Page 108 of I Promise You
From what I could tell, he had only one glass of his favorite whiskey and didn’t drink for the rest of the night. He sat beside Rooker and Noel the entire time, lost in conversation but looking relaxed.
And that made me feel good knowing he was okay.
“Oh no, here come the drunken toasts and awards,” Violet whispers as everyone begins to riot excitedly, banging their fists on the table and whistling as Admiral Ravenmore wheels out a table.
It has a massive bowl with smoke lingering, hovering over it like a halo, hiding what’s inside.
Dry ice.
“What’s that?” I furrow my eyebrows, amused. I smirk as I watch everyone continue to yell out in anticipation.
Violet was not kidding about these men acting like children after several hours of drinking.
“It’s a bowl full of different drinks from each service member’s favorite. A different sailor gets called up, makes a speech, then dumps it in.”
“That’s funny. Ithasto taste bad.” I scrunch my nose in playful disgust.
After about seven sailors make drunken speeches, Lopez walks up to the bowl, takes the cap off a bottle of tequila, and dumps it in.
“There isn’t any other place I’d rather be but here, serving alongside my brothers.” He takes a big gulp from the bottle and sighs, wiping off the rest from his lips, before he walks off from the center of the ballroom, retreating next to Kane and Meredith.
Short, simple, and thorough.
“Chief Petty Officer, Danny Rider. Get the fuck up here. The fearless, Grim fucking Reaper!”
Everyone chants, whistles, clapping their hands, some even banging their fists on the table.
“Grim Reaper!”
“Grim Reaper!”
From the side, Danny stands up from the table he shares with Rooker and heads for the center of the room. I dip my head at my cross necklace. Twirling it into my fingertips, trying my best not to rush out of the building. But the attraction I have for Danny will always prevail, no matter where we stand in our relationship. He will always be that magnetic force calling my name. I look back at him, my bottom lip trapped underneath my teeth as I try to let my bangs hide where my eyes are glued.
Danny twists the Jack Daniels’ cap open. The Admiral handed his bottle to Danny so he could pour it in. He hangs it open on top of the bowl with hesitation, watching the smoke swirl around the bowl, and he smirks, shaking his head.
“Fearless…” he trails off. “That’s where you’re wrong, sir.” His voice raises the Admiral’s eyebrows, and everyone grows quiet as if they don’t want to miss a word that Danny has to say.
“I’m not fearless.” His jaw ticks off and on. “Last year, I wouldn’t disagree with you.” Admiral Ravenmore pats him on the shoulder with a hard smack in a brotherly fashion, and he looks at him with a softened gaze of understanding.
“But I just found something that scares the living shit out of me.” His blue eyes search the crowd, and they land on me.
His hardened gaze stares into my soul intimidatingly, and I can’t breathe.
“I’m scared of losing the ones I love most.” His jaw bites down, twitching with narrowed eyes, and then he looks away and my heart chips.
Is he talking about me?
“At first, I didn’t understand fear, didn’t feel it, didn’t care for it, and I was proud of that.” He swallows.
“But someone taught me the realness behind an emotion I’ve managed to avoid my entire life.” He looks at me again, licking his lips. “Now I know it’s not a weakness, buta strength. It’s a fucking strengthto fear you might lose the ones you love most because it makes you want to fight that much harder.”
“HOOYAH!” everyone roars in agreement.
“I’m not good at these things. I’m not good at words.” He readjusts the bottle in his hand, watching the dry ice smoke flow out constantly.
“I'm surprised I even showed up tonight, if I’m being honest.”
Danny smiles.
