Ember

That's the thing about this city, it has an invisible draw that always seems to pull me back. No matter how many times I try to escape and start anew somewhere else I always end up back here, and this time it might keep me.

 I grumble angrily at my car as I kick a tire. "Freakin' car! I was only supposed to be here to VISIT for a weekend and now you have to go and break down and I am stuck. Oomph! Ow ow!" I grit my teeth and hop on one foot grabbing my injured toe. I whine and then setting my foot back on the ground I say in defeat.

 My car's engine picks this moment, as I am leaving town, to give out. The mechanic said it was done for, the computer chip was fried. "You stupid smart car!" I holler. The mechanic raises an eyebrow and says," Want me to call the junkyard for ya, they'll give ya something for it I'm sure. I sigh and plop on an empty chair and tap my wrist cell and tell it to call my sister Lainy. "Yeah, I guess. Thank you." I tell the mechanic Tren. What kind of name is Tren I think grumpily?

 Lainy answers on the third ring and after I tell her my situation, she says, "Torens here, I'll have him come get you and stay with you til the guy comes to get your car." I close my eyes and say, "Toren? Oh, man. Can't you come sis? You know we can't stand each other!" I exclaim. This day just gets better and better I think. "I can't come, the babies napping and Daren is at work. So it's gotta be Toren. I'm sorry sis." She apologizes sounding tired. I sigh. "Alright. See you soon. Love you." I respond dejectedly. "Love you too." I end the call and lean back to wait for Toren.

 Toren was my sister Lainys husband little brother. We had all grown up next to each other and he and I always fought and he used to pick on me a lot. I avoided him whenever possible. Now I was gonna have to spend an hour and a half in a car with him. Yay! 

 I must have dozed off when I was abruptly awakened by someone shaking my shoulder as I came to and my surroundings came into focus I saw a man standing in front of me. "Sorry Ms. Rask, the man from the junk yard is here for your car. He's right over there." The man who's name tag read Jonas informed me in a high-pitched voice. I look where he is pointing, seeing a large man in jeans and a black tank top and shoulder-length dishwater blond hair and a big beard inspecting my car. I nod. "Thanks." And I head toward the man to conduct our business and end up making $400 bucks out of the deal. I pocket the money and return to my seat. A while later Toren shows up scowling and saying little, to chauffeur me to my sister's house.

 For a while I watch the flying cars and floating buildings whiz by as Toren races through the city streets like he is in the Indy 500. "Mind slowing down a bit there budrow." I growl staring daggers at the side of his face. He glances at me and grins. "What's the matter princess? Am I scaring you?" He teases in his deep, and I must admit, sexy baritone voice. Against my will my heart stupidly wants to be in love with that voice.

I turn my head back to the window quickly in case my face gave away my thoughts. "Don't call me princess buck tooth!" I retort using my childhood nickname for him when he was mean. He had always called me princess when were kids. I thought being adults we would have moved past this, but apparently not.

 The scenery outside the window changes as we get on the interstate and leave the little podunk town I had been stranded in. All the trees were being torn down to make way for new shiny floating malls and condos. I see a few, for the moment, survivors proudly thrusting toward the skies.

 Soon there would be no life giving trees and smog would take over even the few remaining country towns, like my hometown of Embers which we were heading toward now. I hear Toren laugh as he slows down by a few miles per hour. "Look Rain, I'm sorry I teased you but you are always so cute when you get mad." I blink at him incredulously mouth agape. "Cute?!" Do all guys say that to girls and think it will appease them? I am not cute when I am mad and you saying that makes me even madder!" He chuckles and shivers go up my arms and my stomach clenched at his sexy laugh. What was wrong with me?! I am not attracted to Toren Maxwell! I shout in my head. I am so confused my my attraction to him I don't yell at him for laughing at me. I glance out my window again and notice night was approaching and saw the sun reflect of a small pond with a lone cow standing beside it.

 Seeing the cow distracts me for a minute. I am saddened at the thought that we had destroyed most of the animals natural habitat and that a lot of animals were quickly becoming extinct and more synthetic foods were being created. Seeing a cow was a rare thing nowadays even out in the country were Embers was located. Embers had at one time been a farming community.

"So I guess you might be staying awhile huh? Maybe we can start over and hang out and get to know each other as adults. I am not as much of a jerk as I was when we were kids. Maybe you can go camping with us." He suggested. I am stunned and wonder if this was a trap and if I said oh hey that sounds fun, he'd be like, Haha, why would I invite you on a camping trip, or something.

 I narrow my eyes at him suspiciously. "You want me to go camping? With you? I thought you hated me." I say slowly, waiting for the other foot to drop. He turns to look at me with eyes wide. "I never hated you darling, I was just a stupid kid who didn't know how to show he had a crush on you. It was my turn to be surprised and my eyes were probably as big as saucers. Doubtfully I say "Don't be a jerk Toren. We are adults now you can stop playing cruel jokes on me!" He frowns. "I'm not. I was really stupid back then and I'm sorry baby girl. Let me make it up to you." He pleads. "What? How?" I exclaim in confusion. I was getting butterflies in my stomach as my hope began to bloom inside my heart. I struggle to push it down not wanting to be made a fool of.

 "First as soon as we get back to Embers and in my brother's driveway I am gonna kiss you like you have never been kissed before and then I am taking you on a date!" I just stare open mouthed. Then, feeling foolish I snap my mouth shut. I can't respond at first. 

"Yeah ok Toren." In the distance I see the city lights of Ember glowing just like it's namesake. I had always loved approaching Ember at night. It was one of the last places you could still see the stars, as it hadn't been demolished and replaced with high tech floating buildings or expanded into a booming metropolis, YET. The sky had just darkened enough for me to see the first stars and they comforted me. "Rain? I've always loved you, you know that right? I am hoping I can convince you to come back home and be with me." I jerk my head back in his direction, my mind reeling and my heart pounding. So many different emotions flowing through me that I can't pin any particular one down yet.

"Toren?" I croak from my suddenly dry throat. You better not be messing with me or so help me I will kick you!" He looks at me and smiled softly and laughs. "Darlin' I don't mess around when it comes to love." He replies sincerely. "I love you Rain. I always have." Oh be still my beating heart. 

"Toren I-" I was suddenly tongue tied.

"Yes?" He prompted softly. Work stupid tongue! His voice was like silk against my skin, my heart skipped a beat. Fear and hope swell together in my chest. "I love you too Toren!" I blurt out suddenly. My heart beats a staccato in my chest. "And you better find somewhere to pull over and kiss me now or I am gonna crawl in your lap!" I exclaim. He barks out a laugh.

"Hold on sweetheart, I'm pulling over." As we pull off the highway on an exit and park the lights of Embers seem to shine even brighter and he pulls me into his arms, hands in my hair, and he kisses me like I had never been kissed before.

That's the thing about this city it always calls me home and this time it might keep me.