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Well done, Jenny. Really nailed it this time. Nothing like a literal fall from grace to put things in perspective.
Lying flat on her back, wedged between two scratchy rocks and the dirty ground, legs screaming with pain, Jenny stared up at the patch of blue sky framed by Topanga State Park's cliff edge and thought about all the things she could've done differently today.
Number one: not letting her boyfriend, Matt, talk her into the 'cooler shortcut'.
"See, babe," he'd said about an hour earlier, consulting his hiking app like it held the secrets of the universe, "this trail goes along that little ravine. It'll be shaded and has a great view!"
She should've known the words little ravine and great view were code for imminent doom.
Now her legs hurt badly. Like 'maybe they aren't supposed to bend that way' badly, and her pride was even more bruised than her butt. And that was saying something, considering she'd landed directly on her butt after her legs gave out from under her.
Somewhere above, Matt was pacing and apologizing profusely. Next to him was a LAFD firefighter with a nice voice - calm, firm - who had called down to her.
"I'm coming down to get you, ma'am. Just hang tight. We'll get you out safe."
Ma'am? Excuse you, Jenny thought. I'm thirty-eight, not eighty.
Then she saw the firefighter's face as he rappelled down the rock wall with confident ease and decided that maybe she'd allow one ma'am. Just from this one.
He was tall, broad-shouldered, clearly built for hauling people out of canyons. There was something boyish about him, a red mark over his eyes, and some dark lines underneath - he looked a bit tired, but it hadn't ruined his ability to smile.
"Hi there, ma'am," he said as his boots touched down on the ledge beside her. "My name's Buck. I'm here to get you out, safe and sound."
She blinked. "Yeah. Wow, that was fast. But first of all, it's Jenny. You keep calling me ma'am, and I'm going to assume you think I'm old enough to be your mom."
"Jenny," he repeated, softer now. "Got it." He gave her a sheepish smile as he knelt beside her. "We try to be as fast as possible. How're you holding up?"
Before she could answer, he gently reached into his pack and pulled out a soft, padded neck brace. "Just to be safe," he said, voice calm and reassuring as he carefully placed it around her neck. "Standard procedure when there's a fall like this, okay?"
Jenny tried not to wince as it clicked into place. "Sure. Add fashion victim to my list of injuries."
Buck grinned at that, then shifted to haul a bright orange carry harness from his side. He unfolded it with practiced ease and positioned it next to her with a few swift movements. It had sturdy straps, padded supports, and metal clips that promised safety but also looked a little uncomfortable.
"Well," she said, swallowing a groan as he adjusted the sling under her, "both of my legs have apparently decided to betray me. So I'd give it about a six out of ten."
Buck chuckled softly. "Okay, six out of ten's not too bad. Let's aim for a seven by the time we're topside."
He worked efficiently, talking her through everything he was doing, explaining what each strap was for, how the carry harness worked, and warning her gently before every movement. There was something soothing about his voice, like a low hum that made the pain more bearable. She appreciated the professionalism.
Also, the arms. His arms were very professional.
"I know this part isn't fun," he murmured as he gently slid a brace around each leg to stabilize them. His hands moved carefully, adjusting and securing with the kind of attention that made her feel like she wasn't just another job. "But once we get you up top, the paramedic will give you something for the pain. I promise."
Jenny tried to focus on the cliff face she'd have to be hoisted up. The same cliff face she'd fallen from. The same cliff face that now looked about three times taller than it had a minute ago.
"Okay," she said, eyeing the cliff above her. "So, just to be clear… we're really doing this? Like, I'm going up that? Dangling like a very nervous burrito?"
Buck glanced up toward the top, then down at her with a calm, confident smile. "Yep. A secure, fire-department-approved burrito. I've got you the whole way, I promise."
"I mean, that's good," Jenny muttered, her voice tightening. "Because I gotta be honest, this is not how I imagined leaving the trail today. I thought maybe… granola bar, a few cute selfies, not lifted out like a dangling sack of regret."
Buck laughed under his breath as he tightened the last strap. "We could still get a selfie after this. You know, commemorate your triumphant ascent."
"Thank God you have humor," she said, letting out a chuckling breath. "I was worried I was… I don't know, making everyone's day worse."
