On His Knees by Tabatha Kiss

Chapter 6

Seth

Well, this isn’t how I expected to spend my Sunday morning.

I stare at the needle sticking out of the back of my hand, letting my eyes follow the tube connected to the bag of saline dangling from a hook near the ambulance door. Fire engines have blocked the street in front of our apartment. Cops divert traffic away and tell the on-lookers to keep a safe distance from the building. Luckily, the fire department got the fire under control a while ago. A fire that blazed just beneath my living room and spread throughout the third floor like... well, wildfire.

I could have died.

I could have died.

I inhale, filling my lungs with fresh air as I adjust the blanket a little tighter around my bare shoulders. Thankfully, I passed out wearing pants or else getting manhandled by a firefighter and dropped on the sidewalk outside in front of my neighbors would have been more awkward than it already was.

“Hey, Newbury.”

I look up and exhale hard at my landlord as he approaches the ambulance. “Hey, Mr. White,” I say.

He pauses beside me and smirks at the saline drip. “Boy, this takes me back,” he says as he flicks the tube with his thick finger.

I chuckle, dry and unamused. “Right.”

He holds up a cellphone. My cellphone. “This one yours?” he asks.

“Yes!” I say, taking it from him with relief. “Thank you. They let you go up there?”

“Nah, not yet, but they’re going around, gathering them up.”

I tap the power button and wince at the short battery life. “No chance they grabbed my charger, too?”

“Afraid not.”

I groan. “Thanks anyway.” I glare at the broken, water-soaked windows of the third floor. “Do they know what started it?”

“Grease fire,” he answers. “3C.”

“Damn.”

“The fire marshal is in there now. Where’s Rose?”

“Oh, he’s on his way to Europe with my sister. His girlfriend, I mean.”

“Your roommate is dating your sister?”

I nod. “Yeah.”

He winces. “That’s awkward.”

“You have no idea.” I take another soothing breath. “So, when are they going to let us back in?”

Mr. White pauses, briefly biting his lip as he tilts his thick neck. “It might be awhile.”

“Okay. How long?” I ask.

“Well, first they need to assess the damage,” he says. “Figure out if we need to replace the flooring. Or the wiring. Things like that.”

“All right.”

“Then, we need to actually replace the flooring. Or the wiring. Maybe put up a new wall or two.”

I squint. “So...”

“So, I’m gonna need you guys to clear out for a few days.”

“A few days?” I repeat.

“Maybe a week.”

“A week?!”

Mr. White raises a hand. “I don’t like this either, all right? Shit happens.”

“Where am I supposed to go?”

He shrugs. “Crash with one of your girlfriends or something. You’ve got a few of those lying around, don’t you?”

I scoff. Unbelievable. “Well, can I at least grab some of my stuff? Like a change of clothes, perhaps?”

He steps back with a nod at my blanket. “I’ll have to check with the marshal. See if it’s safe enough to go in. Might take a bit, they’re a little busy right now...”

“Yeah, yeah.” I wave an apologetic hand. “Thanks, Mr. White. I appreciate it.”

“Hang in there, buddy,” he says. “The sun always rises.”

I tilt my head as he walks away, letting the advice sink in. Not the optimistic wisdom I’ve come to expect from a giant ex-wrestler with tats and arthritis, but I’ll take it.

With another glance at the building, I swipe my phone on. I’m not too eager to ruin Drew’s vacation, but he should know about this.

“Hey, Seth!” Drew answers.

He sounds so happy.

Sorry, brother.

“Miss me already?” he asks.

“Oh, definitely,” I say, clearing my throat. “Drew, we have a problem.”

A pause. “What is it?”

“Are you in Europe yet?”

“No, we’re in New York,” he says. “JFK layover. Our flight is in a couple of hours. What’s up?”

“Well...” I look at the building again. “There appears to have been... a slight issue in our building.”

“What kind of issue?”

“The kind where it got set on fire.”

