Blinding Echo

by Tina Saxon

A familiar ache shudders in my stomach and I take off in a sprint. Every beat of my heart tells me to go faster. As I turn the same corner she was at, I find an empty road. I bend over, grip my knees as I catch my breath. What am I doing? It wasn’t her. My mind hasn’t played that trick on me in years. I used to see her face on every dark haired, green, blue, gray-eyed woman. Hope never died that she’d remember me and come search for me. She never did. Did she finally regain her memories after ten years? Clicking heels come from behind and a hand lays across my back.

  “What’s going on Kase?”

  “Did you notice that woman? The one standing here a few minutes ago?”

  “I saw her when she turned the corner when I saw you dart that direction.”

  I stand up and run my hand through my hair, relieved I didn’t imagine a woman. It's happened before. “She looked familiar.”

  “She must have looked more than familiar for you to take off running like you were in the Olympics. If I ran that fast, I’d be lying on the sidewalk dead. In fact, if you ever see my feet moving that quick, look at who is chasing me and shoot them.”

  My hand freezes in my hair and I stare at her. Is she serious? Max wouldn't have told her what I did in the military and I didn't put that on the application.

  “Why are you staring at me like that? I was kidding. I don’t want you to kill anyone.”

  Little does she know, I’ve killed plenty.

  I lift my chin the direction we came from. I need a distraction. Since it can't be with a woman, food will have to work. She takes my hint and walks. “She reminded me of an ex,” I mumble.

  “All my ex’s, I run away from.”

  “Things were left unsettled.”

  “You still love her?”

  I sigh. “’Til I die.”

  “Do you think it was her?”

  “No. It’s just my head fucking with me.”

  Chapter Seven

  Kase

  “I didn’t notice professional decorator on your resume,” Cody jokes when I walk out of the bedroom. He’s relaxing on my new couch, brushing his hand across the dark grey suede. “Maybe you should think about changing jobs. I’d hire you.”

  I chuckle, looking around the decorated room where everything coordinates. It looks awesome, but it wasn’t my doing. “This is all Pepper.” His brow lifts with an accusatory expression. “She helped me buy furniture,” I respond, quickly. “There was zero enjoyment going to the furniture store with her. She’s into Stone, anyway.” I throw that out to prevent any confusion with my intentions. I have none.

  He nods. “All I can say is, don’t mention this to Stone. He’s a vindictive shit.” I get it, I’m the new guy. I understand more than most people the importance of a team. You don’t want to be the one on the outside looking in.

  “You don’t say. I finally found the Village where he suggested I look.” It’s a vacated apartment building right by the beach, zoned to be torn down soon, but filled with transient people. Not quite what I was looking for, but it gave me a reason to spend some money. At least the people there now have blankets, pillows, and bath necessities.

  Cody lives a floor down from me. He’s a marine, so we’ve become quick buddies reminiscing about our days in the military. It’s nice to have someone around who understands the difficult transition to civilian life.

  His phone dings in his hand. He reads it and says, “They’re meeting us there in five.”

  We’re meeting at Ocean’s, the bar across the street. Cody and I went last night for a couple of hours. It’s a cool place, typical bar though. It’s convenient being able to walk home after drinking.

  Beachgoers pack the bar, looking to continue their partying. I’m wearing shorts and a polo and feel overdressed.

  We grab two empty chairs around the table with the guys but before I can say hi, my phone vibrates in my pocket. I dig it out, noticing it’s my buddy from my old team. I can barely hear him, so I tell him to hold on.

  “Order me a Shiner,” I say, scooting the chair backward and standing. Hudson nods. Before I make it out the front door, a woman’s hand grips my arm, stopping me.

  “Please tell me you’re not leaving,” a petite blonde purrs. She’s wearing a see-thru bathing suit cover, showing off her fit body underneath it. I drink her in, my lips curl up to a smile and I place my hand against her lower back, leaning down so I’m close to her ear. She smells like coconut and salt.

  Thank god for beach towns.

  “Gorgeous, I’m not. I just have to take this call.”

