Page 81 of Mariposa
Everyone’s hands stay up as he points his finger at three soldiers. Then his dark brown eyes meet mine as he adds me and Castle to this list of volunteers.
Getting as much experience as I can overseas would be good for me.
“Not Isla.” Booker cuts in, leaning into the Delta operator’s ear. He nods once before picking others.
My brows furrow.
“Why not?” The question exits my mouth before I can stop it. Standing up with a pointed chin, I walk until I’m in front of Booker.
Why is he sabotaging this?
Booker’s eyebrows shoot up until creases form on his forehead. “Because I fucking said so, ’Posa,” he grits a shortened version of my call sign with a clenched jaw. He’s going full boss mode on me, and the friendship we have disappears at this moment. Everyone in the room turns toward us, which I didn’t want, but I want answers about why I can’t go on the mission tomorrow. I want all the experience I can get while I’m here. Why isn’t he letting me go?
I open my mouth to argue, but Castle hooks her arms through mine, pulling me outside the building. Dragging my feet against the sand, she continues to haul me further away from the others. She lets go once we round the corner of the building, and it’s just us.
“Isla, never argue with your superiors. Don’t be that person,” she scolds me like a child.
“I want to go with you tomorrow. I want the experience. I want to meet those kids and the medical staff. I need to help out in every way I can. This isn’t fair, and I’d like an explanation, and I want it now. I have nothing going on, so why not join you?”
Since joining Special Forces, I have looked up to and admired two people: Anna and Kade. They set the standard for the dos and don’ts.
“Sometimes we don’t get an explanation, Isla! Sometimes, we’re forced to take orders without asking questions because guess what? Sometimes, it’s better that way!Sometimes, it’s better not to know the answer,” she raises her voice, pointing her index finger at me.
“Why?” I cross my arms against my chest.
She shakes her head, kicking a pebble from her boot. She relaxes her shoulders after taking a deep breath.
“You’ll have to experience it yourself,” she huffs. Turning around, she heads towards Slater’s room, leaving me wondering what the hell she means by that.
Whenever someone tells me I can’t do something, I want to do it that much more. I’m here to honor my father, yet there are days when I’m unsure of myself. I like my job, but I’m not sure I want to do this for the rest of my life.
30
VIOLET
Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol
Opening the door to my room, I throw my keys on the small desk that occupies the corner. A deep voice slips into my ears before I can flick the light on.
“Interesting letters.”
Kade.
The moonlight from my window shines on a massive silhouette. With trembling fingers, I pull on the closest lamp string. It illuminates Kade’s gorgeous face. He’s nose-deep in a stack of papers.
What the hell is he doing in my room?
“You scared the hell out of me! How did you get in here, Master Sergeant?” My heart rate slowly returns to a normal pace.
His face twists into a frown as he folds my grandmother’s letters and returns them to my drawer.
“Don’t call me by my rank right now,” he says calmly.
“Why are you going through my things?” I retort. “Are you stalking me?”
He fixes his glasses on his nose and keeps his heterochromatic eyes trained on me.
“You wear glasses?” I ask. Kade, with glasses on, has my heart stuttering.
