The coffin gleamed in the early morning light as the pallbearers brought his coffin to his designated grave. Evelyn and I stood beside my old buddies as they did the twenty-one-gun salute. Myself and another friend of ours folded an American flag over his coffin before giving it to Millie and their daughter. Millie was a heap of grief, trying her best to be strong for their daughter. She thanked me several times before I went back to my spot beside Evelyn.
Words from the minister were a tribute to Oliver’s life. I watched his casket lower into the grave through tear-stained eyes. Oliver learnt marksmanship, how to take a life in the line of duty. He’d wanted to be a hero and a patriot, to serve with courage and dignity. And he did. He was everything his country would be proud of. But he returned home with disabling injuries to his mind, without someone who understood his pain. PTSD took hold of him, and he couldn’t beat it.
Evelyn’s hand intertwined with mine, and I glanced at her. She gave me an understanding smile that made the weight on my shoulders seem less heavy.
After most had left, I talked to my buddies and introduced them to Evelyn. They’d made it known that I used to talk about her like a broken record. We reminisced about Oliver and the stupid shit we’d done. Nobody brought up PTSD or the fact that he’d taken his own life. For that, I was thankful.
I was thankful for the friends that understood the difficulties of adjusting to civilian life, and I was thankful for the woman who stood by my side regardless of my issues.
The funeral was depressing, but I’d expected as much. Seeing his wife and daughter mourning him broke my heart. Suicide was selfish, nobody could convince me otherwise.
We’d driven mostly in silence on the way back to Violet Ridge. Emotions were draining, and I knew today took a toll on him. But one thing was bugging me, and that was that Flynn introduced me to his friends as his friend. That was it, just a friend. It made my blood boil. Didn’t he think of me as more than that?
He pulled into my driveway, and I hopped out, grabbed my bag, and slammed the door behind me. I stormed up the drive to my house and unlocked my door. Before I could take a step further, Flynn grabbed my upper arm and turned me to face him.
“What did I do?” His voice was hesitant. Hesitation was something he’d become great at, and I loathed it.
“What am I to you?” The built-up anger exploded, and I jerked my arm away from his grasp and stepped into his space. “You saved me. You spent time with me. We cuddled and kissed when we went camping. But you haven’t touched me since! Are you that repulsed by me?” My chest heaved as I caught my breath from the outburst.
“I am not repulsed by you, Evelyn.” His eyes narrowed at me. “I was giving you space. After that night you saw me almost kill that guy, I didn’t want to pressure you. You’d caught a glimpse of who I really am. Are you sure you can handle that?”
“Of course I can handle it! I’m still here aren’t I?”
“I don’t want you to be afraid of me.”
I laughed, shaking my head. “Don’t be an idiot, Flynn. I’m not afraid of you. I love you! I’ve been in love with you since high school. Nothing’s changed.”
He moved so fast, I didn’t even see it coming. One second I was raging, pissed off at him for holding back, and the next his lips covered mine.
He kissed me and the entire world fell away. His kiss was slow and soft, comforting in ways words could never be. His hand rested below my ear, his thumb caressed my cheek as our breaths mingled. My fingers trailed down his spine, pulling him closer until there was no space left between us, and I could feel the beating of his heart against my chest. Heat traveled through my veins, warming me.
He pulled back just enough to where he was able to speak, and my lips felt cold without his. Goosebumps lined my skin as his finger tips skimmed my arm. “You’re the reason I’m breathing. I’ve always loved you.”
My lips parted. It was the first time he’d told me how he’d felt in a decade, and it was everything I’d hoped for and more. We didn’t waste any more time. His eyes shone with desire, impatience. I was sure mine mirrored his as my body begged for his touch.
Our souls had been connected since we were teenagers, but our bodies had never gotten acquainted. We moved inside, locked the door, and booked into my room. I turned to him and his arms wrapped around my back. In one gentle pull our bodies were against each other. We fit together as if we were made for this, to fall into one another, to feel each other.
We undressed each other slowly, taking our time to drink in each other’s naked forms. His eyes were greedy, inspecting every exposed part of me. But mine were the same. He was perfect, and his body was too. He was toned, muscular, and his prosthetic was even sexy.
I stepped into his arms. My hands tangled in his soft hair as he lifted me off my feet, carried me toward the bed, and let me fall with a soft bounce on the mattress. We locked eyes for a moment. Raw passion pulsated the air around us.
It wasn’t the first time for either of us, but it was our first time.
