by Megan Green
“Up and at ‘em, ladies!”
I roll as far away from the voice as I can. When I bump into another body, I remember where I am. Emma curls into a ball, a scowl on her face. “Go away.”
“Now, now. No need to be rude. It’s not our fault you two don’t know how to go to sleep when you’re supposed to,” the voice says with a tsk.
I turn toward it, needing to know who our tormentor is. Chris. Of course. He walks around to Emma’s side of the foldout, pulling her up into his arms.
“Wake up, beautiful.” He kisses her cheeks. “As much as I hate to leave you, we’ve gotta get on base. And I need to take you home. Now go get your gorgeous butt dressed so we can go. I’ll have your coffee ready when you get back.” He sets her on her feet and she scampers off toward the bathroom. Actually scampers.
I tug the blanket up over my head. It’s too damn early for these people. I hear Chris’s footsteps moving across the floor, and I think, just maybe, he’s gonna leave me be. I close my eyes, thinking if I can get just ten more minutes, I’ll be ready.
I can feel myself drifting off. In my half-asleep daze, I can vaguely hear the sounds of cupboards being opened and closed in the kitchen. Chris must be making that coffee. Great. It’ll be ready after I doze.
Without warning, I’m jerked violently from my haze. Leaping from the couch, my eyes dart around the room, trying to make sense of the situation. Chris is leaning against the kitchen doorframe, a canister in his hand.
“What the fuck was that?” I gasp.
He holds up the can. “You obviously needed a little motivation.” He pushes the button on front again. The most atrocious noise bellows from it.
“An air horn? Are you fucking serious?”
“Worked, didn’t it?”
“I hate you.”
He only smiles in response.
Ryan walks into the room then. “Don’t be a dick, Chris. Put it away.”
My hands fly to my hair, trying to smooth it out as best I can. I’m a disaster when I first wake up. I duck my head and race toward the bathroom, ready to beat down the door until Emma lets me in.
She opens the door just as I reach it. I slip past her. I grab my clothes from the dryer and quickly change. Only then do I venture to look in the mirror.
Jesus. It’s even worse than normal. My thick brown hair is sticking almost straight up off my head in the back, and every single layer is flipping in a different direction. Perfect.
I find a hairbrush in one of the drawers and pull it through my hair. It’s still a mess, but at least it’s not sticking up anymore. Tucking it behind my ears, I quickly brush my teeth with the toothbrush I used last night. I walk back to the living room to find the three of them sitting on the now refolded couch.
Ryan points to the kitchen. “Coffee is on the counter. Emma left the cream and sugar out for you. Hope it’s something you like. We only keep it for Emma. Chris and I are black guys.”
I cock my head at him. Realizing what he said, he laughs. “Well, obviously we’re not black guys. Pretty sure Chris is the whitest person on the planet. He practically glows in the dark. NASA reported seeing him from space on their last mission.”
Chris says nothing to this jab. With his blond hair and pale skin, I’m guessing he’s used to these little quips. I wonder how he survives the heat and sun over in the Middle East.
We drink our coffee in silence. The guys seem bright-eyed and ready to take on the day, but Emma looks just as bleary-eyed as I feel. I’m grateful for the few minutes of silence to try to wake up.
Chris is the first to break the silence. “Ready, babe? We better get going.” He pats her on the knee. At her nod, he takes both mugs to the sink. “See you there, Porter.” He nods at Ryan.
The door closes behind them and I ask, “You guys don’t drive together?”
“Normally. But he’s taking Emma home, and I gotta get you back to your car. We agreed it’d be best to just meet on base today.”
“Oh.” I feel guilty for throwing his routine off. I’ve already been enough of an inconvenience. “It really isn’t far to the gas station. I can get there. Go with them.”
“Still drizzling out there. And even if it weren’t, I’m not letting you walk back to your car at the crack of dawn. It’s not a big deal. Really.” He smiles at me. Gah, that smile.
“Okay. Well, let’s go then. I don’t wanna make you late.”