"No," he said, as he double-checked her shoulder strap. "Saving people's the best part of my shift. Well… not the falling and breaking bones part. That is definitely not great. Sorry about that."
Jenny squinted up at him, face pinched in a mix of pain and exasperation. "Yeah, I'm… definitely in pain. But honestly? More embarrassed. I mean - seriously - I'm thirty-eight. I should know better than to follow my boyfriend off the main trail just because he said it looked 'cool' on his app. That's the kind of decision you make at twenty-one. Maybe twenty-five, max."
"Well, it happens," Buck said sincerely, adjusting the stabilizer on her right leg. "And hey - you stayed calm. That helps a lot."
"Thanks," she muttered. "I… I don't feel calm."
Buck raised his brows. "You didn't scream. You didn't flail. That's already better than my last canyon rescue. He gave me a black eye."
Jenny blinked. "Seriously?"
He nodded. "Full swing to the face. Reflex. He was very apologetic."
"Well," Jenny said dryly, "I do aim to be above average. Always a goal to beat the previous canyon casualty."
Buck smiled as he leaned over her, checking her rig one last time. "Okay, Jenny," he said, voice calm and focused, "you ready to go up?"
She stared at the rope above her again. "Do I have a choice?"
"Technically, no," Buck admitted. Then, a little softer, "But I'll be right with you. You're not alone."
Jenny took a breath and gave him the smallest nod she could manage. "Alright then. Let's fly with Burrito Airlines."
Buck chuckled. "I'm stealing that name for the team chat."
And with that, the winch kicked in with a gentle whir, and Jenny began to rise from the crevice.
She didn't scream. She just focused on the patch of sky above and the steady rhythm of Buck's voice next to her, calling, "You're doing amazing, Jenny. Almost there!"
The world tilted a little with every shift of the harness, but somehow his voice kept her grounded.
Once at the top, her body finally back on solid ground - well, technically not her feet, since both legs were very much out of commission - she felt like bursting into tears. Pain, relief, leftover panic… it all blurred together into one big emotional soup.
Buck was beside her instantly, unclipping her from the harness with practiced hands. Then he helped ease her onto a stretcher being held by another firefighter - this one a bit older, with steady hands and kind eyes, silver at his temples and a leader's presence.
"You made it," Buck said gently. "Told you I'd get you out."
"Yeah," she replied, breathless. "But I didn't realize the price of admission included full humiliation."
"Honestly?" Buck smirked as he adjusted the blanket over her legs. "I've had worse rescues."
Jenny gave him a mock glare. "Don't lie to a woman with two broken legs, Buck."
He grinned again, and damn it, that smile was really nice.
"Oh," she added, squinting against the sun. "Do me a favor and don't tell Matt that you had to literally carry me onto a sling. His fragile man-ego may not recover."
"I'll leave that part out," Buck promised. "Though technically, it was more fireman carry adjacent."
Just then, Matt came jogging up, flushed and frantic, skidding to a stop near the stretcher. "Jenny! Oh my God, are you okay? I'm so sorry. I should've never suggested that stupid trail! I didn't think it would be that steep and-"
She reached out and patted his arm weakly. "It's okay, honey. I'm alive, I didn't plummet into a bear den, and Buck here didn't drop me on the way back up. Let's call that a win."
Matt looked like he might cry anyway.
The firefighter holding the stretcher gave Jenny a reassuring smile. "I'm Captain Bobby Nash," he said, voice calm and warm. "We're going to take you to Cedars-Sinai. With the fractures, it's best we get you there quickly."
He turned to Matt. "If you're feeling steady, it would help if you walked back to your car and drove to the hospital. The hospital staff will check her in as soon as we land."
Matt nodded, already pulling out his keys. "Yeah, yeah, I'll go now. I'll be there before you even get checked in." He leaned down to kiss Jenny's forehead. "I'm so sorry. I'll see you soon, okay?"
"Drive safe," she muttered, watching him retreat like a kicked puppy.
Bobby turned to her with a warm, steady voice. "Well, I doubt he'll beat you there. He still has to hike back to the car, and by the time he's started the engine, you'll probably be halfway to the hospital."
He then gave a subtle hand signal to someone off to the side before returning his focus to her. "You took a nasty fall. We're going to check you over one more time here, then lift you to Cedars-Sinai. You're in good hands."
