Falyn held my hand and squeezed, her body sinking further into the sofa. Darby brought us coffee and a plate of donuts, but no one touched the food.
Trex came over, sitting in the chair adjacent to the sofa.
“Any word?” I asked.
Trex shook his head, discouraged.
“What about the rescue team?” Falyn asked.
“Nothing,” Trex said. “I’m sorry. My guys only give visual confirmation, and they haven’t seen anyone in an hour. The helos are up with spotlights, but the smoke is making it difficult to see.” He glanced at Darby, wishing he had better news. “I’m going to call them in ten minutes. I’ll let you know the second I hear anything.”
I nodded, and then the lobby doors swept open.
Tyler walked in, his skin black with soot. He removed his hard hat, and Falyn stood and I jumped up, sprinting toward him and hitting him at full speed.
“Oh my God,” I cried softly into his ear. “Oh my God, you’re here. You’re back.” I leaned back, seeing the matching clean streaks striping his cheeks. I hugged him again, and he squeezed me tight.
“We didn’t find him. I can’t find him, Ellie,” he choked out.
“We had to drag him out,” Jubal said, wiping his dirty forehead with the back of his wrist. He looked exhausted, clean lines fanning out from around his eyes.
“No!” Falyn cried.
Tyler released me and walked over to Falyn, pulling her into his arms. He whispered in her ear as she shook her head, and then her knees gave way, her wails filling the lobby.
My eyes blinked open, hearing the middle of Tyler and Falyn’s conversation. She was going to work, unable to sit around and wait any longer.
“Are you going back out?” she asked.
“I’m not sure they’ll let me. I might have punched one or two people before they removed me from the area,” Tyler said.
“He’s your brother,” Falyn said. “They’ll understand.”
Tyler tensed, and I reached up to touch his shoulder. “He’s going to walk in that door any second. They haven’t found them. That’s a good thing.”
He nodded.
“Come on. Let’s get you a shower.” I stood, pulling Tyler with me. He stumbled to the elevator and then down the hall to our room. I guided him in and to the bathroom, where I unbuttoned his shirt, hooking it on the door, and then pulled off his undershirt, and then the rest of his clothes and boots.
I reached over to twist the knob to the shower, checking the temperature before I let him step in. He closed the curtain, but I could hear him crying.
I leaned my head against the wall, closing my eyes, taking in deep, cleansing breaths to ease the stress and the sudden, deep thirst making my entire body ache. I thought about Stavros and how easy it would be to talk him into a beer for Tyler. Just one. I was tired, and afraid, and worried for Tyler, but I had to be present. I had to stay sober. I stood up, refusing to give in. It was the first craving of many, but I only had to get through one at a time.
Tyler turned off the water and I handed him a towel. He dried off his face and then wrapped the towel around his waist, hugging me against the wall. I placed my hand on the back of his neck, kissing his cheek.
“He’s coming back,” I whispered. “We should get back down there. You’ll want to be there when he walks in the door.”
Tyler nodded, then wiped his nose, turning to rinse his mouth and dress again. He held my hand as we walked downstairs, stopping when he stepped into the lobby. His brother was chatting with a small group, just as filthy as Dalton and Zeke standing next to him. They were shaking hands and hugging the remaining Alpine crew.
“You stupid dick,” Tyler said, stomping over to his brother. They hugged each other so hard I heard their fists pound their backs. Tyler lost it.
My eyes filled with tears, and Trex hooked his arm around my shoulders as we watched Taylor and Tyler reunite. I gave them a moment, and then I walked over to them, inserting myself into their embrace.
“Hey,” Taylor said, a tear dripping off the end of his nose.
“Falyn was here,” I said.
Taylor pulled away. “What? She was here?” he asked, pointing to the floor.
I nodded. “She waited here all night. Worried sick. You should call her.”
Taylor patted his pockets, looking for keys. He pointed to Tyler. “Love you, brother. I gotta see about a girl.”
“Get outta here, shit stain. Don’t come back ‘til she’s yours.”
Taylor ran to his truck, squealing his tires.
Tyler turned and threw his arms around me. “Fuck,” he said, letting out a sigh of relief.
The crew patted him on the back, just as relieved and emotional as Tyler. I hugged Zeke and Jew, and then the rest of the guys while Tyler spoke with a few of the officials.
He came back to me, lifting me into his arms and carrying me to the elevators while the hotshots made ridiculous hooting noises and catcalls.
My eyes were suddenly heavy, and I leaned against his shoulder. The elevator chimed and Tyler stepped inside, maneuvering a bit so I could press the button to the second floor. He carried me to the room, and again waited while I touched the key card to the lock. The door clicked, and Tyler pressed down on the handle, pushed the door with his foot, and then lowered me to the bed.
I snuggled up to his neck, melting against him as he enveloped me in his arms.
“I didn’t know Falyn and Taylor were having problems.”