Page 74 of Ozzie

All of this anger over Willow? My mind goes back to the three of us hanging out at a bar between missions. Durango had introduced me to her a few years before. She’d been his sister’s best friend growing up. I never picked up on any interest between the two of them.

Willow was gorgeous, but I wasn’t willing to cross that line because I knew I was not in a place where I could commit to a relationship. But then Willow suggested weadd benefits to our friendship, and I thought it was the perfect solution. For two weeks, we had a lot of fun. Until I had to ship out again.

It was a year before I made it back to that bar with Durango. When I asked about Willow, he told me she had moved to Oregon. I didn’t ask for any more details, and he didn’t share any. We played pool. There was no anger or hostility coming from him.

I need to talk to Willow and get her side of the story. The woman never even asked me for anything more than friendship. After a quick search on social media, I find her. It looks like she’s still in Oregon, and she rarely posts. Before I think better of it, I send her a direct message to contact me.

My phone buzzes, and I can’t believe she would be calling already. Nope, it’s Coff, and he’s calling instead of texting. Lightning must have told him what happened.

“Hey,” I answer.

“Where are you?” he asks.

I laugh. “No, how are you? Been better, thanks for asking.”

He sighs. “I’m sorry. Lightning filled me in on what happened, and I’m worried about you. He said you tore off down the street.”

“I’m in Connecticut. At a park. I needed to get out of there. Durango is holding a grudge from over ten years ago. All these years, and I never knew.”

I tell him about Willow and how Durango brought her up after all this time but never did in the past.

“Do you think it’s an excuse?” Coff asks.

Durango had been so pissed that the vein on his forehead was about to pop. “No, he is truly angry.”

“That’s a long time to carry a grudge and not say anything.”

“Tell me about it. That’s why I contacted Willow. I need to find out what she told him.”

The sound of rain comes through the phone, telling me Coff is standing on his front porch. It has a metal awning which amplifies the sound.

“You contacted Willow?”

“I sent her a message through social media. I’m hoping she calls me.”

“Hey, if Willow was close to Durango’s family growing up, Piper might have her number.”

It’s possible but unlikely. “Piper would have been in elementary school when they were in high school, so I doubt she would have her contact information.”

“Damn, I forgot how young she is. Just be sure before you do anything to piss Durango off any further, that you know what you’re doing. You know how I feel about Piper.”

He’s made his feelings clear from the start. He thinks Piper is toying with me. I can’t blame him for thinking that. When we lived together, he saw my frustration whenever she would visit. But she never toyed with me. No, I am mad at myself for not having a serious talk with Durango sooner.

“She’s never led me on. We’re friends first and foremost.”

“Uh-huh. And you think by contacting Willow after allthese years that somehow it will fix what’s going on with Durango?”

He’s right. It’s a long shot. “Honestly, I don’t know what else to do.”

“Well, I’d tell you to not date Piper, but I get it now. I went years trying to forget about Delaney. I couldn’t. When you find the one, you have to fight for her. But I don’t want to see you sacrifice your friendship with Durango. I know he’s your family now.”

I’d told Coff about my parents a long time ago. And yes, Coff, Durango, and Axel have been my family, my only family, for years. But since Coff left for Seattle, I’ve grown closer to Durango. He’s right; I can’t lose him. That’s why I have to get to the bottom of what happened with Willow. Somehow, I think if I can talk to her, maybe I can fix everything.

Or at least, I hope I can.

CHAPTER 22

Piper

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