on his cheeks that she knows is mirrored on her own.
‘Loukoumades taste better on your lips I’ve decided.’
‘Oh they do, huh? You wanna check again to confirm your theory?’
‘In the name of science’
‘Jay - shut up and kiss me again.’
This time when they part she knows she’s falling for this guy hard and fast and that she needs to leave now before she does something very un-Hailey like.
‘I, thanks for stopping by,’ she says a little awkwardly.
‘Ouch. That feels like the start of a this was nice, but it’s not a good time chat.’
She runs a hand through her hair. Why is she so bad at this?
‘It’s not. Really, it’s not. I’m just really bad at all this crap.’
He quirks an amused brow at her. ‘You call kissing crap?’
‘No,’ she laughs. ‘Just you know - dating.’
‘Well,’ he smiles. ‘I like this development that we’re dating.’
‘Oh my god, stop teasing me. That’s it,’ she says holding up a hand. ‘I’m done talking. No more words.’
He reaches out the take her hand. ‘Hailey, I am teasing and I will stop but I love what you just said. I would love to date you. Take you out again.’
When did she become a woman who swoons?
When this charming superman barrelled into her life, she thinks.
‘Me too. I’d like that.’
‘Here, let me give you my number and then give me a call and we’ll sort something. Just let me know your schedule. Alternatively, you can just swing by the 21st district and say you’re here to see sexy cop and I’ll be right down.’
She points a finger at him. ‘To be clear, that is absolutely not my nickname for you.’
‘But you have one?’
She shrugs playfully. ‘Might do.’
‘And am I going to get to know it?’
‘On the first date? What kind of girl do you take me for?’
She presses up onto her toes and kisses his cheek. Lingers in his space for a moment before she steps back.
‘Thanks for tonight, Jay. I’ll call you.’
‘Night, Hailey.’
————
You at your district, sexy cop?
His mood immediately lifts seeing her name light up his phone beside him.
I thought that wasn’t your nickname for me?
It’s not but you once told me you’d come running if I said it here
She’s funny. Whipsmart. Beautiful. It’s a heady cocktail and he’s so looking forward to getting to take her out properly tonight.
Where are you?
Outside. I came in but the cop being the desk looked ready to throttle someone so I came back out
She’s good at throttling. I’m coming down
He’s barely set foot on the floor downstairs when Trudy’s voice stops him.
‘The pretty blonde for you then, huh?’
How does she always know? ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’
‘That daft look in your eyes says otherwise, Chuckles,’ Trudy says in her customarily droll fashion.
He rolls his eyes at her because, after nearly seven years of knowing her, he can and steps outside to see Hailey well bundled up against the cold across the parking lot.
‘Hey.’
‘Hey’
‘So, I need to take a rain check on tonight.’
He won’t deny the disappointment that runs through him, but she looks pretty disappointed too he thinks. ‘Okay. I’m gonna take that you came down here to tell me in person as a good sign?’
‘It is.’
A small smile graces her face and the sight of her smiling bashfully with her beanie pulled down over her ears might be his favourite version of Hailey yet.
‘I was looking forward to it but we’re short staffed, so I need to extend my shift. Just on my break in between now.’
‘What time you gonna work to?’
‘Eleven.’
‘That’s some day.’
She tells him she needs to get back and he dips down to press a kiss to her cheek. Tells her to drive safe and he watches her cross the street until she’s safely in her car and though their plans have been postponed, his day still feels a little brighter for having see her.
He studiously avoids meeting Trudy’s eye as he heads back upstairs.
--------
She’s exhausted by the time she gets home. She pulls the hair tie from her hair as she steps off her elevator and rubs a hand at the tender patch on her head that’s left behind from wearing her hair up for fourteen hours straight.
She wants a shower and then she’s crawling into bed and sleeping for the next fourteen but when she rounds the corner she pulls up short at the sight before her.
A bakery box and a small bunch of flowers sit neatly on the floor outside her door.
She bends down to unfold the piece of paper tucked in between the box and the flowers.