"Thanks," Jenny said, clutching the edge of the gurney like it might take off without her. "I mean… I'm not great, but I've been worse. Once, I walked into a sliding glass door at a party. Full sprint. It did not end well for the guacamole I already ate."
Bobby let out a small chuckle. "We'll make sure everything goes smoothly from here on out."
Then another firefighter stepped into view, and Jenny nearly forgot she was injured.
While Bobby radiated calm, competent dad-energy, this woman strode over with the confidence of someone who knew exactly what she was doing. Gorgeous skin, cheekbones, and cool glasses that somehow made her look even more intimidating in a very glamorous, firefighter-EMT-meets-model kind of way.
"Hi," the woman said with a grin beside her. "I'm Hen. I'm your paramedic today."
Jenny blinked. "Do all L.A. firefighters look like they walked out of a runway show, or is that part of the job requirement? First, Buck and Bobby, now you. Your bone structure is unfair."
Hen laughed, already pulling her stethoscope free. "We don't put that on the application, no. But thanks."
"Oh god," Jenny groaned, covering her face with her hands. "Did I say that out loud? Maybe I did hit my head after all."
"Yup, you definitely said it out loud," Hen said cheerfully, snapping on gloves. "And now I'm going to check your head just to be sure."
Hen moved efficiently, checking Jenny's pupils, asking all the right questions about dizziness, nausea, and memory, then gently examined the swelling around Jenny's legs. Her hands were confident and careful, her presence steady.
Somehow, Jenny felt weirdly safe. Not just physically, emotionally, too. Like Hen had done this a thousand times and would never let things fall apart on her watch.
"You got real lucky," Hen said, adjusting a strap. "Could've been much worse. Looks like fractures, yeah, but no signs of head trauma or spinal injury. We'll manage the pain, and the crew should be here any minute to take you."
Jenny nodded as Hen attached something to her IV line. "How long till that kicks in?"
"A couple of minutes," Hen replied, grinning. "Right around the time we get you to the helicopter."
"Helicopter?" Jenny echoed, eyes widening.
That's when Jenny heard it: the unmistakable thwump-thwump-thwump of rotor blades overhead. Dust blew across the clearing as the medevac chopper touched down just beyond the trees, kicking up dirt and leaves like a dramatic scene from an action movie.
Jenny looked toward the helicopter and noticed Buck had gone eerily quiet.
He stood at her side like a statue, jaw clenched, gaze locked on the chopper like it was some sort of haunted ghost. His shoulders were tense. His mouth moved faintly, and she could swear he muttered, "Of course…"
Hen and Bobby exchanged a brief glance.
Before Jenny could ask what that was about, Bobby's radio crackled to life.
"Hey Cap, this is Ravi," came a voice through the static. "Uh, Chim and I found two more hikers, about a mile off-trail. No phones, both severely dehydrated, borderline heatstroke. We need help. Is Hen still available?"
Bobby clicked her radio. "Copy that. She's on her way."
She turned to Jenny with an apologetic smile. "Duty calls. You'll be fine. Buck's going with you."
That snapped Buck back to life.
"Wait, what?" he blurted.
"You'll escort her to the hospital," Bobby said evenly. "We need Hen with the others. You've done escort rides before in the ambulance."
Buck looked as if he had just been asked to jump into a volcano. "Bobby, come on. They have their own medic on hand-"
"No, Air ops is short on staff this week. They told us one of us has to fly with the pilot. Chim's still with the new hikers, Ravi is too, and Hen is needed with them. You're it, Buck." Then, in a voice that brooked zero argument, he added, "Be professional. Just get in the bird. It'll only take a few minutes."
With that, Bobby was already gone, hurrying after Hen to assist the others.
Jenny tilted her head. "Wait… is flying unsafe ?"
Buck blinked and forced a smile that absolutely nobody bought. "No. Nope. Flying's totally fine."
"You look like someone just asked you to kiss a blender."
"It's just…" he muttered.
Jenny narrowed her eyes. "Are you afraid of flying?"
"No."
"You're afraid of flying."
"I am not afraid of flying."
"My mom used to get panic attacks on planes," Jenny said conversationally. "She once cried for three hours. They thought about an emergency landing in Colorado."
Buck choked on a laugh despite himself. "That's... vivid."
