Page 47 of Tactical Revival

“Four in the morning,” she replies. “Why don’t you come into my apartment. You can take the couch and get another few hours.”

“I’m okay. I can just get up.”

“Jaxson.”

“No, seriously, it’s okay.”

She purses her lips as though preparing to argue, but then decides against it. “Then let me make us some coffee.”

As she moves away from me, I rest my head in my hands, trying my best to wake myself up from the dead sleep I’d apparently been in. I’m not even entirely sure when I fell asleep, but it couldn’t have been more than four hours ago since it wasn’t until after midnight that I’d come downstairs.

Rosalie certainly had a lot to say, and I’m working my way up to the forgiveness I know I need to offer. But it’s hard. Honestly, letting go of what she put me through feels impossible right now.

The scent of coffee fills my nose, and I raise my head as Margot sits across from me. She’s wearing a pair of leggings and an off-the-shoulder cream sweatshirt, her hair in a messy bun atop her head. Her feet are bare, giving me a glimpse at pale pink toenails.

How can she be so effortlessly stunning first thing in the morning?

She turns to face me. “You okay?”

“I will be.”

As soon as there’s enough coffee to fill two mugs, she pauses the brewing and pours before replacing it again. She finishes prepping hers, then carries both of our coffees over to the table and sits down across from me. “Want to talk about it?”

“I never thought I’d see her again.”

“You said she’d been calling.”

“Sure, but for her to show up here—” I shake my head. “It caught me off guard.”

“I can understand that. She’s very pregnant.”

“I’d always wanted kids.” Saying it out loud makes the cut even deeper. “Badly.”

“Why didn’t you guys have kids? Sorry, I’m prying. If you don’t want to talk about it, we don’t have to.”

“No, it’s okay. Friends venting.” I give her a smile as I take a sip of my coffee. “I was in the Marines at the time. Deployed near constantly, and she’d been trying to build a career in marketing. She told me that I was being selfish, that I wanted her to just sit at home with kids all the time.” I shake my head. “But that wasn’t it at all.”

“Was she even open to discussing it?”

“No. Not once we were married. Before, she talked constantly about having kids. But once it was a possibility, she changed her mind. And I felt guilty for asking her to sacrifice her dreams for me, so I dropped it.”

“Is that why you two split?”

I snort. “No. No, that was a few years later. You know I was injured overseas?”

She nods. “Michael said you nearly died.”

“We were going in to rescue some civilians who’d been captured by terrorists. On the way there, though, our convoy was attacked, and the vehicle I was in was hit with a small arms missile. I shattered my spine, broke both legs, an arm, and was told I’d never walk again.”

Margot gasps and covers her mouth with a hand.

“I met Lance in that hospital.” I smile at the memory. It was the worst moment of my life, but Lance brought light to me that day. “He brought me an old Bible he’d been carrying when he nearly died. And he prayed over me. With me. Shortly after that, he introduced me to Michael and Elijah.”

“Jaxson.” Margot reaches across and covers my hand with hers.

“Anyway. When I got home, they weren’t sure I’d ever walk again. They reconstructed my spine, but the doctors said it was unlikely I’d ever fully recover. As soon as I was out of the hospital and back at my apartment, Rosalie bailed.”

“She did what?” Color floods Margot’s cheeks. “She left you?”

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