Page 105 of The Exception

The break up Mike referred to was more like an epic blowout that happened because Mike broke up with Tif before going to Afghanistan on his second tour. He’d been worried about coming back in one piece and thought ending things would be best. Tif wasn’t having it and they’d ended up engaged instead.

Trav had been there as a witness to all of it and he still wasn’t able to reconcile it. Breakups between his dad and stepmothers had been a constant while he was growing up, but none of those ever ended with a happily ever after.

“That break up happened because you’re an idiot,” Trav teased.

Mike shrugged and took a long pull from his beer. “So you’re saying yours isn’t for the same reason?”

Trav ran his hand over his face. He wasn’t sure if he even wanted to tell the story because that would mean opening the door to the thoughts that had been eating away at him ever since the fight. But he probably needed to talk it out with someone other than that negative voice in his head that kept looking for ways to make him feel even worse.

Reluctantly, Trav launched into the whole story and by the end of it, Mike was squinting at him like he was the world’s biggest jackass.

“I know that look. Just say it.”

“You go rogue and then get pissed off because you caught smoke for it? You deserved all that and you know it.”

Trav groaned. “I knew you were gonna say that. It was the right move for the patient.”

“Maybe. But you didn’t let your team know the plan and now you’re paying the price. You’re pretty damn lucky that being sent to a different floor was all you got.”

Trav slumped into the other rocking chair. “You’re supposed to be on my side.”

“We’re not the kind of friends who only tell each other what we want to hear. Besides, I’ve got a feeling you already knew you screwed that one up.”

“I did,” Trav admitted. “But before I could fix it, all hell broke loose and the woman I thought I was building something with basically left me out there to hang.” He paused, his throat trying to close over the next part. The worst part. “She seemed completely unbothered when things ended between us.”

“You broke up with her, Trav. Did you ever think that maybe she just didn’t want you to know how bothered she was?”

“I don’t know. It was like she expected it. Hell, I should’ve expected it too. She’s so far out of my league that I could’ve only been a rebound for her. Anything else, I’d probably end up disappointing her anyway. It’s kind of my thing.”

Trav rarely let his insecurities out around anyone, but Mike had seen him at a few of the lowest points in his life. He was the one person he knew wouldn’t judge him for it, but the frown on Mike’s face wasn’t the response he was expecting.

“Man, do you even hear yourself right now? This is what you always do.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Look, I know you want all of this,” Mike said, waving his hand toward the house. “The wife, the kids… the family you didn’t have growing up. But every time something looks like it’s getting started with a woman, you start looking for the end. It’s the only risk I’ve ever seen you back away from.”

Trav thought back to a few of the women he’d dated casually and how little things had made him see the end on the horizon and start behaving like they’d already reached it. But that wasn’t what happened this time. He’d tried but Sonya had refused to meet him halfway.

He shook his head arguing, “Can you blame me? Other than you and Tif, I have no proof that relationships last. My dad didn’t exactly set the best example. And I did try this time and it still didn’t end well.”

“Then, you keep trying. Look, I never told you, but Tif and me hit a rough patch a few years ago and that’s why I decided to get out when I did.”

That was an unexpected revelation. Mike and Tif had never appeared anything less than solid so hearing that they went through issues, had Trav even more confused.

“Don’t look so surprised. No relationship is perfect. The deployments… the distance got to be too much for both of us so I did what was best for my family. It was how I kept trying. I loved serving my country, but serving my family was worth more to me. Every minute I spend with Tif and the kids reminds me that it was the best decision I ever made.”

Mike paused, running a hand over his face before continuing. “Now that you’re out, you need to figure out what’s worth it for you, and I have a feeling that the first woman I’ve ever seen you this twisted up over is a big part of it. If you want her to be your partner, you have to treat her like one. And from what you told me, she’s the take no shit type so you’d better come correct when you try to fix things.”

“But what if I’m right, Mike? What if she doesn’t feel the same way about me?”

Mike shrugged. “You’ll move on eventually, but stop assuming you’re not going to measure up. A lot has changed since you were an idiot kid. Just because your dad can’t see that, doesn’t mean it’s not clear to the rest of the world. I’m sure this nurse saw something in you or she wouldn’t have given you the time of day to begin with.”

Trav swallowed hard as an image of Sonya’s face right before he’d walked away floated through his mind. At the time, he’d been too far gone to acknowledge the hurt in her big brown eyes.

Hurt that he’d put there.

His cheeks burned with shame. “I saw her in the hallway at work the other day and she tried to talk to me but I shut it down. I was such a jerk.”

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