  “Come find me later.” She puts a straw in her mouth and sucks on her drink, her eyes never leaving mine. I draw in a ragged breath and nod. The things I could do to her.

  Once outside, I groan into the phone, “Your timing is deplorable, brother.” His laugh rings in my ear. We talk for a few minutes as I update him on where I’ve landed. I knew he wouldn’t have a lot of time to talk, only enough time to check in with each other and make sure I was doing okay. I miss my team and hearing from him, regrets of leaving begin to pop up in my head. I shake the thoughts away. No, this is where I need to be for my sanity. Slipping my phone back into my pocket, I head back inside.

  “Hey, come back here,” the guy at the door yells after I walk in. I turn to see if he’s having trouble with someone, but his eyes pin me. He nods when I point to myself, confirming he’s talking to me. “I need to see your ID.”

  My eyes widen in surprise. “You’ve got to be kidding. I was already in there; I came out for a phone call.” I point inside.

  He shrugs, holding his hand out. “My shift just started, so if you want in, I need to see it.”

  I grumble, yanking the wallet out of my pocket. The last time anyone carded me was years ago. Right as I’m handing it over, Hudson comes out. He looks at the exchange and throws his head back in amusement. He slaps the guy on the shoulder.

  “Tom, he’s with us.” He fights to keep his laughter in as I narrow my eyes at him. “I know he looks like a young buck, but I can vouch for him.”

  “What the hell? I don’t look like I’m underage.” I stand taller, like that will help convince them otherwise.

  He shrugs. “You do have a baby face.” Hudson can’t hold it any longer. That’s it. I’m growing a beard. Tom looks down at my ID and with a look of recognition I hoped wouldn't come, he says, “I’ve heard about you. You’re that badass SEAL that saved someone.” I paste a fake smile on my face and take my ID. I’ve saved a lot of someones. But people don’t know about those. An American civilian was being held hostage, and they awarded me a medal for leading the rescue. One article and suddenly everyone knows me. They don't know shit. They think it's cool to be on the receiving end of such an honorable accolade. I'd rather have my brother back. His death still haunts me.

  He holds his hand out, his smile reaches his eyes. “It’s an honor to meet you.”

  I shake his hand to be respectful. “It’s nice to meet you too, Tom.”

  “Hey Tom, our beers are getting hot,” Hudson fires off, saving me from excusing myself. He’s Army, he knows. What happens over there always comes back with us, but the last thing we want to do is rehash those tales with strangers.

  Although, at the table, Hudson wastes no time telling the guys they carded me. Let the jokes begin. Everyone gets their dig in, I sit back and let them have their fun. It’s easier to listen to this than talking about my past with strangers.

  Draining the rest of my beer, our waitress shows up right on time. She stands between me and Cody. “Y’all need anything?” Her long tan legs catch my attention. I have to strain my neck to glance up at her. I should’ve swallowed the cool liquid in my mouth first.

  My heart stops beating, causing my throat to close off mid-swallow. I lean forward choking, the liquid spewing from my mouth onto the floor and up my nose. The burn makes my eyes water. As I’m coughing the assholes around me get a kick out of it.

  “You all right?” The waitress asks, patting my back. I no
d, holding up a finger so she’ll wait for me to stop dying, but I can’t stop my coughing reflex. When I finally move past the coughing, she’s already gone. My eyes dart around the bar, looking for the woman who just took my breath away.

  She’s standing behind the bar, a black shirt outlines her lean body, the V-neck showing off her cleavage. When her eyes catch mine, she smiles at me, then returns to making drinks. I slam my hand against Cody’s chest and he grunts.

  “Who is that?” I jut my chin in her direction.

  “She's out of your league,” he jokes.

  I turn and glare at him. “What’s her name?”

  “That’s Ellie,” Stone answers. I whip my head around to the bar in disbelief.

  Either the universe is playing a fucking joke, or it’s kismet.

  Chapter Eight

  Ellie

  I dip the glass into the lukewarm water and place it next to the sink to dry. My feet are killing me. Why did I take a double today? Oh, yeah, I felt bad for skipping out on Tori yesterday when I had a last-minute study group pop up. Thank god this is my last semester.

