Scars Deeper Than Fire

Axel Cheatum was the biggest baby about pain. No one knew that better than me. Dude could get a paper cut and act like he needed a hospital.I did all the cooking, all the chopping. Always careful. Always thinking about those hands—the same ones that used to kill it on the piano.And now? For her? He was ready to snap his own bones and rip off his own skin.Blood poured down his arms, but he didn't even flinch. Just looked at us and said, "Please. Take care of her. She's almost full-term."Full-term.I froze, head spinning.My oxygen tank was almost dead, and the fire outside was getting ugly fast.Junk around the building went up in flames. A wall of fire exploded right in front of me.Axel, all beat to hell, was still clutching her like she was the only thing that mattered."Axel!" she gasped.He brushed her hair back. "Told you I wouldn't let you get hurt. Not even a little."He stood there, bloody and wrecked, shielding her from everything.Tears filled his eyes as he s

"Axel, when I heard the explosion, I was so scared. Are you okay?"The lights swung around, and for the first time, I saw her face.It hit me like ice water straight to the heart.Every nerve in my body went numb.It was her.The girl I once carried out of a burning school.The girl who lost her family.The girl I took into my home for half a year.And now? She was clinging to my husband, rocking clothes bought with my money, carrying his baby.Gloria Hole.Couldn't have made it up if I tried.Gloria saw me staring and ducked behind Axel like a scared kid."Why are you looking at my wife like that? Go get an ambulance. She needs a hospital," Axel snapped.Ambulances were scarce out here. Remote spot, slow response."Captain, you're hurt bad. When the next one comes, you should go first. We'll handle things here, " my team said.I nodded, every bone in me screaming.But when the ambulances showed up?Axel and Gloria climbed right in. Both of them."My captain's burns a

The reporter looked like she'd been hit by a truck.She kept stammering, asking over and over about me and Axel.When I showed her the photos on my phone, the marriage certificate, the prenatal reports—she cracked.Even she couldn't stomach it.Honestly, I couldn't either.That day, when I couldn't reach Axel, I would've rather heard he was dead than see what I actually saw.Him. Tangled up with Gloria.It wrecked me in one breath.The reporter left, crying.No idea what story she ended up writing. Didn't care.As soon as I could walk, I found a lawyer. Got the divorce papers ready."Axel!"Caught him in the hallway, lugging a big trash bag. He froze like a guilty kid.After a weird pause, he said, "You're out? I... I was gonna visit you."I wheeled myself forward. He jumped in the way."Don't go in. Gloria gave birth early 'cause of the fire. She's resting. You're still sick—you'll spread it to her and the baby."He grabbed my hand, spotted the divorce papers, and sigh

"It's not like that, officer," Axel said. "We know each other. My wife's just mad. It's nothing serious. Not trespassing."The officer looked at me. I just shook my head.I pointed at the baby gear. "Those are mine. Gifts from my parents, way before the marriage. He gave them away without asking. I want them back."Gloria kept throwing Axel those sad puppy eyes, probably hoping he'd start a fight and give her a chance to bolt.I didn't bother with drama. "Get out. Take your crap and leave. Now."After poking around, the cops confirmed the house was mine and Gloria was just squatting. They told her to pack it up.I made sure every single thing that was mine came back with me.When I took the lucky charm off the baby's neck—the one I'd bought for my kid—I looked straight at Axel."Do you know how my child died?"Axel sneered. "How else? Your job. You never knew when to quit, and the kid didn't make it. Told you before—women should stay backstage in firefighting. No one expects y

Gloria didn't say a word. She just grabbed the baby and bolted, leaving all her stuff behind like it didn't even matter.Axel stood there, useless, like his brain short-circuited.Fathers never felt it the same way.Especially not Axel. I hadn't even told him early on. When he found out the baby was gone, it barely fazed him.But now, with his own blood crumpled in his hands like trash, he finally cracked."I didn't recognize you," he mumbled. "I didn't know you were pregnant. I was just thinking about Gloria's baby."I picked up my little girl and looked him dead in the eye."Didn't you say you loved little girls the most?" I said, setting her tiny body back into his hands. "The doctor said she would've been tall. Maybe an artist.""I'm sorry, honey."First time he'd ever said that. Took him long enough.I looked at him and felt nothing.Whatever was left got buried with my baby.No love, no hate—just a hole where everything used to be."Don't call me 'honey.' Everyone th