Eat something, put these in some water and get a good night’s sleep. I’ll call you tomorrow – Jay
And maybe she’s overtired, and her emotions are getting the better of her but she feels herself let out a shaky breath at the gesture. At the quiet way he’s showing he cares.
It’s been a long time since someone’s wanted to take care of her let alone done so without hesitation.
She toes off her sneakers when she’s inside and sets the flowers in a vase for overnight taking the box of baked goods with her to her bedroom popping one in her mouth as she grabs a fresh towel out of the closet.
Jay - thank you. I might be on my second one already
You’re welcome. You okay?
Tired but fine
The flowers are beautiful too
Hope they made you smile after a long day
She sits down on the bed wrapped in her towel and though he’s across town, she feels his words hit her square in the chest. He’s good. He’s a good guy and it terrifies her that he might want her but she’s not about to run from it. Not when being around him makes her feel like it does.
You’re sweeter than you first let on, you know
Hoping that’s a good thing…
It is
Night, Hailey. Get some rest
Night, Jay
————
It’s three nights later that they manage to find another night that works for them both. Hailey’s been feeling a little nervous about it all day much to Nadia’s amusement. Jay had actually gone inside the ED to check she was working the night he’d come to find her in the parking lot and of course it had been Nadia he’d asked so Hailey has had to endure her friend’s teasing about the sexy cop and when he’s coming around again every day since.
She opens the door when he knocks. He’d told her last time round that he would come to pick her up which is how he’d had her address for the flowers. She swings open the door to him and he looks perfectly handsome in a button down and dark jeans.
His gaze sweeps over her and then he steps into her space.
‘Well, I’m kissing you at the start of the night as well as at the end.’
She laughs into their kiss but she’s missed this feeling – kissing him. It’s been a long time since merely kissing someone felt like everything.
‘Hi’
‘Hi’
His hand lightly squeezes her hip. ‘You look gorgeous, Hailey.’
‘So do you, Jay.’
‘Got everything?’ he asks holding out a hand to her and he’s this guy. The guy who gets you from your door and holds your hand.
She’s never been that girl, but she feels like she could be with him.
‘Yeah,’ she says pulling her door shut behind her. ‘So where are we going?’
‘Okay, so I couldn’t get a reservation at where I’d booked the other night’
‘I’m sorry.’
He squeezes her hand in his. ‘Don’t be. We can go another time.’
She punches the ground floor button as the doors to the elevator close. ‘Confident there’s gonna be another date?’
‘Hopeful,’ he answers boyishly.
‘They’ll be another date, Jay.’
The bar he takes her to is lovely. Busy but it doesn’t feel crowded and it’s low-key enough that Hailey feels she can relax. They’d both finished their days too late to get dinner at a sensible hour so they settle for getting a few side dishes to share between them.
‘How long have you been in Intelligence then?’ she asks him.
‘Six years, nearly seven.’
‘Wow. You like it there then?’
He nods. ‘It’s the unit you wanna be in if you want investigative work in Chicago.’
‘Impressive.’
Violet had been all too happy to fill her in on all this information over text during the last few days but it doesn’t mean she doesn’t want to hear it from Jay and for all the bravado he sometimes puts on, she kind of gets the impression he’s pretty modest beneath it all.
Doubts he’s about to tell her he’s a ‘bonafide badass’ as Violet called him with a propensity for getting himself shot.
‘Did a couple of tours in the rangers before that,’ he admits.
‘Equally as impressive though I did already know that.’
‘You did?’
‘Mmm hmm, your fan club at the hospital seemed to know plenty about you,’ she teases.
‘Christ’
‘I’m kidding.’
‘You had me worried for a second there,’ he smiles. ‘How about you?’
She tucks her curls behind her ears. ‘Oh, so the paramedic gig was a one off. Violet’s new partner can’t start for a couple of weeks and the hospital thought it would be a good experience for all the attendings to do a shift or two. I kind of loved it though.’
‘I could see that. You’re damn good at it too.’
‘Thank you. You’re only saying that because I didn’t take you to your brother’s hospital.’
He smirks and she’s grateful he doesn’t ask exactly why she’d directed Violet to take him to her hospital.
