Nebulous || Evan Buckley [1]

chapter twenty one

setting boundaries

Eddie emerged into a local bar that he's gone out to drink a few times since arriving from Texas late at night. His tía took Christopher for the night to give him a break until tomorrow morning. When he furthered into the place, his eyes immediately landed on the brunette alone at the bar.

"Quite a drink you got there," His voice captured the brunette's attention amid sipping the straw of a colorful margarita glass. He asked for a beer from Amy the barista and settled besides her.

Josephine licked her lips, narrowing. "And it is delicious, thanks to the lovely Ames." She motioned to the barista before winking at her.

Amy playfully rolled her eyes when she served Eddie his beer. "I'm guessing she's the one that called you up?" She slurred, proceeding to sip more of the margarita. "Unless you'd like to do a tequila shot with me, Edmundo."

"Maybe, we should lay off the tequila shot or ordering any more drinks that you'll regret the next morning."

She scoffed laying eyes on her drink, twirling the straw. "Regret. Telling Buck, I have feelings for him is part of the reason why I'm trying chug as much alcohol to erase that memory. More so, the part of confronting and rejecting me."

Josephine hadn't remembered half the things she said nor done in the time of being high. Buck had taken her aside in the locker room the first shift since the incident to speak about their last conversation. It started to piece together once he explained as the reason why he acted distant days after.

Her heart practically stopped while masking an embarrassed expression as he continued to circle around the topic. He wasn't keen to carry the conversation from his remorseful looks and shifting in his stance. The last thing Buck wanted to do was to break Josephine's heart, he practiced and written down in coming about it. Guaranteed, their friendship was important to him, yet bits of his heart still yearned for Abby.

A rough sigh left her lips as she raked her fingers into her hair. "Everything is so weird and complicated." She grimaced reflecting at the conversation. She couldn't be more grateful for the horrid conversation to end- for the awkwardness settling between the latter to prolong in their shifts.

"We were drugged, Josie. When intoxicated our lips let loose with what's supposed to be kept under wraps." He told her, assuring to not beat herself too much. "I'm sure for Buck it was hard to sort out his thoughts and feelings, especially how close you two are. This is only a rough patch in which you'll overcome."

"We've only exchanged three sentences in one shift, Eddie. He's been avoiding me around the firehouse, in the truck, and on the scene during our calls." She appeared unconvinced by his solemn response. "Besides, it's unprofessional of me to let myself fall for someone in my line of work. This would only jeopardize my career in the long run." She began to think aloud, having to not put much thought into romanticizing a relationship with a colleague.