named Dimitri. Hunter was the leader of our fire team.”
“Okay, so what does this have to do with what happened?”
Dylan ran a hand through his long, dark hair, like he was agitated by the memories. “We trained together and we went on missions together. Each fire team was designed to work as a single entity. Three men working as one. It’s how we survived through some of the worst situations you can imagine. But if one member of the team failed, everyone’s life would be in danger.”
“So you messed up when you went on that last mission? Is that what you’re trying to tell me?”
“It was worse than that. I told you Hunter found out about us. He found a letter that you wrote to me.”
Rory nodded. “Yeah, he told you to stay away from me.”
Dylan shook his head. “What I didn’t tell you was that fight happened on the day he died.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah, your brother and I fought. Because of that, as commander of our fire team, he ordered me to sit out that mission. He said he couldn’t trust me to have his back anymore. So I was missing from the team that day, and without me there, Hunter and Dimitri never returned from that mission.”
“You can’t blame yourself for what happened. You weren’t even there.”
“That’s just it. I wasn’t there. I broke up the team and made them weak. I wasn’t there when they needed me, and that’s the reason they died.”
Dylan sank to his knees, defeated. His torso glistened with blood and sweat in the moonlight. Even someone as strong as Dylan couldn’t bear the weight of this guilt on his shoulders.
Things probably would have been different if Dylan had gone out with them that day, she thought. If Dylan and Hunter hadn’t fought, Hunter might still be alive. But if the fight had been caused by Rory’s relationship with Dylan, Dylan wasn’t the only one at fault.
The realization hit her like a punch to the gut.
“If what you say is true, then I’m just as much to blame as you are.”
“Don’t say that,” Dylan said. “This is my fault. Not yours.”
“Well, it was my letter Hunter found. I was the reason he found out about us.”
“No, that’s my fault too. I should’ve hidden the letter better. I should’ve made sure he never found it. Or I could’ve told him the truth in the first place. Long before that information had the power to get him hurt.”
“Yeah, but we both agreed to keep our relationship a secret. At least until you got back home. We didn’t want to bother him about it, at least until we knew for sure that we had a future together.”
“No, this wasn’t your fault. The fault is mine and mine alone. This is why I didn’t tell you about all this before. I didn’t want you to blame yourself.”
“That wasn’t your choice to make. You should have told me the truth. If what you say is true, then this is our guilt to share. You should have never tried to carry it alone.”
“It was a small sacrifice to protect you.”
“A small sacrifice?” she asked. “This guilt is killing you.”
“I’d do anything to keep you from getting hurt.”
“I’ve always loved that about you, but you know I can’t accept your protection if it means you getting hurt. I already lost one man I loved. I can’t lose you, too.”
Rory got to her feet and approached Dylan where he knelt on the ground. Even on his knees, his head came up to her chest. She cradled his face in her hands and looked down into his eyes, shining silver in the moonlight.
“Whatever happened between you and Hunter, it wasn’t your fault. Hunter was a grown-up. He made his own choices. And we made ours. I don’t regret falling in love with you. It makes me sad to know my brother had a problem with it, but that was his problem. Not ours.”
“He had a right to be upset,” Dylan said.
“Yeah, he did. Hunter was entitled to his feelings.
“Okay, so what does this have to do with what happened?”
Dylan ran a hand through his long, dark hair, like he was agitated by the memories. “We trained together and we went on missions together. Each fire team was designed to work as a single entity. Three men working as one. It’s how we survived through some of the worst situations you can imagine. But if one member of the team failed, everyone’s life would be in danger.”
“So you messed up when you went on that last mission? Is that what you’re trying to tell me?”
“It was worse than that. I told you Hunter found out about us. He found a letter that you wrote to me.”
Rory nodded. “Yeah, he told you to stay away from me.”
Dylan shook his head. “What I didn’t tell you was that fight happened on the day he died.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah, your brother and I fought. Because of that, as commander of our fire team, he ordered me to sit out that mission. He said he couldn’t trust me to have his back anymore. So I was missing from the team that day, and without me there, Hunter and Dimitri never returned from that mission.”
“You can’t blame yourself for what happened. You weren’t even there.”
“That’s just it. I wasn’t there. I broke up the team and made them weak. I wasn’t there when they needed me, and that’s the reason they died.”
Dylan sank to his knees, defeated. His torso glistened with blood and sweat in the moonlight. Even someone as strong as Dylan couldn’t bear the weight of this guilt on his shoulders.
Things probably would have been different if Dylan had gone out with them that day, she thought. If Dylan and Hunter hadn’t fought, Hunter might still be alive. But if the fight had been caused by Rory’s relationship with Dylan, Dylan wasn’t the only one at fault.
The realization hit her like a punch to the gut.
“If what you say is true, then I’m just as much to blame as you are.”
“Don’t say that,” Dylan said. “This is my fault. Not yours.”
“Well, it was my letter Hunter found. I was the reason he found out about us.”
“No, that’s my fault too. I should’ve hidden the letter better. I should’ve made sure he never found it. Or I could’ve told him the truth in the first place. Long before that information had the power to get him hurt.”
“Yeah, but we both agreed to keep our relationship a secret. At least until you got back home. We didn’t want to bother him about it, at least until we knew for sure that we had a future together.”
“No, this wasn’t your fault. The fault is mine and mine alone. This is why I didn’t tell you about all this before. I didn’t want you to blame yourself.”
“That wasn’t your choice to make. You should have told me the truth. If what you say is true, then this is our guilt to share. You should have never tried to carry it alone.”
“It was a small sacrifice to protect you.”
“A small sacrifice?” she asked. “This guilt is killing you.”
“I’d do anything to keep you from getting hurt.”
“I’ve always loved that about you, but you know I can’t accept your protection if it means you getting hurt. I already lost one man I loved. I can’t lose you, too.”
Rory got to her feet and approached Dylan where he knelt on the ground. Even on his knees, his head came up to her chest. She cradled his face in her hands and looked down into his eyes, shining silver in the moonlight.
“Whatever happened between you and Hunter, it wasn’t your fault. Hunter was a grown-up. He made his own choices. And we made ours. I don’t regret falling in love with you. It makes me sad to know my brother had a problem with it, but that was his problem. Not ours.”
“He had a right to be upset,” Dylan said.
“Yeah, he did. Hunter was entitled to his feelings.
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