Page 23 of Crazy in Love

“Call them back.”

“Never for-”

“Sorry. Just heard the song.” Aiden lets me go, and I quickly get off him and grab my top, answering the phone.

“Hi, dad.” Holding the phone between my shoulder and ear, I grab my trousers.

“Hello, sweet pea, are you free to Facetime?”

“Face… FaceTime? Oh course, just give me a second.” Ending the call, I look over at Aiden. “Shit, please don’t say a word.”

He playfully pretends to zip his mouth, and I lean on the bed, making sure that I’m the only thing on the screen.

“Look at you, you get more beautiful every day.” I give my dad a smile. I miss him so much. He’s my best friend, the one I can talk to about anything, but Aiden at the moment can wait to be mentioned.

“And you’re just as handsome.”

“Do I not get a tour of the new house?” he asks, and I start to panic. I never thought he would ask that, and now I’m going to have to tell him something. He starts laughing. “You’re not home, so who’s the boy?”

“Boy, what boy?” I ask innocently, and it’s not like I’m not really lying, as Aiden really isn’t a boy, he is a full man.

My dad starts laughing even more, and I miss being able to laugh with him face to face. “Okay, it’s new, and I know that you will tell me once you are ready. Just to be clear, if he’s close... I’m in the army, and know how to use a gun.”

“Really, dad, was that necessary?”

“Yes.” He looks behind his shoulder at some of the other guys talking, and I hear them shout his name. “Sweet pea, I’ve got to go. The reason I called is to let you know I will be out in the-”

“No.” I get off the bed and walk over the window away from Aiden. “You said that you won’t ever have to go out in the field again.” I can already feel the water in my eyes. This is not happening, this is a bad dream right this moment.

“I know, I know, but things have changed, and they need a high class-”

“Send someone else,” I cut him off again, as I feel Aiden walking over to me.

“Sweet pea, you know I can’t tell you anymore.” I give him a nod, knowing the rules of the army. “A day, I promise, I will call.”

“Okay,” is the only word I can say right now, and there is nothing that will make him stay where he is.

“I love you, sweet pea, got your six.”

“I love you too. Got your six.” I stare at the blank screen, thinking back to the first time my dad ever said that to me.

I never understood the whole ‘got your six’ until he sat me down one day and explained that in the army, they all have each other’s backs no matter what. So when their back is covered, they say “got your six.” Since that day, those have always been our last words to each other. We both know nothing will happen to us, as we are protecting each other.

I feel Aiden’s hand on my back and he takes the phone from me, placing it on the table, and I lean back into him. Wiping the tears away, I feel Aiden’s arms around me, and for a moment, I lose myself in him, but quickly pull away from him.

“Hey...” Aiden takes my hand. “I’m here.”

“Ready for bed?” My fingers move down his chest to the elastic in his boxers.

“How about we go to sleep?”

“This really isn’t the night you planned,” I tell him as he pulls me over to the bed, and I just stand at the side as he pulls the covers away and waits for me to lie down.

“So you’re dad’s in the army?” he asks as he waits for me to get into bed with him.

I take a deep breath in and climb in. “He is.”

I cuddle closer to him. I don’t really want to talk much more about it, as all I’m going to do is worry about my dad all night until he calls me. That is the time I hate the most, when I’m scared that it will be a call to tell me the worst.

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