Pull You Through

by Kaylee Ryan

  She shakes her head. “It’s not that,” she says emphatically.

  “Think about this,” I say gently. “He gets deployed, and he leaves knowing you’re on the fence about things, how do you think he’s going to handle that? Where is this coming from? It’s been the two of you against the world since freshman year.”

  “I’m not second-guessing us,” she says quickly. “I’m not. I’m just… overwhelmed I guess. It’s so damn hard being away from him.”

  “You’ve never led me to believe you were anything but ready to jump at the chance to move to wherever he gets stationed.”

  “I am. I was—” Before she can say anymore, we’re called to board our flight.

  We grab our bags and stand in line to board the plane. Once we’re seated, I reach over and grab her hand. “I’m here for you no matter what. You can talk to me.”

  “I know. I’d be lost without you. You’re part of the problem.” She laughs, wiping a tear from her eye. “I’ll miss you, too, so damn much. You’re my support system, always have been. It’s just hard to wrap my head around that everything we’ve talked about is finally coming true.”

  “I’ll come visit.”

  She smiles. “What about you? If you and Slade get serious, are you willing to leave?”

  “Yes,” I answer without hesitation. “I thought a lot about that when we met and in the past several weeks since he’s been gone. That’s something I wanted to be sure about before we took this, whatever we are, any further.” I’ve done nothing but think about it for weeks. Can I handle it? Can I truly deal with him being gone? Can I live with the fear that when he’s deployed, hell, even when he’s not… that his job is extremely dangerous? I’ve spent hours talking about this with Savvy listening to her talk about it with Brandon. Not once did I consider what I would do if I was in her shoes. That all changed when I met Slade. I knew from her struggle with Brandon enlisting, that I too needed to dig deep and decide if I could handle it. I knew that I need to make a firm decision and move forward with it. When I think about not being with him, not having the chance to see what we have, the answer is clear. Yes, I can do it. It’s going to be hard, but this is Slade. And he’s worth it.

  “I suck,” she says, resting her head back against the seat. “I’ve been with Brandon for going on five years now, and you and Slade just started talking or dating or whatever, and you’re on board. What’s wrong with me?” she asks, defeated.

  Resting my hand on hers, I try to console her. “Nothing’s wrong with you. It’s change, and you’ve never done well with change, Savannah. Besides, all of our talks when Brandon first decided to enlist helped me get to where I need to be.”

  “I know, and I want everything he and I have talked about, but it’s scary as hell.” Her voice shakes as she fights back her emotions.

  “It is, but it’s you and Brandon. You can’t ask him to give up his dream while you get to live yours. Brandon would never ask you to drop out of college and not become a teacher. As for us, no matter where you live, you’ll always be my best friend. I’ll come and visit and spoil all my nieces and nephews.”

  “And what about my nieces and nephews?”

  I laugh. “You’ve got a few years on me there. Let’s see if we can navigate being in a relationship before you add babies to the mix. You and Brandon are light years ahead of us. But who knows, maybe one day.”

  “Light years, yet you’ve thought about moving to be with him.” I can tell by the tone of her voice she thinks I’m talking shit.

  “I knew going into this being a marine is who he is. He had nothing and planned his life around his career. I knew that if I wanted to be with him, to really see where this goes, I have to be okay with that. I thought I was while he was here. It seemed like no big deal, then he left, and I got to see a glimmer of what life will be like. We’re just starting this relationship, so I can only imagine how hard it is for you and Brandon.” I take a drink of water. “But yes, these last several weeks, I’ve done nothing but think about it. I don’t want to lead him on any more than I want him to do that to me.”

  “You’re so responsible.” She chuckles. “I need to be more like you.”

  “No, you don’t.” I reach out and squeeze her hand. “You just need to be you. Besides, my mom is the one that mentioned it to me. It’s not like I got there on my own. Right after they left, she sat me down and told me I really need to think about moving things forward with him. The consequences of moving constantly, him being gone more than he’s there, it was all things I’d considered briefly. But I only really started to pull the scenarios apart after she mentioned it.”

