The Lover

by E. L. Todd

  “Good. Soldier and I are just lounging around.”

  “Good. I hope the place smells like you when I get back.”

  “It’ll definitely smell like dog, I can tell you that much.”

  He chuckled. “Then it’ll need a deep clean.”

  “I’m not the maid, so don’t ask me.”

  “You can’t cook and you can’t clean…at least you can fuck.”

  I laughed. “I’m glad it gets me out of chores.”

  “That’s how good you are.”

  We turned quiet when the conversation died out. Even though we hadn’t seen each other in weeks, we didn’t have much to say. We spent most of our time making love when we were together. When we couldn’t do that, we ran out of things to discuss.

  “Anything else new with you?”

  I thought about Jax. He’d stopped by the shop just a few days ago. Since Finn had told me about Layla, I should probably mention it. “Actually…Jax stopped by my shop a few days ago.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yeah. We talked for a bit, and I mentioned we were dating.”

  “And what did he stop by for?” His tone darkened noticeably, like he was provoked the second I mentioned Jax’s name. For not being jealous, he was certainly territorial. He didn’t play it cool, not like he usually did.

  “Just to talk.”

  “He came by a lingerie shop just to talk? Baby, I was straight with you about Layla. You better be straight with me.”

  “I didn’t want to make you mad.”

  “Do I sound mad?”

  Was that a trick question? “A bit…”

  “I’ll ask again. What did he want?”

  This time, I didn’t hold back. “He asked me out. Said he made a mistake and hasn’t stopped thinking about me…”

  “He did make a mistake. He’s a fucking idiot.”

  “I told him we were serious, so he backed off.”

  “Good. Now I don’t have to break his pretty face. It’d be hard to sell houses with a broken nose and a black eye.”

  “I thought real men didn’t get jealous?” Finn had told me he was too confident to be threatened by another man, but his blown temper suggested otherwise.

  “Never said I was jealous.”

  “You sound it.”

  “I just don’t appreciate it when an asshole hits on my woman.”

  “In his defense, he didn’t know I was your woman.”

  “Because you didn’t tell him.” His tone darkened further. “You should have told him sooner.”

  “Sooner? It’s not like I’m friends with the guy. I didn’t know I was going to run into him.”

  “Look, I’m up front about my commitment to you. I get ass offered to me all the time, but I don’t dance around the fact that I’m unavailable. I spit it out and get to the point.”

  “Whoa, you get ass offered to you all the time? What about that whole being honest thing?” We hardly got to talk to each other, and in our limited time, we were yelling at each other. The idea of him being hit on all the time pissed me off, in addition to the accusation in his voice. And he had smoke coming out of his ears.

  “If I told you about every little thing, we wouldn’t have time to talk about anything else.”

  “Wow…that’s a dick thing to say.”

  “Well, I’m a dick. Go figure.” He was fuming over the line, showing me the dark side of him that he’d only shown once before.

  “I don’t hide my commitment to you, Finn. It just happened that way—”

  “It shouldn’t have happened at all. You should have told that asshole you were with me. But you kept your mouth shut.”

  I missed this man so much, but now I wanted nothing to do with him. “I told him I was in love with you.”

  Silence.

  “He told me to call him if it doesn’t work out. You know what I said? It is gonna work out.” Fed up with this bitter version of Finn, I hung up the phone and dropped it onto the sheets beside me. Fighting when we were in the same city was different because he always felt so close. If I ignored his calls, he could come to my door and face me like a man. But he was on the other side of the country, and if I didn’t talk to him now, I’d have to wait another week.

  So when he called back, I answered. “What?” I was pissed that he was being hit on constantly, so often that there wasn’t even time to tell me about all of them. I was pissed that he treated me like a criminal when he had a naked woman showing up at his door. I was pissed that he wasn’t in bed with me, that we were having this fight over the phone because we couldn’t be together.

  His voice came out quiet when he spoke, his rage gone and his serenity full. “I love you.”

  Just like that, the fight was over.

  “I love you,” he repeated. “And I’m sorry.”

  I would never get tired of hearing those three little words. “I love you too.”

  “I don’t know why I got so angry. I guess…”

  “You’re jealous.”

  He sighed into the phone.

  “It’s okay, Finn. I’m jealous too. I’m jealous of that gorgeous woman who wants you so much that she flashed her perfect body at you, and she probably looks much better naked than I do. It’s okay to be jealous. A little jealousy is good in a relationship.”

  “I’m jealous,” he finally admitted. “And I didn’t even look at her body because I was looking at her face. You’re the sexiest woman I’ve ever been with, and your appeal has nothing to do with looks. Your beauty comes from deep within. So, don’t feel threatened by someone so ugly. It doesn’t matter if they’re supermodels or porn stars. No one can compete with you—at least not to me.”

  16

  Colton

  I sat across from Pepper and Stella at the bar, a beer sitting in front of me. “You better knock that bitch out the next time you see her.”

  “I’ll do it for you,” Stella said. “What kind of person does that? It would be hot if he were a single guy, but if she actually saw you say goodbye at the airport, tears streaming down your face, that’s just cold.”

