BLAZE WITHIN

"All my friends think you're lame."

I stared at Ace, my supposed boyfriend. He stood towering in front of me, tall and muscular. His jet-black hair was gelled up and back. His brown, nearly black eyes, glared all the way to my core.

"Good thing I don't give a shit about your friends," I shot back as I pulled my arm from his painful grip.

"Shut the fuck up," he bit out as he yanked open a bedroom door. He put his hands on my back and shoved me forcefully into the empty room.

"Get your hands off me!" I demanded, my voice rising as I spun around toward him. I flinched as he slammed the door shut behind us, trapping me alone in the room with him.

"Shut your damn mouth!" he roared as he advanced toward me with rage in his eyes.

My heart pounded as I stumbled backwards. I knew that wild look. My stomach churned as I frantically searched for a way out of this room, away from the out-of-control hunter in front of me.

"I've told you not to fuck with me in front of my friends," he continued his angry rant as he grabbed my arm and yanked me roughly toward him. "You just don't ever learn, do you?"

His arm suddenly swung, his first colliding with my left cheek. I crashed to the floor from the hit. It felt like a damn brick had just made contact with my face. Tears burned my eyes, but the monster wasn't done yet.

A string of swear words spewed from his mouth as he kicked me in the side with his booted foot, sending me flying into the air and crashing onto my back. The wind rushed out of my lungs as I frantically tried to suck oxygen back in.

He stood above me, screaming about how this was all my fault. I stared up at him, unable to breathe or even cry. I pinched my eyes closed as I prayed his vicious attack was over. He had once been my hero but, in moments like this, he was exactly what we had escaped.

He moved away from me, still cursing as I watched him walk to the door. He ripped it open as he yelled one last time at me. "Take a nap you dumb bitch. I ain't leaving the damn party for your pathetic ass."

The door slammed closed behind him and my rigid, tight body instantly began to relax. I had survived another attack.

I was okay, well okay as I could be at the moment.

Air slowly began to trickle back into my lungs as I struggled to my feet. All I had wanted to do was go home, to leave this stupid party and crawl into my bed for much needed sleep. My drug-addicted boyfriend was obviously too consumed with the buffet of drugs in front of him to be bothered by taking his girlfriend home. Of course, he wouldn't have to take his lame girlfriend home if he would quit stealing my money and let me save up enough to buy a car.

My head began throbbing, my cheek still reliving the force of his punch over and over again. I gingerly moved my jaw, making sure it wasn't broken. My fingers trailed to my tender side. I was pretty sure he didn't break a rib this time.

I inched over toward the empty bed in the room and sat down. I dropped my head into my hands as tears drained from my eyes. How the hell did I end up like this?

I coughed. And coughed again. A third cough woke me from my sleep. I groggily opened my swollen eyes. My throat was scratchy and felt swollen. My breaths wheezed in as sweat broke out across my forehead. Why was it suddenly so stinking hot in this room?

I sat up too quickly and the memory of what had occurred in this room slammed back into me with the shooting pain in my side and the dull throb of my cheek. I rubbed my eyes, realizing I must have fallen asleep on the foreign bed.

I stood up, my movements much slower and cautious now. A burning heat continued to torch the room as I shuffled over to the door. I wiped the sweat from my brow as I grabbed the door handle. My hand flinched back, burned by the flaming heat.

A sick feeling of dread slowly began to take hold within me. Why was the room hot? Why was the door handle burning? I took a deep breath through my nose and, for the first time, realized it stunk of smoke. The house was on fire!

Panic began to pump through my veins as I pulled my shirt down over my hand and again tried the doorknob. The heat seared through my shirt, but I ignored the pain as I tried to turn the knob. The stupid thing wouldn't budge. Ace had locked the door.

I quickly stepped away, ignoring the pain as I rushed over to the window. I unlocked it and pulled upwards but the stupid glass pane wouldn't budge.

No! No! No!

This is not how I was going to die. I was not going to die at only eighteen in a freaking drug house! I didn't go through everything I had survived to die like this!

I spun around, frantically looking for something to break the glass with. I grabbed a lamp and rushed back to the window. I swung it at the glass, but the lamp simply smashed as the window remained intact.

