Page 36 of See You Soon
"You ready?" Lori's cheerful voice asked me after opening the door. We made plans to go to the USO to see a movie. They're showing The Proposal and it's one of my favorite movies. Although I wish they were showing a horror movie. There isn't much to do for fun around here but a movie at the USO sounds like a vacation.
"Are you sure you don't wanna just watch Netflix and just relax in my room?" I plead already second-guessing my choice to be social on my day off. I'm so tired. I'm completely drained mentally and physically. From seeing gruesome injuries on a daily basis in the emergency room to being worried about the words of the two men that plagued my mind. Both in very different ways. Danny's words were harsh but Shane's were laced with evil.
"I'm sure. As much as you don't want to go out right, we need it. For our mental health. Plus, I hear we get to see Ryan Reynolds's abs on a big screen." Lori gives me a wink before dragging me outside of my room. I turn around and lock my door before we leave.
When we get to the USO, there are lots of chairs lined up into five organized, even rows facing a projector that has the movie playing. We're a couple of minutes late into the movie but hadn't missed much of it.
I look around and it's packed with military men and women of all branches, quietly munching on popcorn and snacks.
"Go find us a seat, I'll get us popcorn and drinks," I whisper into Lori's ear. I look around to find the popcorn machine and drinks stand. There's a woman in front of me grabbing popcorn so I wait my turn.
I grab a medium-sized brown paper bag and fill it in with popcorn. As soon as I finish, I grab two water bottles next to the popcorn machine just to turn around into what felt like a wall. A familiar wall. My side bangs fly into my eyes, my entire hair flips with the collision. I've bumped into someone’s chest. It causes a shiver down my spine fueled by anger.
Shane. Not again.
What was he doing so close behind me that with a slight turn of my body, my nose landed on his chest? I quickly back away, keeping my balance and I manage to keep the popcorn and water bottles in my hands. I narrow my eyebrows.
"You're still clumsy I see." He belittles me.
I glare at him, my eyes filling with rage and he smirks in return. His left arm is in a cast. So, he did break his arm after all. With his right hand, he pushes my hair out of my face.
"Don't." I hiss.
He quickly drops his hand, and tilts his head to the side mockingly, with a frown.
"Or what?" He's eager to get me more riled up.
Shane drops closer to my level, near my ears so no one else could hear him but me. My chest tightens and I feel like I can't move. I'm having flashbacks of abuse. I flinch, my eyes shut tight. I'm afraid he's going to hit me like he used to do when we were together. Whenever I denied his touch, he would get sent into a rage. I tighten my grip around the popcorn and water bottles. My whole body stiffens. Then I remember, we're not at the park, his favorite place to abuse me… and we aren't together.
"It's not like you'll do anything about it, Ari Cakes. I will always own you. I will always want you. Paul ain't here anymore." His breath on my neck.
I clench my jaw. All I want to do is punch him in front of everybody. Showing him that I'm not that defenseless girl anymore. I've changed. I will defend myself if I have to.
I make the best decision to protect myself from the drama he so badly wants me to get wrapped in. I walk away, tense. As soon as I see Lori waving me over Shane's shoulder, her cheerful face instantly relaxes me.
I didn't expect to see Shane here. I forgot, now that he's injured he'll probably be around this post more often and that makes me nervous. This will probably be the last time I'll be at the USO.
"What's wrong?" Lori asked me as I sat down next to her. She reads me so well, as always. Her green eyes scan my body language. The movie’s playing but her attention is on me. She's changed into a concerned friend. She looks back over my shoulder towards the popcorn stand and her mouth makes an o shape. She gasps. I've already told her everything about Shane. I told her every detail I went through with him after meeting him again as his nurse.
"Yeah. He's here. And now I think I just want to leave."
Chapter16
danny
Ilie in my bed tossing and turning. I hated not being with my team. This gaping wound was just a fucking scratch and now I'm getting benched for a while. Still, the doctor believes I wouldn't be able to keep up with the antibiotics if I went back out there. He says it's to prevent infection and I hate to admit it but he was right. I probably wouldn't take my medication or be on top of cleansing the deep gash on my back. On top of it, the TBI was the cherry on top of my injuries. I hated these protocols. I’m healed already and I can't go against the rules or it would be the end of my career.
It's two in the morning and all I can think about is my team, our next mission, andAri.
This is a first for me. A fucking girl added to my list of worries. I've been a selfish asshole all my life. An unfamiliar feeling slithers through my chest and I hate it. I resentherfor it. When Paul made us all promise him to watch over his mother and sister if he died, I feel the guilt wash over me like a big ocean wave crashing into my soul.
I hadn't kept my promise and I was always a man of my word. The other guys kept tabs on them but I hadn't. I stayed away, I've never wanted to worry about anyone but myself. Running into her at the bar, taking her to my house, all I wanted to do was fill her up with my cock. As I got to know her, I knew she wasn't going to be easy to forget. She's not going to be like these other girls I fuck and move on, with nothing attached. But then finding out she's Paul's sister, everything changed.
I knew the minute I met her, a pure innocence was attached to her and I couldn't help but feel like I have to taste it. Everything about her intrigues me. The way she smiles, the way she laughs, the way she smells, it's like a sweet perfume.And her short frame.
Paul and Ari look nothing alike. Paul was tall. Almost as tall as me. He had brown hair and was fair-skinned, his nose had a strong bridge. Ari is olive-skinned. She has long black hair with honey-brown eyes that almost look hazel. She's short and has beautiful full cheeks I want to bite. Full soft lips that I've pictured grabbing with my teeth. Heat and blood rush to my core at the thought of me,breaking her.
I don't know how it happened but I felt like I had to immediately take care of her, watch over her. I never knew how to express my feelings and I'm not about to start now. I had been so cold to her at the hospital but I couldn't help it. I don't want her to be here. I don't want her to see what happens when there's a war going on. I don't want her so close to me when I'm working. My selfishness pushes through and now I have to worry about her.
