"𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧."
-ˋˏ ༻✧𓆩♡𓆪✧༺ ˎˊ-

SATURN AMELIA STRAND SAT IN HER newly waxed silver chrome Infinity car as she rummaged through her bag to desperately find her phone. Sadie had a precise schedule with her older twin brother, T.K. Strand and they would call each other everyday  as a daily checkup to make sure they were doing okay.

Sadie pulled out her iPhone, which was bedazzled in a transparent clear case jeweled with faux diamonds that one of the kids she used to babysit made. Once she retrieved her phone, Sadie was quick to press on T.K.'s contact and pressed the speaker button while putting it on the dashboard as she braided her hair for work.

"Aren't you supposed to be on your shift right now?" T.K. asked in an exuberant teasing manner. Sadie rolled her eyes at her brother and continued to braid her chestnut brown hair.

"As a matter of fact, I'm in front of the firehouse right now, so I'm technically at work right now," Sadie said, looking at her brother and shaking her head proudly.

Sadie had a jubilant joyful personality that radiated on her co-workers. Whenever she walked into the firehouse, her soft and gentle tone of voice instantly soothed and fabricated their day into something blissful.

"Yeah, yeah, but Sades, I have to tell you something. It's important." Sadie instantly noticed the change in T.K.'s demeanor and her body stiffened, nervous for what he had to say.

"What is?" Sadie's heart was palpitating faster by the second, holding in her breath while eagerly holding the phone up to her ear so she could have her brother's undivided attention.

"I want to ask Alex to marry me." Sadie's jaw dropped slightly, her voice feeling completely useless, the lump in her throat growing.

"Sadie please say something." Sadie utterly despised Alex, T.K's boyfriend. She wasn't sure what it was, but Sadie simply didn't have a good feeling about the man and her stomach twisted and churned whenever he was around her brother.

She wanted to immediately tell T.K., no and he deserves better, but she also knew how much he cared for him, so what left her mouth next, was inarticulable.

"Oh," Sadie muttered and paused for a second before clearing her throat, "well, if you think he's the one, then go for it T.K., either way, I'm proud of you and I will support you no matter what."

Even though Sadie couldn't see T.K.'s face, she knew that he had an ecstatic smile plastered onto his face and she couldn't help but reciprocate the smile on the other end of the line. With all of the emotional and physical trauma, both twins went through, they vowed that they would be there for each other, no matter what.

"I was hoping you would say that. Thank you, Sadie, I love you. I should let you get to work now." 

"Talk to you later, bro. I love you more." With that, Sadie hung up her phone and released an exhasperated sigh before walking out of her car and slamming the car door gently, striding brightly into the firehouse.

She walked towards her captain, Evan Buckley, Howie Han and Henrietta Wilson who all gleamed at the sight of the youngest firefighter.

"Good morning my sweet children."

"You know you're the youngest one here right, Sades?" Buck asked in a tone he knew would irritate the young Strand. Sadie smiled at him sarcastically while flipping him off, Buck pretending to be offended as he dramatically put his hand over his chest.

"So why does it seem like I'm the one babysitting you all the time," Sadie retaliated, raising her eyebrows.

"You know, your joyful personality is too bright, I'm afraid we will have a fire in the firehouse one day," Buck said, an 'o' shape forming on Sadie's mouth.

"That was cruel, Evan Buckley."

"You know you love me." Once the two firefighters were done with their daily bickering session, her co-workers continued to talk about how Buck was likely to lose the firefighter calendar for the month and as much as Sadie wanted to tease Buck about it, her mind was crowded with the thought of T.K.

Sadie's sibling sense was going off the radar and a deep sharp pain in her stomach told her that something bad is going to happen.

"Okay, but that is a beautiful man." Sadie's clouded mind soon diminished when she heard Chimney's voice, being intrigued about what he was talking about.

"Where's the lie? And I like girls." Now Sadie's interest was fully piqued. She turned her body around to see a man, who had a burly muscular build, his brunette hair draping slightly over his forehead as he put on his 'Los Angeles Fire Department' shirt on his body fit body.

"Who the hell is that?" Buck asked with detest laced in his voice. Sadie simply stood there, not sure how to react. Sure the man was gorgeous, but the last time Sadie had his indescribable feeling in her head, it led to her having a wonderful boyfriend, now ex-boyfriend, who then traumatized for the rest of her life, leaving mental and physical scars.

And what was worse, was that her ex was on the loose, leaving a very anxious and worried Sadie fearing for her life every night whenever she sleeps in her apartment.

"That is Eddie Diaz. Graduated top of his class this week. Guys over at Station Six were dying to have him, but I convinced him to join us."