My heart pounded as more sweat broke out over my entire body. I swung around and my heart dropped to my feet as the door I had just tried to open was now on fire.

"No!" I screamed as, in a complete and utter panic, I banged my fists on the window. "Help me! Someone help me! Please!"

Tears began streaming down my face as I hit and kicked at the window, but it refused to break beneath my limbs. I didn't want to die! I wasn't ready!

Smoke billowed into the room and my childhood education kicked in and I dropped to the floor, knowing more oxygen would be down lower.

I pulled my cellphone from my jean pocket and cursed as the stupid thing was dead. Just my luck. I shoved it back into my pocket as the smoke began to surround me with its promise of death before the fire. Like hell. I wasn't going out like this.

Sirens suddenly wailed out from the darkness outside as red and blue lights lit up the smoke-filled room. Help was here! But would they even know I was in here? Would Ace alert them? Was he even still around? What kind of lowlife, scum of the earth boyfriend would leave their girlfriend in a house that was on fire?

Depressingly, I realized I had that boyfriend, and I allowed him to treat me like this. I was no better than he was.

I scrambled to my feet and again attacked the window with all the force of a crazy person refusing to go quietly to their death.

"I'm up here!" I screamed though I doubted they could hear me. "Help me!"

I thrashed against the window with everything I had, desperate for someone to somehow hear me. My vision began to blacken around the edges as my head began to get foggy and lightheaded. I forced my eyes to focus on the lights outside the window, but it was a losing battle. The smoke was cutting off my oxygen supply and slowly killing me.

My pounding turned into clawing as the strength began to drain from my arms.

"Someone help," I forced out, my voice only a whisper. "Please.'

"Get back!" a voice replied.

My eyebrows crushed downward as I stumbled backwards like a drunken sailor and tripped over my own feet and fell backwards onto my butt. Had someone actually answered?

"Stay back!" the male voice again called as something suddenly smashed into the window. Glass shattered everywhere and I threw my arms over my face.

"Are you okay?" a male voice asked with a British accent.

I clumsily dropped my arms as my eyes looked loopily toward the fireman in full gear crouched in front of me.

"Come with me," he said through his mask in his British accent.

I sat staring at him. My body was so deprived of the oxygen it desperately needed that my brain sent the message to move but my limbs remained in place.

He cursed beneath his breath and I pondered how very un-fireman like that was. He stepped toward me and bent down, scooping me into his arms as he retreated back toward the window with me.

My eyes gazed at this mystery fireman's face as he carried me as effortlessly as a loaf of bread and met his eyes. They were the most gorgeous color of green I had ever seen and yet they held speckles of yellow and brown deep within them also.

I was staring at his eyes as he said something, but between the mask and his accent, I couldn't make it out. The black on the sides of my vison began to close in around me which caused my heartrate and breathing to spike. I gasped for breaths, suddenly realizing that by picking me up from the floor, the air had gotten much thicker and heavy with smoke.

I coughed hard and turned into the fireman's hard chest. "I don't want to die," I whined out in nothing more than a whisper as I bounced with his steps. I took one last breath and looked into those stunning green eyes as the darkness overtook me.

Green eyes flashed before me as, with a gasp, I opened my eyes. I looked side to side, frantically trying to figure out where the hell I was and what was going on. Sterile cleaners burned my nose, along with whatever was stuck up into it. I quickly grabbed at it, feeling tubing running into my nose and behind my ears.

I looked around the drab, beige hospital room. An empty chair sat in the corner. No one was here to see me, no one concerned if I was dead or alive. It was a depressing realization that sunk down upon me as a nurse walked into the room.

"Glad to see you awake, honey. How are you feeling?"

I stared at her as I took a moment to process her words, my brain apparently still lost within the fog of the fire. She was an older woman with graying hair tied up into a bun. "Tired," I finally responded. "Where am I?"

"The hospital," she replied as though I should know as she logged onto a nearby computer and began typing. "I'll just need your name and I'll get some vitals from you."

My mouth went dry as I stared silently at her for a moment. Did she know? Had she called them already? Were they on their way?