"I'm just saying, if you need to do breathing exercises, I know a few good ones," she offered. "Inhale through the nose, exhale through the trauma."
He laughed again, this time a little more genuinely. "No panic attacks, I promise. I've just got some… complicated feelings about this particular helicopter."
Jenny gave him a look. "Like a grudge? Against the helicopter?"
Buck didn't answer.
Which was weird.
The helicopter door opened, and a man in a flight suit stepped out. Tall. Clean-cut features. Stubble in a way that seemed intentional, like a well-framed photo. His gaze swept the clearing, then stopped on Buck.
Jenny felt the air shift.
Oh.
OH.
This was so not about the helicopter.
There was some kind of mutual 'Oh God, it's YOU ' energy sparking between the two men.
What is going on here? she asked herself, thankfully, in her head this time. Are they like mortal enemies?
The pilot finally stepped forward and offered her a warm, practiced smile that absolutely did not reach his eyes. "Hi there. I'm Tommy Kinard, I'll be flying you out today."
Jenny squinted at him. "Right. Of course you are. Because apparently everyone who works at the LAFD has to pass a headshot test first?"
Tommy blinked. Then laughed. "We try our best."
Jenny groaned and rubbed her forehead. "Sorry. Normally, I'm much better at keeping my thoughts inside my head. Must be the adrenaline. Or the meds. Or both. Probably both."
"No offense taken," Tommy said with a crooked smile.
Then his gaze shifted to Buck. His whole face rearranged itself, eyes narrowing slightly, smile gone. "Firefighter Buckley."
Buck's expression twisted through at least four different emotions in about two seconds before settling on a neutral nod. "Firefighter-pilot Kinard."
The awkward silence between them could have filled the entire canyon.
They stared. Still stared. Jenny wasn't even sure they were breathing. Finally, Buck cleared his throat. "I'm flying with you. Hen and Chim are needed with the other hikers."
"Great," Tommy said flatly.
That was the end of that thrilling conversation.
Without another word, the two of them moved to transport Jenny onto the chopper, each clearly doing everything in their power not to touch the other. Jenny was absolutely certain that if they brushed shoulders even slightly, the universe might implode from the tension.
As they loaded her in, she muttered, "Okay, that's not just totally awkward."
Neither man responded. Cool.
Once inside the helicopter, Tommy headed straight for the cockpit like it owed him money, while Buck climbed into the seat beside her, placing an aviation headset on her first, then himself, and strapping in with mechanical precision.
Jenny was a talker, always had been. Silence made her itch.
"So… is the weather okay for flying? Do we like the weather?" she asked brightly. "Seems like a nice day. Except for the whole falling-into-a-crevice thing."
"The weather is perfect for the flight, Jenny," Tommy answered.
Then silence again.
"Topanga's beautiful, though," she continued. "Y'know, before you're face-down in the dirt with your kneecaps somewhere near your ears."
Nothing.
The silence was thick. Heavy. Made of pure, undiluted resentment.
Jenny looked between them, brow furrowing.
Okay, she thought. Are they work enemies? They have to be. I don't think I'm getting frequent flyer miles from this trip.
Jenny had never considered herself particularly brave. But faced with this awkward, eye-twitching silence between two very tense, very attractive men, she knew she had a choice: suffer in silence… or do what she did best.
Babble.
"So, you know," she began brightly, "this whole thing - falling in a crevice in Topanga because my boyfriend insisted on taking the 'cooler shortcut' - is probably a metaphor, right? For my entire relationship?"
No answer. Of course not. But she forged on, leaning into it like she was running a parent-teacher conference with two very broody dads.
"I mean, I said we should stay on the trail. But Matt - Matt is one of those guys who always has a 'shortcut'. Like that time we wanted to go to IKEA in Burbank and ended up driving through four counties because he 'knew a faster way' - and we ran out of gas outside of Valencia." She laughed a little, then winced as her leg reminded her it was, in fact, broken.
Buck glanced at her with what looked like sympathy… or maybe relief that she was talking.
"So this time, we're hiking, and he says, 'Hey babe, there's this cool ridge trail that cuts across - more scenic, no tourists, super authentic L.A. experience.' And because I am a supportive partner, I say, sure, why not. And then boom. Hole. Gravity. Two broken legs and a new record in poor decision-making."
Tommy snorted from the front seat. Buck covered a smile with the back of his hand.
