Tessa Teevan - Inflame

A single tear trickles down her face, and I know it’s not going to be long before the floodgates open up. I signal for the check, knowing she’ll want to have privacy for her impending breakdown.

Placing my arm around her shoulders, I pull her into me, and she rests her head on my shoulder. “You’re strong, you’re beautiful, and you’ll get through this. I promise. That’s all I’ll say tonight. Let’s go home. I have a bottle of tequila, a box of wine, and a huge Mark Wahlberg collection just waiting to be watched. How does that sound?”

“Can we stop for Rocky Road? No pity party wallowing session is complete without it,” she says, and right now, I’ll do anything she asks just to keep her spirits up.

“Lucky for you, I already have a pint in the freezer. Come on, Charlie. It’s time for PJs, booze, and Marky Mark.”

She gives me a small smile when I hop up from my stool. Grabbing her hand, I lead my best friend out to the car, wishing there were something more I could do to help heal her breaking heart.

I WAS right in the timing of Charlie’s breakdown. We were watching The Fighter, and something must’ve reminded her of Drew because it instantly set her off. One minute she was talking about how hot Mark is and the next she was sobbing on the couch, clutching the bottle of tequila like it was her only lifeline.

Wrapping my arms around her, I hold her as she cries. Her heartbreak is so deep, her sobs so gut-wrenching, that I can’t help but shed a few tears myself.

She pulls back and wipes her eyes even though tears are still coming. “I just don’t understand, Lucy. Why? Why would he do this? We were supposed to get married! How do you go from spending the rest of your lives together to cheating before you even make it to the altar? There was nothing wrong with our sex life. We just had sex last night! Oh my God. What if that wasn’t the first time? What if he gave me something? I’m going to have to get tested now. How freaking embarrassing!” she screeches. Somehow Charlie’s now alternating between anger and tears, and I’m not sure how to handle her.

A loud knock sounds at the door, and we both look at each other with matching startled expressions. I can only hope that it’s Aidan, though no man should probably be in the vicinity of Charlie right now. Unfortunately Drew’s voice follows the knock.

“Charlotte, I know you’re in there! Answer the door, please!” He sounds desperate, as he should, and even though he’s the ultimate asshole right now, I give him credit for chasing after her. But something tells me it’s a little too late. He probably should’ve done that before he finished having sex with that chick right in front of his fiancée.

I look over at Charlie and she shakes her head, placing a finger to her lips. Drew keeps pounding on the door as we sit there in silence, and every so often, I hear her sniff. My phone buzzes and I see that I have a text from Aidan.

I’m out here with Drew. Luce, he’s wasted off his ass and insisted I bring him here. Please just let us in for a minute.

I hand my phone to Charlie, and she sighs as she reads the text.

“He won’t leave until I talk to him. And I don’t want him waking your neighbors.” She takes a long swig from the tequila bottle, wipes her eyes, and stands up, looking like a girl on a mission. “Go let him in.”

“Are you sure?” I ask hesitantly, knowing this won’t end well.

She nods. “The sooner it’s over with, the sooner I can heal, right? Just don’t leave me, okay?” I give her shoulder a squeeze as I reassure her that I won’t.

When I open the door, I have to jump back as Drew rushes past me. Aidan rubs the back of his neck and gives me a sheepish look.

“He’s such a fucking idiot. I know I shouldn’t have brought him here, but he threatened to drive himself and he’s in no shape to do that.”

“Don’t worry about it. This was going to happen sooner or later. I just can’t believe he’d do this to her. What the fuck was he thinking?” I ask, but it’s a rhetorical question that neither of us can answer.

I pull Aidan inside and he follows as I walk towards the living room so I can be with Charlie. Sister solidarity and all. The sight stops me when I enter the room. Charlie’s standing there stock-still with Drew before her on his knees, his arms circled around her legs. It’s actually both pathetic and heartbreaking, and if I’m not mistaken, he’s crying against her. Aidan sits in a far corner and pulls out his phone, clearly uncomfortable with the scene before us. I kind of feel the same way.

“Charlotte, please come home. I’m so sorry, baby. It was a mistake. I’ll never do it again. I swear it on my soul,” Drew pleads.

Tears start to form in Charlie’s eyes, but she closes them, takes a deep breath, and then pulls herself out of Drew’s hold. “You’re right, Drew. You’ll never do it again to me because you’ll never get the chance.”

My heart plummets as I watch her pull the engagement ring off her finger and hold it out for him. Even though he royally fucked up, I feel like a voyeur watching their relationship end like this. She hits the last nail in the coffin, and it’s almost unbearable.

“It’s over.”

He quickly rises to his feet and moves to grab her, but she steps back and holds her hand out, stopping him.

“No, baby, don’t say that. You’re upset and shouldn’t make rash decisions right now. You can’t throw away three years together in just one night!”

Charlie balls her fists at her sides, and I can tell she’s trying to maintain her composure. “Again, you’re right. I can’t,” she sighs, and relief floods his face, but it’s short-lived. “You can and you already did.”

“Charlotte—” he starts, but she cuts him off.

“Stop. Please just stop. I’m exhausted and I’m not discussing this anymore tonight. Aidan, please take him home.” She turns towards me. “Thanks for everything, Luce. I’m going to bed now.”

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.