My heartrate increased as my hands began sweating. My fingers fidgeted with the thin, white blanket on the bed.

"Stella Wyatt."

She nodded, seemingly agreeing with me as I moved robotically, allowing her to take my blood pressure and temperature. She lightly hummed as she methodically worked through the procedures.

"Is there anyone we should call?" she asked. "You'll be discharged soon enough."

I lowered my eyes to the tiled floor. I couldn't call Ace when he was high on drugs. It's not like he could drive here to get me in his current situation, or even want to. "No."

"You sure?" she asked as she began typing away again on the computer. "Its no trouble at all. Or you can contact someone yourself, if you prefer. I know you kids all have your fancy cellphones. You just let me know if there is anything we can do for you."

I watched her feet leave as I slowly raised my eyes and sighed. How pathetic was I that, out of the millions of people in the world, I had no desire to call any of them to join me in the hospital?

After seeing a doctor, another nurse, and an interview with the police, I felt physically sick from the nerves and lies I was forced to tell. Thankfully, I was finally discharged from the hospital and walked out the front door into the darkness of night with an impending medical bill that I had no money to pay for. I worked two jobs, but both were only part time. Despite all my work, I always seemed to be dead broke. I knew why, and I knew I needed to make changes, I just didn't know how.

With a dead phone and no help in sight, I walked over to the bus stop. I stared up at the stars above and wished for a different life.

Morning came far too soon. I rolled out of bed and reluctantly got ready for work. I blew out a breath as I applied make-up over my left bruised cheek. Somehow, I had become a bit of an expert at covering bruises. Once it was buried from sight, I grabbed my purse and hurried out the door to catch the bus for work.

I had the lunch hour shift today at Kiki's, a locally owned restaurant I served as a waitress at during the week. The pay sucked, but the tips normally made up for it. Today it seemed everyone was trying the little patience I had on the minimal sleep I had gotten. Not only had I gotten home late, but a pair of green eyes had haunted my dreams.

At the end of my shift, I boxed up a dozen cookies and headed out the door. The hot Florida sun beat down upon me as I began my walk. I was still trying to adjust to the hot summers here in Florida after relocating here. Back home, the summer heat would feel good after the frigid winter. Here, the heat would take your breath away and make you feel as though you were suffocating in the thick humidity.

I walked several blocks, shifting the box of cookies around in my hands and working up a good layer of sweat before reaching the fire house. This was the closest one to where I had been rescued, and I assumed it was the one that had responded.

"Can I help you?" a large, balding man asked as I approached the firehouse.

"Hi," I greeted him with a smile. "I um, I needed the fire department's assistance yesterday. I was stuck in a house that caught fire and I wanted to say thank you."

I held out the cookies with a friendly smile. He smiled back and stepped toward me, taking them from my hands and looking inside.

"Well thank you, young lady. They are much appreciated. Is there a particular fireman I can address these to?"

I opened my mouth but quickly closed it again. I shook my head slowly. "I didn't get his name. I was kind of, well I, I passed out."

The older man chuckled. "Happens to the best of us. You know what this fella looked like?"

"Well he was in fireman gear." I mentally rolled my eyes at myself. I was so awkward sometimes! "He had green eyes and a British accent," I spit out in a hurry.

Awareness seemed to dawn upon the man's face as a smirk slowly began to grow across his aging features. He turned his back to me and hollered into the firehouse. "Carter!"

Heat burned my cheeks as I quickly dropped my gaze to my well-worn sneakers. They were my favorite, and most comfortable pair. That along with my jeans and t-shirt with the restaurant name emblazoned across the front didn't give me the most flattering first impression. Not to mention my hair thrown up in the messy ponytail I had done this morning. At least my make-up was on point thanks to stupid Ace.

I sighed as I shifted on my feet and debated just bolting. Why was I even concerned with my appearance? It's not like I was going out on a date.

"What you hollering about?" A new voiced asked with a British accent as I raised my eyes.

A younger looking man walked toward us. His brown, wavy hair fell messily all around his head down to his chin. It was swept up and back in the front as though he had run his hands through it excessively throughout the day. He was tall, nearing six feet, and had a lean yet muscular build. His voice had a boyish charm yet he eluded sex appeal without even trying. He had on tight black jeans and a black shirt with the fire departments name upon it and a skintight, long-sleeved undershirt.