  “So you’re all in?” she asks me. Her voice is lighter, and I know it’s because she’s happy for me.

  “Yeah. I think he and I both are, but this week should help determine that.” She nods, and I change the subject by asking her about her classes and the crazy full loads we’ve both taken on. It’s our attempt to get through our courses as quickly as possible. We’ve had enough of the heavy for one flight. That’s how we spend the rest of the trip.

  When we land, we take a cab to a local restaurant and have a late lunch. We have two hours to kill before the guys can meet us at the visitors’ center. We end up spending the entire time at the restaurant. When Savannah’s cell rings, her face lights up, and I know it’s Brandon. I listen to their conversation, trying to figure out what the plan is, but she gives nothing away.

  “They’re going to meet us there in thirty minutes.”

  We gather our bags, pay our bill and call a cab. I’m nervous and excited to see him. My stomach feels like there are a hundred butterflies flapping their wings. I can’t wait to see what this week holds.

  COMBS COMPLETED HIS VERBAL SKILLS assessment early. They go in alphabetical order, so while he’s a free man, I’m waiting for my name to be called. He catches my attention and holds his phone up in the air. He’s going to call the girls. I look at the clock on the wall and see that it’s four thirty. We’re supposed to meet them around five. I hope all these fuckers in front of me hurry the hell up so I can get out of here. It’s been hard as hell to concentrate today, knowing they’re arriving. Austyn texted me to let me know they landed and I was able to reply quickly, but other than that, it’s been nonstop all day long. I get it as it’s why I’m here, but my girl is here now too and my concentration’s shit.

  I’m standing still at attention, waiting to be called, and it’s killing me. I want to pull out my phone and text her. Hell, I want to run out the door and go to her. “Reeves.” My name’s called, and I almost do a little jig from my excitement. Instead, I proceed to the front of the room like the trained, disciplined marine I am. Most days that is. When it comes to not seeing my girl for almost two months, well, discipline flies out the window. I complete my assessment and rush out of the room. Combs is leaning against the wall right outside the door.

  “Hey, they’re meeting us at the visitors’ center in—” He looks at his phone. “—five minutes.”

  “What are we waiting for?” I clamp a hand down on his shoulder, and we begin to walk, hell, I would almost call it a jog over to the visitors’ center. Luckily for us, we’re in shape, and it’s only about a half a mile to the front of the base.

  As soon as we walk through the door, the girls spot us. Immediately, they’re both on their feet and headed our way. I don’t know about Combs, but I don’t stop moving until I have her in my arms. I hold her tight against me and spin around in a circle. Her vanilla scent washes over me, reminding me of our time together.

  She’s laughing as I spin us in circles. When I finally come to a stop, her feet are still dangling in the air as I hold her in my arms. “Glad you could make it.” I smirk.

  “Oh, you know, there’s this guy. He and I kind of have a thing going, so I thought I would tag along see if he’s interested in spending some time together.” Her smile is contagious.

  “Sorry to disappoint you, sweetheart. You’re gonna have t
o call him and tell him there’s been a change of plans,” I say, staring into her eyes.

  “Oh yeah?”

  “Mmm-hmm.” I lean in a little closer, my lips hovering over hers.

  “Why’s that?” she asks. Her voice is barely a whisper.

  “Because you’re mine. I don’t plan on sharing you. Not this weekend, not ever.” Closing the last slither of distance, I press my lips to hers. I want to fucking devour her, but I can’t. Not here. But I will for the next seven days.

  “Yours?” she asks, pulling out of the kiss.

  Her face is flushed and her eyes are sparkling. “Mine,” I say, before pressing my lips to hers one more time. While I missed her, I hadn’t realized just how much until this moment. Part of me felt as though our time together was a dream. It was a short amount of time I’ve got to be with her, yet in that time, she became the most important person in my life. Standing here with her in my arms, the way my heart is thundering in my chest, the way my arms lock around her and refuse to let go, I have the sudden urge to run away with her.

