Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!

I groaned, rolled over, and hid my face underneath the pillow. No, it couldn’t be morning already! It just couldn’t be.

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!

My alarm was getting louder, persistently trying to get me to pay attention to it.

No!

Five more glorious minutes.

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!

“Alright!” I shouted, slamming my hand on the ‘off’ button.

Ah, that’s better. Peace and quiet.

I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling for a while.

Usually, I was more than eager to get to work, but today I was actually considering calling in ‘sick.’ If I did, then I’d have time to stop by Stacey’s apartment and see how she was doing.

She probably thought I was some creep, but I still wanted to make sure she was okay.

Slowly, I rolled out of bed, stretching my limbs. After getting all the kinks out of my back, I headed for the bathroom, already in the process of shedding my pajamas. Feeling confident, I tried to hoop-shot my shirt into the hamper.

I missed.

Good thing I’d never tried to get into professional basketball.

With a chuckle, I started the shower, letting the water run for a few minutes. Once the steam started to fill the room, I stepped into the stall, the warmth enveloping my body.

At first glance, I probably looked like your typical computer geek. My baggy clothes made me look lanky, but I was actually pretty physically fit. When I was nineteen, I had enlisted in the army because I’d thought it was the right thing to do. My father had been in the army, and my grandfather before him.

I found out quickly that I wanted nothing to do with a gun. But, I knew a thing or two about weapons and how to fix them. I guess all those violent video games I used to play as a teenager had come in handy after all.

Soon, I was part of the Navy SEALs, completing highly-classified missions with a team of skilled men and women. It had been amazing. It had felt like I was part of something greater for the first time in my life.

And then, I had been taken out, bit by bit. First, it was a stab wound to the shoulder. I’d spent a few days in the infirmary before I was sent back onto the field. Then, my ankle had snagged in a bear trap deep in the jungle. The final blow was a bullet. It had torn through my abdomen, leaving behind a hole the size of my fist upon leaving my body. I’d been forced to hike five miles, trying to keep my guts from spilling out.

Honestly, I had no idea how I’d managed to survive.

Those three months in intensive care had felt like hell.

Even now, I had a painful reminder of that time left on my body.

With hands soapy with body wash, I skirted my fingers along the gruesome-looking scar. It had never healed properly, making it an area that was still tender to the touch. Some of my comrades had suggested I tattoo over it, but in a way, I liked it. It was proof that I had actually been in the war, especially for those who believed that I was nothing more than a lowly tech.

Sighing, I closed my eyes, washing my long, curly hair. In the SEALs, I had been forced to shave it all off. I’d hated it. I liked my long hair. It was a part of my identity.

Suddenly, the water skipped as the pipes groaned through the wall. A shot of freezing water poured forth, covering me in near-painful goosebumps.

“Burr!” I shook my head, waiting for the hot water to return, but it never did.

With no other choice, I rinsed out my hair under the frigid stream, feeling like I was back in Russia where I’d had to bathe in the half-frozen water during an exceptionally long campaign toward Siberia.

Can’t say it was my favorite mission.

Finally, I turned off the water and stepped out, wrapping a towel around my waist. Still wet, I padded into the bedroom and looked through the drawers, trying to find a clean shirt to wear.

Before I could find one, however, there was a knock on the door.

Strange.

I wasn’t one to get visitors. Unless…

Quickly, I rushed up to the door as silently as possible, thankful in that moment for all of my stealth training.

Looking through the peephole, I saw Stacey standing there, Missy in one arm and a plate of muffins in the other.

Compared to last night, her face looked much less haggard. It was amazing what a good night’s sleep could do.

She knocked again.

My heart skipped a beat.

I couldn’t answer the door wearing only a towel.

What was I supposed to do?

In the end, my indecision caused her to leave. As soon as she was out of sight, I sighed in relief, glad that the awkward situation had been averted.

But there was something else. Something I couldn’t quite identify.

There was a stirring inside my chest. It was a foreign feeling that made my heart beat a little faster, almost as if I had been injected with a dose of adrenaline.

Why was I feeling this way?

I shrugged it off and headed back to my bedroom. I could figure it out later. If I didn’t hurry, I would be late for work.

I could check up on Stacey as soon as I got back.

But even as I headed for the stairwell a few minutes later, I glanced toward her door, nearly doubling back.

A part of me desperately wanted to knock, to take her into my arms and never let go. I couldn’t understand why. I barely knew the woman, and she barely knew me. If I were to hug her for no apparent reason, she would think that was weird. Right?

I shook my head. I needed to take things slow. Nothing good ever came out of being too hasty.

Good things come to those who wait, I reminded myself.