Page 59 of Eight Years (The Trident Trilogy 1)

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Virginia Beach, Virginia

2011

“You’re not going to wear that out of this house!” Camille was trying her best to keep up with Millie’s long strides. “Why can’t you dress decently? Everyone knows you’re my granddaughter. They’ll talk about us!”

Millie whipped around to face Camille. At sixteen, she had long past reached her breaking point with her grandmother. “It’s a T-shirt, Camille. A T-shirt. Settle down.”

“A T-shirt with the devil’s V right there in front.” Camille formed a V with two fingers, waving them accusingly in the air at Millie’s barely exposed cleavage.

“Good God, you’re losing it.” Millie pushed the screen door extra hard so it would make the loudest sound possible when it slammed.

“I’m going to tell your dad about this—taking the Lord’s name in vain while you’re dressed like that,” Camille said to the door.

Millie got in her car and took a deep breath. It’s the only place she felt at peace anymore. Mack had bought her the car for just that reason. He knew she’d have to escape the house regularly just as he had at that age. She put the car in reverse quickly just in case Camille tried to chase her out of the house. She’d done it before, and she was only getting crazier with age. Beatrice told Millie years ago that Camille had gotten pregnant with Mack when she was a teenager. She said Camille was just trying to prevent Millie from ending up with the same fate. But they both knew Camille was only worried about Camille, and about saving her own reputation.

Most days, Millie didn’t know how she’d make it sixty more days until Mack retired. They were planning to move to San Diego right after her graduation. She couldn’t wait to finally be free of Camille. Two more months, Millie thought as she eased the car onto the highway. With this heat, being on the highway was the only way she could get enough of a breeze through the windows to cool off. The old VW’s air conditioner had stopped working years ago, if it had ever worked at all, and the car’s black seats made it especially oppressive. But, it was a car, and a car meant freedom.

Millie was lost in her thoughts when she saw the sign: “Virginia Beach, Next Four Exits.” She spun her head around to make sure she was seeing it right. Somehow, she’d driven an hour without even registering where she was going. She’d never been to visit her dad once in Virginia Beach. He’d always come home when he had free time, even if it was just for a few hours. Millie found herself taking the exit that pointed toward the naval base. He’d come to see her the day he got back from deployment, and she knew he’d be back down over the weekend, but she felt something pulling her closer and closer to the base until she was driving to the guarded entrance.

“Can I help you, ma’am?” An armed guard approached the car.

Mack had trained her on firearms since she was a little kid. She had become an accomplished shooter, but she was still uncomfortable seeing someone wearing a gun. It reminded her of her dad armed and fighting somewhere in the world. It always sent chills down her spine thinking about the what if. . .

“Ma’am? Are you all right?” The guard leaned farther down in her window.

“I’m here to see my dad,” she said uncertainly. “His name is Mack Marsh. He’s a SEAL.”

Millie didn’t even know if this was where he worked when he was home.

“What’s your name?” The guard took his eyes off her to look at his clearance list.

“Millie—Millie Marsh—but he doesn’t know I’m coming.” She started to feel as stupid as she thought she probably sounded.

“Ma’am, we don’t allow unscheduled visits from civilians.” He stopped suddenly when he saw her big eyes looking up at him. He sighed. “Pull up over by the orange cones. Turn off your car, and wait there.”

He shook his head as she smiled at him. That girl has never been told no in her life by any man, he thought as he watched her long, blonde hair blow gently as she drove to where he told her to park.

Millie was jolted out of her thoughts when she heard a jeep screech to a halt by the side of her car. She saw Mack jump out and sprint to the driver’s side of her car. He yanked open the door.

“Millie! What’s wrong? What are you doing here?” When she saw how worried his face was, she burst into tears, suddenly ashamed that she had bothered him here.

Mack pulled her to a standing position and hugged her, instinctively looking her over to see if she was injured. “Millie, sweetie, what’s wrong? Are you hurt?”

He pulled her back a little bit so he could look at her face, the tears still flowing down.

“I’m an idiot,” she said. He could barely understand her through the sobs.

“You’re a what? Millie, what is happening?”

“I’m an idiot,” she said, her voice shaking. “I had a fight with Camille, and I got in my car to take a drive to clear my head, and all of a sudden I ended up here. I shouldn’t have bothered you.”

She started to cry again. “Millie, sweetie, you are never bothering me.” Mack kissed her lightly on the top of the head.

“I know you’re working. This was a stupid idea,” she said.

“I do have to go back to work in a bit, but I have like an hour. Are you hungry? We could go get something to eat.”

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