Jenny grinned, encouraged. "Honestly, I'm just saying. If your boyfriend leads you off a literal cliff, it might be time to reevaluate the relationship, right? Like… should I break up with him?"
Buck's laugh came out choked and way too delayed. He stiffened, turning to glare, not at her, but toward the front of the chopper.
"Well, I don't know," he said with a forced brightness that was practically violence. "What do you think, Tommy? Should she?"
Tommy's shoulders didn't even twitch. "Why would I know, Evan ?" he replied with a sigh.
"Oh, I don't know," Buck - Evan? - said, voice sharp and rising. "You seem to be the expert when it comes to breaking up."
Jenny's eyes widened.
Ohhhh.
OH.
Exes.
Exes exes exes.
Was she in the middle of a live-action soap opera in the sky?
Tommy muttered something that sounded like, "Well, it seems like I made the right decision. You made that clear."
Buck's head whipped around. "What does that mean?"
Jenny, professional teacher and veteran of ninth-grade hallway politics, raised both eyebrows. "Okay, wow. This is giving very strong 'two teenage boys fighting by the lockers' energy. Should I be your guidance counselor?"
Buck startled, then blinked at her.
"I'm a teacher," she explained with a shrug. "I spend ninety percent of my time navigating romantic meltdowns over Snapchats and cafeteria seating arrangements. This? This I can handle."
She smiled. And she felt a little lighter. The pain meds were kicking in. Buck looked half amused and half horrified. Tommy didn't turn around.
Finally, Buck sighed. "Fine. We were happy. Really happy. Up until our six-month anniversary."
"Let me guess," Jenny said, "someone forgot?"
"No," Buck said flatly. "Tommy got me basketball tickets."
Tommy cut in, voice defensive. "You always loved watching basketball with me! We met at a basketball game, Evan. You literally said that the game was fate. I thought it would be a nice callback."
Buck threw his hands up. "I don't like basketball, Tommy! I liked watching basketball with you because we were spending time together, and you always got so passionate about your team! That was the part I enjoyed."
There was a pause. The engines hummed. Jenny could feel the confusion radiating from the pilot's seat.
"Well," Tommy said slowly, "maybe you could've told me that before I bought seats for a fortune."
"I'm telling you now!" Buck said. He added in a quiet mutter, "Even though the thought was kind of cute..."
Jenny whistled. "Okay, that's romantic miscommunication. But nothing that can't be cleared up. Continue."
Buck turned to her, nodding gratefully. "On that same date, we ended up talking about exes. It came out - by complete chance - that we once dated the same woman. He was even engaged to her. And I… kinda spiraled about how he talked about the situation. I felt… weird. Upset."
Tommy finally turned in his seat slightly, one hand still on the controls. "And I apologized later for how I talked about it. But it's not like we'd spent hours discussing our dating histories, Evan. And that part of my life? It was shameful. Hurtful. I wasn't out. Not even close. It's not something I like to talk about."
Buck softened, just a little. "But I wanted to know those parts of you. I wanted to build something real."
Jenny gave him a small thumbs-up. "Healthy communication is really important in a relationship. Go on."
Buck nodded. "So, I talked to some people. Thought about it. Realized I overreacted. And on our next date, I told him that. That I liked him. A lot. And that I wanted to move forward. And Tommy - he dumped me!"
Tommy jerked in his seat and glared back. "That is not what happened."
"Oh really?"
"You… you painted me like I was some kind of gay saint! Like I was the first guy to ever come out, ever go through anything hard, ever walk into Pride with glitter and courage! Like I was the first one to throw a stone at Stonewall." Tommy's voice cracked, then steadied. "And I'm not. I'm still scared sometimes. Even now. You made me into this perfect image of what you wanted. I could never live up to that. You would've been so disappointed when you saw the mess I actually am-"
"I asked you to move in with me because I wanted a future!"
Jenny nearly yelled, "WHAT? "
Tommy laughed bitterly. "He did. Six months in. After our first fight. I have a house - my actual house - and he asked me to live in his bachelor's loft."
Buck looked wounded. "I wasn't attached to the loft! I would've moved in your house! I just… I wanted a future with you. That was the point I wanted to make."
Jenny blinked. "Okay, I was not prepared for this to become couples therapy, but I'm weirdly invested now."
