Page 7 of Secret Love

I trudge into the corner kitchen and grab a beer from my fridge. The cold alcohol tickles on the way down and settles in my gut. Soon, it’ll turn me numb and I’ll pass out. That’s the only way I can get myself to fall asleep as of late.

Dani.

Even a cheap knock-off like Darla isn’t enough anymore. Part of me wants to say fuck it and drive back home to Los Angeles. I’ll walk right up to her front door and step inside. I won’t even knock. I’ll let myself in, but she won’t care as soon as she sees my face. I can just picture it now. She’ll gasp and throw a hand over her mouth.

“Fox?!”she’ll say. “You’re alive?”

And then, I’ll apologize. I’ll say how sorry I am that I fucked her on her birthday, joined the army the next day, and left for basic training the next. I’ll say that I’m sorry I volunteered for deployment the first chance I could and never came home again.

And the biggest one of all… I’ll apologize for making my family believe I’ve been dead for the last two years.

Shit. Maybe my life isn’t as simple as I thought.

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