He quickly checks the house, making sure the coffee pot is turned off and everything is set for the day. It’s not until we’re stepping out the front door that I wonder how we’re going anywhere. As far as I know, they only have Chris’s truck.
He walks back to a detached garage and lifts the door. An old car is nestled inside. I have no clue what kind it is, but I can tell it’s been well loved.
“Is this yours?” I ask stupidly.
He nods. “Chris and I spent years restoring it. Started in high school and worked on it whenever we were home on leave. Finally got it done last year.”
It’s stunning. The outside is painted a metallic blue. Black stripes run down the sides of the hood. The soft top currently covering it lets me know it’s a convertible, and I’m instantly sorry for the rain. The thought of the wind blowing through my hair while in this car is exhilarating.
I get in the passenger seat and look at the interior. It’s just as beautiful as the outside. It’s only a two-seater, no back seat to speak of. Black leather covers the bucket seats. The dash gleams under the overhead light. A pair of fuzzy dice hang from the rear-view mirror. I bounce them. “Really? Isn’t this a bit…cliché?” I laugh.
He smiles that ridiculous smile at me again. “This car is a classic. Classic cars need fuzzy dice. Everybody knows that.”
I roll my eyes as he starts the car. I don’t consider myself a car fanatic, but even I get excited at the sound of that engine. “Okay. You have got to take me for a ride in this. When it’s not raining. And for longer than to the gas station.”
He chuckles. “Deal. We’ll do it someday.”
Remembering Emma’s words last night, I ask, “Before you leave?” My voice sounds sadder than I intended it to.
His smile falls. “Oh. I was gonna tell you. Should have known Emma would’ve mentioned it. Sorry.”
“It’s okay. No worries,” I try to say nonchalantly.
“I wasn’t trying to hide anything from you. Just wasn’t quite sure how to bring it up.”
“Really, it’s okay. It’s not like we’re dating or anything. Who cares how I found out? We’re just friends.”
“Right,” he says, a grim look on his face.
I turn and stare straight out the windshield. I’m not sure how to interpret his tone, but the remainder of the drive feels tense.
A few minutes later, he pulls up next to my car. I fidget for a minute, unsure of what I should say. He saves me the trouble.
“Thanks for coming over last night. It was fun.” The strained tone is still evident in his voice.
I nod. “Thanks for saving me. Again. And…good luck. Over there.”
Confusion clouds his expression. “I’m not leaving for two weeks, Haylee. I’ll see you before then.”
Relief floods me. I hadn’t realized how worried I was until that moment, that I had said or done something wrong. That he’d leave and I’d never seen him again.
“Actually, we’ll probably only be on base for a few hours today. Just some training stuff. Wanna meet up after? Maybe grab some lunch?”
Saying yes might send the wrong message after spending all night with him. Friends don’t normally spend this much time together, do they? Especially when they’re still getting to know each other?
I look up at Ryan’s smiling face and decide I don’t care. Like I said, he knows where I stand. And there’s nothing I’d rather do than spend the day with him. I smile back at him. “Sure. Just call me when you’re done and we can make a plan.”
His grin spreads wider. He watches as I fumble
for the door handle. When I finally find the stupid thing, I swing the door wide and step out. Leaning back in, I smile at him. “See you later.”
“Bye, Haylee.” One corner of his mouth rises in a smirk. I push the door shut and turn to get in my car. He waits until I’m buckled in and have the engine running before backing out of his parking spot. I watch his car speed down the road in my rear-view mirror.
After his car disappears, I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. The grin on my face is identical to the one he was just sporting. A feeling builds up in my chest. Something I haven’t felt in a long time. Hope. It scares me and exhilarates me all at once. Blowing out a breath, I throw my car in reverse and turn toward my apartment.
The feeling doesn’t go away. By the time I pull into my parking spot outside the complex, memories have erased any elation I’d been feeling. Because the last time I had that feeling, the last time I’d allowed myself to hope, my world came crashing down.