“What?”

That happy vacation tone is gone now.

Super sorry, brother.

“Drew, what’s going on?”

And there’s my little sister.

“Hold on, Seth,” Drew says. “I’ll call you right back.”

The call ends. I sit and watch the spectacle of firefighters across the street while I wait for him to call back.

My phone rings. A video call this time.

I answer it to see Drew’s handsome, concerned-looking mug and the edge of Heidi’s face as she leans over his shoulder in the airport terminal.

“Hi, Seth,” she says, then her jaw drops. “Oh, my god! Is that an ambulance? Are you okay? What happened?”

“Heidi, I’m fine,” I answer.

“You’ve got black splotches all over your face.”

“Yeah,” Drew says. “You look like hell, man.”

I nod. “That’d be from the wall of smoke and fire the strong, able-bodied firefighter took me through when he carried me downstairs like a handsome bodyguard. But, on the bright side, I now understand why Mom was really into Backdraft all those years ago, so...”

Heidi’s lip twitches, but she’s not in the place to laugh about this yet. “Why did he carry you out?” she asks.

“Because I was still very drunk from last night and, apparently, I thought he was the grim reaper at first glance? But I’m good now.” I show them the tube sticking out of the back of my hand. “They hooked me up with one of these things. I got some oxygen, too, so they’re having me sit here under observation for a while.”

“So glad you’re okay,” she says, exhaling hard. “You’re really okay, right?”

“Yes.” I smile for my sister. “I’m really okay. The third floor? Not so much.”

Drew inches into frame. “Is it bad?”

“It’s not good.”

“Show me.”

I turn the phone, angling the camera to give him a look at the building.

“Ah, hell,”he says. “What’s our place look like?”

“Not sure yet,” I say, turning the phone back to me. “But Mr. White needs me to clear out for a few days while they assess the damages and fix it up. I guess the floors might need to be replaced? Or the wires? I don’t know, but he’s checking with the fire marshal now to see when I can get in there and pack a bag. Is there anything you want me to grab from your room?”

Drew considers it for a moment. “My lockbox,” he says. “It’s in my closet. The rest is replaceable.”

I make a mental note. “All right.”

He exhales hard. “Look, Seth, give me a few hours. I’ll catch the first flight back to Chicago.”

Heidi’s face morphs into an expression I can only describe as pure, panicked sadness.

“No,”I blurt. “No, Drew. You go on your vacation.”

“This is an emergency, Seth. I should come back.”

“I can handle this,” I say. “There’s really not much for me to do. Just have to wait for Mr. White to give us the all-clear, which he says will be about a week and you’ll be back by then, anyway. Don’t you dare cancel and ruin the trip my sister has been yapping about for months.”

Heidi gasps. “I do not yap.”

“You do a little.”

Drew plants a calming hand on Heidi’s arm. He’s got a point, though. Now is not the time for sibling squabbles. Good old Drew Rose. Taking care of all of us.

“Seth, are you sure?” he asks.

I wave a hand. I shrug a shoulder. I do everything possible to appear casual and aloof before panic sets in and I’m forced to admit I do not know what I’m doing. But that’s adulthood, right? I’m twenty-four years old. I’m a graduate student at Chicago North Business School, one of the highest-rated institutions in the country, on my way to an MBA.

There is no reason I shouldn’t be able to handle this on my own.

“Drew...” I smirk. “I got this.”

“Where are you going to stay?” Heidi asks, her face popping into frame again.

Good question.

“I haven’t planned that far out yet,” I say. “Drew, do you think Glenn and Francie will let me stay at their place?”

“That’s a good idea!” Heidi says. “Big mansion all to yourself.”

I nod, beholding the possibilities.

Drew shakes his head. “After what you did to it freshman year?” he asks, raising a brow. “Come on, bud.”

I pause. If there’s anyone who holds onto grudges longer than women, it’s Glenn Rose.

“Okay,” I say. “Fair enough.”

