Page 43 of Keeping London (Flawed Heart)

After we’ve finished eating, I make myself presentable, meaning I wash my face and brush my hair and teeth. I quickly throw on a winter coat and some boots.

“Where are you going?” Paige asks when she sees me leaving the house.

“I’m going to go take some selfies with the snow, so I can email them to Loïc. He loves that crap.”

“So, you’re going to pretend to be out, enjoying the winter wonderland, when, in fact, you’re going to be out there for less than two minutes?”

“Exactly,” I beam, pretty proud of my plan.

“You’re crazy.” Paige chuckles to herself before taking a sip of coffee.

“Hey, I’m not going to lie to him, but if he assumes that I’m being outdoorsy, then who am I to tell him differently?” I shrug. Turning, I head out the front door.

After a minute and a half, I’m back inside. “I’m going to be in my room, emailing Loïc and then shopping. We can start our show in a couple of hours, okay?”

“Sounds good. I’m going to catch up with our favorite celeb BFFs,” Paige says as she sprawls out on the couch with a stack of this week’s gossip magazines.

Once in my room, I start up my laptop.

I’m thrilled when there’s an email waiting for me. Loïc’s been able to write every day since he arrived at Bagram. He’s warned me that some of his jobs will take him away from base for a few days, so he won’t be able to write then. But, for now, he can.

To: London Wright

From: Loïc Berkeley

Subject: Question 14

Hey, babe. To answer your last question…HOW DO YOU EXPECT ME TO ANSWER IT? Lol.

I can’t possibly pick my favorite time having sex with you. Yes, the closet at the benefit was HOT, so that’s a good choice. But there have been so many! Lake Michigan? The Mexican restaurant? The countless times in your bed? Shower sex? I mean…how am I supposed to choose? Seriously? They’ve all been perfection. You know my favorite thing in the world is being inside you, baby. Hard, fast, slow, rough, wet—I love it all.

BUT, if I must answer you, then I would have to say my favorite time was the first time because it only took once to know that my life would never be the same from that point forward. That’s some romantic shit right there, but I mean it. ;-)

Not much going on here. Military stuff. I did beat Cooper by 2 seconds in our mile race, which is pretty awesome. He’s being a baby and saying that he tripped on the gravel, so it doesn’t count. But I say that I beat him fair and square. He’s always been a whiner. ;-)

I hope you’re doing well, babe. I think about you nonstop. I’m actually quite pathetic with the amount of time I spend thinking about you. I think I might be addicted. It’s weird, missing someone here. I’ve always only had Cooper, and he’s been with me on deployments, so it didn’t really matter. This is my first taste of truly missing someone who’s alive and well yet…so out of my reach. It’s kind of a cruel form of torture.

I love you.

So, question 14, where’s a place you’ve never been that you’d love to visit?

My answer is London, England. The reasons are pretty obvious, but I think I’ve put off my trip there long enough. I need to see all the places that my dad used to tell me about. I need to look up my grandparents and ask them why they never came for me. I think, to completely put my past behind me, I need the closure—for good or bad—that their answers will bring.

If you want to know the truth, I’ve been too much of a coward up until this point to find out. The little boy inside me was too scared to know because, sometimes, the truth hurts more than one is capable of dealing with. A long time ago, I started using hate to cover up my hurt. But I think I’m finally ready and able to go there.

You and your love have helped me more than you will ever know. Your love gives me the strength to do things that I never thought I could.

I love you, London, baby.

Love,

Loïc

His email makes me hurt. I want to reach into the computer and hug him—my wounded, brave, sexy warrior.

To: Loïc Berkeley

From: London Wright

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