“Because I'm a soldier? Really?”
I was baffled, not just with her, but with me too. Had this been any other woman in my past, I would have let them go. There was no way I was going to chase down some over the top drama queen.
Yeah, I'm a soldier. What the fuck did that matter?
But Avni, she gave me a feeling I hadn't felt before. And a small voice deep inside forced me to go after her. She was a light and I was the moth, I was drawn to her. And I couldn't explain it.
My heart had turned to marble after going to war. The life I knew had changed, the life I saw after was dull and cloudy.
There was so much hurt, suffering, and rage in others for things that were intangible. I saw it, I saw all the blackness that seeps through others, saw all the evil that turned men into animals.
And after it happened, after my life hung in the balance...
My heart never beat the same rhythm.
Until Avni.
“I told you, I'm not doing this.”
“V, it's just dinner. Stop being dramatic.” The instant the words fell off my lips, her entire body froze.
Avni stopped short, shoulders flicking taut. Slowly she turned to look at me, veering her stare. “What did you just say?”
“I said stop being dramatic, it's only dinner.” My hands fell to my waist, jaw jetting to the side. “It's not like I'm asking you to marry me or anything, it's just dinner.”
“I don't do dinner with soldiers.” She hadn't turned around fully, but I could tell she was breathing hard. Her back was stiff, shoulders gently rising with the oxygen she was forcing into her lungs. “Go be a hero, I'm sure the world has room for another one.”
“I'm no saint, V. But you don't have to have dinner with the soldier, have dinner with me. Levi, just Levi.” Shrugging, I let my arms hang low, hands open. “I don't think that's a wild request, it's pretty simple if you ask me. It doesn't have to be complicated, it's just a fucking meal.”
Twisting around, her small bag fell to her forearm. “I feel dinner is owed for what you did to help me out. But that's it, just dinner, nothing more.”
“That's what I said. Come on, you said you love sushi, this is a free fish meal. You can't really pass that up.” Raising my brows, I shot her a crooked grin. “Please. Don't make me beg, just come keep me company.”
Sludging forward, her feet looked like they weighed a ton. Avni was walking as if her shoes were made of concrete blocks, the heavy weights trying to hold her in place. “Alright, you convinced me. Sushi is like a magic word in my world, but this is it.” Fanning her hand out, she drew a line in front of her. “Dinner and then I'm going home.”
“That's all I ask,” I said, stretching my arm out. Wrapping my fingers around her wrist, I tugged her in closer. “ Then I'll make sure you get home safe.”
“Alright, deal.” Her waist rocked back and forth, toe twisting into the pavement. She looked nervous, holding a thin smile across her face, eyes still and motionless; as if the muscles in her sockets had gone limp, halting any natural impulse to move.
All I wanted was to enjoy a nice dinner with her, and maybe some small talk.
Innocent small talk; mostly.
The animal side of me wanted to ravage her, tear her clothes off her body and make her scream my name.
But she obviously wasn't feeling the same, or at least she was trying her best to push that down and away. All her body language up to that point was leaning towards an open invitation for a good fuck.
She wasn't making this easy, Avni had been playing hardball since last night. But her eyes when we first sat down said more than the words floating from her lips.
So why did she go into a frenzy when she found out I was soldier? I had never gotten that reaction in my entire career with the Army.
Avni was holding something back, something that ran deep, cutting into the bone.
Slipping back into the booth, she wouldn't look me in the eye. Her face was traveling around the room, glancing
I was baffled, not just with her, but with me too. Had this been any other woman in my past, I would have let them go. There was no way I was going to chase down some over the top drama queen.
Yeah, I'm a soldier. What the fuck did that matter?
But Avni, she gave me a feeling I hadn't felt before. And a small voice deep inside forced me to go after her. She was a light and I was the moth, I was drawn to her. And I couldn't explain it.
My heart had turned to marble after going to war. The life I knew had changed, the life I saw after was dull and cloudy.
There was so much hurt, suffering, and rage in others for things that were intangible. I saw it, I saw all the blackness that seeps through others, saw all the evil that turned men into animals.
And after it happened, after my life hung in the balance...
My heart never beat the same rhythm.
Until Avni.
“I told you, I'm not doing this.”
“V, it's just dinner. Stop being dramatic.” The instant the words fell off my lips, her entire body froze.
Avni stopped short, shoulders flicking taut. Slowly she turned to look at me, veering her stare. “What did you just say?”
“I said stop being dramatic, it's only dinner.” My hands fell to my waist, jaw jetting to the side. “It's not like I'm asking you to marry me or anything, it's just dinner.”
“I don't do dinner with soldiers.” She hadn't turned around fully, but I could tell she was breathing hard. Her back was stiff, shoulders gently rising with the oxygen she was forcing into her lungs. “Go be a hero, I'm sure the world has room for another one.”
“I'm no saint, V. But you don't have to have dinner with the soldier, have dinner with me. Levi, just Levi.” Shrugging, I let my arms hang low, hands open. “I don't think that's a wild request, it's pretty simple if you ask me. It doesn't have to be complicated, it's just a fucking meal.”
Twisting around, her small bag fell to her forearm. “I feel dinner is owed for what you did to help me out. But that's it, just dinner, nothing more.”
“That's what I said. Come on, you said you love sushi, this is a free fish meal. You can't really pass that up.” Raising my brows, I shot her a crooked grin. “Please. Don't make me beg, just come keep me company.”
Sludging forward, her feet looked like they weighed a ton. Avni was walking as if her shoes were made of concrete blocks, the heavy weights trying to hold her in place. “Alright, you convinced me. Sushi is like a magic word in my world, but this is it.” Fanning her hand out, she drew a line in front of her. “Dinner and then I'm going home.”
“That's all I ask,” I said, stretching my arm out. Wrapping my fingers around her wrist, I tugged her in closer. “ Then I'll make sure you get home safe.”
“Alright, deal.” Her waist rocked back and forth, toe twisting into the pavement. She looked nervous, holding a thin smile across her face, eyes still and motionless; as if the muscles in her sockets had gone limp, halting any natural impulse to move.
All I wanted was to enjoy a nice dinner with her, and maybe some small talk.
Innocent small talk; mostly.
The animal side of me wanted to ravage her, tear her clothes off her body and make her scream my name.
But she obviously wasn't feeling the same, or at least she was trying her best to push that down and away. All her body language up to that point was leaning towards an open invitation for a good fuck.
She wasn't making this easy, Avni had been playing hardball since last night. But her eyes when we first sat down said more than the words floating from her lips.
So why did she go into a frenzy when she found out I was soldier? I had never gotten that reaction in my entire career with the Army.
Avni was holding something back, something that ran deep, cutting into the bone.
Slipping back into the booth, she wouldn't look me in the eye. Her face was traveling around the room, glancing
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