by Kaylee Ryan
ANOTHER DAY OF TRAINING IN and we’re all exhausted. Getting up hours before the sun rises does that to you. Spiller and Jeffers are arguing over Juicy Fruit and Big Red. Boredom has set it. I’m clutching my phone in my hand, waiting to hear from Austyn. She said she would send me dates. I checked my e-mail as soon as we got in, but nothing yet. I’m hoping that she calls. When my phone vibrates in my hand, I look at the screen and see her smiling face. Only she’s not calling; she wants to video message. I fumble to swipe at the screen and accept the call.
“Hey!” she and Savannah say at the same time.
“Trouble.” I shake my head and laugh.
“Is Brandon with you?” Savannah asks.
“That my girl?” Combs asks from his bed beside me.
Before I know what’s happening, the great debate about gum flavor is long forgotten as the three of them huddle in behind me to get a look at the girls.
“Hey, ladies.” Jeffers lays on the charm. When I hear an “umpf,” I know that Combs has given him an elbow or something equivalent for flirting with them.
“What are you two up to?” I ask them. I’m not looking at Savannah; I can’t take my eyes off Austyn.
“Just finished dinner,” Austyn answers. “Dawson made spaghetti, well attempted to. We had to help him here and there.”
“Hey, babe.” Combs waves to the screen.
“What are you four getting into?” Savannah asks.
“Just got in and doing a whole lot of nothing.”
“We have some dates if y’all are ready for them.”
“Fuck yes,” he says, as if he’s been waiting a lifetime to hear her say those four words. I know how he feels. I’ve been waiting all day, and trust me, it feels like a lifetime.
“We were thinking around Thanksgiving,” she says.
Mentally I calculate the how long that is. Weeks are better than the original five months. I didn’t expect to see her this soon. It’s more than I could have hoped for.
“Perfect. Will you drive?” he asks.
Savannah looks over at Austyn, and she shrugs. “Yes. We’re out of school that Monday and don’t have to be back until the following Tuesday. We were thinking road trip.”
“I’ll buy you a ticket if you want to fly,” I say. Austyn’s eyes soften at my words.
“Thank you, but we were kind of liking the idea of a road trip.”
“It’s safer to fly. The two of you don’t need to be traveling alone.”
“I agree,” Combs chimes in. “Not to mention, if you fly here Monday and leave Monday, that’s seven days we get with you.”
“I thought you only got a four-day break?” Austyn asks.
“Got any friends that look like either of you that might want to join you?” Spiller interrupts, apparently bored of our planning.
“Times two,” Jeffers adds, sticking his head in front of all of us so that the girls can only see him. They smile and laugh at his antics.
“We do,” Comb continues as if the guys aren’t here, “but you’ll be staying here on base. We can meet up after our day ends. We can’t stay with you, and we have to meet lights out, but we can still see you. Have dinner or something.”
“Yeah, but there wouldn’t be much for us to do during the day.”
“You’re allowed to leave base. You could go explore the area,” he suggests.
“We wanted to make sure those dates worked. We’ll talk about it and work out the details then get back with you.”
“I’ll book you a room,” I tell Austyn. “I’ll go ahead and book it for the entire week, and we can adjust it from there. I don’t want you staying off base where I can’t see you.”
“What he said,” Combs says.
“Friends,” Spiller repeats. “You have to bring friends. I’m a great guy. Ask these two.” He points to Combs and me.
“What about me?” Jeffers asks.
“Meh,” he says, causing all of us to laugh.
Austyn’s smile is wide and her blue eyes are sparkling, just how I remember her. It’s good to see her, and with us being so far away, I’ll take as many of these video chat sessions as she wants. However, the issue is privacy. My current situation is case in point.
“Whatcha doing?” I hear in the background. I know from the sound of the voice that it’s Dawson.
“Hey, Daws.” I wave when his face comes into view of the camera.
“Slade! Brandon!” he says loudly. From the way the girls cringe, I’m guessing it’s even louder in person. “Are you coming home?” he asks.
“Not for a while, bud,” Austyn tells him.
He nods. “I made pasketti for dinner.”
“Spaghetti,” Austyn corrects him.
He turns to look at her. “That’s what I said.”
“We’re working on it,” she says affectionately. “Why don’t you go upstairs so Savvy and I can finish our call.”
He looks at the screen. “Who are they?” he asks.
“These are my friends, Corey Jeffers and Troy Spiller,” I explain.
“Are they marines too?” he asks wide-eyed.
I bob my head. “They are.”
“Cool. See ya.” He waves and rushes out of the room.
“Sorry about that,” Austyn apologizes.
“Babe, you going home?” Combs asks Savannah.
“I thought I’d hang out here for a while, why?”
“I was going to call you.”
“You still can,” she tells him.
“Austyn, I’ll call you right back.” I’m down with this plan. I might not be able to see her, but at least we can have some level of privacy with a phone call.
“Got it.” She smiles. That smile turns me inside out.
We end the call, and immediately the guys start yapping. “Fuck me, how did you two get so lucky?” Jeffers asks.
“Seriously, do they have friends they can bring with them?” Spiller asks.
