Page 12 of Keeping London (Flawed Heart)

“How could they not?” I lean in and place my lips against his.

Kissing Loïc calms me in a way I can’t explain. His touch envelops me with something peaceful, an unwavering love. The moment his sexy mouth connects with mine, I realize that I might be a little more nervous than I thought, and I gladly pull strength from our connection.

The truth is, I want my parents to love Loïc. I need them to see how wonderful he is. I’ve never been one to truly crave my parents’ validation, but I’ve never loved anyone or anything in the way I love Loïc. Of course, I don’t need their approval for me to continue loving Loïc, but I have this crazy desire for them to love him simply because he deserves it.

I hesitantly pull my mouth away with a sigh. We stand, and I take Loïc’s hand in mine. I lead him back into the apartment where we find Georgia and my parents embracing.

My dad releases my sister and pulls me into his arms.

“Hey, Daddy,” I say, hugging him back. After hugs and kisses from my mom, I introduce Loïc. “This is my boyfriend, Loïc. Loïc, this is my mom and dad.”

“Nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Wright,” he says as he extends his hand to shake my father’s.

“Oh, call me Michael. Nice to meet you, son,” my father says.

My mom pulls Loïc in for a hug. “Please call me Christine.”

“Let’s go sit outside, Mom. Georgia made the most delicious sangria.”

“Oh, that sounds fabulous,” my mom responds.

We all make our way out to the balcony.

As I walk with my mom, I hear my father talking to Loïc behind us.

“So, Christine tells me that you’re in the military?”

“Yes, sir,” Loïc answers.

“Army?” my dad asks.

“Currently, I’m with the Nineteenth Special Forces Group, a division of the National Guard with the Army Special Forces.”

“The Green Berets?” Dad questions with a hint of awe in his voice.

“Yes, sir.”

“How does that work? Did you start out in Special Forces?” Dad inquires.

“No, I was in the Army first, active duty, for six years, ever since I was eighteen. My buddy’s from Michigan, and he wanted to settle down in one spot for a while, so we joined the National Guard that has a base in Ypsilanti, near his family. We’re in the B Unit of the Special Forces Guard out of Ohio where we have drill one weekend a month and a two-week annual training to keep up with our specialized skills. Then, every few years, our unit is up for deployment. On deployment, we’re with the airborne unit. Otherwise, we’re stationed at the same base in Michigan where, for our day jobs, we’re mechanics.”

“Ah, I see. So, you must have had to go through some additional training for the Special Forces?”

My father sounds impressed, and I’m happy. I thought that Loïc’s line of work might have been intimidating for my dad, who is more of a numbers, problem-solving, business-minded type of guy. He could never do what Loïc does, but who knows? Loïc probably wouldn’t be comfortable with doing what my dad does on a daily basis either. I’m just glad that my dad sounds genuinely interested.

“Yes, sir. Quite a bit. While I was in active duty for six years, I took classes remotely and got my bachelor’s degree, so I could become an officer. Then, I had a twelve-week Special Forces training. Plus, we train every month,” Loïc answers.

“Well, we sure do appreciate your service, son.”

“Thank you, sir.”

We all sit out on the balcony.

My mom addresses Loïc, “So, tell us how you and London met.”

“Mom, I already told you,” I protest.

She waves me off. “I know, but I want to hear Loïc’s version.”

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