A Slow Burning Fire Read Free

the risqué clothing her character was known for, he much preferred her in her natural element. Simple jeans and a long, navy blue button-down that actually covered her skin. The only thing remaining of Veronica was her hair, still pulled back into a bun.
    “What a pleasant surprise, and what can I help you with?” he asked.
    Arial adjusted the box so she was now holding it on one of her curvy hips and moved closer to him. “I didn't feel right leaving you that way. In pain and so sad. This is our last day of working together. We might not see much of each other anymore. I needed proper closure, a real goodbye. And I needed to walk through that gate, knowing you were going to be okay.”
    He chuckled. “You're… something. Thank you for stopping by. Come in and stay awhile. You can help me pack since I procrastinated.”
    “I knew I should have tried to meet up with you later instead.” She scrunched up her nose but winked at him, sure signs she was only teasing. He stepped away from the door frame so she could walk inside.
    ****
    Arial took a good look around before putting her box on the floor and giving him a hug, pulling him tight against her body. That was what she had really been wanting to do ever since he'd walked away. Hold him, comfort him, and find a way to ease the pain he must have been feeling. His arms wrapped around her, and she snuggled her face against the strong muscles of his chest. She couldn't help but notice how fast his heart was beating, almost in sync with her own. What could it possibly mean? she wondered.
    She knew better than to linger, however. There was no way he could know how she felt, not yet. It was too soon to say anything and insensitive to his feelings. So she pulled away but held his hands in her own. “There, now I feel better.”
    “Me, too,” he said. Bryce held her hands for a moment before letting go, and she was saddened when he stepped away to go to the back of the trailer.
    ****
    Bryce picked up a picture and put it into a box without looking at it again. Now that he was no longer alone, the process felt smoother, easier. “You know, I'm surprised at how much I don't miss her,” he confessed.
    She glanced at him briefly as she picked up some smaller things of his and started to put them in the box as well. “You don't? But you were together for so long.”
    “Together, but not together, if you know what I mean. The past couple of years I barely saw her outside of work. Being on set here isn't exactly good quality time. Between her projects and mine, we didn't do a whole lot. I talked to you more on the phone and through webcam than I did her. Like I said before, we grew apart. And while she hasn't given me a straight-out answer as to why she did it, I think that's what it was. The reason I mean. I feel a loss, but I also feel relief, too. Is that weird?” He lifted his gaze and met her startling blue eyes. There was so much caring in her expression. She was actually listening to him.
    Slowly, Arial shook her head. “It's not weird. Perhaps you're just seeing how you're not as meant to be as you once thought. To be honest, I'm surprised it lasted as long as it did. You two were total opposites. I know, I know, opposites attract, but you couldn't agree on anything, it seemed. She wanted to party; you wanted to stay at home. There's a lot of stuff you've given up for her. Family, marriage, I know you want those things someday.”
    “Yes,” he whispered and left it at that. There was so much more he could say to defend himself and why he had stayed for so long, even though he knew he shouldn't have. He didn't want to give excuses. It had been his decision to stick things out with Katie, to keep loving her, despite their differences. She wanted to live like she was forever going to be twenty-one. He, on the other hand, knew he was twenty-eight and not getting any younger.
    Family had always been one of the most important things in his life. They'd been through so much