“I’m not sure, but I thank God every day that I did. Not sure about Slade here.” Combs points to me. “As for friends, hell no. No way are you two going to have a fling with one of their friends and cause trouble for either one of us. You’re just going to have to go chasing your pussy somewhere else. You’re not getting it here.”
I don’t comment, even though I agree with everything he just said. Including thanking God every day for bringing her into my life. I’m the lucky one indeed. Ignoring them, I hit her name on my contact list and put the phone to my ear. Looking beside me, I see Combs doing the same thing. I block Jeffers and Spiller out and count the rings. I don’t make it past one before she picks up.
“Hey, you,” she greets me.
“Hey, angel. You have a good day?”
“I made it through it.” She ends with a chuckle.
“What’s so funny?”
She groans. “Well, I was a little preoccupied during both of my classes today. There’s a good chance… in fact, I’m certain I didn’t retain anything from either lecture.”
“Something on your mind?” My shoulders tense up as I wait for her to tell me that this is too much for her, to wait for me. I wait for her to tell me that she’s changed her mind about all of it.
“You.”
“Me?” I ask hesitantly.
“Yeah, I got your e-mail right before I left for class and I was thinking about the trip and getting to see you. I knew Savvy and I were meeting this afternoon to discuss dates and well, I just kind of zoned out.”
Relief washes over me. “Yeah?”
“Yep. I’ll need to go back and read the chapters again, just to pick up anything that I missed.”
“I know I should probably tell you I’m sorry for distracting you or at least tell you that you need to stay focused on school, but I’ll admit, it’s a boost to my ego hearing you say you were thinking about me. I was afraid you were going to tell me that you changed your mind… about us.”
She laughs, and the musical sound washes over me. “Nope. Just me being a
flake because I was excited.”
“You’re hardly a flake.”
“I was today.”
“Well, you’re my flake.” I curse inwardly at my sappy comment. I can’t seem to stop the words from falling from my lips. She brings it out in me.
“How does forever sound?” she asks softly.
“That’s a long time.”
“It is.”
“You sure you’re up for that?”
She’s quiet, as if she’s really thinking about her answer. “I’d like to think I am. I like where things are going so far.”
“Me too, Austyn, me too.” We go on to talk about random things including the answers in our earlier e-mails. It’s not until the guys turn out the lights that I realize I need to let her go. We’ve been on the phone for over an hour. “As bad as I hate to say this, I need to let you go. Five o’clock comes early.”
“That it does. Savvy’s still here. We’ll decide dates for sure, and I’ll send you a message or e-mail or something,” she rambles.
“Sounds good, angel. Goodnight.”
“Night, Slade.”
“Night, angel,” Spiller mimics and then snickers. “Dude, she’s got you by the balls already.”
“I mean she’s hot as hell and her eyes are wicked blue, but come on, man, don’t let her control you,” Jeffers says.
“Is that what you think I’m doing?” I ask into the darkness of the room.
“You don’t get it,” Combs speaks up.
“You gave your balls away a long fucking time ago, Combs,” Jeffers jokes.
“Damn right,” Combs agrees.
“It’s not about her controlling me or having my balls as you call it. I can’t even really explain it, other than the fact that calling her mine is worth any ribbing you all want to dish out.”
“Is she though? You just met this chic,” Spiller points out.
“Just wait, fuckers,” Combs says. “I can’t wait to ride your asses when you find someone you’re willing to give up the random lays for. Remember this moment.” Combs laughs.
I don’t say any more. They can laugh it up all they want. At the end of the day, I get to call her mine, at least for now. We’re going to see where this goes with the distance between us. See if we can make a go of it. I want it to work out more than I’ve ever wanted anything. In just the short time I’ve known her, I’m certain of that.
I CAN’T BELIEVE HOW FAST the weeks have gone by. After some begging and promises of spoiling, Savvy and I gave in to the guys and decided to spend a full week in North Carolina. Even if we get an hour a night with them those first few nights, that’s more than what we would have if we stayed here in Kentucky. The day after we agreed, we confirmed we’d stay Monday through to the following Monday. That same day we both received e-mails with our flight info. They took it upon themselves to book us a round-trip flight. I argued of course, but Slade said it was safer and this way we wouldn’t be exhausted when we got home. After he very sternly turned down my offer to reimburse him for my ticket, I decided to just roll with it. Savannah was good with it, so I let it go.
Our parents are thrilled we’re not driving that far on our own, which makes the fact that two nineteen-year-olds leaving for a week to spend with a bunch of marines easier to swallow. Well, almost nineteen. Savvy turned nineteen three weeks ago and me, well, my birthday is Friday. Slade seems excited I’ll be there for my birthday. I know I am.
“You all packed?” Mom asks.
“Yep, I just did another check to make sure I have everything.”
“You have money?” Dad questions.
“I do. I have plenty saved up, and I have my one credit card that you all helped me get to build my credit. There’s nothing on it, so if there’s an emergency, I’m covered.”
“You call us as soon as you get there,” Mom instructs.
“I will.”
“And every day, as often as you want,” Dad adds.
“Guys, I’ll be fine. I promise to call you when we get there and check in each day.”