  “He could probably press charges,” I said. “That’s harassment. She keeps doing it and won’t stop.”

  “Finn isn’t the kind of guy to call the cops—for any reason,” Pepper said.

  “Yeah, you’re probably right.” I drank my beer and was relieved to see that Pepper was in a good place, despite the ordeal with Layla. She’d taken Finn’s departure really hard, but she managed to bounce back. “At least he’ll be home soon.”

  “One more week,” she said, sighing at the same time. “This month has been torture. I only get to talk to him once a week, so that just makes it worse.”

  “And you aren’t getting laid.” Stella stirred her martini with the olive spear and took a drink. “That’s gotta be the worst part.”

  “No, the worst part is him not being here,” Pepper said. “I miss him. I miss sleeping with him, talking to him, just being with him…”

  “I thought you were sleeping with Soldier,” I noted.

  She rolled her eyes. “Not the same thing.”

  “At least it’s almost over,” Stella said. “He already served ten years in the military and he did his humanitarian work, so hopefully he just sits still for a very long time now.”

  “I don’t know.” I knew Finn in a way neither one of them did. Growing up, he always played with toy soldiers and tanks, wanting to be in the army when he grew up. When we got older, he only became more anxious to serve. Then when he turned eighteen, he was out the door so fast. “He’s always been that way. He doesn’t like to be in one spot for too long. Even when he was in the military, he didn’t come home that often. He would always volunteer for extra missions because he preferred to be overseas than at home. My mom doesn’t know that, but he told me. So don’t be surprised if he does more stuff like this in the future.”

  Pepper’s face turned pale, like that was the last thing she wanted. “I admire his sacrifice and how
selfless he is, but I couldn’t do another month apart. This has already been hard enough. I couldn’t imagine being an army wife. That’s just torture.”

  “At least you know he’ll never go back in the military,” Stella said. “So you never have to worry about him running off again—at least not for a long period of time.”

  “And he wouldn’t have bought a house unless he intended to settle,” Pepper added.

  I shrugged. “Buying real estate is a sound investment.”

  Stella glared at me. “We’re trying to make Pepper feel better right now.”

  “Well, I don’t think those reasons are enough to keep him around,” I argued. “But there is one thing that will probably keep him around for a long time.”

  “What?” Pepper asked, holding her drink.

  “You.” My brother’s personality and behavior had changed since he’d met her. He was loving, affectionate, and monogamous. He experienced feelings he’d never felt before. She completely changed his life, made him into a new man. “After being gone for a month, he’ll probably never want to leave you again. So I think that’s the one thing that should give you comfort.”

  I was home alone one night when the phone rang.

  It was my brother. “Whoa, didn’t expect to hear from you.”

  “I thought I should check in. I just talked to Mom, and she almost cried on the phone.”

  “Why?”

  He sighed. “I don’t know. She worries about me too much.”

  I rolled my eyes even though he couldn’t see me. “She’s just emotional.”

  “I’ve survived worse, so she shouldn’t be worried.” He sounded the same, a little distant and slightly bored. “Pepper doing alright?”

  “Why don’t you call her?”

  “I’ll call her when I’m done with you. I save the best for last.”

  “So, I’m not the best?” I teased.

  “Not even close. So, how’s she doing?”

  “She was pretty upset when you left. She didn’t talk to anyone for a few days.”

  He was quiet.

  “It took her about two weeks to really accept the fact you were gone. But she still tells me how much she misses you and can’t wait until you get home. She’s not happy about Layla either.”

  He released a heavy sigh, expressing all his anger and rage in that simple act. “She’s a pain in the ass, man. That woman doesn’t understand rejection. She obviously doesn’t understand desperation either.”

  “Stella is gonna kick her ass.”

  “Good. Hopefully, she can’t come into work anymore.”

  “So, how is it over there? Pepper said it sounded gruesome.”

  “Oh, it definitely is. I’m excited to come home—and not just because I miss my woman.”

  I put my feet on the coffee table and turned down the volume on the TV. “I’m excited to have you back. I don’t like seeing Pepper so bummed out. I didn’t grasp how happy you made her until you were gone.”

  “I’m glad you feel that way, man. Being without her has been hard. I don’t think I could do it again.”

  Maybe Finn really was ready to settle down. That was not something he would normally say. Maybe he didn’t even realize what he’d said. “She feels the same way.”

  “Especially with Jax snooping around…”

  “I wouldn’t worry about him. Seemed like an honest mistake.”

  “Whatever. He had her and blew it. The guy needs to move on.”

  He blew it because of me. At first, I felt bad for being the reason they broke up, but after seeing Pepper with Finn, maybe that was the best thing that could have happened. “I’m sure he will. If he comes around again, I’ll take care of it.”

  “Thanks, man. Only a week to go, and I’ll be home. Mom wants to have a barbecue.”

  “That would be nice. You can bring your new girlfriend.”

  He chuckled. “Yeah…I guess I could. I have a feeling they’ll like her.”

  “No,” I said. “They’ll love her.”

