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My jaw locks hard, and I think I might crack a tooth. I scrub my hands through my hair and then lift the tail of my T-shirt to wipe the sweat off my face. "I'm good."

"I know you well enough to know that's not good, Sully. I'm just grateful you're off duty because you can't take that with you into a fire."

I swallow hard, knowing he's right. "I'll handle it. I'll be good to go on shift."

"What happened?" Gabe asks again, his tone making it clear I'm not the only one determined to get answers that day.

Gabe is family. When you put your life on the line day in and day out, eat and sleep and workout with a crew, you become family. If that's not enough, Gabe knows my history. He was there the night my sister died because he was one of the first responders on the scene. One of the first to roll in and find me cradling Kelsey and sobbing uncontrollably as a high-school senior.

He saw me break that night. Pulled me away from her screaming in anger and grief. He even checked on me later, which was how we became friends. The day I graduated high school, I signed up to become a firefighter and EMT. All because of Gabe acting as a friend and even mentor at times. He was a leader then, too, and he kept me from spiraling out completely by getting me to focus on something else.

"We aren't leaving this room, Sully. Not until you tell me what's going on. I haven't seen you like this for a long time. Not since…"

His words trail off, and I blame sweat for the sting in my hot eyes. I shake my head, and a part of me wants to confide in my friend, but Violet's story isn't my story to tell. Which pisses me off even more. She shouldn't have a story like that. "I…got some bad news."

"Keep going."

I move to the weight bench and use the weight left behind by someone else. It's too heavy for me, which means it was probably Kace, the big, burly guy that he is. He's working his way back to preinjury stamina and strength and already out-lifting us all.

Gabe comes over to spot me.

I make two lifts but struggle with the third, and Gabe helps set the bar.

"Guess we're doing this the hard way then," he mutters. "I'm assuming this has to do with Violet since you two were seen riding around all over the island?"

Small towns have nothing on island gossip mills. Combine the two when it's technically winter and the locals are bored, and⁠—

"Come on, Hollywood. Surely a girl's turned you down at least once before? And Vi's not the type to be cruel."

I sit up and dig my elbows into my thighs, burying my face in my hands as though it's possible to rub away the pain I feel burning in my chest for her. For all she's been through. "What if—hypothetically—you went digging into Bronwyn's past and…found out something she hasn't told you?"

Gabe and Bronwyn are a happy couple now, but differences early on nearly kept them apart. Gabe nearly kept them apart.

"Hypothetically, huh?"

"I can't give you details," I say softly. "But I have to work off some of my anger before I see her."

"What could she have done that's so bad, Sully?"

I realize I'm not making sense and shake my head. "Violet isn't to blame. She didn't do anything wrong." Except marry the wrong guy.

Just like my sister.

"So all of this is because of something that was done to her," he surmises. "I'm sorry, Sully. I hate to hear that. Finding that out has to bring up the past for you."

I nod, because it's all I can manage.

Gabe curses under his breath, looking angry now too. And pained as he pieces together what I'm not saying about a woman everyone in town cares for and likes.

I'm aware of Gabe slowly moving to the wall in front of me, sliding down the length so we sit facing each other.

"Listen to me. Whatever happened before? It doesn't apply here. Violet's alive, Sully. That's all you need to focus on. She made it. Don't put her in the past or push her away because you're stuck reliving something that can't be changed. Look to the future you can have because she is still here."

I grip my hands so tightly my knuckles pop. "Doesn't mean I don't want to lock her away somewhere safe and throw away the key."

"That's understandable. Illegal," he says dryly, "but understandable. Try to focus on what you can do to make her feel safe instead."

I nod at that bit of advice. I'll get there.