“You need us, you call, no matter when or what for you call, you understand?” His voice is stern.
“I love you, Dad, both of you. I’ll be fine.”
“You sure we can’t take you to the airport?”
“Brandon’s parents’ flight leaves close to ours, so we’re all riding together. However, we’ll need a ride home when we get back.”
“Just send me your flight info and we’ll be there,” Dad assures me.
“Thanks,” I say as a horn honks, letting me know they’re here. “All right, I’ll see you guys in a week.”
“Be safe, honey,” Mom says, hugging me tightly.
“Be safe, Aust, and I mean it. You call me no matter what you need. I can get you in a matter of hours by hopping on a flight.”
“Dad, I’ll be fine. Please don’t worry.”
“Have a safe trip,” Mom says as I pick up my suitcase, carry-on, and purse, and head outside.
They step out onto the front porch and wave as we load my bags and pull away. “Your parents give you warnings of checking in and calling if you need them?” I ask Savannah.
“Yep.” She laughs. “I take it yours did the same.”
“They did.”
“That’s because as your parents, we worry about you. No matter how old you get, that never stops,” Sarah, Brandon’s mom, explains.
“Damn right. I expect a text message at the least telling me that you girls are with the guys safe and sound,” Eric adds.
“Yes, Dad,” we say at the same time.
“So, what do you have planned for this week?” Sarah asks.
“Not sure really. The first few days we’re going to just explore the area. The guys are in training all three days. After that, it’s up to them.”
“I’m sure they have plans for you for your birthday, Austyn,” Sarah says. That’s the great thing about growing up in small towns and being friends since kindergarten. Your friends’ parents remember big milestones in your life like your birthday. Then again, maybe I just got lucky to have kickass friends who have kickass parents. Either way, it’s a win for me.
We spend the remainder of the ride to the airport talking about their cruise and all the places they’ll be stopping. It’s the first time either of them have been on one this long, but they don’t seem worried. I, for one, don’t know if I could go days without seeing land.
“All right girls, we’re headed to our gate. Call or text when you get there,” Sarah reminds us. “And give those boys a hug from me.”
“We will,” I say, giving her a hug. I love how she included Slade. My heart breaks for him knowing he has no family. Although, family is what you make of it. I’m more than willing to share mine. No matter what happens with us, he needs that. Hell, he deserves it.
We make it through security without issue and let the waiting begin. “You nervous?” Savannah asks.
“Kind of.”
“You two have been talking and writing for weeks. There’s nothing to be nervous about.”
“Easy for you to say. You and Brandon have had years to get over the nervous energy. This is all new to me, to us.”
“That’s what you need to remember. This is all new for him too. From what you’ve told me, you’re both on the same page in that aspect.”
“We are. That’s a good point. You think he’s nervous?” I ask her.
“Maybe a little, but he doesn’t strike me as the type to get nervous.”
I sigh. “You’re probably right. That’s most guys. They have it easy.”
“Right?” She laughs.
“They’ll be in training when we get there, so we’re going to have to kill some time. We can’t get on base and check into the hotel without them meeting us at the visitors’ center to get our security pass.”
“We can grab something to eat, pick up some snacks for the room.”
“Can you believe those two? Plane tickets and room reservations?”
“Slade said he’s banking his money and has money saved and invested from selling his grandmother’s house.”
“Brandon has been too. We’re saving for whatever happens in the future.”
I turn in my seat and look at her more fully. “Have y’all talked any more about that?”
“Yeah, he wants me to move with him to wherever he’s stationed. We’ve looked at what it would take for me to transfer colleges. Luckily there are a few to choose from that have good education programs, near each base.”
“And?” I prompt.
“I don’t know. Part of me thinks it’s better to stay at home, close to my family, but if I stayed close to base, I could see him.”
“What about marriage? Any more talk about that?”
“A little. If we get married, we can live in married housing. That means I see him more, can sleep with him at night, all those kinds of things. But, if and when they get deployed, I’ll be alone.”
“I get what you’re saying, but as a marine wife, that’s what you do, right? Make friends with the other wives and hold down the home front?”
“You telling me you’d be okay with it?”
“Honestly, I’ve not thought about it, but yeah, I think I would be okay with it.”
“You’d leave your family to live alone?”
“Not alone. They only deploy for what six-to-seven months at a time? The rest of that time it’s a normal life. He comes home to you at night. How is it different than if he were an accountant and y’all moved out of state?”
“I guess it’s not really.” She sighs. “It’s scary, you know? Thinking about him being deployed and me staying in our home, not really knowing if he’s going to make it home.”
“I get that too, but no one said it would be easy. Are you having second thoughts about the two of you?”
“No.” Her answer is immediate. “I just… I don’t know. He’s been talking more and more about it, and it’s all so sudden.” Her voice is wary, as if she’s afraid to believe it’s finally happening.
“Savannah, you’ve known for what, two years now that he was going to enlist?” I don’t know where this sudden hesitation is coming from.
“Yeah, but now it’s all happening and so fast.”
“I get that, I do. Savvy, you have to sort this out, babe. You can’t let him think all is well if it’s not. If you’re second guessing being with him, you have to tell him.”