“Thought you were gonna cry out there for a minute, pussy.”
Joey Roberts comes up behind Chris and snaps him in the ass with his towel. Chris jumps and rubs at the sore spot with his palm. I yank my shirt over my head and roll my eyes at what is bound to happen next. These two live to egg each other on.
“Just a little tired today, that’s all. Your mom kept me up pretty late last night,” Chris throws back at him. Roberts lashes out with his wet towel again, but this time Chris is expecting it and jumps out of the way. “Christ. Now I see where your mom gets her kinky side. She likes whips too.”
Joey chucks his towel in Chris’s face. It’s a testament to how tired we all are that he doesn’t retort. Instead he sits on the bench and pulls on his boots.
Drills this morning were brutal. Sarge ran our asses into the ground. We have two weeks until we head back, and he wants to make sure we’re ready. Like any of us actually ever let ourselves get out of shape. We all like to give Chris shit, but he’s just as dedicated as the rest of us.
Chris finishes dressing and plops down next to me. “What are we doing today?”
All I want to do is go home and pass out for about forty-eight hours. I start to say as much when he interrupts me. “Emma was thinking of coming back over. Her roommate is a bitch, I guess. Doesn’t give a shit when Emma is trying to get her homework done. Always has people coming and going. And Em’s got a paper due Monday. She needs some peace and quiet to get it done.”
His mention of Emma reminds me of my conversation with Haylee this morning. I told her I’d meet up with her after training. My spirits lift a little. I’m beat as hell, but seeing her will definitely brighten my day.
“That’s cool. Though I doubt she’ll get much peace and quiet with you around. I’m gonna meet Haylee for lunch. You two can have the place to yourselves.”
Chris grins devilishly. I sigh. “Just stay out of my room, man. I don’t need that mental image when I’m trying to go to sleep tonight.”
He laughs. “No worries there, man. Lord knows what’s on your sheets.”
He stands and claps me on the shoulder. “See you tonight.”
I finish tying my shoes and head out to my car. The rain seems to have stopped momentarily, but if the dark clouds are any indication, it won’t last long.
I slide into the driver’s seat and pull out my cell. I don’t waste any time before dialing Haylee’s number.
“Hello.” Her voice is rigid on the other end of the line. And with that one word I can tell that the Haylee from last night is gone. Cautious and distant Haylee has returned.
“Hey, what’s up?” I ask, keeping my tone upbeat. I’m not going to let her shut me out that easily.
“Been reading. And watching the rain. Seems to have stopped for a minute,” she says, echoing my earlier thought.
“Yep, thank God. Thought I was gonna have to buy boat to get around for a while.”
She laughs woodenly. Man, she’s tough.
“You still wanna get lunch?” I ask.
“Oh, we don’t have to. I’m sure you’re tired.”
“Never too tired for food. C’mon. Don’t make me eat alone.”
She’s quiet for a moment, and I can practically hear her trying to come up with an excuse. “Okay,” she concedes. “Where should I meet you?”
“I’m already out. I can come get you and we can go somewhere near your place.”
Silence.
I glance at my phone, making sure the connection is still there. “Haylee?”
“Sorry. I’m here. I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.”
And now I’ve made her uncomfortable. Great, Porter. You’re doing a bang up job today.
“Oh. Okay, then. I don’t have to. It was just a suggestion.” I smile, hoping it’s portraying in my voice. “We can just meet up. You said you live a few blocks away from that bookstore, right? How about the deli that’s right across the street from there? Say ten minutes?”
Her relief is evident as she exhales. “Sounds good. See you soon.”
I drive to the deli and park my car, the whole way wondering what could have possibly happened to cause her to put her guard back up so heavily. I don’t see her car in the parking lot, so I head into the building and find us a table. The waitress comes over and asks what she can get me. I let her know I’m meeting someone here and ask her to just bring two waters for now.
