Ignite (Explosive)

by Tessa Teevan

  I start to feel a sharp pain in my leg, so I press the morphine drip to help numb the pain. Leaning my head back against the pillow, I close my eyes, exhausted even though I’ve only been awake for a few minutes. I hear the door open and my mom’s voice as she tells me they’ll be back in a bit. She gives me a kiss on the cheek and they leave the room. The silence settles in around me and I’m almost asleep when I hear her.

  “Jace?” a quiet, shaky voice whispers.

  Fighting the fatigue, my eyes open in a flash and my gaze settles on the most beautiful girl in the world. She pulls a chair up to the bed and sits in it. Her hair is messy, her face free of makeup, and she has dark circles under her eyes. Her eyes moisten as I move my hand to cup her cheek.

  “You’re here,” I whisper, not sure I really believe what I’m seeing.

  She nods, and I feel her movement under my hand.

  “You’re here. And you’re real.”

  “Yes, Jace. I’m not a product of your drugged-up imagination. I promise,” she says, offering me a small smile.

  I struggle to wrap my muddled brain around her words as I try to remember the conversation from earlier when I thought she was a hallucination.

  “You have pretty poor timing, by the way,” she teases me, and I soak up the sweet laughter I’ve been missing for so long.

  I furrow my eyebrows at her because I have no idea what she means.

  “I was a coward, Jace. I was a stupid, idiotic coward. I let my fears get in the way of what I was feeling in my heart. I was just so scared of going through that again that I couldn’t see what was right in front of me. It took me a while, but I finally realized that you already had every piece of me. I didn’t have to give you my heart. You already own it. You own me. And I’ve been a fool to fight it.”

  Her words wash over me like a warm blanket, soft and comforting. Finally. She finally gets it.

  She places both of her hands in one of mine as she continues. “You asked me once what I see in the future, and it wasn’t until that moment that I really even began to believe I could have one. It’s all I’ve been able to think about since you left. And the truth is, I see you. Everywhere I see you. You’re my past, my present, and I want you to be my future. I see myself wearing your ring. I definitely see myself having your kids. I see us fighting, making up. I see us growing old together, making millions of memories. I see myself loving you every day for the rest of my life, no matter how short or how long it will end up being. Because you were right. I’d rather give my whole self to you for as long as I can. I’d say that you’re worth the risk, but I don’t see it as risky. It’s living, it’s loving, and I’m going to do both, because, Jace McAllister, I love you. I love you with my whole heart, and I will show you every single day.”

  My heart is pounding out of my chest as I take in her admission. Part of me knew she felt this way, but the other part needed to hear her say the words, and I’d started to think she never would. She’s watching me with her bottom lip pulled between her teeth as she waits for my response. I lean forward, hooking my hands under her arms. I pull her onto the bed and into my lap, and I bring her face down on mine as my mouth smashes against hers in a heated kiss. She’s bracing her hands on my shoulders, careful not to press against my chest. She breaks the kiss with a gasp.

  “Jace, I’m going to hurt you! Let me down!” she protests, and I can only grin wider at her.

  “That’s what the morphine’s for, babe. After torturing me for months, my girl just told me she loves me. I’m not letting that moment pass without kissing that mouth.”

  Her eyes soften as they look into mine. “I meant it. I love you,” she says, her voice all breathy and sweet.

  My hands slide up her back before gripping the messy ponytail. I pull her back in, my mouth pressing against hers.

  “It’s about damn time. I love you, babe,” I say against her lips, which turn up in a smile at my words.

  “So what now?” she asks, echoing the question I asked weeks ago on her porch.

  I sit back against the pillow, and she looks at me with nervous eyes. I brush the bangs out of her face and tuck them behind her ear. My smile radiates with happiness as the question rolls through my mind.

  “What now? Now I work my ass off to get my leg back in working condition. After that, I guess it’ll be time to find a ring and start working on those kids you want,” I say, shooting her a wink.

