Page 19 of Make Me Unwind

Watching Piper follow her niece and nephew around the waterpark has my stomach in knots. I’ve never made a bigger fool of myself than I did last night. The horror of having a panic attack while buried deep inside of her and then running off like a fool to get sick kept me up all night. I’ve tried rationalizing that it wasn’t that bad. She had a panic attack as well, but who am I kidding? It was that bad.

Shame washes over me. I took her virginity like a brute and ran off, leaving her in an unfamiliar place. Alone. And threw up.

I rake my hands through my hair as I walk along the sidewalk leading to the waterpark. She deserves an apology. I know there’s no hope of a second chance to get things right, and what good would it do anyway, she’s leaving on Monday and I…. I don’t know if I’ll stay here or not but we’re not going in the same direction.

The allure of joining Cade at Truman Security has popped into my head more than once, so maybe I’ll go there. Or somewhere else in a similar capacity. Because in the dead of the night, I realized refusing to live life was a disservice to every soldier who’s died and all those who’re physically incapable of working when I’m able. I can be productive and provide a service to people. So, I will.

“What happened between you and my sister?” The hairs on my neck rise as I slowly turn to face the man behind me. He’s still ten feet back but approaching like a bulldozer. The muscles on his thighs bulge under his shorts as he marches toward me. He’d have made a fine soldier.

I steady my weight to keep my balance evenly distributed between my legs. If he throws a punch, I don’t want to go down.

“Are you going to answer?” His eyes flash with anger as he stops inches from my chest. I clear my throat. What in the fuck do I say? It was a mistake? Yes, it was, and no, it wasn’t.

“I would like to talk to Piper for a moment before I answer that question.”

His eyes glisten as one side of his jaw dips and flexes back out. I’ve been in my share of fights over the years and can hold my own.

Even in my wallowing, I kept up with my physical therapy and returned to training exercises. But Weston is fucking stacked, and getting bloodied by him on my way to apologize to Piper isn’t going to leave a positive impression. I bite back a choked laugh. At this point, I can’t leave a good impression.

“I would like to explain something to Piper and apologize to her. And then, you can punch me in the face.”

The corner of his mouth rises, but it’s not humor. Anticipation. That’s the only word that comes to mind. He’s anticipating his fist smashing into my cheekbone.

Weston’s gaze travels over me, and he slowly steps back as he nods to someone behind me. I turn to find Piper and her niece and nephew approaching.

“I’ll look forward to seeing you later.” He smiles at his children and draws Gavin to his hip while grasping Roe’s hand. “Let’s go, kids. Daddy needs to cool off in the pool.”

“Yes, he does,” Piper mutters at the same time as the kids let out a delighted shout that their dad is going to keep the party going. A small lump squeezes my throat. I wish…. Don’t.

I return my attention to Piper, who stands before me wearing a revealing bikini that leaves my heart thudding in my chest. Just last night, I held her in my arms, and now, she’s tight. Closed off. Unwilling to give an inch.

“I apologize for my brother’s behavior.” Her eyes are stone-cold as they meet mine. “I didn’t tell him to do that.” Her chin goes up. “I can take care of my own battles.”

“Can I speak to you for a moment?” My skin crawls from prying eyes.

“Sure.” She doesn’t move as a young boy darts past us in a pair of swim trunks on his way to the pool.

God, we’re going to have this conversation here.

“Hey, Piper.” Charlotte waves with a huge smile plastered to her lips. The expression doesn’t meet her eyes as they flick over me and back to Piper. “Have you seen Weston?”

“Yes, he’s at the pool with Roe and Gavin.”

“Good. I’m heading that way.” She waves again and says quietly, “We’ll be gone awhile if you need to talk. Andrea left to head into town.”

Heat covers Piper’s cheeks as she stiffens and ignores Charlotte’s departure.

When I don’t speak, she nods. “Go ahead.”

“Let’s talk in private.” I tip my head toward their cabin. “Please.” It’s humiliating enough to have this conversation in the first place, but I’d rather have it without an audience.

“Fine.” She brushes past me and marches along the sidewalk. Her hips sway as she moves, causing my heart to skip in my chest. She’s beautiful. Even her scars, webbed along her thigh and knee, enhance her beauty. They could use some sun, but they add to her story.

The second the door shuts behind me, I swallow and count to ten. I was a SEAL. I’ve faced enemies in battle. I can admit my weakness. If I don’t, I’m a pussy. “I apologize for last night.” Her eyes flash as she spins to face me with her hands on her hips.

When her mouth opens, I raise my palms outward toward her. “Let me finish. When the lights went out with all the lightning and thunder, it took me back to the bombing.” I swallow as her eyes widen, but I push on. “The sensation of lights flashing at times sets me off. The blast. All I could hear at the time was the scraping of metal and screaming.”

She blinks and studies me as if she’s gauging whether I’m telling the truth or not. Why in the fuck would I lie to make myself look worse?

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