  “Did you see Max’s new guy?” Tori purrs from behind me. She steps to the side of me, reaching for the vodka and makes a drink, not paying attention to the amount she’s pouring. She can make drinks with her eyes closed. We both glance at the table of men that frequent our bar almost on a daily basis when they're in town. The only thing different is the man staring back at me right now. Our eyes meet for a moment before I busy myself snatching a towel to dry off the sink area.

  “I think he likes you,” she whispers.

  Every day, I watch men flirt with women. They don’t sneak peeks, they stare, waiting for their chance to catch the woman’s eye. The slight smile with a tilt of the chin when they finally do. And her telling response, either opens doors or slams them shut. Single life is a wild world of body language. Sometimes I wish I had majored in psychology. It’s intriguing. I’ve mastered the disinterested gaze, ignoring the heated looks. But this guy is different, I can’t look away.

  “He looks at me like he’s trying to place where he knows me from,” I say, leaning my hip against the counter, making myself look at Tori and not him.

  “Do you think he does?” Her voice changes from flirty to concerned. Tori’s the only person who knows about my past. We met when I ended up here trying to drown myself from the disaster my life was in. Her uncle owns Ocean’s. She offered me a job that night and we’ve become great friends. I trusted her enough to tell her the truth. That’s where it stops though. It’s in the past. I don’t talk about it, and I sure as hell try my hardest not to think about it.

  “No… maybe… shit, I'm not sure. He looks a little familiar. He won’t stop staring at me though. It makes me nervous.”

  She lays her hand over mine. “Don’t be nervous. He’s one of Max’s guys, he’s a good guy. For Max to hire someone, he would have combed through his life with a lice comb.”

  I snicker and itch my scalp. I didn’t need that metaphor. Now, I’ll be itching all freaking night. She’s right though. I turn my head and sneak a glance at the mystery man. Thankfully, he’s not looking back right now. He laughs at something Stone says, pulling the beer to his lips. I watch his Adam’s apple bob up and down as he downs his drink. When he places it on the table, he looks in our direction. He smiles and holds his empty beer bottle up. He is gorgeous, that’s for certain. His boyish looks are a stark contrast to the man I can see underneath that sweet smile and blue eyes.

  “Looks like your admirer needs another beer.”

  I groan, grabbing another beer from the fridge. “Tell me again why I keep working here?” I reach into my back pocket, pull the warm metal bottle opener out and with one flip, the top pops off.

  “Because you love me.” She blows me a kiss and smacks my ass as I walk away.

  “I’m sure it’s the money,” I say over my shoulder. She giggles because she knows it’s true. The money is great here. Ocean’s is the prime location, closest bar to the beach which keeps us slammed every night. I’ve been able to pay for college, bills, and put a little extra away each month.

  “I’m assuming you want this?” I say, placing the bottle in front of him and picking up the empty one.

  “Thanks.” My body hums to life at the timbre of his voice. From one word. Really, Ell? It hasn’t been that long.

  “Ellie, this is Kase. Kase, Ellie,” Stone says, waving his beer in between us.

  Kase holds his hand out. “Nice to meet you, Ellie.” His words lace with a polite southern accent. One I know too well and am usually turned off by, but not his. His sounds like a warm blanket you want wrapped around yourself on a frigid night. Except, as soon as I wrap myself in it, I’d suffocate from the heat.

  I slip my hand in his. “You can call me Ell.” His smile widens like he’s enjoying an inside joke. I wait for the pick-up line that follows introductions from guys at the bar, but his smile stays plastered on his face. I’d rather have the pick-up line than the enamored stare. My exit is a lot easier when the guy is a douche, unlike this one, staring up at me like I hung the moon.

  I clear my throat. “So, Stone, do you need anything?” I glance over at the other guys, searching for an out. Stone’s gaze moves from me to Kase and back to me. He’s as confused as I am.

  “Nah, we’re good,” he says, picking up his full beer.

  “Great. Call me when y’all need something.” My words are barely out of my mouth before I pivot and make a beeline for the bar.