  “You two ready?” Combs asks.

  Reluctantly, I set her back on her feet. “Yeah,” I tell him. Grabbing her bags in one hand, I hold hers with the other as we follow them out the door.

  “This is like your own little town,” Austyn says as we reach the hotel.

  “It is in a way, I guess. It’s nice for times like this.” I give her hand a gentle squeeze. I step up to the counter and check her in. Combs and I talked about it, and we got separate rooms. We figured that would give us alone time even the nights we have to go back to the barracks. He needs time with his girl, and I need time with mine. I, however, stepped it up a notch. Friday is Austyn’s birthday, and she’s spending it with me. I want this trip to be special, memorable for both of us. I reserved a suite. It has a small kitchen and two bedrooms. Not that I think we’ll need two rooms.

  “I’ll text you our room number. You guys want to grab something to eat?” I ask Combs.

  “Yeah, give us… some time.” He smirks.

  I nod my agreement. Time with Austyn is music to my ears. In the elevator, I hit the button for the top floor.

  “I bet we can see most of the base from the top floor,” she comments.

  I’ve never thought about it. “Hopefully.” Not that I really care what the view is like. I just wanted to do it up big for her birthday. I also thought that with the second room, if Savannah wanted to stay with her until we can be with them, she could. Admittedly, that was an afterthought, but it’s a possibility. I know how close they are.

  Reaching the door, I slip the keycard in the lock and push it open. Stepping back, I allow her to walk past me and enter first. She gasps and I grin.

  “Slade, this is too much,” she argues.

  “It’s my girl’s birthday weekend, and I haven’t seen you in longer than I care to think about. It’s not too much.” I place her bags by the couch and go back to the door, making sure that it’s locked. Turning, I watch her as she takes in our surroundings. She runs her fingers over the island that separates the kitchen area from a small living area.

  “Two bedrooms?” she asks, peeking into each door. “Why would we need two bedrooms?” she asks.

  Good to know we’re on the same page. “We don’t,” I assure her. “That’s just what comes with the suite.”

  “This is too much,” she says again, this time facing me.

  “It’s not.” I hold my hand out to her, and she takes it. I pull her into me and wrap my arms around her. “Have I told you how happy I am to see you?”

  “I guessed.” She laughs.

  I rest my forehead against hers. “So fucking good to feel you in my arms, angel.”

  She sighs. “How is it that I crave you when I’ve only just found you?”

  “So it’s not just me, then?”

  “This is crazy, Slade.”

  “It is, but I wouldn’t change it.”

  “No, me either.”

  Keeping one hand on her waist, I place the other against her cheek. Instantly, she leans into my touch. Moving in closer, I touch my lips to hers. I mean for it to be a quick kiss, but when she opens for me, I slide my tongue past her lips. My grip tightens on her hip, and I use my hand that’s resting against her cheek to tilt her head. I devour her, my tongue exploring her mouth, tasting her for the first time in way too damn long. By the time we pull away, we’re both panting, our breaths rapid and heavy.

  I’m just about ready to go in for more when there’s a knock at the door. “You two ready?” Combs calls out.

  “Shit,” I murmur.

  Austyn giggles. “Time flies when you’re having fun.”

  We take the girls to the food court at the exchange. They’re not hungry, but it’s been hours since Combs and I have eaten. I kept Austyn close to me for multiple reasons: one, that’s where she belongs always, and two, I see the way my brothers are checking her out. We’re just finishing up when Spiller and Jeffers walk up to the table.

  “Ladies,” Spiller says, winking at both of them.”

  “Aren’t you going to introduce us?” Jeffers asks.

  “Nope,” Combs says, and I bite back my laugh.

  “I’m Savannah.” She holds her hand out to Spiller. He takes it and brings it to his lips for a kiss, causing her to laugh. Combs growls. At least that’s what it sounds like.

  Spiller drops her hand, and she offers it to Jeffers. “Pleasure’s all mine.” He winks at her, holding onto her hand longer than needed.