  “Well, I’ll let you go. Just wanted to check in.”

  I knew our relationship was different now because he’d never called me before. Throughout his entire in the military, he never made an effort to have a relationship with me. I barely got a text from him on my wedding day. But now, it seemed like we were friends, not just brothers. “Thanks. I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Thanks for keeping an eye on Pepper. I feel better knowing she always has you.”

  “Yes…she’ll always have me.” For better or worse, in sickness and in health, Pepper would always have me to look after her, take care of her, and love her. I wasn’t married to her anymore, but I still honored my vows. Because our love didn’t die when she stopped being my wife. That love continued on like nothing had happened at all.

  17

  Pepper

  The four weeks had come and gone—and Finn was finally coming home.

  Thank fucking god.

  He called me late at night, waking me up at midnight. It was three a.m. his time, so I didn’t know why he was calling me so late.

  I spoke into the phone, mumbling incoherently. “Mm?”

  Soldier released a quiet growl, like he was annoyed I was keeping him awake.

  “Sorry to wake you, baby. I just wanted you to know I finally got a flight. We had to drive a few hours to the next big airport.”

  “Oh, good…” That meant he would be home tomorrow. This hell was finally over.

  “My plane lands at two in the afternoon.”

  “We’ll be there.”

  “We?”

  “Me and Soldier. He misses you.”

  “Alright…I guess I miss him too.”

  My eyes cracked open, and I saw the time, realizing he would be home in a little over twelve hours. And I would get to sleep through most of the wait. “I’m excited you’re coming home.”

  “Me too. Miss my woman.”

  “She misses you too…we both do.”

  “We?” he asked again.

  “You know exactly what I’m talking about.”

  He chuckled. “He misses you guys too. I’ll see you when I land.”

  “Alright. Love you.” I couldn’t wait to say that phrase to his face, to see him smile at me with joy.

  “Love you too.”

  I waited at the terminal with Soldier on a leash. There were crowds of people coming and going, but he sat still and didn’t get distracted by the stimuli. He was calm and quiet, acting like a police dog that had never retired.

  “He should be here soon…” I was used to talking to Soldier like he was a real person.

  He whined quietly, as if he understood exactly what was going on.

  A few minutes later, Finn emerged from the crowd, his black duffel bag over his shoulder. In a t-shirt and jeans, he looked exactly the same. The only exception was the shadow of hair the sprinkled his jawline. He was usually meticulous about shaving, but since he didn’t have the same luxuries he used to possess, he probably didn’t have the opportunity.

  When his eyes found mine, a look of pure longing burned from deep within. His lips spread slightly in a smile, and he headed toward me like nothing in the world would stop him.

  Soldier tugged on his leash and whimpered when he recognized Finn. Then he broke off at a dead run and bolted right for him. He released a bark just because he collided into Finn and jumped up his body, his paws dragging over Finn’s frame. Soldier whined with emotion, like he’d been missing Finn as much as I had.

  “Hey, boy.” Finn smiled at his dog then leaned down to rub him.

  Soldier went crazy and wagged his tail vigorously, still whining.

  Finn wrapped his arms around his dog and pulled him for a hug, even letting him lick his face. “Wow, you really did miss me.”

  I smiled as I watched them interact, not jealous that Soldier got to kiss him before I did. “I think he might have missed you more than I did.”

  Finn scratched him behind the
ears as he looked up at me. “I doubt that.” He dropped his bag then rose to his feet, his handsome smile just for me. His arms circled around my waist, and he pulled me into his chest, hugging me like he never wanted to let go.

  I almost cried because it felt so good. He was really back, really there with me. Hopefully, I would never have to drop him off at the airport ever again.

  He rested his chin on my head as he held me in the terminal, oblivious to all the people walking by and preparing to leave the terminal. All he cared about was me. His hands snaked up my back, and he pressed a kiss to my forehead. “You’re even more beautiful than I remember.”

  “Wait until we get home…”

  That brought a smile to his face. “I’m not sure if I can.” He rested his forehead against mine and continued to hold me, Soldier pawing at his leg because he wanted more attention. He gripped my lower back then rubbed his nose against mine. “You ready to go?”

  “Yes.”

  He picked up his bag and pulled it over his shoulder. “Come on, boy.” He grabbed my hand, and we walked out together, Soldier following at our side trailing his leash behind him.

  When we stepped outside, I spotted Layla standing at the curb waiting for an Uber. Her black luggage sat beside her, and she was in black leggings that left little to the imagination and a t-shirt that showed her belly along with her tattoos. It was hard to believe this woman was a doctor because she always looked like a whore.

  Finn tightened his grip on my hand. “She’s not worth it. Leave it alone.”

  I was normally too classy to say anything to someone so low, but I was tired of taking the high road. This woman was a nasty pest that just wouldn’t go away, even when you chopped off her head. “Nope.” I pulled out of his grasp and walked up to her, my heart pounding with rage.

  She turned to look at me, her eyes dilating in fear when she realized she was the target on my radar. Her entire body tensed, and she flinched when I walked right up to her.