"I'm guessing you saved this young women's life yesterday," I heard the older man say but my eyes were too focused on the younger fireman to move. "Seems she came to say thank you."

The younger fireman's gaze shifted to me. I lost my breath as his green eyes settled upon me. My heart rioted and pounded in my chest as those haunting green eyes wandered up and down my body. I felt utterly exposed and inexplicable aroused. How I'd love to run my fingers into his hair and taste his full, red lips.

I blinked rapidly, banishing the thoughts as I held my hand out and tried to control it from shaking. "I'm Stella Wyatt."

He grinned and it seemed to take over his entire face and reveal a mouthful of perfect, white teeth and dimples upon his cheeks. "Alaric Carter," he said as he took my hand into his and shook it.

I stood staring at him like an awestruck teenager and held onto his hand long enough to make it awkward. "Thank you." I went to pull my hand away but his grip tightened and held onto me. I looked down at our joined hands, heat spreading through my body. "Thank you for saving my life yesterday."

"You're welcome."

The humor I heard in his voice drew my eyes back up to his gorgeous face. Those green eyes were gleaming with amusement upon me, sparkling like a dashing movie star.

I was knocked completely off guard by his good looks. I tried to process a logical thought in my fluttering brain. "I brought the cookies for you."

"I'll have to get 'em back," he replied, still holding onto my hand. He spoke with a slight slowness, as though he thought out every word before speaking it.

I glanced around and realized the other fireman had left. "I hope he doesn't eat them all."

"It's alright," he replied, his voice lowering slightly. "There's something else I'd rather eat."

My face whipped back to him, my cheeks burning hot. Surely I had heard him wrong. "Excuse me?"

"There's other stuff to eat," he replied with innocence as he let go of my hand and glanced behind him. "We've got a kitchen here."

I nodded my head slowly at his explanation as my eyes narrowed slightly. "Good."

"It was nice meeting you, Stella."

My heart fluttered as my name slipped from his lips in his British accent. "You're not from around here?" I internally groaned at the words I hadn't meant to speak aloud.

"How'd you guess?" he chuckled in amusement.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Lucky guess. I should go."

He nodded as I took one more look at him before turning to leave.

"Stella!"

I whipped around like an anxious schoolgirl. "Yeah?"

His face had suddenly turned serious, his green eyes dull and hard. "How'd you get that bruise?"

Nerves shot through me at my secret being exposed. "What bruise?"

He stepped toward me, his booted feet thundering in my ears. He stopped within inches of me and raised his hand. I flinched and silently cursed myself for being so skittish.

He held his hand in mid-air as he searched my face, seeming to ask permission, before very slowly moving his hand to my face and tracing his fingers over my cheek. My skin tingled and heated at his touch.

"This bruise," he whispered softly.

My breath caught as I stared into his eyes. "I fell."

"Onto someone's fist?" His voice had a roughness that startled me.

"No," I forced out as I took a step backward, putting space between us. "Of course not. I fell and hit the post on the bed yesterday when I was lightheaded from the smoke."

I was good, perhaps too good at lying. It didn't seem to work on him though. He stared at me with disbelieving eyes and judgement written across his face.

"Thank you, again. For saving me. That's all I came here for."

His grin slowly returned to his face as his features lightened. "You sure about that?"

"Of course," I shot out in annoyance. Sure, he was smoking hot but his cockiness was igniting anger within me. "Why else would I be here?"

"I have a boxing match this weekend. You should come see it."

I was speechless at his sudden turn of conversation. He could switch gears so quickly and casually it was hard to keep up. "You box?"

"Yeah," he chuckled. "Its nothing professional but its entertaining nonetheless."

My eyebrows rose. "Punching another human being is entertaining?"

"It is if you're not the one getting punched," he replied, his voice lowering and becoming somber.

I nodded my head slowly as his green eyes seemed to bore into me and expose my deepest secrets. Or perhaps he was undressing me with his eyes. The thought made my cheeks burn. I had to get away from him. I don't think I have had a rational thought since he approached.