  Her eyes widen with shock and then quickly dance as she squeals and throws her arms around my neck, planting kisses all over my face. I go tense when the pain flows through me as she presses against my bruises, but I’ll take it if that means I have the woman I love in my arms. Her lips reach my ear, and I’m happy to know that my injuries didn’t cause any nerve damage because I instantly harden the moment I feel her hot breath against my skin.

  “I love you, Jace McAllister. For the rest of my life, I’ll love you.”

  IT’S BEEN five months since that night in Germany, and Jace is finally fully healed. He finished physical therapy last week. He still walks with a slight limp, but the doctors say that should go away with time. His burns healed fine, but he has a scar across his forehead where a piece of shrapnel sliced the skin. To be honest, it’s actually pretty sexy, and I tell him that almost every time I see him.

  After he was able to leave Walter Reed and set up physical therapy at Ft. Campbell, we fell back into our routine of weekend visits, except this time we alternated every weekend. I’d drive there after work on Friday and stay till Sunday, and then the next weekend he came to me. It wasn’t exactly ideal, but we’ve been making it work. Jace has been hinting that he wants me to move in with him, but I’m hesitant to leave my job and family. I’m cracking though, because going home on Sundays is becoming increasingly harder. Especially last Sunday when he told me he wasn’t going to be able to get out of working a late shift on Friday night.

  I’m locking up my office when Brady strolls up to me, a goofy grin on his face. I beam back at him, a look he’s gotten used to since I came back from Germany.

  “Ahh, I love seeing you in love. So much better than watching you scowl all the time,” he teases.

  I shove his shoulder, and we make our way out of the building.

  “Plans tonight?” he asks.

  “Nope. Jace can’t make it until tomorrow, so I’ll probably throw on my pajamas and watch Sons of Anarchy reruns.”

  “Charlie Hunnam as Christian Grey would’ve been perfect. I’m devastated he dropped the role,” he laments, and I completely agree. “Anyway, I scored tickets to tonight’s game. Last home stand of the season. You in?”

  “Jesus, Brady, how are you always getting free tickets?” I ask, because seriously, I want in on that action.

  “I’ll never tell. You’ll just have to keep me around so you can reap the benefits. Are you coming or not?”

  Of course I don’t say no, and we make plans to meet at the stadium half an hour before game time. I go home and give Jace a quick call. He’s already left for work, so I leave him a voicemail letting him know my plans for the night. I go to change my clothes, picking my black and red Cincinnati Reds tank top to wear with a pair of faded jeans and my white tennis shoes.

  I make it to the stadium and meet Brady by the newly renovated Johnny Bench statue. He hands me my ticket and my eyes nearly pop out of my head when I see where we’re sitting.

  “These are diamond seats! What did you do to get these?” I ask, referring to the seats directly behind home plate.

  He simply winks at me before stating, “I have connections. Now let’s go.”

  We make our way through the stadium, and I’m growing increasingly excited because I’ve only ever sat in the outfield before. I’ve never watched a game from behind home plate. We get to our seats, which are front and center. I’ve been to many baseball games in my life, but there’s nothing like this. We’re practically sitting on the field—that’s how close we are. As soon as the game starts, the crack of
the bat connecting with the ball fills my ears, and the stadium roars around me as the first pitch crosses home plate. The energy of the home crowd is electrifying, and I look over at Brady, who’s watching me with a grin.

  “You really get into this, don’t you?” he asks.

  “How long have we been friends? You’re just noticing this? This is amazing. I’ve never experienced a baseball game like this. These seats heighten the intensity all around you. I love it!” I gush, turning my attention back to the field.

  Halfway through the first inning, I feel a presence next to me. My skin tingles as a voice whispers in my ear.

  “This seat taken?” he asks, close enough that the smell of his cologne swirls around me.

  My insides melt and a pool of wet heat floods between my legs. I should be used to this, but I still get butterflies whenever he’s around, especially when he’s this close to me.

  Turning to face him, I decide to tease him. “That depends. Do you have a ticket, Soldier?”

  He holds a printed off sheet of paper in front of me, showing me his seat number.

