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Remembering the day I left her and everything behind had killed me then. Leaving my family was hard, but the look in Bridgette’s eyes haunted me for a long time after I left.
“I had always wanted to join and I had to follow my dream. She said she supported me even if she would miss me. Leaving, knowing I wouldn’t make it back for important events in her life, like her senior prom and graduation, made me feel like an ass. But we worked through it. All those years we remained together and stayed true to one another.”
I clenched my fists together knowing that was bullshit, but just too late.
Taking another deep breath, I continued.
“She stayed behind and went to school locally and we had plans for our future together. I thought it was set in stone. That we were forever. After years had passed and I had decided to re-enlist, she wasn’t too happy. But we got our own place for her to make a home, and where I would come back to.”
Alley had stayed quiet for a long time but when I paused for several minutes, she broke in. “Get it out, Kace. Then what happened?”
“She got pregnant.”
When I heard Alley’s swift intake of breath, I felt awful that it was her I was sitting there talking to at that moment. She gave my hand a gentle squeeze as if to say she was okay and I went on.
“It may have not been planned, but we both wanted a family. And when I found out and was almost done with my time, I decided I wouldn’t be extending my enlistment. I was going home to Bridgette and my baby. I loved the military but I loved them more so it was my time to get out. The only problem is I got out a little sooner than Bridgette expected and also maybe a bit too late as well.”
Alley turned sideways a little to face me and when I looked at her she had a confused look on her face. “How can you be a little sooner and yet too late?”
This part was going tokillme.
I couldn’t look at Alley right then and see the expression I knew would appear as I finished my story, so I stared back at the ground.
“Having saved up extra time and my contract over, I got to leave a month earlier than expected. But I didn’t tell Bridgette or anyone else because I wanted to surprise her. It was me that got the shock of his life. When I walked into our home, she wasn’t the only one living there.”
A non-ladylike sound came from Alley’s throat and I knew it was her being pissed on my behalf. If I wasn’t so upset I would have smiled.
“Rage burned through my veins that day as I took in the scene. My home, the one I had helped make for the woman carrying my baby and who I was going to marry. She had been wearing my ring for years, but it was another man I found in our bed that day.”
“You have to be fucking kidding me!” That ferocity that was all Alley had been held in long enough and she exploded.
I couldn’t hold back the smile this time, even under the circumstances, knowing I had her support. The woman would go to battle for any of her friends, which reminded me of the time she finally got to use her bat to help one of them out. Now that she learned to shoot, everyone may want to be extra careful.
“Alley, we lived in a small town. Everyone must have known, even my parents. But nobody said a word. I still may not know all the details why nobody bothered to tell me, even my family, but it was betrayal plain and simple.” Dropping my head in my hands, I rubbed my palms over my face and inhaled deeply trying to keep my composure. Releasing the air I just pulled into my lungs, I raised my head and continued. “I haven’t forgiven anyone for that or spoken to a single soul since I walked away from the life I had thought was mine.”
“But—”
I knew what she was thinking and I would never do that, so I stopped her right there. Alley only knew what I told her so far so I needed to finish because I would haveneverleft my child.
“There was no baby. I mean there was, but Bridgette miscarried.”
When I heard Alley start to cry, it ruined me even more. I had to finish quickly for both our sakes.
“My girl met another man and was sleeping with him behind my back. The bastard was living in our house, and when Bridgette lost the baby she didn’t even tell me. She claims she wanted to talk to me in person about it all but how the fuck do you do that to someone you are supposed to love? How could she let me keep believing in us and being over the moon about a child she had lost months before?”
Alley wasn’t next to me anymore, wasn’t holding my hand, and was up off the bench standing in front of me. She was as pissed as a rattlesnake, that I could see when my eyes met hers. Pissed and sad. I couldn’t sit any longer, so I stood too.
“She ruined me that day. I can never trust a woman that way ever again or allow myself to fall in love again. And while she wrecked me, the part that kills me beyond words is that I already loved my baby with everything in me and I lost that too.”
Tears dripped down my face.
There was no way of stopping them.
Alley was crying too and grabbed me and pulled me into a hug. “I am here for you, always. And the guys would be too if you told them. Don’t hold it in anymore, it will just eat at you until there is nothing left,” she whispered as we embraced.
As she spoke, we didn’t hear the door open or her husband Landon walk in.
“Hey, get your hands off my wife,” he said jokingly.