‘And what do you do normally? When you’re not being a beautiful paramedic badass.’
‘I’m an ED badass.’
‘Of course you are,’ he groans. ‘God, I can hear you and my brother ganging up on me already and talking medical crap 24/7.’
She knows his words were said as a joke but her heart skips a beat anyway.
‘I’m gonna meet your brother then, huh?’ she grins taking a sip of her drink.
He winks at her. ‘Play your cards right.’
‘Idiot’
‘Or charming,’ he offers tipping his drink towards her.
‘Or that,’ she concedes.
--------
The rest of the evening passes just as easily, and Jay feels his cheeks hurt from how much he’s smiling and his heart lurches with how unlike him that is these days. How happiness doesn’t always come easily to him anymore. Not after everything he’s seen and done.
But it surprises him how at ease he feels in her company. How much he does want the dates. Wants her to meet his brother and everyone else in his life. How much he already feels like life would be better for having her in it.
‘You walking me up?’ she asks when he parks his truck outside her building and shuts off the engine.
He shoots her a smile. ‘I’d like to, yeah.’
He’s not expecting anything but he wants to treat her right. She spends her whole life taking care of other people. He wants to be the guy to get to take care of her. Knows that after two dates.
If he’s honest, he thinks he knew it a little when she ordered him to stop talking and sit down on the back of that ambulance with her blue eyes blazing.
He kisses her goodbye. Traces a thumb over her cheek and they both linger in one another’s space and he feel it between them. That fizz of chemistry.
They both want it but she’s not asking him inside and he’ll respect that. Always.
He makes it down to his truck after stealing another kiss and he smiles when his phone lights up beside him on the front seat with her name on it.
‘Hey,’ she says when he picks up.
‘Hey, you okay. You forget something in here?’ He glances over his shoulder but he can’t see anything that might have fallen out her purse and she’d had her jacket on when he’d walked her up.
‘Erm, no.’
‘Hailey?’
The line goes quiet for a moment before she speaks again. ‘You still outside?’
‘Yeah’
‘Good.’
Good? He searches his mind for what she might mean until movement to his left catches his eye and when he turns his head, he sees her standing at the entrance to her building, phone pressed against her ear as their eyes lock.
‘I don’t want you to go, Jay.’
He swallows hard. ‘I didn’t really want to go but I don’t want you to feel like I’m expecting anything.’
Even from a distance he can tell she’s smiling. Hears it in her voice too. ‘I know you’re not, but I want it. We both do. I want you, Jay. Get out your damn truck.’
‘I don’t need telling twice,’ he answers as he steps out his truck locking it behind him and striding towards her. He cups her face between his palms and dives down to kiss her.
Her arms come up around his neck and her tongue sweeps across his in a gentle slide.
‘Hailey, let’s get upstairs,’ he says because he’s about five minutes away from losing it on the sidewalk if she keeps kissing him like that.
Her laughter curls in the air between them and she reaches for his hand.
--------
She wakes in the morning to warmth pressed against her back and she’s so damn surprised to find she’s curled into him. That she’s slept like this with her back pressed against him and his arm protectively slung around her middle keeping her close.
She never sleeps in someone’s arms.
She lifts her head slightly and reaches for her phone on the nightstand tapping the screen to check the time.
6:48
She has twelve minutes until her alarm goes this morning.
‘Morning.’
God, one word shouldn’t sound so damn sexy but his words whispered against the back of her neck are thick with sleep and yeah, it does it for Hailey.
He tugs her back in close and lifts his head to press a kiss to her cheek and it’s an oddly intimate act for a first morning together, but it feels right. The simple gesture making her heart clench in her chest.
She takes a breath expecting the awkwardness to hit her but it’s not forthcoming.
‘Good morning,’ she hums and shuffles over to face him and the boyish smile on his face.
He thumbs one of the dimples in her cheek. Still unfairly handsome even after just waking up.
The bandage is still on his shoulder and will be for a while yet but it’s healing nicely and though he tells her he’s mainly on desk duty at work, she’s not sure she believes him. Stubborn man.
