AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Hey, Lo.” Her chirpy voice makes me feel guilty for not picking up this morning. “I have news.”
“Sounds ominous.” I drop onto my ass in the sand, knees bent, elbows resting on them.
”Remember that specialist you liked? The one you saw before your treatment?”
My whole body tenses and twitches, repelling even the slightest reminder of the shit it’s been put through these last few years. “Likedis putting it a bit strongly.”
“Okay, fine. The one you hated least, doofus…”
I snort. She may be one of Miami Military hospital’s best doctors, but she’ll never stop being my annoying kid sister. “Fine. Yes, I remember her.” Cold hands. But the only doctor that made it all feel marginally bearable.
“She’s visiting next week. Said she can fit you in.”
“Next week?” I stare out over the rolling surf. Another check-up. Another chance to be thrust right back there. Another reminder of why I’d be stupid to let last night with Kenzi go to my head. “I’ve just got back, Jay. I’ve got shit to—”
“These check-ups are important, Mylo, and she’s one of the best oncologists out there. You’re lucky she can even fit you in.”
“Fine.” I glower harder at her now professional take-no-shit tone. I fucking hate this. “I’ll be there.”
“Good.”
I close my eyes and force the unease and general shitty feeling talking about this brings with it. “Will be good to see you and the kids.” I lie back into the warm sand, my head on my towel, throwing my arm over my face to shield it from the sun. “How are they?”
“Connor’s decided he’s never cutting his hair again. I wonder where he got that idea from.”
My mood lifts just picturing my nine-year-old nephew putting his foot down and my sister cursingmefor it. “Smart kid. How’s Shay?”
“She misses you.”
I can almost see Shay’s bottom lip pouting out, the teddy I bought her when she was born tucked under her five-year-old arm in all its grubby glory. “You guys should come here for a couple of weeks. The kids would love it.” My long-term buddy, guilt, tugs in my gut. Dad isn’t the only person my coming here has affected.
“The kids finish school for summer next month. I’ll book some time off.”
“How are Mom and Dad?”
“Mom is just mom... making excuses for Dad’s shitty moods and trying to feed anything that moves.” She laughs as she says it, but it’s forced. Mom’s always been the soft to Dad’s harsh. The soother of his barbed comments and thinly veiled insults.
“And Dad?”
“Dad’s fine.”
The bright sunlight dims, cooling marginally. I uncover my eyes and watch the puffy white cloud to blame. “Still pissed then.”
“More quietly seething.”
I nod even though she can’t see me. “You think he’ll ever get it?”
“Get it, no. Get over it, probably. He’s stubborn—that’s whereyouget it from.”
I puff out my cheeks. “And Banks?” My heart thuds, hard and painful even thinking that name. Corporal Toby Banks. The only other surviving member of my team. I haven’t spoken to him since I left rehab, but I still have nightmares about pulling his wrecked leg from beneath the truck. I press my fist against the center of my chest.
“He started last week in dad’s office.”
“You didn’t—”
“I didn’t tell him it was you that got him the job, no. I didn’t tell dad he was part of your team either. But Mylo, why don’t you call Toby? Maybe it would help.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose between my thumb and forefinger. Jaynee’s the only person who knows why I pay for Banks’s ongoing counseling. Why I made sure he had a job to go to when he was up to working again. Guilt. Guilt for not checking in on him more. Guilt for not being able to even think his name without being dragged back to the hell hole that was that last deployment. Guilt for not being able to suck up my own fucking issues enough to stay to help him through his. He was just a kid. Eighteen and under my command. A kid I abandoned to deal with the shit leftover from that day on his own.