  Spiller turns to Austyn. “I’m Austyn.” She waves. He reaches for her hand, but my girl drops it to her lap.

  “You know,” Spiller says to her, “you get tired of this guy, I can show you around town.”

  “Actually, I’m the better option of the two,” Jeffers adds.

  Austyn stiffens a little beside me. “That’s cute.” She releases a forced laugh; it’s one I’ve never heard before. Spiller opens his mouth to say God only knows what when she beats him to it. “That’s cute that you think you can compete with Slade.”

  They both stare at her, mouths hanging open. This time I don’t hold back my laughter, and neither does Combs. I put my arm around my girl and pull her into me, kissing her temple.

  “We should probably get going,” Combs says. “We’ll drop y’all off and then meet up with you tomorrow after training.”

  When we get back to the room, I walk her in. “You got everything you need?”

  “I’m all set. We’re going to call a cab and go explore tomorrow. You get out at five?” Warmth spreads through me from her hands that are pressed against my chest.

  “Yeah, we can go have dinner again.” I pull her into my arms. “I can’t wait until Wednesday at five.”

  “Oh yeah? What happens Wednesday at five?”

  She knows, but if she needs to hear me say it, I will. “I get four entire days with you. No training, no class, nothing will keep me from you.”

  “In that case, I can’t wait until Wednesday at five either.”

  “Thank you for coming here to see me. I missed you,” I tell her, kissing her neck.

  “I missed you too. None of that,” she groans, stepping away. She sounds as reluctant as I feel. “You have to leave, and that’s going to make it harder. Let’s get through the next two nights, and then I won’t leave your side for four days. You’ll be sick of me.”

  “That will never happen.”

  “Never say never.”

  “Angel, that will never happen.” I kiss her softly.

  Breaking the kiss, she says, “Goodnight.”

  “Night.” After a kiss on her forehead, I lace my fingers through hers and lead her to the door with me. It’s a few feet at best, but I’m soaking up every second I can with her while she’s here.

  “Call me in the morning… if you want.”

  “It’ll be early.”

  “I’m on vacation. I can go back to sleep.”

  “Okay.” One more kiss and
I have to force myself out the door. I’m ready to knock on Savannah’s door when Combs appears.

  “Two more fucking days,” he says, grinning.

  “My thoughts exactly.” We head back to the barracks, making it just in time. Spiller and Jeffers start yapping their jaws about the girls, but we just ignore them. We know what we have. We know that yes, they’re beautiful, but that’s not all they are. I couldn’t care less about the ribbing. My girl is here, and I get four days with her. Nothing can tamper with my good mood.

  SO FAR, SAVANNAH AND I have been tourists during the day, and then having dinner with the guys at night. Today, our plans are to just hang around at the hotel. The guys are hopeful they’ll be out of training a little early, so we want to be here just in case.

  “You know what we should do?” Savannah asks.

  I turn to look at her from my lounge chair. “What’s that?”

  “We should get food to make dinner tomorrow.”

  “Ummm, do you know how to make Thanksgiving dinner?” I ask her.

  “I’ve seen Mom do it every year. I think I can handle it.”

  “You know how to cook a turkey? A ham?”

  “Well, no, but honestly, how hard can it be?”

  I laugh. “I’m guessing it’s more complicated than our mothers make it look.”

  “We have to learn sometime. Might as well start now.” She moves to sit on the edge of her lounger. “What kind of cooking utensils do you have in that kitchen of yours?”

  “Honestly, I don’t know. I just have a couple of bottles of water in the fridge.”

  “We need to check it out.” She stands and wraps her towel around her waist. “We need to get to the store and be back in case they get out early.”

  “Savvy, come on, do you really think this is a good idea?” I can handle a couple of side dishes, but a turkey, I have no idea where to start.

  Her face looks resolute. “Absolutely. We don’t have to make a huge spread, just some basics. Besides, I’m sure the guys would appreciate a homecooked meal.”