Tommy's voice cut through the whir of the chopper blades like a scalpel.
"It was a spur-of-the-moment thing, Evan. Asking me to move in, I could see what you were doing. Trying to slap a bandage on the first real fight we had. I just knew… it wasn't going to work like that."
Jenny blinked. Oh good , she thought. Now we're digging into core fears. Mid-air.
"I was your first boyfriend, Evan. You were still figuring stuff out. That doesn't build the kind of relationship that lasts. As much as I wanted it to - God, as much as I like you - I wasn't going to be enough."
Buck snapped upright. "That is so not true. And I hate that you think you get to decide how I feel just because you've been through it longer." His eyes were bright now, cheeks flushed.
"Yes, you were my first boyfriend," he said, voice shaking. "But not my first relationship. I've had plenty, thank you. Just because they weren't with men doesn't mean I don't know the difference between a fling and something real. I know what I felt for you. I still know. I'm an adult, Tommy!"
Jenny raised a hand like she was refereeing a debate club final. "Okay, time out. Tommy - can I call you Tommy?"
Tommy hesitated, then gave a tiny nod from the front.
"Tommy, is there a chance that maybe… just maybe… you were assuming Buck's feelings based on your own past? Like, projecting?" she asked gently.
Silence.
Then a grumble. "Maybe," Tommy muttered. "Yeah. I mean. Probably." He sighed. "I'm sorry for… patronizing you, Evan. I really am. I didn't mean to act like I knew everything."
Buck's jaw unclenched a little.
"But," Tommy added more firmly, "I still don't think we should've moved in together at that point. It didn't matter whose place. It wasn't about that. We didn't really know each other. Not the real us. Not yet."
Buck exhaled hard. "Okay, fine. Maybe I rushed things. But that's something we could've worked on, Tommy. People make mistakes. You didn't have to break up with me."
"I didn't plan to," Tommy shot back, his voice cracking. "I panicked. I knew I was already too far in, and if you ever left… if it went wrong, I wouldn't recover. Not from you ."
Buck stared at him. "Tommy…"
"And I was right, wasn't I?" Tommy's voice dropped. "You said so yourself."
Jenny blinked. "Wait, what does he mean?"
Buck winced like someone had dropped a dumbbell on his foot.
Tommy filled in the silence bitterly. "A week ago, we ran into each other at a bar. Talked, caught up. Hooked up. I thought maybe… I thought it meant something. I woke up so damn happy, thinking we were back in each other's lives. I went to the corner store in my clothes from the night before! I made breakfast! I even bought some champagne!"
He swallowed. "I asked if we could try again. And Evan made it clear he had no feelings for me."
Jenny blinked in horror. "Ouch. Harsh."
"I didn't mean it like that !" Buck blurted, turning wide-eyed toward her.
Jenny tilted her head, eyebrows up, clearly not letting him off the hook. "Okay. So what did you mean to say?"
Buck winced. "We had such a good night. I mean, we laughed, we talked, we..." He glanced at Tommy, blushing slightly. "You know, did it."
Tommy muttered under his breath, "More like three times."
Jenny coughed loudly, hiding her smirk. "Wow. That's... definitely cardio."
Buck pushed on, ears pink. "And the next morning, I was happy. I wanted to try again as well! But then you -" he pointed at Tommy, "accused me of having feelings for Eddie. Eddie! "
Jenny blinked. "Wait, who's Eddie?"
Buck threw his hands up. "My best friend! My very platonic and straight best friend. And it really hurt, Tommy. That you said that. Like, did you think that the whole time we were together?"
Now it was Tommy who winced. His shoulders dropped as he looked back at Buck. "No. I mean, God, no. I'm sorry. I didn't really think that, Evan. I just-" He let out a long sigh. "Yeah, okay, I was kind of jealous of Eddie."
Jenny's eyes widened, leaning closer despite her strapped-in position. "Why was that Tommy?"
Tommy ignored her, focused entirely on Buck now. "It's not that I thought you were really into each other. I know what you two have is... deep and complicated and... safe. It's just…" He faltered. "You two have so much history . Years of it. And inside jokes and shared trauma and a bond I'll never fully understand. It felt like… like I was trying to build something with you in the shadow of something that already existed."
Buck was quiet for a second, taking that in.
