Page 23 of Christmas Homecoming Secrets
Jade frowned and debated whether she wanted to drop it. Finally, she decided it wouldn’t accomplish anything. And besides, she had other answers she wanted. “I know we already talked about this a little bit, but can you just clarify why you didn’t call me? Me. Specifically me. I thought we were friends. I thought we would at least keep in touch, but…” She spread her hands at a loss for words.
He looked up and sighed. “I didn’t call anyone, Jade. I was in a bad place for a long time after the explosion.”
“Tell me about it.”
“I…it was…hard. Three months into serving, our convoy was hit with an IED. I had a long recovery. Surgery, physical therapy and more. I just couldn’t cope with it all, I guess, so I traveled.”
“Traveled? Where’d you go?”
“Anywhere the bus went. I saw a lot of the Middle East, Europe, and even made my way to South America at one point.”
“But you talked to Frank, right?”
“Every so often. He was my link to this other life that I felt no longer existed for me.”
She gaped. “No longer existed?”
Another sigh. “You have to understand. I was dealing with a lot.”
“And that prevented you from picking up a phone?”
He shut his eyes for a moment. “Yes. It did.”
Jade didn’t know what to say or how to react, so she sipped her coffee. Coffee she no longer wanted.Say it. Tell him.“Bryce, there’s something you… I need to say… You have…” She stopped. “I told Frank to ask you to call me. Why didn’t you?”
His gaze locked on hers. “What?”
“I told him I needed you to call me. That’s why I’m so…well, angry.” And hurt.
Bryce frowned. “Frank never told me to call you.”
She gaped. “I told him several times. And each time he promised he would—and had. When I asked him why I hadn’t heard from you, he always gave me a pretty good answer why you hadn’t called. Why would he lie about that?”
Bryce shook his head. “I have no idea, unless…”
“What?”
“Unless he thought he was protecting me in some way.”
“Protecting you? From what?”
He raked a hand over his buzz cut. “From stress. Added pressure. From… I don’t know.” He paused, looked away. “I thought you’d hate me after that night. Your grandmother had just died and you were grieving. You looked to me for comfort and I…” He trailed off, swallowed and met her gaze once more.
“You didn’t take advantage, Bryce. We’re both responsible for that night.” And she really didn’t want to talk about that.
He seemed to sense her discomfort. “Why did you want me to call you?”
“I… It’s… I’m… Because…” She stopped. Why oh why couldn’t she simply say the words? But no, this wasn’t the place to blurt it out. Her mind was still spinning that Frank hadn’t passed on her request for Bryce to call her. “I think it’s time to get out of here.”
Confusion pulled his brows together. “What is it?”
“Nothing. At least right now. I can’t think straight. Come on, please. We need to see if Heather’s heard anything from Frank.”
“She would have called if she’d heard anything.” He dropped his gaze to the cup in his right hand. “I have a bad feeling about him, Jade,” he said softly. “And I don’t like or want that feeling.”
She blew out a low breath and blinked back a sudden surge of tears. “I know. I have the same feeling.”
He looked up. “I want to believe he’s alive.”
