After Edward dropped Bella off at her parents’ home, he drove to the location of the latest fire. He parked his Bronco next to Charlie’s department vehicle in the staging area across the street. He pulled on his Seattle Fire Department jacket and grabbed his kit. When he turned, he blew out a breath. The coffee shop where Edward and Bella began their relationship was a pile of smoldering rubble. His heart was shattered.
A part of their history had been erased.
Along with the life of an innocent victim.
God damn it.
He saw Charlie, wearing his turn-out coat, standing on the sidewalk near the coffeeshop. He made his way toward his boss. “Chief,” he barked. “What happened? When did this happen?”
“I don’t know what happened until we can get inside,” Charlie sighed, his eyes haunted. “The call came through a couple of hours ago. They just struck it. There were some issues with the gas main shut off. They couldn’t get it to move and the gas obviously fueled the flames, resulting in this.”
All that remained of the once vibrant coffee shop was a pile of ash and a skeleton of steel beams. Steam radiated off the still-hot debris. The smell of burnt plastic, charred wood and ozone permeated through the air. There was also a hint of burnt flesh mixed in. It was a pungent, unpleasant scent.
The scent of death.
The scent of destruction.
“You said there was a fatality?” Edward choked out.
Memories of that horrific night flashed in Edward’s memory; the night where he lost Angela and she plummeted to her death. The heat from the flames licking his turn-out gear to the heavy pants of his breathing while he searched for survivors pierced his memories. His thoughts were cyclical until he got to the point where he lost his grip of Angela’s hand. Her screams as she fell would forever be seared into his brain.
“Edward, look at me,” Charlie said calmly, stepping into Edward’s line of sight. “Deep breaths, son.”
“I’m okay, Chief,” Edward muttered, shaking his head and clearing it of the nightmarish memories.
“Are you sure, Edward? You look like you saw a ghost,” Charlie asked.
He blinked slowly. In a way, I did, Chief. Taking another deep breath, he tried to give Charlie a reassuring smile. “Just a flashback,” Edward said.
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