Page 53 of Her Marine
That wasn’t exactly true. What Journee felt was vulnerability. They’d only been dating a little over a month, and her heart sank into her toes when he’d told her he’d be leaving the following week. It wasn’t that she hadn’t known that he would eventually have to do so; Journee just hadn’t expected it to hit her like that, for the wave of emotions that coursed through her to feel so heavy. She’d gotten attached, and she hadn’t meant to.
“I don’t see why. You’re two consenting adults, and what you do is no one else’s business unless you choose to make it so, and you know I’d never judge you.”
“I know. I just don’t want him to think that.”
Journee knew that she and Kaydence were talking about two different things. She was aware that Killian would in no way think she was easy because he’d been the one wanting to pursue her. He’d made it clear what they were both getting. However, she didn’t want him to know she’d gotten attached because that wasn’t the plan.
“That is the last thing he’s going to think. Hell, he was trying to put his face between your thighs after we left the bowling alley. He’s pursuing you, and I doubt he’d think that way. I don’t see Axel having friends like that. Let alone a man like that being his best friend. I trust he would have told me that much, with you being my best friend.”
Journee didn’t say anything momentarily before biting her lip and slowly nodding. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
“I am,” Kaydence told her. “Now, stop ignoring that man,” she added, pointing at Journee.
“What makes you think I’m ignoring him?” Journee inquired. Though, Kaydence wasn’t wrong. Killian texted her that morning as she was getting ready for work like he usually did, but Journee hadn’t responded.
“Because we’ve been friends for a decade and a half, and I know you, Journ. Be sure to extend my Thanksgiving invitation to him too.”
Journee couldn’t deny it without it being a lie. So, instead, the conversation shifted to Axel meeting Kaydence’s parents. She would text Killian after lunch, do as he requested, and tell him she needed time, and they could talk about it when she was ready.
Journee sat at the table with her sisters and their grandmother, Nelda, waiting for the dessert they ordered. Their grandmother told them about a conversation with her older sister, their great-aunt Ella. She’d been sick for a bit, and their grandmother had gone to take care of her before returning home. She was barely back to one hundred percent and was trying to jet-set across the country already.
That didn’t surprise Journee. Both of the older women enjoyed staying on the go. Her grandmother worked hard and saved to live comfortably once she’d retired and enjoyed taking trips to new places as often as possible. She’d also handed her work ethic down to the three of them because that was Journee’s goal.
“Journee, tell me about this young man you’re dating.” Their grandmother stated when their dessert arrived.
Journee cut her eyes at both of her sisters. Aariah smirked at her while Aryah became overly interested in the buttercream icing on her cake. She shouldn’t have been surprised her dating life came up in a conversation between one of her sisters and their grandmother. She’d become very interested in Journee’s dating life after her breakup before David.
“There’s nothing to tell. We’ve only been dating for about five weeks.” Journee responded.
“Does he work?” Nelda then questioned.
“He does. He’s a marine.”
“How did the two of you meet?”
Journee was sure her grandmother already knew the answers to the questions she was asking. Her sisters were nothing, if not thorough when they gave information to their grandmother. However, Journee told the older woman how they met and answered a few other questions she had.
“Well, if it’s serious, I’d like to meet him,” Nelda stated after her questions were answered.
That brought Journee up short. It wasn’t a good idea for her grandmother and Killian to meet. It would be taking the next step in the situationship they had going on, and she didn’t need that. Instead of giving her grandmother a definitive answer, Journee spooned some of the molten chocolate cake into her mouth and made a motion between a nod and a shake of the head.
She didn’t miss how both her sisters looked at her, and she knew they’d question her about it later. Journee would deal with that when they did. She was just glad they weren’t bringing it up right then.
«-•-•-•-•-•-•-»
Killian looked down at his phone. He’d received a text from Journee Monday afternoon telling him she needed some space. He had no issue with giving her some. He’d meant it when he’d told her that all she needed to do was ask. It seemed now that she was ready to talk about it, which was a bit quicker than Killian expected her to. A part of him expected her to take more than a day, but she hadn’t.
The text message he’d just received from her asked if he wanted to have dinner with her that evening at seven-thirty. Killian responded that he would see her then before placing his phone aside. He had a few hours before he needed to be at her house.
Mostly, he’d been spending his day watching old movies. He’d found a channel that only showed all the old classics, and Killian went down the rabbit hole. Before he knew it, he’d watched four movies and wasted the rest of his morning after working out, showering, and most of his afternoon. He didn’t see a need to change that and decided to watch another movie.
Killian watched that one and was halfway through a second when he glanced at his phone and found it was almost seven. He went into the bedroom to get dressed. After his shower, he’d only dressed in a pair of boxers and basketball shorts. Killian tossed his shorts aside and pulled on black jeans, a dark gray sweater, and matching boots. He sprayed on some cologne, grabbed his wallet, and returned to the living room.
Picking up his phone and the keys to his rental car, he left his hotel suite and headed toward Journee’s house. He pulled in behind her car when he arrived.
Killian knocked on the front door and only had to wait a few seconds before the door was pulled open. She stood before him in shorts and a T-shirt; her feet were bare. It was apparent she’d changed after work. As the chilly, late fall air momentarily followed him, he stepped inside and greeted her.
Leaning down, Killian kissed her. Journee returned it briefly before taking a step back, and she told him that she was almost finished cooking and to make himself at home. He watched her return to the kitchen, deciding they’d talk about that later. She should have known by now that he knew when her mood changed, even when it was minuscule. Her changing how she kissed him was not.
