Playing with fire (Amelia Shepherd) ABANDONED

Fourteen

"Thank you for coming, mi amor," Mallie grinned as Amelia walked into Maya and Andy's apartment for the party to celebrate Andy's medal of Valor.

"I didn't come alone," Amelia said, stepping aside and pulling Saffie out from behind her back. "Guess who got back from her trip to Spain?" she said.

"Saf!" Mallie smiled, pulling her sister into a hug. Saffie had spent the last two weeks in Spain with their father to keep him company now he was living in an assisted facility. He and his health had rapidly declined in the four months since Bella had died.

"Oh, mija, I missed you. God, papí is a nightmare. That man, I think he's losing it," Saffie said.

"Sí, Saffie, he never had it to begin with," Mallie laughed, pulling them inside the apartment. "C'mon. We're near Andy's bedroom and she could be having sex with Ryan again any second now, so we don't want to be near there," Mallie said.

"Oh, please. Like I haven't heard you two going at it like rabbits," Saffie cackled, walking over to Travis, Dean and Ben.

"She has a point, baby," Amelia smirked.

"Shut up," Mallie rolled her eyes fondly, pulling Amelia over to her friends, too.

"You know Sullivan is here, right?" Amelia said quietly. Mallie looked over her shoulder, seeing he was sharing a toast with Andy. Mallie raised her eyebrows but just shrugged, turning back to Amelia.

"He's our captain," she said.

"That's mature. I thought you hated him," Ben said.

"He's family, I guess. I mean, he helped raise me and he's our captain. Andy wants him here, so he's here," Mallie shrugged.

"I'm proud of you," Amelia grinned, kissing Mallie quickly. "Being all mature. Who knew?" she said.

"Shut up," Mallie laughed, wrapping her arms around Amelia's waist.

"Your phone," Amelia groaned as Mallie's phone kept vibrating before their alarm had even gone off.

"If it's work, I'm gonna quit," Mallie mumbled, slapping her hand around her bed for her phone. She grabbed it and blinked at the screen while she unlocked her phone to the message.

Jennifer Ripley:

Hey kiddo, just checking in... Don't know if you know her but Lucas told me he's dating a firefighter? Said you knew her and liked her. Is she good for him?x

"Who is it?" Amelia mumbled.

"Ripley's sister, Jennifer. I speak to her like, once a month? She checks in, I check in, we talk shit about Ripley. He's got a girlfriend apparently, one that I know, and she wants to know about her," Mallie said.

"He has a girlfriend?" Amelia asked.

"I didn't know he did," Mallie said.

Mallie Cruz:

hi jen. that's the first i've heard about it. did he say a name?

Jennifer Ripley:

He hasn't told you?x

Mallie Cruz:

no?

Jennifer Ripley:

He said she was called Vic Hughes? She's at Station 19. That's where you are, aren't you?x