Before anyone can respond, she turns and leaves the room. Drew’s crestfallen face is almost too much, and I have to remind myself that he cheated on my best friend only hours ago.

“Lucy, you have to help me. Talk some sense into her. I can’t lose her,” he pleads, but I’m not falling for it.

“I don’t have to do shit, Drew. You made your own damn bed. Now you have to freaking lie in it. I think it’s best if you please leave.”

Raking his hand through his hair, he sighs and starts to walk down the hallway, but not before punching the wall with enough force that it causes the drywall to crack. It surprises me, because Drew’s always been on the calmer side, and I wince when I see the blood trickle down his hand. Without looking back, he stumbles down the hall and out of my apartment.

“These weren’t the circumstances I wanted to see you under, but I’m glad to see you either way. I missed you,” Aidan whispers as he pulls me into a hug.

I’m not sure how he can say that after we just watched our best friends break up. Being wrapped up in hug with him while Charlie’s heart is breaking just a few yards away feels wrong.

I remove myself from his embrace and give him a sad smile. “It’s only been two days, crazy,” I tell him.

He presses his forehead to mine, seemingly not fazed by what just happened. “Two days too many. I wish you’d consider moving in with me after your lease is up,” he says, reminding me of the offer he gave last week.

“Aidan, I’m not—we’re not—ready for that. Plus, Charlie will probably be with me until I leave for the summer. And there’s that. Who knows what’ll happen while I’m gone.”

His face falls, and I realize I just said the wrong thing. “What’s that supposed to mean? Are you planning on seeing other people while you’re down there?”

I shake my head. “No, no, nothing like that. That’s not what I meant. I just meant that three months is a really long time to be apart and I wouldn’t expect you to wait for me. If, you know, you met someone. That’s all.”

“Lucy, I don’t plan on meeting anyone. You know how much I care about you. I don’t want anyone else, no matter how long you’re gone.”

Sighing, I know this conversation will go nowhere tonight. “Look, it’s been a long night and you need to get Drew home. We can talk about this later, okay?”

He looks like he’s about to protest, so I lean up and place a soft kiss on his lips. Once I’ve led him towards the door, we say goodbye. Then I pour myself a drink before making my way to my room but stop when I hear Charlie’s sobs through her door. Slowly, I open it, my eyes falling on the bed, where she’s curled up in a ball. After setting my glass on the nightstand, I lift the covers and climb in behind her. I wrap my arms around her and let her cry it out. Hot tears fill my own eyes as her shoulders shake with her sobs, and I wish, more than anything, that I could take the pain away.

Once she’s calmed down a little, she turns towards me and grabs ahold of my hand.

“I can stay here ‘til you leave?” she asks, and I nod.

“As long as you need, Charlie. But are you sure? It’s completely over?”

I have no idea how she must be feeling right now. When Noah and I broke up, sure, I was sad, but we both knew the relationship had run its course and forever wasn’t ever in our future. With Charlie, she was already planning their wedding and looking through baby name books.

“It has to be, Lucy. He crossed a line when he cheated, and if I stay with him, I’ll constantly wonder what he’s doing, who he’s with. I can’t live like that. I don’t even want to think about moving on, but if and when I do, it has to be with someone who wants me and only me. Someone who makes me his whole world, who can’t breathe at the thought of losing me. That’s the type of man I deserve to marry, Lucy, and while it’s going to hurt for a while, one of these days, I’ll be back on my feet and pray to God that he finds me. One of these days.”

The strength in her words should shock me, but they really don’t. That’s Charlie, and if anyone can get out of this unscathed and maybe only a little broken, it’s her.

Kale

I’M FINALLY on my last mission before I’m headed back to the States, and I couldn’t be happier. Listening to McAllister and Wellington argue over the merits of relationships has me thinking about Lucy’s earlier email, where she complained about cheating assholes and why relationships suck. Charlie’s a pretty kickass chick, and I hate that her douchebag fiancé did that to her. Lucy went on a long-winded tirade about why she avoids dating and love is stupid and she’s probably going to end up an old cat lady—which made me laugh because she’s allergic and can’t even adopt one. I’m pretty sure if she were here right now, she’d be on Team Wellington’s Camp of “fuck relationships,” and I wonder how things are going with her boyfriend or whatever the hell he is. I catch the tail end of Wellington’s sentence and now I don’t blame the guy for his relationship stance. You never fuck another man’s woman—especially your brother’s. That’s some messed-up bullshit.

While McAllister gets razzed about starting at his girl’s picture, I discreetly pull out a slip of paper from my pocket, unfold it, and re-read her words just like I’ve done on every other mission. When I initially read the response to my feelings email, my heart wanted to plummet and soar at the same time. On the one hand, she admitted she had feelings for me, too. On the other, she confirmed that she was dating that guy. I’ve wanted to punch myself in the face a hundred times since then, knowing I should’ve locked down a girl like Lucy Dawson before I boarded the plane for Afghanistan. I just hope when I get home that there’s a chance for us to be…something. A couple? Friends with benefits again? Casual dating? I don’t care what the label is. I just know that I have to have her in my life in any way, shape, or form.

“Montgomery, outta the vehicle,” McAllister orders, breaking my trance.

I peek my head out the window and check the ground, making sure I’m not going to trigger any pressure plates the moment I step out. It’s all clear, so I exit and continue to do a perimeter check, going twenty-five meters out.

“All clear,” I holler and hear three more echoes confirming the same thing.

The rest of the team gets out of the MRAP, and McAllister and Wellington don their bomb suits. We form a perimeter around the suspicious package. I’m the closest to the guys, and I watch as they approach it. I can feel my heart racing the same way it does every time we’re dispatched out on a call. Even though I’m not the one defusing the possible bomb this time, I still find myself holding my breath as I watch their advance.

I look up into the Hindu Kush Mountains, scanning the nearby hillside for anything out of place. Wellington must catch the glint the same moment I do, because he’s warning McAllister at the same time that I rush towards them, wanting to warn them without alerting the terrorist that I spotted him. Even though I know my fight or flight should be kicking in right about now, I can’t help it. I’ve gotta get my guys out of there, but I’m too fucking late.

As soon as I see McAllister pressing a hand to his ear and asking, “What?” to Wellington, the bomb detonates and sends them both flying in the air. I’m thrown back and slammed into the MRAP, feeling a crack in my pelvis as I fall to the ground. Shrapnel flies all around us, and I can feel it cutting into my skin, but I ignore it. Reaching for my radio, I frantically call out to anyone who’s listening as I low crawl towards the guys. Pain spreads throughout my body with each movement, but I keep going, knowing they have it worse than I do.

When I reach Wellington, I see that he’s unconscious, and a bone is sticking out of his skin on his left arm. Bile rises in my throat at the sight, but I swallow it down, knowing I need to get him help. I can see Taylor tending to McAllister, and I pray to motherfucking God that these two make it.