Page 8 of Ex-SEAL Bad Boy

I wade in, the frothy sea foam swirling around my ankles.

I’m still in shallow water, but I can already feel the powerful grip of the ocean as the small waves roll in only to be pulled back with the immense force of gravity.

As I stare into the distance, the larger waves curling and breaking in a magnificent display of nature’s power, I find my mind drifting back to that day.

There was something different about Ethan. Maybe his muscles were a little bit bigger, his jaw stronger.

No surprise, really. He’s always been well built and took care of himself, and surely his SEAL training has refined his body even further.

But that wasn’t it. It was something in his eyes.

I’d heard that some people who were in combat developed what was termed the “thousand-yard stare," sort of a blank look of a person who has seen it all and is just mentally detached.

That wasn’t it either.

Maybe it was that he had developed a deeper understanding of human beings in general and now understood that there were good people along with the bad.

And maybe – just maybe – a little empathy had managed to force its way in.

Stepping out of the water, I squint against the afternoon sun and the salt air, tickling my nostrils.

Two men are playing volleyball a little way down the beach. Their bronzed bodies gleaming in the sun, their hair ruffled by the stiff onshore breeze.

I find my heart leaping a little when I consider that one of them looks a little like Ethan from a distance.

It’s not. Ethan’s hair is shorter now, not a buzz cut, but definitely more military than the longish fringe-up style he wore before he enlisted.

I can honestly admit that I always liked Ethan’s hair. It gave him a rakish look, like a rock star on his day off.

I wonder if I’m beginning to get a little bit obsessed about a man I don’t even like.

Not like I don’t have enough on my plate to worry about already anyway.

What if my hesitancy to go out into deeper water is my subconscious warning me that I’m maybe going in too deep in other aspects of life?

I still hadn’t had any callbacks on the marketing jobs I had applied for. Maybe I was pushing too hard too soon.

There is also the fact that I was still living at home. Thankfully, my parents aren’t intrusive, but I’m the only one of my friends who still lives with her parents. Bringing a guy home is kind of difficult in that situation.

But who am I kidding? I haven’t had a serious – or even non-serious – relationship in over a year. With senior year projects, work, and just dealing with life post-college, that hasn’t really been on my radar.

Sure, there had been guys, but none of them seemed interesting enough to engage with. My friend Melanie says I set my standards too high, but I just can’t deal with a guy who has nothing to offer intellectually.

My phone chirps, and when I reach down to grab it, I look at the caller ID.

Liam.

Instantly, I’m on alert. Liam never calls me ... unless it’s an emergency.

5

ETHAN

I watch in amusement as Liam laughs at his sister over the phone.

He told me beforehand that Sophia freaks out when he calls because he usually only does so when he has bad news.

I could hear her shouting on the other end.

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