‘When do you need to be up?’
‘Twelve minutes,’ she says. Maybe eleven now.’
‘Oh, there’s plenty I can do in eleven minutes,’ he murmurs against her lips before kissing her properly.
She pushes herself up so she’s hovering above him and his hand skims down her side as she presses her hips down to meet his when his phone rings.
‘Eugh, I need to check that,’ he huffs. ‘Damn it,’ he mutters when he sees the name on the screen and presses to answer it. ‘Sarge.’
Hailey pushes herself to sit up against the headboard as she listens to Jay’s half of the conversation.
‘No, I’m up. Yeah…yeah…okay.’ His hand squeezes her hip, and she knows it’s an apology. ‘I’ll call the others on the way. I’ll meet you down there in fifteen.’
He hangs up and turns to her with an apology written all over his face.
‘You gotta go?’
‘I gotta go. Inconsiderate assholes committing crimes.’
‘You wanna shower here real quick? You have time?’
‘Thank you. That’d be good.’
She tells him to get straight in and she’ll sort him with a towel. Laughs when he calls out from under the water that her shower is definitely big enough for two.
‘Another time,’ she calls out.
She wants another time. With him. Here. In the shower. Anywhere really.
He’s out the shower in record time and inexplicably already dry as he pulls on yesterday’s clothes.
‘You wanna grab anything to eat to take with you?’
‘It’s good. I’ll get something in a bit. Thank you.’ He pulls his badge out from an interior pocket on his jacket and fastens it to his jeans.
And she wonders in the moment where his gun must be. That’s definitely something they’ll need to talk about at some point because she plans on him being around.
‘Hailey, last night was…,’ he breaks off grinning as he reaches for her hips and tugs her in close.
‘Yeah, yeah it was,’ she says her own smile matching his.
‘I’m sorry I gotta run.’
‘Jay, it’s fine. I get it.’
‘Another morning I am absolutely waking you up in the right way.’
‘I’ll hold you to it.’
‘Talk to you later?’
She nods as he leans down to kiss her. Once, twice before he strides for the door as his phone rings once more.
Hailey flops down onto her couch for a second feeling lightheaded from the last twelve hours.
When has she ever fallen for someone like she is for this guy?
Her alarm goes off in the bedroom and she goes to turn it off.
Sees a text from Jay.
Have a good day. Talk to you later x
She smiles. Damn him being able to make her stomach somersault like that. She perches on the edge of her bed and shoots off a reply.
Have a good day, superman
Though you might need a new nickname after last night x
--------
She doesn’t know why she’s plumping the cushions on her couch. She doesn’t think he’ll give a shit. Knows he won’t but she’s anxious for him to get her. She’s missed him.
It’s been thirteen hours and maybe that makes her pathetic or horny or both but she’s eager for him to knock on her door.
They’d exchanged messages throughout the day when they could and he’d made it clear to her how much last night meant to him. How much he hadn’t wanted to leave her bed this morning and then detailed the plans he’d had for their morning in the kind of detail that had made Hailey’s cheeks flame in the doctors’ lounge.
And she’d suggested not too subtly that he could make good on his promise after work too and so she’s now feeling the thrum of anticipation beneath her skin at him coming to spend the night again. She assumes he’ll stay. She wants him to.
She pulls the door open when he knocks and he leans against her doorframe. Sexy smirk on his face as he holds up his phone.
‘And how did you expect me to concentrate all day after what you text me this morning?’
She grins and reaches for the front of his shirt hauling her inside. ‘Got you back here, didn’t it?’
She curls a hand through his hair and presses onto her tiptoes to kiss him and maybe she might press her hips into his a little too.
‘God, you make me forget myself,’ he breathes.
Her heart skips a beat.
She’s right there with him.
‘Hailey, this is…this is something, right?’ he asks her.
She feels her heart tumble over the edge of a cliff at his honesty. At what he’s saying. That this is real. That this feels terrifying and comforting and right all at the same time.
‘Yeah,’ she nods before kissing him once more as they stumble towards her room and he tickles her sides making her laughter ring out across the space.
They’re definitely something.