Tommy continued, softer now, "I didn't mean to make you feel accused. I was just afraid. I didn't know how I fit into that picture."
Buck's voice cracked as he replied. "It's not a competition, Tommy. You were the one I wanted. You were the person I made time for, the one I looked forward to seeing. And yeah, what you said hurt me. So I said stuff I shouldn't have. I just... I needed you to know I don't have feelings for Eddie. And I will never have feelings for him. It's not because he's straight; it's because he's like my brother."
Tommy exhaled slowly, but there was still something behind his eyes.
"You also said," he added carefully, "that you don't have to have feelings for everyone you sleep with. That... that was right after we just... You know, did exactly that."
Jenny winced, "Yikes. Okay, yeah, that was... not ideal phrasing, Buck."
"I know ," Buck groaned, running both hands down his face. "I'm sorry. That was the worst thing I could've said. I just… God, I was trying to say I knew the difference. That I've had plenty of random hookups, sure, but what I had with you was different. I wanted something with you. You mattered."
Tommy's brows drew together, his voice rising. "Then why didn't you just say that?"
And that's when Buck snapped.
"BECAUSE I was still sad and mad at you, and sometimes it's hard to say I love you, you idiot!"
"GOOD, I love you too, you dummy!"
The words echoed in the cabin like a thunderclap.
They both blinked.
"Wait, what?" Buck said.
Jenny stared at them, feeling a little high. "Did we just... fly into a rom-com ending?"
Tommy cleared his throat, eyes locked with Buck's. "I love you, Evan Buckley."
Buck's voice was barely more than a whisper. "I love you too, Tommy Kinard."
They stared at each other like they couldn't believe they'd finally said it.
Jenny, wide-eyed, flopped her head back against the stretcher. "Oh, thank God. Now, can one of you hot messes tell me if we're almost at the hospital, or if I'm gonna die of secondhand tension first?"
From the cockpit, Tommy chuckled, deep, genuine, and a little sheepish. "Almost there, Jenny. One minute."
Buck turned toward her, eyes still a little dazed. "Sorry for... all of that."
"Oh no," Jenny said with a grin, "don't apologize. This was prime content. I feel like I've just watched a deleted scene from Grey's Anatomy."
Tommy laughed again.
Jenny leaned a little forward conspiratorially. "Just promise me one thing?"
Both men looked at her.
"If you two ever get married, please let me be the flower girl. I've been through a lot today."
They laughed again, Buck's hand brushing Tommy's shoulder in the front seat, a quiet, almost shy little touch, and the tension in the cabin finally melted into something warm and light.
As the helicopter began its descent toward the hospital, Jenny exhaled deeply.
"Best worst hike of my life," she muttered to herself.
The helicopter touched down on the hospital rooftop with a soft jolt, the rhythmic whup-whup-whup of the rotors still thumping overhead as the doors slid open.
A team of nurses and a doctor was already waiting, rushing forward with precision and practiced calm. Jenny blinked up at them as someone unclipped her stretcher and another adjusted the IV in her arm.
"Hi, yes, still alive," she said brightly. "Two broken legs, three near-death experiences, one physical when I fell, two emotional from these two idiots. You ready to fix my legs?"
A few of them chuckled as they gently transferred her to a hospital gurney. Over the clatter of equipment and the slap of wind, she heard it, low voices just behind her.
Tommy asking, "What are you doing Saturday?"
Buck answering, "I'm free. Pick me up?"
Jenny blinked, the words sliding into her increasingly pain-med-fogged brain.
Did I just witness a literal airlifted love confession? She thought. Mid-air? Wait, am I the main character or just the sassy supporting role in the story?
As the gurney wheeled her toward the rooftop elevator, pain blissfully fading thanks to whatever magic Hen had injected her with, Jenny smiled. Despite everything, despite the fall Jenny felt good. Or at least, high and thoroughly entertained.
She craned her head slightly as the nurse pushed her through the rooftop doors, catching one last glimpse of Buck and Tommy.
They were standing close now, heads bowed in that quietly intense way that screams we've got stuff to talk about, but also I kind of want to kiss your face.
And then it hit her.
Wait… does Tommy have to fly Buck back now?
Her smile widened, amused and completely unfiltered.
Oh my God. These two are so gonna hook up in that helicopter. I just know it.