A few minutes later Haylee walks in. Her face is scrubbed clean of any makeup and her hair is pulled back harshly off her face. Her look screams “fuck off” to anyone who dare approach her. I suppress a smile. Even trying her hardest to scare me away, she still looks adorable. She strides across the floor and plunk down in the seat across from me, not saying anything by way of greeting.
“Well hello to you too,” I say when she sticks her straw into the water glass in front of her. She still hasn’t even met my eyes.
“Hi.” She swirls the straw around the glass, eyes fixed firmly on the movement of the water.
“Good book?” I ask, hoping the subject of books will get her to say more than one word.
She finally glances at me, a curious look in her eyes. “What?”
“Your book. You said you were reading. Did I interrupt a good part?”
“No. I just barely started it. Why?”
“I just thought maybe I took you away from something. What with the surliness and all.”
She winces at that. “Sorry. I don’t mean to be surly. Just been a long day.”
“Must have been a hell of a few hours,” I quip, attempting to get a smile out of her.
She shrugs, a sad look on her face. “You could say that.”
My instincts kick in and my back straightens. “Did something happen? Are you okay?”
She must hear the concern in my voice, because the corners of her mouth turn up in a tiny grin. “I’m fine. Nothing happened. Just worried about work and stuff.”
I can tell in her tone that there’s more to it than that, but I choose not to push her. “Good. Anything I can do to help?”
Haylee shakes her head as the waitress approaches our table. We both order sandwiches and sodas. The woman saunters off and Haylee’s eyes revert to the table. She traces a crack in the wood with her finger. Great, back to ignoring me.
“What’s wrong, Haylee?” I blurt out. “You were fine this morning. And now you can’t seem to look at me for longer than two seconds. What gives?”
“I told you. Just a lot on my mind. I don’t really feel like talking about it,” she says, effectively shutting down the conversation.
“Fine. But I’m here anytime you need to talk, okay. Or if you need help. Don’t hesitate to ask.”
She smirks at me. “You really do have a hero complex, don’t you?”
I scoff at her words, racking my brain for a smart-ass comeback. Then, deciding telling her a little more about me might not be such a bad idea, that it might actually get her to trust me and actually let me be her friend, I drop the act.
&n
bsp; “Guess I take after my dad a little more than I thought.”
Her head snaps up at my remark. I continue before the question even forms on her lips.
“My dad was always helping people. Friends, family, total strangers. Didn’t matter to him. If someone was in need, then he was there in any way he could be. Drove my mom crazy at times, but I know she also loved that about him.”
“He sounds like a good guy.”
“He was.” She watches me expectantly, waiting for me to continue.
“He died when I was eleven. I think I mentioned that. Car accident. He and my brother. One of his students—he was a professor over at the college—called him late one night. He always made sure all his students knew they could call him whenever they were in trouble. Put our home number right on the syllabus and told them to carry it with them in their wallets or program it into their phones. They all loved him. I remember his colleagues always teasing that he acted more like a friend than a teacher, but his classes were always packed. He’d get wedding invites and letters from students he taught years before. Nobody ever forgot him.
“Anyway, that night one of his female students called. She’d ended up at a party and her date had pushed a little too hard. When she put up a fight, he’d left her.” Haylee’s eyes widen and she blanches. Her reaction gives me pause, but I push past it and continue. “She was underage and didn’t want her parents to find out she’d been drinking, so she called my dad. It’d been snowing that night. Not a lot, but enough to cause the roads to ice over. Still, he didn’t hesitate. Noah decided to go with him, just in case he needed help getting her to the car. That was the last time we saw either of them.”
Haylee reaches out and puts her hand on my arm. “I’m so sorry, Ryan.” The look of sorrow on her face is so genuine, it makes me wonder if she’s experienced her own loss.
“Black ice?”
Her question catches me off guard until I realize what she’s asking. “Actually, no. Semi-truck driver fell asleep at the wheel. Crossed into oncoming traffic. They think Dad saw it right before it hit and tried to swerve, but all he did was spin out, so it hit him broadside. He died instantly. Noah died later, at the hospital.”