Zack
When Brylee heads to the kitchen, I let out a slow sigh and rub my forehead. She’s suspicious, and why wouldn’t she be? Apothic Red. I shake my head in aggravation. She once mentioned that it was her favorite, so when I called ahead, I ordered some for her. Stupid mistake . . .
Brylee walks back in with a glass more than half full. Her world’s been turned upside down and I wish I could help her. I want to be Altruist and listen to her complain about how tired she is. How she doesn’t want to go a club with her friends. But I can’t. Not now.
She gently lowers herself into the chair. The silence is deafening. I watch as she downs her glass. Her eyes grow heavy, and it doesn’t take long before she’s slumped over on the arm of the chair, snoring lightly.
I push up from the couch, scoop her up in my arms, and carry her to her bed.
Gently raking her hair away from her forehead, I gaze down at her delicate face. “It will get better. I promise.” Then, softly, I close the door when I leave.
The next morning, she walks in wearing a baggy pair of jogging pants and a faded blue T-shirt. Her hair is in a messy bun, no makeup, and she’s scratching her nose.
“Good morning.” I hand her a cup of hot tea.
Her narrowed eyes briefly catch my glance as she takes the tea. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” I turn briefly and grab my coffee before leaning against the counter. “What would you like for breakfast?”
“Cereal’s fine.”
“That’s not breakfast, that’s a snack. How about bacon and eggs?”
“I’m not cooking.”
“No worries, it’s my treat.”
“Okay then.”
It feels almost normal to cook for a lady while she sits in here with me. This must be how couples feel who work 9-to-5 jobs. Not that we’re a couple, far from it. I glance over my shoulder and grin when I see her cupping the cup of tea with both hands.
With the bacon and eggs on the plates, I set one down in front of her while I sit with my own.
“What would you like to do after we eat breakfast?” I take a bite of bacon and wait for her to answer.
“I don’t know.” She takes a bite of eggs, and then after she swallows, she suggests, “How about we take a walk.”
“That sounds good to me. It’s a perfect temperature outside for fall.”
We finish eating and I clear the dishes while she heads to the bedroom.
After brushing my teeth, I strap a holster around my ankle and grab a light jacket. Back in the living room, Brylee is standing there waiting.
She smiles when she sees me walk in. Her silky hair is down, and she’s also wearing a light jacket.
“Ready?”
“Yes,” she says excitedly.
I hold the door open and then follow her outside. The colorful leaves crunch under my boots as we walk a trail that looks well used by deer.
She’s quiet, walking alongside me with her hands in her pockets.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing really.”
I wait. If she wants to talk, she will. But I won’t push.
“It’s just . . .” She sighs loudly. “It felt like I had just started to live, and now I’m back in hiding again.”
“You’re talking about the club owner?”
Her glance is suspicious again. “Him and my friends. I didn’t have many, but I liked them.”
“You talk as though you won’t see them again.”
“How can I expect Luca to wait six months for me when we didn’t make a commitment to each other?”
How can I offer comfort when I know she’s right? Women never wait for me when I’m gone for so long. Days get long and nights get lonely. Eventually they find someone to fill the void and the empty bed that’s left behind.
“And you know I won’t have a job when I get back.” She quickly looks down, but it’s too late. I’ve seen the tears in her eyes.
“Brylee.” My hand snatches her wrist, halting her steps. When she looks up, my heart breaks. It’s unprofessional but I don’t care. I pull her into my chest and wrap my arms around her. “I’m so damn sorry.” What else can I say?
She wraps her arms around my waist. “It’s not your fault.” I hear her sniff as she leans her head against my chest. “It’s just my life, and most of the time it sucks.”
With one hand on the back of her head, the other wrapped around her shoulders, I try to give her comfort. I hold her for a few minutes in silence and then say, “Most people think their life sucks.”
“They do not.”
“Yes, they do. Everyone has something that makes them miserable.”
“What about you?” She leans back, and I look into her glassy blue eyes.
“Everyone except me. My life’s perfect.”
She swats my chest and laughs. “I don’t believe you.” She sniffs, then wipes the wetness from her face.
We start walking again. It’s about sixty-five degrees, the sky is clear, and the silence is peaceful. Occasionally a bird chirps in the distance.
“Look.” Brylee points to something in the distance.
“It’s a squirrel.” We watch as it runs up a large tree.
“I know what a squirrel is.” She shakes her head and grins.
“Have you ever been hunting?” I ask as we keep walking.
“No, but I noticed that you kept reading a hunting magazine.”
“My dad used to take me when I was little. Now I rarely have time to go, but I still enjoy the reading.”
We walk for a little longer, and then turn around and head back to the cabin. I like it up here. With her.