  I hear Stone say behind me, “You sure you’re a SEAL? I think your balls shriveled up in the cold, murky waters.” The table burst out laughing. A SEAL, huh? Why does that make him that much hotter? Especially after what just happened. I stop and check on a couple of other tables.

  The old-fashion jukebox retrofitted to play thousands of songs, turns on from the corner of the bar. I glance over at the big burly guy trying to dance to “I’m Too Sexy,” by Right Said Fred. Why do we still have this song on the list? It’s like a magnet for drunk guys. What happens next is so predictable, I could broadcast a live commentary. It never fails. Yep, there it is. Off comes the shirt. At least this guy is entertaining and not trying to rub himself on women. Hoots and hollers come from the patrons, urging him on. He starts cat-walking on our tiny dance floor. It’s funny to see his sunburn outlined where his tank top was, obviously not enough liquid courage to take off the shirt at the beach today. Unlike right now as he does the worm across the floor.

  “Every. Time.” Tori walks up to my side and we watch the grown man make a fool of himself.

  “I hope he wasn’t planning on picking up a woman tonight,” a sexy voice says. We both turn inward to find Kase standing behind us.

  “That is for damn sure.” Her eyes trail down his body and she lets out a low hum. If I wasn’t standing so close, I wouldn’t have been able to hear her over the music. I tap her on the hip to stop. A wicked smile grows on Kase’s face. I guess the music isn’t that loud.

  “Need another beer?”

  “After watching that” —he points to the guy pushing up on all fours, trying to stand up— “definitely. But I need the bathroom first.” We admire his backside as he walks off. He stops and turns toward me, opening his arms wide. “Sorry about earlier. I needed a map to find my way back, I was lost in your eyes.” He winks and turns to walk away.

  Tori and I burst out laughing. “Awe, c’mon. You can do better than that, Cowboy,” I call out to him. He motions like he’s tipping an invisible cowboy hat right before he disappears into the men's bathroom.

  “If I were you, I’d follow him into the bathroom and screw his brains out.”

  “Tori!” I stare at her dumbfounded. “That’s just gross.”

  She grabs her rag from her back pocket and cleans off the table next to us. “You’re so full of shit, Ell. Remember, I know about Steve.”

  She won’t ever forget that. Just once, I let loose and the only mistake I made was te
lling her what I did. It also wasn’t at a bar where god knows what is on the stall doors. I shiver just thinking about it. It was at an upscale restaurant where each bathroom had its own room and what looked to be clean. I push in the chairs and we both head back to the bar. “Shh. That was a one-time thing. And I knew Steve. He wasn’t some hot stranger I followed into a bar bathroom.”

  She shrugs. “You could take him to the backroom. There’s a bed. Just give me a heads up and I’ll stay away. Maybe.”

  I chuckle. “You’re such a perv. You would so peek.” I snap her with a towel on the ass and then run out from behind the bar. “If you want to see me naked, all you have to do is ask,” I say with a smirk and blow her a kiss.

  “It’s that easy, huh?”

  Shit.

  My face burns from embarrassment. I peek over my shoulder where Kase is leaning against the bar looking smug. “No. You and your cheesy pick-up lines can ask all you want. It’s not happening.”

  He takes a step forward; his chest grazes my back. “I don’t need cheesy pick-up lines to get what I want.” Goosebumps pebble my skin from the heat of his breath. I catch myself right before I lean back into his hard chest, stepping forward and with great detail, wipe the bar off. What is it about this guy that is making me lose control of my body? Leaning into him, Ell? What the hell? I jump when I feel him at my side. Again. Jesus, this guy doesn’t give up. “I think you owe me a beer,” he rasps, deep and sexy. He’s intentionally doing this, getting me all hot and flustered.

  “Oh, right… I’m sorry.” The sexy crooked grin only proves he’s getting a kick out of this. I huff and roll my eyes. “I’ll grab it and bring it to you,” I say, regaining my senses and walking around him. You’d think the bar was empty the way his laugh echoes in the room. Instead of walking behind the bar, I walk to the bathroom hallway to take a deep breath. “You need to stop this,” I lecture myself like I’m talking to another person. Since my body seems to have taken a turn on its own, I need to remind it that now is not the time.