Page 16 of SEAL of Valor

Tattoos cover both muscled arms, then disappear beneath the fabric of his black t-shirt before reappearing and climbing up the side of his neck. His dark hair is slightly longer on top of his head, a mess of loose waves that I ran my fingers through countless times. I can still feel them even now.

Can still feel his lips on mine.

His arms around me.

I can hear the murmur of his voice, an echo of a dream I once had about spending forever with this man.

Oh. That single word slips into my mind as every emotion I have fought to bury since I left this place slams into me in rapid succession.

Love.

Loss.

Fear.

Agony.

Loneliness.

Guilt.

The pain that is still so fresh rips through me all over again, flaying me open to the bone and smothering the light I’ve fought so hard to find over these years. My stomach aches, twisting into uncontrollable knots until I cannot breathe.

“I’m sorry,” I say as tears fill my eyes. Turning, I sprint out of the shop, unable to hear anything but the pounding in my own ears as I race toward the sidewalk. I can’t even see where I’m going, though, and I trip, falling onto the sidewalk.

Pain shoots up through my knees and hands as I scrape both against hard concrete. My legs tremble, my vision nearly completely gone thanks to the tears. This is ridiculous!

“Hey, wait!” Anastasia’s voice calls out over everything else, and before I can pick myself up off the ground, she’s right there. Gripping my arm and helping me to my feet. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Sorry. Tripped.” Heat spreads across the back of my neck, embarrassment momentarily pushing out everything else. On shaking legs, I stand and wipe my face. “Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. Are you sure that you’re okay?” she asks again.

“Yeah.” It’s been nearly two decades since I saw him last. Since my entire life went up in flames. Since everything I loved was ripped away from me and shredded right before my very eyes.

But nineteen years? Isn’t that long enough? Why am I reacting this way now?

The tears still haven’t stopped, and if it didn’t hurt so darn bad, I might be mortified at the outward display. “I’m so sorry, Anastasia. I just need a minute.” I wipe my eyes and force a smile. “Wow, that was an entrance, huh?”

I’d always gotten along well enough with Anastasia before. She was best friends with Weston’s sister, so I’d occasionally see her whenever the two of them were together. We didn’t know each other well, but I remember that she was kind. Her loyalty, though, is absolutely in Weston’s corner because that’s just who she is. Given everything else in this town is the same, I imagine that remains unchanged as well.

Except Weston looks different, doesn’t he? Despite everything, desire burns in my gut. The love that never faded, ripping the steering wheel of control right out of my hands.

“You could say that.” Anastasia’s hazel gaze, similar to Weston’s despite them not being blood relatives, is narrowed on my face, concern etched in her expression. “Are you sure that you’re okay?” she asks for the third time.

“Yeah. Just been a while, that’s all.”

She nods in understanding. “He left, if that helps. Went out the back.”

Leaving is what we’re both good at, so why am I surprised each of us went our own way?

“He didn’t need to do that.” Heat climbs up the back of my neck all over again as I realize how completely ridiculous I must have looked to him. He’ll probably have a good laugh about it with his friends later.

Except I know that’s not true.

Weston is a lot of things.

Kind.