  “I guess you’re right where you’re supposed to be then.”

  He smiles and leans in for a kiss. “You’re damn right about that.”

  “You know, if you keep making this a habit, I’m going to start expecting you every time I step foot in this stadium. Your surprises aren’t exactly original,” I say teasingly.

  “Hey, I take what I can get from Brady. Plus, it seemed fitting on today of all days.”

  I wrinkle my forehead at him. “Today? What’s significant about today?”

  He sighs as he wraps his arm around the back of my seat. “You’re impossible. It’s been exactly one year since that Brewers game where I shocked you into silence by surprising you.”

  I smack my forehead with my palm. “You’re right! Those two weeks were a blur. I didn’t even give any thought to the date. This is the perfect surprise,” I tell him, committing the date to memory.

  We settle in to watch the game, hoping to win so we can go into the playoffs on a high. Brady keeps looking at me and grinning, which is beginning to freak me out. Jace keeps his hand in the pocket of his dark-washed jeans as he fidgets constantly. His leg has a case of the shakes, and he keeps drumming his fingers on the armrest beside him. He’s acting nervous, and I’m not sure what his deal is. During the fifth inning, he excuses himself to get something to drink. After asking me if I want anything, he races up the steps, taking them two at a time.

  “Is Jace acting weird to you?” I ask Brady.

  He gives me a funny look before placing a cheesy smile on his face. “Umm, no, nope. I didn’t notice anything. Why would he be acting weird?”

  Okay, now Brady is acting weird.

  “Never mind. It’s probably just me.” I hear a sigh of what sounds like relief come out of him.

  When Jace returns, he hands me a beer and takes a long swallow of his. He turns his attention back to the game, and I watch him for a moment. His jaw’s drawn tight and I can see the muscles working in his cheek.

  A short while later, Brady claps when the Kiss Cam comes on and he watches us in anticipation. I’ve never actually made it on the jumbo screen at Great American, but sitting in the diamond seats has Jace and me front and center for the whole stadium to see. I’m staring at the image of us, positively mortified, and I see him wipe his palm on jeans as he pulls his other hand out of his jeans. He clears his throat and turns to me. Oh no, please do not do this here, I think, always having made fun of sports arena proposals.

  Instead of getting on one knee, he cups me cheek and plants a wet, passionate kiss on my lips. I smile against him as I return the kiss with equal enthusiasm. Cheers erupt around us before the camera moves on to the next couple.

  I sigh with relief as I mentally laugh at myself for thinking I was just about to get a stadium proposal. I guess with our history it would be fitting, but I’ve always laughed at those guys who made spectacles of themselves. Getting over my mini freak out, we finish watching as the Reds go on to lose to the Pirates. Right now, I couldn’t care less, because I have Jace beside me again. Plus, we’re already guaranteed a spot in the playoffs.

  Jace takes my hand and we head towards the entrance, eager to get home after spending the last five days apart. He stops right by the statue and starts looking down at the ground. Engraved bricks surround the permanent fixture, a charity thing the Reds organization ran earlier this summer. For some amount of money, you could buy a brick and put any inscription on it that you wanted. When they renovated the breezeway, they used those bricks. It’s actually a pretty neat thing, having your words be a permanent part of the stadium.

  “Last time I was here, Jeremy mentioned that your dad got one of these. I want to see if I can find it,” he tells me.

  This is news to me, because I don’t ever remember my dad saying anything about it or hearing Jeremy mention it. We both start to look down at the different bricks as we try to stay out of the way of the fans exiting the stadium. I’m about to give up when something catches my eye. I move in closer and my heart begins to race as I see the inscription on a brick near the corner of the square.

  Jace & Alexa

  McAllister

  2013-Forever

  My heart stops at the implication of the words on the brick. Looking up, I spot him standing off to the side, watching me. I walk towards him, and he grabs my hands as soon as I’m close. Slipping a ring out of his pocket, he looks down at me, his eyes shining with all of the love he has for me.

