Page 1 of A Soldier's Secret Romance

Chapter 1

Ryan

Three years before

“Megan, what’s wrong? You haven’t seemed like yourself this week since I’ve been home.”

“I’m sorry, Ryan, I’ve been trying to find a way to talk to you,” she says quietly.

I grab her hand, “Megan, you can tell me anything. We’ve known each other since we were kids, there’s nothing you can’t tell me, you know that. We are getting married in six months.”

“That’s just it, Ryan, I can’t marry you.”

“What? Why?”

“You are gone all the time. I don’t hear from you for months at a time, always worrying about whether you are okay, or if you are going to come home safely. I just can’t live like this, Ryan. I need more.”

“Megan, I can’t just leave the military.”

“I know. It’s who you are and who you’ve always been. I admire you for that. The truth is, Ryan, that I’ve found someone else. I didn’t mean for it to happen, it just did,” she’s telling me while the tears are rolling down her face.

“I see.” I pull my hands away from her and sit back in the driver’s seat, staring out the window.

“Ryan, neither of us set out to hurt you, but we were spending a lot of time together, and we just fell in love.”

I see my brother standing on her front porch, trying to blend in with the shadows, while he watches the car. It’s like a punch in the gut, and I know, but I need to hear her say it, so I ask, “Who?”

“Jeremy,” she whispers. “I’m so sorry Ryan. We both love you, I’ll always love you, I’m just not in love with you.”

“I see. How long?”

“Ryan, please.”

“How long, Megan?” I ask, keeping the anger I feel from spilling out.

“Six months,” she whispers.

“I need to go,” I say without looking at her.

“Ryan, please talk to me.”

“There’s nothing to say, Megan. You’ve already made your choice, and Jeremy is waiting for you on the porch,” I inform her without looking at her.

I hear her gasp, “Ryan?”

“I wish you all the best, Megan, but I need time,” I tell her, still not looking at her.

“Ryan, I still want us to be friends, we’ve always been friends,” she’s begging me to give her something that I’m not sure I can right now.

“I can’t do this right now, Megan. Please get out of the car,” I plead, not sure how my voice is able to sound normal and calm, when I feel like there is a huge lump in my throat and my heart feels like I’ve been stabbed.

“For now, but I’m not giving up on our friendship,” she states, opening the car door and stepping out.

As soon as the door closes, I drive off, not looking in the rearview mirror. I feel betrayed by both of the people I held dear to me.

I drive out to the lake and sit there for hours contemplating how I got here. Megan and I had started dating during our sophomore year of high school. I thought we would be together forever, that nothing could come between us. Never did I think my brother and my job would be the reason I lost the love of my life.

I decide to pack up and head back to the only family I really have at the moment, my team. I can’t stay here anymore.

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