Page 138 of Make Me Trust Again
“Don’t act dumb.” I narrow my eyes at him. “I’ve been…” My words trail off as I try to find the best way to phrase my thoughts, “…seeing somebody.”
There is a little twitch on the old man’s face as if he wants to smile but is refusing to. “You? Seeing somebody?” He crosses his legs, that damn pad slipping to the side. “Tell me about her.”
Seriously?
“She’s…” An image of Rose’s smiling face pops into my mind. “Courageous. Fearless. Stubborn, and so damn smart. She’s been through some shit these past few months, and yet, she’s never lost her spark. Never lost the light.”
“She seems like quite a woman.”
“She is,” I agree. “She has a kid. His name is Kyle. The kid is relentless. Kept coming around to see Shadow, although he was terrified of her at first.” The corner of my mouth tips upward. Shadow lifts her head at the sound of her name, so I rest my hand on her neck. “He’s a good kid and so much like her.”
He quirks up his brow. “Kind of sounds like that unwanted neighbor of yours?”
“Just go ahead and tell me I told you so.”
“Me? Never.” Dr. Quinn hums softly, his face turning serious. “And you think you’re going to fail her?”
His question is like a bucket of icy water tossed over my head. “What do you think? She sees me as some kind of hero, but that’s all bullshit. I failed my family. I failed my friend. I failed my squad. I will fail her. It’s just a matter of time. That’s what I do.”
“Is that so? And here I thought what happened out there was a planned attack on our army that took five lives as casualties and wounded one. One wounded soldier who did everything in his power to bring one of his brothers back home.”
“What was the point?” I yell back, my voice coming out raw. “What was the point of it all? I brought him back just to lay him six feet underground!”
“I don’t think his family sees it that way.”
I shake my head. “It should have been me.”
“But it wasn’t you. And until you accept that, you won’t be able to move on with your life. What happened that day was an accident. A horrible accident caused by hate and war. You didn’t fail anybody, Chase. They’re gone, but you’re still here, and you deserve to live and be happy. They would want that for you.”
I press my lips together.
“What I think is that they’d want to be alive and with their families.”
It’s not long after that that we wrap up our session. My muscles are still tense as I make my way to the garage, ready to get the hell out of here. I’m just slipping into my truck when my phone buzzes. I scan the caller ID before connecting the call. “Thorn, it’s been a long time.”
A deep chuckle greets me from the other end of the line. “Only because you’re too lazy to pick up the phone. You home?”
“In an hour or so.”
“Good. Text me where to meet you.”
The Hutis full of people when I slip inside, the loud music making the ringing in my ears worse. A few heads turn in my direction immediately, mouths gaping when they spot Shadow. The hair at my nape stands at attention from all the gazes that are fixed on me.
Trying my best to ignore them, I scan the space, searching for a familiar face as I walk through the dimly lit bar, all the way to the back, until I spot a blond head in the last booth.
As if he can feel my gaze, he looks up, a wide smile spreading over his face when he spots me.
“Long time no see, man.” Justin gets up from the booth and pulls me into a one-armed hug just as the loud cheering spreads through the room.
My muscles go rigid for a second, but I force myself to relax and clap him on the shoulder. “Good to see you, Thorn. What brings you around?”
Pulling back, we take our seats at the booth.
“Work.” Justin grins. “Then I remembered your sorry ass lived around here, so I figured I might as well reach out.” His piercing brown eyes connect with mine as he takes me in. “How long has it been? Two years? Three?”
I lift my brow at him. “You getting sentimental in your old age, Thorn?”
“Fuck off, Williams. I’m in my prime.”
