Page 31 of Unsteady in Love

“You can talk to me about it,” he tried to persuade me. It upset me that he wanted me to talk to him since I could never get him to talk to me, but maybe if I talked, he would too, eventually.

“All of a sudden it started pouring when I was on my way home. The streets were flooded, and water was splashing up on my windshield. My wipers couldn’t keep up, and there was no place to pull over to. Then a truck coming from the other direction lost control, and that was it. I was hit. Glass broke, and the next thing I knew, an EMT was talking to me. I woke up in the hospital without my phone. Luckily, I remembered Alex’s phone number and called her from the hospital. The rest you know.”

Holden held his hand to the screen as if he could somehow touch me, and I put mine to his. “I wish I were there so I could hold you. To have you in my arms would be a dream come true.”

“I want that too,” I croaked out. My nose tingled as emotion built up in my throat.

He looked off into the distance for a moment, and when he refocused on me, sadness filled his chocolatey brown eyes.

“You have to go,” I stated as tears started to make their way down my cheeks.

“Yeah, I have to go. I wish I could talk to you all night.”

“Me too.”

“I love you, Prue. Whenever times are tough, always remember I love you, and I’m coming home to you. Tonight, go look up at the stars and know I’m looking up there with you.”

“I love you too, and don’t you forget it.”

“There’s no way in hell that I’d ever forget you telling me you love me. It’s what gets me through the days. I’ll call you back when I can. Goodbye, Prue.”

“Okay. Bye, Holden.” I nodded and tried to smile. I was pretty sure I was unsuccessful, but he let it go before disconnecting.

I sank to the floor and laid my head on my knees where I cried until there were no more tears to cry.

19

HOLDEN

To:[email protected]

From:[email protected]

Subject: Talk to You Soon

Date: June 22, 2018 4:59 am

Prue,

I wish I could have called you before we had to head out, but I didn’t have time, and you would have been asleep. So, when you get this message, don’t worry about me. Go to your doctor’s appointment today and get the all clear from your concussion. After that, I want you to get yourself a new car. Let me rephrase that. I want you to get yourself a new SUV that can kick the asses of all the other cars on the road.

I’ll call as soon as I can. Until then, know that I’m thinking of you, and I love you.

Love Always,

Holden

* * *

I couldn’t hearanything but a loud ringing in my ears. I tried to gauge my surroundings, but it was difficult to focus as I struggled to stay conscious. I knew I was hurt. Badly. But I fought against the pull of my consciousness trying to determine if I was still in danger or if anyone in my squad was hurt. The only thing in my periphery was rubble and the Humvee I’d been in when the IED went off. It was almost unrecognizable as it rested on its side engulfed in flames, its frame twisted and mangled.

Someone shook my shoulder, and my eyes fluttered open. It was Rodriguez. He knelt down beside me, and it looked as if he was shouting to get my attention, but no sound was coming out. Worry was etched into the planes of his solemn face. One side of his body was caked in dirt mixed with blood.

My eyes started to droop once more. I was starting to slip away when his voice filtered through. “Montgomery, you’ve got to stay awake.”

“No man, just give me a few minutes to rest, and I’ll be as good as new. How are the rest of the guys?” I hadn’t been able to get a visual on any of them.

“Samuelson is over with Rico and Tedesco. I don’t know how badly they’re hurt, but I’ve called it in. It shouldn’t be long until we get you guys out of here.”

---