"I'll try to go," I breathed out as I turned to leave.

"Give me your number," he called out.

I looked curiously at him but he spoke before I could.

"So I can send you the address." His boyishly handsome grin spread across his face like the first morning rays of sunshine in the morning as his dimples punctuated his cheeks.

He pulled out his phone as I rattled off my number against my better judgement.

"I'll see you around," he smirked as he finished typing my number into his phone.

"Yeah, sure," I replied off balance as I slowly turned and walked away.

I walked into the apartment and glanced around silently. I didn't hear any noise inside so I gently closed the door behind me and locked it. I glanced around at the open floor plan apartment. To the right was a futon in front of a TV hanging on the wall. Beyond that were vertical blinds with a sliding glass door behind it leading out to the small, concrete patio.

To the left was a small dining room with a circular table with two chairs. Behind that was a cozy, white and wood kitchen. I walked over to the table as my eyes studied the vase of red roses upon it. My fingers traced over the flowers before picking up the piece of paper on the table. It was a handwritten note in Ace messy handwriting.

Stella-

I'm sorry I blatantly failed you again. I have more remorse than I could ever write you about, baby. I know I hurt you, and the fact you were almost seriously injured killed me inside. I'm begging for your forgiveness.

I screwed up, and I want to fix this. I have to work until six, but I'd like to pick you up and take my gorgeous woman out to a nice dinner, because that's what she deserves. Please go with me.

Love,

Ace

PS ... stay sour, not sweet baby

My heart lightened slightly at the note and the ending with our inside joke. My eyes wandered down to the table and the corners of my lips tugged upwards as I looked at my favorite snack, Rice Krispie treats. Beside them was a bag of Sour Patch Kids. My mind wandered back to a couple years ago when I was only a sixteen-year-old girl snacking on them.

"Why do you love those so much?" Ace asked as he skipped a rock across the pond beneath the glistening sun.

I smiled at him as I sat on the green grass and popped another Sour Patch Kid into my mouth. My face squinted at the sourness. "Because I'll never stay sweet. I'll always stay sour."

He chuckled as he picked up another rock and skipped it across the pond again. "That's what I love about you."

I smiled as I swallowed and popped another one in my mouth. My entire face scrunched as my eyes watered. "This one's really sour."

Ace laugher rung in my ears as his loving brown eyes danced upon me. "Never stop making that face. It's perfection."

I burst into laughter as I threw one of the candies at him. He picked it up, throwing it into the lake. "Now a fish can be sour with you."

"I'd rather you be, " I retorted.

He smirked as he turned his handsome face to me. "I'm whatever you are, baby."

I blinked rapidly, dispelling the memory as I dropped the note back onto the table and grabbed the candy. I opened the bag as I walked down the hallway off the living space. To the left was a spare bedroom and the guest bathroom. I turned to the right toward the master suite. It was nothing special, just a bedroom large enough for our queen bed and a small dresser. Attached was a private bathroom.

I wandered into the room as I grabbed the first candy and popped it into my mouth. My face scrunched at the sourness as I tried to think. Did I want to go to dinner with Ace? Did I want to forgive him? I loved him so much, and I knew this wasn't him. Not the real Ace that I had fallen in love with years ago. He was the kindest, most loving man I had ever known. I had given him everything: my body, my mind, my heart. He was just having a hard time. I needed to be there for him. I could get him through this. I had an obligation to help him as he had helped me.

I sighed as I tossed another one of the sour candies into my mouth and my eyes began to water. I fervently chewed on the candy as I got up with my decision made. I headed into the shower to prepare for my impending date.

Dressed in my best black dress, I sat impatiently on the futon in the living room. My hair was up in a cute little up do with only a few strands left to hang down around my while my face was done-up with make-up and my brightest red lipstick.

I crossed my legs, my foot bouncing as I waited for Ace to get home. My phone dinged and I pulled it from my purse, hoping it wasn't a cancelation message from Ace. I had already gotten all ready. I looked at a message from an unfamiliar number. My eyes narrowed as I opened the message.

Hey! It's your hero, aka Alaric. Here's the address for the boxing match.