  “Alexa, a year ago, if someone had told me that I was getting ready to fall in love with the girls of my dreams and that she’d love me back, I’d have laughed at them. I’d lost all hopes of ever being with you, and I drifted for a really long time. This has been the best year of my life. Getting to know the woman you’ve become and finally becoming the man you deserve. I love you, beautiful girl, and I will continue to love you every single day. Please make me the happiest man on earth and agree to become my wife.” He pauses as he lets out a deep breath. “Alexa, will you marry me?”

  The air rushes out of my lungs as he slips the ring onto my finger. I look down and smile at the deep red ruby that’s surrounded on both sides by tiny diamonds. It sits in a platinum setting, and it couldn’t be more perfect.

  “You’re rather presumptuous, aren’t you?” I ask, smiling as I recall asking him the same thing one year ago today.

  He grins down at me, sliding his hands in his pockets nervously. “I like to think of it as hopeful.”

  “I don’t know if I can plan a wedding in three months, so your brick may be inaccurate,” I tell him.

  “Sierra’s already on it, babe. And it’s our brick,” he says, emphasizing the ‘our.’

  “Jesus, Lexi, answer the man already!” I turn and see Brady with a camera, capturing the entire scene.

  Glancing back at Jace and then at the ring, I get up on my toes and give him a kiss.

  “There’s nothing I’d love more than to be your wife, Jace McAllister,” I whisper softly so only he can hear.

  I’m instantly in his arms, and he spins me around before setting me back on the ground.

  “Best home run of the night,” he whispers, brushing the hair away from my face.

  I smile up at him, eyes wet and watery as I shake my head. “No, Jace, that right there? That was your grand slam.”

  His eyes light up at my words and he dips his head, kissing me just in time for the Friday Fireworks to top off this perfect moment. My mind is racing as a million thoughts and emotions run through me. I never thought I’d have this. But I’m grabbing hold of my future and holding on for dear life. At that moment, five words replay in my mind. I love you, beautiful girl. I smile to myself, because with everything in me, I know I love him, too.

  4 YEARS later

  I rub my hands against my MultiCam uniform, anxious to get off the plane. I’ve only been gone for four months this time, but every time I leave,
it gets increasingly harder. Now that I’m higher ranking, I don’t go out in the field as much, but it still sucks being away. Once the flight attendant gives the all clear, I power on my phone, and Alexa’s grinning face greets me. It’s a photo from our wedding and it’s always been the background on my phone.

  She was wrong about how long it would take to plan a wedding. I hadn’t wanted a long engagement, but I was prepared to do whatever she wished. The following weekend, when she came to visit, she surprised the hell out of me. We’d just finished christening my sheets as an engaged couple when she rolled over to place her head on my chest. I was mindlessly running my fingers in her hair when she started sliding hers over the tattoo on my right bicep. Stopping on one of the numbers, she started to speak.

  “What do you think about November second?” she asked, calling out the first number on my arm.

  Looking at it, she smiled as she traced the 11.02.03 across my arm. I wrapped my arms around her and she snuggled in closer.

  “November second for what, babe?” I asked.

  “For the wedding, Jace. What else?” she said teasingly.

  I sat up and brought her with me, resting my back against the headboard.

  “You want to get married on November second? As in less-than-a-month-away November second?”

  She laughed at my question. “Well, yeah. We don’t want anything big, and it’s exactly ten years from the date you first came back safely. I think it’s special. Plus, Sierra and I’ve been looking into it, and I want to get married on the beach in Navarre. It just seems fitting, you know?”

  Her thoughtfulness touched me, and my heart swelled at the depth of her love. In that moment, I knew I would do anything for her, and I couldn’t imagine loving her more.

  “I think that’s a great idea. I like the symbolism of it. It’s perfect. Can we be ready in time?”

  She jumped up from the bed and ran out of my room, only to come back a moment later with a thick book. She then settled in on the bed, showing me every detail that would make this happen. I absentmindedly listened, because I didn’t care about flowers or dresses or any of that stuff. The only thing I cared about was the fact that in less than one month, she was going to be my wife.