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When a hand rests on my shoulder, I nearly jump out of my skin. Then a moment later, Jake is kneeling on the floor in front of my chair, staring at me with a concerned look.
"Hey, I must have called your name five different times. Are you okay?" His eyes search mine for an answer that he's not going to find. At least, he's not going to find an answer that he's going to like.
Atticus comes over and rests his head on my lap, attempting to comfort me. Trembling, I hand Jake the letter that turned my world upside down. I don’t think I can speak the words out loud.
Medically discharged.
Honorable discharge.
Unable to function at one-hundred per cent.
My plan had always been to do my twenty years and retire. In all my imaginings, I hadn't envisioned a life after retirement, and I certainly hadn't planned that I'd be forced out so soon. I loved what I did, helping wounded soldiers make it back to their families.
"I'm so sorry," Jake whispers, handing the letter back to me.
When he stands, I think he's going to leave me alone. For a minute, I wonder if that's what I really want. But the next thing I know, he's picking me up out of the chair, cradling me in his arms, and moving us further back onto the porch to one of the wicker couches. Sitting, he puts me on his lap, wrapping his arms around me.
I know with him, I don't have to be strong because he knows what I'm going through. He got the same letter, and I'm willing to guess he had the same emotions. I'm grateful he doesn't try to tell me everything's okay. Instead, he holds me tightly to his muscular body, letting me feel my pain and sorrow and the destruction of my plans.
As I rest my head on his shoulder, the tears come suddenly drenching his shirt. Those are the tears that I didn't think I'd be able to cry. He holds me, stroking my hair, rubbing my back, and kissing the top of my head.
I'm just starting to relax and calm down, when his body goes stiff. Looking up at him, I try to figure out what's wrong. But his eyes are looking over my shoulder. Following his line of sight, that's when I see his brother Caden, my ex, staring at us with rage.
No one speaks, and it gets to a point that I can't take the silence anymore.
"Caden, what are you doing here?" I ask.
"Getting ready to deploy, so I came to see my brother. I didn't expect to find you on his lap," he says, glaring at his brother, not even bothering to look at me.
This is exactly what I was afraid of. I didn't want to get in between the two brothers, and I sure as hell am not going to be the reason to break up his family.
But I realized over the last few days letting Jake go isn't really an option anymore, either. He admitted his feelings for me, and I haven't had a chance to tell him that I feel the same way.
"Well, this isn't the place to do this. Jake, will you help me back to my room?" I ask. That seems to pull him out of whatever trance he's in, staring at his brother.
Jake stands and gently helps me to my feet, making sure I'm stable. I could get back to my room with no problem, but I think the three of us need a few minutes to concentrate on something else, so I lean on Jake more than I need to.
"Come on, Caden," I say. Once he nods, we walk with him following behind us.
While we’re walking, I'm battling in my head if the brothers need to have this out or if I should step in. By the time I get to my room, I know that I'm at least going to say my piece and let the chips fall where they may.
"Jake, will you go get me some lunch? I did not make it to the dining room today," I say softly. His eyes go wide, and he stares between his brother and me, so I turn and whisper softly enough for just him to hear.
"I have a few things to say to him, too. I promise I'll be fine."
He nods, and then his face goes cold as he looks over at Caden.
"We are going to talk," Jake says to him.
"Oh, you bet we are," Caden says back to him, his tone just as chilly.
When Jake leaves, we head into my room. I close the door behind us, and I sit on the couch, and he sits on the chair beside me.
"Jake tried to call you, you know."
"Yeah, I had a voicemail. I'm heading out on deployment, so I wanted to come visit. I thought it was something to do with Mom."
"Well, I'm going to tell you my side of it," I start.