My heart gave the tiniest flicker as my eyes went over his name. Another message quickly came through.

Isn't it customary for a damsel in distress to give her knight-in-shining armor a kiss in gratitude?

I shook my head, but I absentmindedly chewed on my lip, imagining his lips upon mine, my fingers sliding into that thick, wavy hair. I blinked rapidly and brought myself back to reality. I had a boyfriend, this was ridiculous. Why did this man have such an effect on me?

I knew I shouldn't, yet somehow I found myself typing a message back. You're in the wrong century. This is the 21st century.

I only had to wait a minute for a message back. My bad. How about a kiss for winning my match?

I thought a second before replying. I had to shut this down. I never said I was coming.

His response back was quick. Not yet, but you will.

My jaw dropped as I let out a light chuckle. I needed to get my mind out of the gutter about this guy because I read that text so wrong.

The door to our apartment opened and I quickly put my phone down guiltily and looked up. Ace walked in with another dozen roses in his hands. His black hair was gelled up and back perfectly. His brown eyes were clear and white. He wore black trousers, a deep blue, button up shirt and a black suit jacket. Relief spread across his face as his eyes fell upon me and a smile pulled at his lips.

"You're here," he whispered softly as he swiftly walked over to me.

I stood up, straightening my dress with my fingers. "I am."

He wrapped his arms around me as he whispered in my ear. "I'm so sorry, Stella. I love you more than anything on this earth. Please forgive me, baby. It was just the drugs, I swear."

"I know," I replied honestly because I knew, deep down, Ace was the most amazing man I had ever met. He was kind and charming and would do anything for me. He had proved that not long ago. He had went to extreme measures to help me, and I would never forget that. Now he was the one needing help, and I was determined to be the one who saved him.

A slight smile spread across his face as he put his elbow out to me. "Shall we?"

I smiled back at him as I slipped my fingers into the crook of his arm. "We shall."

"What will it be?" Ace asked as he perused over the menu. "Anything you want, okay?" His eyes lifted from the menu to me in the upscale restaurant.

"You really don't have to do this," I explained softly as my eyes widened at the prices.

He chuckled lightly. "I want to. You deserve the best, baby. I want to be the man who gives it to you."

A waiter arrived, taking our orders and bringing us drinks. I sipped on my water as my eyes wandered around the restaurant and all the patrons dressed in their best attire.

"Did you ... " he trailed off as his fingers traced over the deep red table cloth on the table. "Did you talk to the police about the fire?"

My eyes narrowed slightly as the tiniest flame of anger ignited from his abandonment in the fire that nearly took my life. "They came to the hospital and asked me questions."

"What did you tell them?" he quickly asked.

I shrugged my shoulders. "I just told them I was at a friend's and woke up to the fire."

He let out an audible sigh as he leaned back in his chair. " " Jaxon wanted to know what you said."

I pressed my lips together. Jaxon was the owner and founder of Blue Hades, an illegally ran brothel on the outskirts of town. It operated as a legal strip club and bar, but behind the private doors was the brothel. Jaxon was also running drugs from his business, something that Ace had recently gotten involved in to make extra money. He always thought we needed more, that I deserved more. It was as though, in his brain, if he didn't provide me with a certain lifestyle, I would leave. No matter how hard I tried, I never could seem to make him understand my love didn't have a price tag.

"What if I had told them something?" I asked as I studied him. "What if you had to choose between me or Jaxon?"

Ace smirked slightly though I could see the fear flicker across his face. "I would be with you, baby. You know that." He reached across the table and took my hand into his, this thumb gently rubbing the top of my hand. "I'm always on your side".

I smiled lightly at him,his words soothing my indecision and unease. I was being ridiculous. Of course he was on my side. He was always in my side.

His eyebrows rose as he lowered his face slightly, his eyes dancing over me. "Haven't I proven that to you yet?"

I blew out a breath as I squeezed his hand. "Yes. Of course. I'm sorry."

He smiled as he winked at me. "I'll prove it to you again and again. I won't ever stop. You're worth that to me."

My body warmed at his declaration as our hands broke apart as a waiter arrived with our food.

" I love you Stella".

"I love you too"