magazines into a big bag.
“That’ll probably work best,” Ariel agreed as she put the
textbook in her own bag.
“Sounds good.” Trav stood along with the girls. “We’ll see
you then.”
Mary Ellen gave Pete a hug, waved at Trav and headed through
the door. Ariel hung back and looked up at him, slipping the shoulder strap of
her bag over her neck.
“What?” he asked, praying she wouldn’t change her mind.
“For some reason you remind me of someone, but I can’t place
who.” She shook her head and smiled. “Oh well. See you tonight.” She took a
step back then turned to face him again. To his amazement she stood on her
toes, placed her palms on his chest and gave him a light kiss on the lips.
A kiss that had his heart clenching like a fist.
She pulled back and grinned. “Just wanted to make sure last
night wasn’t an aberration. Later.” And with that she walked out the door, bag
bumping against her hip with each step.
“What now?”
Trav turned to look at Pete. “Beats the hell outta me.” He
flopped back down on the couch and rubbed a hand over his face. “I have to say
something. Now that I know, I have to.”
“We’re leaving in a week. Can’t you just not say anything?
What would it change, other than probably being accused of being a stalking
perv and losing the chance for more sex before you leave?”
“It’s not about the sex,” Trav bit off. Pete was his best
friend, but did he always have to think with his dick?
“We’re leaving in a week,” Pete reminded him again. “In a
week we’ll be back at Camp Pendleton and this won’t matter. Why push it?”
“It matters,” Trav said with finality. “Whatever comes of this,
it matters.”
* * * * *
Ariel sat on Mary Ellen’s bed, waiting for her friend to
stop primping so they could go to dinner. She picked invisible lint off her
khaki pants and checked her watch for the eighth time.
“Can you get the lead out? We’ll be late as it is.”
“Cranky much?” Mary Ellen held up a different earring to
each ear, comparing how they looked. “Why are you so gung-ho about seeing this
guy again anyway? You always say you’re not in a good place for a relationship
and one-nighters are easier all around.”
“I’m not gung-ho. I’m just…” She didn’t know how to finish.
She wanted to see Donovan again. Something was driving her to see him, spend
more time with him.
Mary Ellen picked a pair and slid them onto her ears. She
turned around and placed her palms back on the dresser behind her. “I love you.
You’re the sister I never had. So I’m going to be blunt and I’m sorry if this
hurts.” She took a deep breath, let it out. “He’s leaving.”
Ariel held back the flinch at the harsh words—barely.
“He’s leaving and you’re staying,” Mary Ellen continued.
“He’s a Marine and there are no bases near us. You’re about to graduate with
your degree and work for Child Protective Services here and partner with your
parents’ camp. There’s no future.”
“I know.” The truth hurt, more than it probably should for a
man she’d just met. But it did.
“You seem attached.” Mary Ellen slid her feet into sky-high
heels. “More so than I’ve seen before with another guy.”
Ariel’s phone beeped in her bag and she reached for it, glad
for the disruption. There was a dull ache in her chest that she couldn’t give a
name to. But as she opened the phone, the pain eased just a little.
What are you up to tonight?
Trav
“Another one you shouldn’t be attached to,” Mary Ellen
murmured next to her ear. She sank down on the bed and waved her hand at the
phone. “Go ahead, get it over with now so we can put it behind us for the
night.”
Ariel rolled her eyes but texted an answer anyway.
About to hang out with a new friend.
Ariel
They were walking along a hard-packed dirt path to the staff
parking lot when her phone beeped again.
Do you wish it was me?
Trav
Her
“That’ll probably work best,” Ariel agreed as she put the
textbook in her own bag.
“Sounds good.” Trav stood along with the girls. “We’ll see
you then.”
Mary Ellen gave Pete a hug, waved at Trav and headed through
the door. Ariel hung back and looked up at him, slipping the shoulder strap of
her bag over her neck.
“What?” he asked, praying she wouldn’t change her mind.
“For some reason you remind me of someone, but I can’t place
who.” She shook her head and smiled. “Oh well. See you tonight.” She took a
step back then turned to face him again. To his amazement she stood on her
toes, placed her palms on his chest and gave him a light kiss on the lips.
A kiss that had his heart clenching like a fist.
She pulled back and grinned. “Just wanted to make sure last
night wasn’t an aberration. Later.” And with that she walked out the door, bag
bumping against her hip with each step.
“What now?”
Trav turned to look at Pete. “Beats the hell outta me.” He
flopped back down on the couch and rubbed a hand over his face. “I have to say
something. Now that I know, I have to.”
“We’re leaving in a week. Can’t you just not say anything?
What would it change, other than probably being accused of being a stalking
perv and losing the chance for more sex before you leave?”
“It’s not about the sex,” Trav bit off. Pete was his best
friend, but did he always have to think with his dick?
“We’re leaving in a week,” Pete reminded him again. “In a
week we’ll be back at Camp Pendleton and this won’t matter. Why push it?”
“It matters,” Trav said with finality. “Whatever comes of this,
it matters.”
* * * * *
Ariel sat on Mary Ellen’s bed, waiting for her friend to
stop primping so they could go to dinner. She picked invisible lint off her
khaki pants and checked her watch for the eighth time.
“Can you get the lead out? We’ll be late as it is.”
“Cranky much?” Mary Ellen held up a different earring to
each ear, comparing how they looked. “Why are you so gung-ho about seeing this
guy again anyway? You always say you’re not in a good place for a relationship
and one-nighters are easier all around.”
“I’m not gung-ho. I’m just…” She didn’t know how to finish.
She wanted to see Donovan again. Something was driving her to see him, spend
more time with him.
Mary Ellen picked a pair and slid them onto her ears. She
turned around and placed her palms back on the dresser behind her. “I love you.
You’re the sister I never had. So I’m going to be blunt and I’m sorry if this
hurts.” She took a deep breath, let it out. “He’s leaving.”
Ariel held back the flinch at the harsh words—barely.
“He’s leaving and you’re staying,” Mary Ellen continued.
“He’s a Marine and there are no bases near us. You’re about to graduate with
your degree and work for Child Protective Services here and partner with your
parents’ camp. There’s no future.”
“I know.” The truth hurt, more than it probably should for a
man she’d just met. But it did.
“You seem attached.” Mary Ellen slid her feet into sky-high
heels. “More so than I’ve seen before with another guy.”
Ariel’s phone beeped in her bag and she reached for it, glad
for the disruption. There was a dull ache in her chest that she couldn’t give a
name to. But as she opened the phone, the pain eased just a little.
What are you up to tonight?
Trav
“Another one you shouldn’t be attached to,” Mary Ellen
murmured next to her ear. She sank down on the bed and waved her hand at the
phone. “Go ahead, get it over with now so we can put it behind us for the
night.”
Ariel rolled her eyes but texted an answer anyway.
About to hang out with a new friend.
Ariel
They were walking along a hard-packed dirt path to the staff
parking lot when her phone beeped again.
Do you wish it was me?
Trav
Her
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