Heidi furrows her brow. “What did you do to it freshman year?”

“Nothing you need to worry about,”I say with a pointed stare at Drew.

Drew mimes a key over his mouth and tosses it away as Heidi rolls her eyes.

“Maybe Melanie and Rob will let you crash on their couch?” Drew suggests.

“I dunno, man,” I say as I gesture to my torso. “The last time I crashed with them, Robbie wouldn’t stop showing me his scar.”

Heidi chuckles. “So squeamish.”

I wince, forcing the image from my mind. “I’ll call around, I guess.”

“Wait, why don’t you just stay at the hotel?” she suggests.

“I can’t afford a room at a Botsford Plaza, Heidi. Come on.”

“But don’t you work there?”

“I’m just an intern. I don’t even get an employee discount at the gift shop.”

“Couldn’t they make an exception for you? This is an emergency.”

“Ian Botsford doesn’t make exceptions. I guess I’ll try to couch-surf it,” I add quickly before Drew can swoop in and open his wallet. “Maybe give Corey a call. Harvey might still be in town…”

I let the words disintegrate in the air.

That’s officially Future Seth’s problem.

“Oh, hey!” Heidi leans forward. “Just stay at my place!”

My gut clenches.

“Your place?” I ask.

“Yeah! My room is empty for the next week.”

Drew cringes with doubt. “Well, hold on...”

“No, it’s perfect!”

“Uh…” I say, twitching slightly. “Doesn’t Jenna also live there?”

You know.

The girl I propositioned for sex last night.

Or did I dream that?

“Yeah, honey…” Drew looks at her. “That’s kind of a bad idea. Jenna hates Seth.”

Also a good point.

“I’m not too fond of her either,” I say.

Heidi rolls her eyes. “Oh, please.” She snatches the phone from Drew’s hand, the image shaking around as she settles into her chair. “Seth, I love you.”

“I love you, too, little sister.”

She looks directly into the lens. “But I’ve put up with this for long enough. I am tired of walking on eggshells between the two of you. It’s stupid and childish and I’m officially done. I’m over it. So, the way I see it, this is the universe’s way of putting you two together and forcing you to work out your shit before your little sister blows a fucking gasket.” She smiles. “Do I make myself clear?”

I swallow hard. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Now, Jenna’s not unreasonable, and neither are you,” she continues. “She was nervous about being alone on Shanty Row for a week, so having you stay there with her helps her out, too. I will call her and get it all set up. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Okay.”

“And when I get back from Europe, you two are going to be the best of friends.” She pulls the phone closer, her eyes still locked on the tiny lens. “Got it?”

“Got it,” I repeat, too spooked to dissent.

She nods. “All right. I’m giving you back to Drew now.”

“Bye, Heidi.”

The image fumbles again as the phone exchanges hands.

Drew returns, his wide eyes nervously admiring my sister out of frame. “So…” He clears this throat. “Are you cool with this?”

I hesitate.

Am I cool with spending a week alone with Jenna Abrams?

No.

Absolutely not.

But Heidi’s right. I hate that we’ve made her feel like she has to walk on eggshells. A girl shouldn’t have to do that around her big brother and her best friend. It’s not fair.

Besides, what other choice do I have? I can’t afford a hotel. Some months, I can barely afford rent. Drew would gladly handle the cost of this emergency if I asked him to, but I’ve refused his money before and I’ll do it again now. I’m a big boy. I can handle this.

I can handle a few days with Jenna, too.

I pause, Drew’s attention clearly somewhere else. “Drew?” I ask.

His eyes flick back to me and away again. “Yeah?”

“What’s wrong?”

“Sorry, that…” He hesitates as he looks at Heidi. His girlfriend. My little sister. “That was… really hot.”

I cringe. “Dude…”

“Sorry,” he whispers again.

“Yes, I’m cool with it,” I answer with a sigh. “As long as Jenna is, too.”