My unit. It was still kind of hard to believe, but I was actually fucking pumped about it.
After having spent the last couple of months thinking I might just be done, it felt fucking good to be back. Back but better.
Eden was still in the hospital but was being transferred to a rehabilitation unit before the end of the week. Charles had taken me to him and had also been the one to tell us that once Eden had recovered, he would be joining my unit.
It was great fucking news.
The only thing putting a damper on it all was the fact that I’d be leaving Sofia for six months. I still had to talk to her about it, but six months wasn’t that long in the greater scheme of things.
Grinning as I stepped out of the shower, I dried off and knotted a towel around my waist. I’d wanted to call her before I’d even gotten back to the house, but I’d been in desperate need of a shower and a shave.
I couldn’t wait to tell her the news. Not only that I was staying in the military and had agreed to command a unit but also that Charles and I had had a long talk.
After pulling on some sweats, I picked up my phone to finally call my girl when there was a knock at the door. I pressed dial anyway, then held the phone to my ear as I went to see who was there.
Sofia’s ringtone met my ears before I could open the door, and my heart did flip-flops in my chest. She was here. I was finally, fucking finally, going to have my girl in my arms again.
When I opened the door, though, I did a double-take. It was Sofia standing on the other side of it, but she was a mess. Her cheeks were stained with tears and she hiccupped when she looked up at me, her entire body trembling.
“Lincoln,” she breathed out before surging forward and slamming her chest into mine. Her arms wound around my neck, and she held on to me like I was her life raft in the middle of a gigantic storm. “You’re here. You’re really here.”
“I’m really here, baby,” I whispered into her hair, roping my arms around her waist and holding her to me. “What’s wrong? What happened?”
“Can we talk inside?” she asked but didn’t let go of me.
I nodded, lifted her off the ground, and carried her into the house. After kicking the door shut behind us, I walked to the living room and sat down on the couch, then arranged her to sit on my lap.
She pulled her head back, bringing her swollen, red-rimmed eyes to mine. “I’m sorry I’m such a disaster. I just had another huge fight with my dad, and I don’t even really know what to say to you. I only knew I had to come see you.”
I reached up to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear, my fingers lingering as they ghosted across her jaw and cheeks. “You can say anything to me, babe. Why don’t you know what to say?”
A deep breath puffed out of her, and she hung her head until her forehead touched my shoulder. “I can’t believe my father did what he did to you. I also can’t believe that I was the reason he did it. Saying ‘I’m sorry’ doesn’t even begin to cover it.”
“Hey.” I frowned, sliding my fingers under her chin to lift it before catching her face between my hands. “Why do you think you have to apologize to me?”
Confusion clouded her eyes, and a deep line appeared between them. “You must hate me. My father had you tossed in prison and now he’s forcing you to go to war. All because of me.”
For a long minute, I could only stare at her. “That’s what you think?”
“No, that’s what happened.” Her hand came up, and she pressed her palm against my forehead. “Are you feeling okay? You seem dazed.”
“I’m not dazed.” A smile crept onto my lips as I took her hand in mine. “I’m fine. I promise. More than fine actually.”
“How?” She cocked her head, running her free hand repeatedly over her dress on her thighs. “I’m so nervous that I’m sweating profusely and my heart isn’t beating right, and you’re fine? You just got out of prison, Linc. Because of me.”
“It wasn’t really a prison.” The corners of my lips inched up farther. “I was in a holding cell. It was fine. I wouldn’t go back to take a vacation there, but it wasn’t so bad.”
Her body stilled when she noticed my lips. “Why are you smiling right now? At me? You do realize I’m the reason all this is happening, right?”
“No, you’re not.” I trapped her other hand, folded both of them in mine, and brought them up to place soft kisses on her knuckles. “Everything that happened was because of me. Your father has been right all along, baby. I need to do this. I’ve always needed to do this.”
“What?” Her head jerked back, her hazel eyes alight with ire. “What are you talking about? He’s not right. He’s forcing you into doing something you don’t want to do.”
“No, he’s not.” I kept both her hands in one of mine, lifting the other on the side of her neck to stroke her cheekbone with my thumb. “I was holding back before. I thought I was happy where I was and that advancing was pointless, but I was wrong.”
“If you’re happy where you are, then don’t let him force you into advancing.”
I shook my head, keeping hold of her when she tried to let go of my hand. “He’s not forcing me into anything. He gave me an option, and I realized I wanted to take it.”
“But—”
“No, Sofia, I really do want it. I was holding back before because I had no reason to want to be better. I had nothing and