For the first time in a long time, Sadie Strand was speechless. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Sadie insisted to hold her head down, not daring to look up, because she knew if she did, then she would be completely engulfed by his beauty.

However, when Sadie felt a searing stare burn into her thick skull, she reluctantly raised her head up to see the new recruit staring at her intently. Feeling her face burn in embarrassment, she promptly held her head back down and attempted to walk away from the crew. But that didn't last when she felt a pair of hands on her shoulders, leading her to the locker room where Eddie Diaz was standing at.

"Hen, what are you doing?"

"What? You don't want to meet our new crew member?" Hen asked in a knowing tone. Hen noticed the way Sadie looked completely flustered whenever Eddie would look at her.

"N-No, I do. I just needed to go...uh pee!" Sadie tried to lie, but she knew Hen saw right through her. Everyone in the 118 treated Sadie as a daughter and for Buck, she was his sister. They all knew her too well, seeing right through her facades.

"Uh-huh, sure. Come on, honey. You're going to have to meet him sooner or later," Hen said, practically pushing Sadie towards the new recruit. Subconsciously fixing her hair, and pursing her lips into a thin line, Sadie reluctantly walked over to the locker room and Bobby introduced the firefighters.

"Eddie, this is Hen, Chimney, and Sadie," Bobby stated as he said their names, his hand pointing to each them. Eddie smiled at all of them, but when his eyes met Sadie's, his facial expression faltered slightly, instantly noticing that something was wrong with the girl.

"Hi Sadie, it's nice to meet you," Eddie spoke softly with a radiant smile when she didn't speak to him, or anyone for that matter. Sadie lifted her head up, seeing Eddie's features close up and her eyes beamed in interest with the combination of anxiety and excitement.

"Hi," Sadie muttered barely above a whisper. Hen, Bobby, and Chimney stared at the young firefighter with confusion, completely confused why Sadie wasn't her loud, cheerful, and positive self.

Sadie was quiet and that worried her family.

"I'm sorry about Sadie. I promise you, she isn't usually like this," Chimney said to Eddie and everyone in the room, including the new recruit, had worry laced in their eyes.

Eventually, one by one, the firefighters stepped outside of the locker room to give Eddie some privacy and Sadie was nearly one step away from the doorknob until she felt a gentle grip on her wrist pull her back.

Turning around, Sadie was met with the familiar brown doe eyes and his touch sent a warm feeling in her body, a sensation of comfort tracing her nerves. But out of fear and the sudden slam of her traumatic memories, Sadie pulled her wrist out of his grip, alerting Eddie's suspicions that they were indeed true.

"Are you okay, Sadie?" Eddie asked, knowing something was off with the girl. Eddie grew up with sisters and he sensed the uneasiness in Sadie, just like he did with his sisters. It was only the two of them in the locker room, but the hot tension that filled the space, was enough for Sadie to feel the incessant pitter-patter feeling in her racing chest.

"I'm fine," Sadie said, attempting to plaster the best smile she could in order to please Eddie so he would stop asking her questions. As Sadie was about to leave the locker room again, she suddenly felt both of her wrists being held by Eddie's large hands.

He closed the locker room door, preventing her from leaving and he stood close to her, but not too close where she was uncomfortable. He stared down at her and she looked up at him, the height difference becoming more conspicuous as the two firefighters looked in the eyes of one another.

"I'm ex-military, Sadie. I've been taught to detect every detail in the field and right now, I see something is wrong."

Sadie debated for a split second whether or not she should actually tell him what was on her mind. For some reason, Sadie felt genuine concern in Eddie's voice and it threw her off. The way his soothing voice pierced her ears, drove Sadie to feel an impulsive surge of serenity. 

But she pushed aside those feelings as fear overwhelmed her.

"Welcome to the 118, Eddie," Sadie muttered with an unpretentious smile forming on the edge of her lips. She got out of Eddie's grip and walked out of the locker room, leaving Eddie standing in the middle, sighing in concern and frustration.

Once Sadie was completely out of the room and out of his sight, Eddie whispered something to himself. "Thank you, Sadie."

His tone of voice was quiet and for some reason, his mind was focused on how Sadie was acting weird.  Even though he has never met her before, it seemed apparent to Eddie that she wasn't usually this gloomy. Weaving his hand through his structured hair, Eddie huffed once more before putting on his shoes, walking out to the rest of the crew.

But the only thing on his mind was Sadie.

AHHHH I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED THE FIRST CHAPTER!!!

so for this book, I'm going to change the timeline a little bit for lonestar so it can correlate with the story better!!!

ily all and i can't wait to write more of this story hehe