Page 28 of Love Shots

Summer: Didn’t we talk about this? You’re supposed to actually ask me. I could be busy.

Teddy: It’s your day off??

Summer: Right. But what if I decided not to spend the day staring at my phone, waiting for you to call?

Teddy: Did you?

Summer: Teddy!

Teddy: Summer!

Summer: You’re annoying.

Teddy: Summer. Can I please take you out on Sunday? I miss you. When I’m not with you, I spend the day staring at my phone waiting for you to call.

Summer: Fine!

Teddy: So you didn’t have plans?

Summer: Don’t push your luck, buddy.

Teddy: Night, dollface. See you at work.

Summer: Night, Teddy.

Teddy settled back and rested against the headboard of his bed, his phone still in hand. It was late. All he wanted to do right now was sleep. But there was one more thing he needed to do. His monthly call to Tyler.

It had been going on three years, Teddy should be used to it. But the need to psyche himself up beforehand was strong. Even if it did make him feel guilty. Tyler was his friend. His brother. His teammate. And the only other person who could begin to understand the hell he went through in Iraq. Because he was there too. Four of them were captured, two survived. He and Tyler.

Ignoring the heaviness in his stomach, Teddy swiped down to Tyler’s name and hit call.

“Is it that time of the month already?” Tyler sighed down the line.

“You missed me that much, huh?”

He heard Tyler mutter, “Like a hole in the head,” before clearing his throat. Charming. “Let’s get this over with, shall we? I’m fine, Teddy. Same as I was last month, and the month before that and the month before that.”

“I ain’t allowed to check in?” Teddy pushed down his frustration. They had the same conversation every month. Unfortunately for Tyler, Teddy was a stubborn bastard. He wasn’t about to give up on his friend just because he found his calls annoying.

“Oh come on, Teddy. We both know you’re not calling me to shoot the shit.”

“I got plenty of shit to shoot, Ty.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah.” Fuck it. “Remember the girl I told you about? Summer. Well, she’s back in town.”

The line went quiet for a minute, giving him just enough time to regret his attempt at a normal conversation. Their monthly calls normally consisted of surface-level pleasantries and nothing more. With Teddy usually gathering just enough information to reassure himself that his friend really was okay and wasn’t about to do something stupid. They hadn’t had any kind of heart-to-heart since they’d been back stateside.

“She is? Shit. You okay?”

Teddy puffed out a relieved breath. “Yeah, man, I’m good. You’ll be pleased to know that I manned up and told her how I felt. Even got her to agree to a date.”

“Was this like a gunpoint type of situation?”

“Fuck off.” Teddy let his grin widen as his friend continued to rib him.

“Come on, man. Be real. You don’t expect me to believe you won her over with that charming personality of yours, do you?”

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