Page 37 of See You Soon
I was in complete shock to see her that night in the emergency room. I knew she was a nurse but not in a million years would I have imagined that we would reunite on a fucking deployment. In Iraq. In a Warzone.
I run my hand through my beard sitting on the edge of the side of my bed. Rereading the harsh text messages from Kane, one of the men on my team. He was also close friends with Paul. He was filling me in on everything that was going on at the moment and I felt anxious to just try and escape this place. Against the doctor's orders. But that would land me in a massive amount of trouble and I didn't want to risk losing my job.
I'm in my boxers, sweat on my forehead and chest. Fuck, it's so hot in this place. It's two in the morning and I want to find Ari.
Maybe I can keep convincing her to leave this place. Leave this Warzone and go back home, far away from this type of evil. I was going to be here for a while on post and I feel like I need to see her again before I leave back to my team. Who knows when I would return back to post? My work schedule is always all over the place. I need to fight against this overwhelming attraction toward her. To fight against this drowning need to be watching over her.
I need to protect her though, we're on a battlefield and she needs to open her naive little eyes and go back home. I don't want her to see what I've seen. I want to shield her from it.
Fuck, what the hell is going on with me?
I made a promise to Paul. Maybe it didn't matter to me back then but it wouldn't hurt to start now and keep my promise. Unfortunately, I know somewhere behind the rational parts of my head, it's not just the promise that sucks me in. It's the sinister side of me that wants to indulge in my dark desires andtake her.
Chapter17
ari
Working in a military hospital for the past couple of months has taught me many things.
One, my skills in wound care and stitching have improved tremendously.
Two, I'm surprised at the number of men that are afraid of needles and faint just at the sight of one.
It’s always so funny to see a grown masculine man grow pale when they see a needle.
And, it’s not funny when they fall on you,crushing all your bones.
The cold air of the hospital causes me to always wear sleeves. I can't work comfortably without them. I shiver too much. I love the cold but how I hate it when I'm at work.
I haven’t seen Shane in a while, and I thank the heavens for that. He keeps popping up in my life and I've noticed his behavior has become more and more erratic. I'm growing more afraid of him.
I’m replacing sheets in one of the empty rooms of the Emergency Room and Lori’s helping me. We have grown closer and closer as the time goes by. She’s been a nurse far longer than I have and she’s been a mentor for me. I'm leaving Iraq before her and returning to North Carolina. I've already started applying to places and I'm hoping to get the job where Lori works when she's stateside.
Shockingly, we both call home, Bloomings. We both come from the same town. We've already made plans to hang out when we're back.
“I can’t wait until I get to see my girlfriend again. She’s planning to take us on a vacation to Hawaii.” Lori says cheerfully.
“Aww, that’s so romantic, how long have you guys been together?” I ask, tucking in the freshly dried bed sheets.
“We’ve been together for two years and never been happier.”
I was starting to miss the simplicity of falling in love. The attraction I feel for Danny was immediate. I had never felt so safe and comfortable with a man that intimidated me so much. Yet, he changed his persona so fast on me. One moment he was sweet and the next he was treating me like an inconvenience. I didn’t understand him and the degrading treatment when he was ordering me to get transferred away from here… oraway from him.
Screw him and his dashing blue eyes. And his stupid perfect smile. And dumb muscles that make me forget how to act normal. Screw him… yeah…screw him.
Wait, what am I thinking?
I mentally kick myself out of those ideas. I can'tscrew him.Stupid, Ari. Either way, it won’t work. He won't order me away from here. No one will ever get a say so in my life decisions.
"Do you have any vacation plans when you return home?"
I shrug.
"I'm supposed to go to this Author's event in Bloomings but I've been on the waitlist. My brother paid for our tickets before he died. I don't think I'll ever get the chance. Everything lately… has been so uncertain. That’s amazing you're going to Hawaii, though. My love life is absolute trash.” I scoff.
“I’m sorry that you’ve been getting shitty men thrown at you. You’re such a sweetheart and you should never settle.”
“Thanks, girl,” I murmur softly.
