Page 1 of Never and Always
Chapter 1
Damn it.
Nick shouldn’t have gone to that party last night. Now he was paying the price with the mother of all headaches and ahangover.
It served him right. Just the other day he’d firmly decided that he was going to fold over a new leaf and focus on his career. But no, look at him this morning, waking up after a crazy night with his friends where they’d partied like they were still back in college and their world was filled with fun andwomen.
Jesus. He knew it was still that air of freedom that was making him make all these crazy choices, and these incidents came about when his inner child reminded him that he’d been a serious Marine for just over fourteenyears.
Lieutenant NicholasWylder.
He grinned to himself as he took his time going down the stairs. He always had to take a moment to think whenever he remembered that he’d actually served in the Marine RECON and didn’t just serve like it was a job, it was his life and he did all sorts of memorable things. Things his father would have been proudof.
This was why he had to get his acttogether.
He was in the next phase of his life. Being a Marine was great. It was an eye opener that challenged him to be more than he was. It made him disciplined and focused, always on the ball with everything he had to do because he knew that one wrong move could cost him either his life or someoneelse’s.
It was a strict way to be, which was probably why he’d gone wild since leaving and getting back to civilian life. He’d been back for two years now. Free of time, free ofresponsibility.
The freedom had gone to hishead.
He dragged his feet into the kitchen where Glenn was making coffee. The smell itself woke him up and he knew he was going to need the whole pot to do the trick. Coffee and a ten-mile run, even though it looked like it was going to rain outside. It had that murky feel he hated. A prelude to astorm.
Glenn laughed when he saw him and tossed him anapple.
Nick caught it, pulled out one of the barstool chairs, and slumped against the granite worktop.
Glenn laughed some more and shook his head. “You look likeshit.”
“I feel like shit. No more parties, Glenn,” Nick growled, focusing on his friend. Glenn looked wide awake and fresh faced like he’d had a good night’s sleep and hadn’t been at the same party asNick.
He guessed, though, that Glenn hadn’t gone as wild as Nick had by accepting the stupid drinking challenge, which saw him finishing two bowls of punch and only God knew how muchbeer.
“Come on, man. What’s life if you don’t have some fun?” Glenn nodded and his large brown eyes sparkled withmischief.
“No, you are going to be the death of me.” Nick smirked. He took the cup of coffee Glenn handed him and started drinkingimmediately.
“Or, I could be the guy that reminds you you’re a civilian, a normal person who can run free and gowild.”
“Bro, you’ve been doing that for the last two years,” Nickchuckled.
“We’ve had fun, haven’t we?” Glenn laughed a deep, heartylaugh.
Nick smiled at him and couldn’t deny that they had had fun. Too muchfun.
They’d been friends forever. Family. That was the best way to describe their friendship, and they lived together as such. The house was Glenn’s family home with far too many rooms, but it was home, so Nick had no qualms about hangingthere.
They met back in junior high when Nick and his family moved to Chicago from L.A. It was an immediate connection. They both loved the same things and were completely crazy together, chasing girls and getting up to nogood.
That getting up to no good part was actually more Nick than Glenn. Glenn knew how to have a good time, but he was always the responsible one. The more mature one. Life changed for Nick drastically after his father was killed, but Glenn really stepped up and was there for him. He helped bring him out of the darkness that threatened to swallow him whole and suck the life out ofhim.
The memory of his father’s death would always pain Nick to his soul. It took years to come to terms with what happened, especially since he couldn’t profess to being the son his father deserved. It was only when he was in the height of his career as a Marine that he started to feel at peace withhimself.
His father had served too, and had been an amazing soldier. He’d always spoke of Nick joining, so he knew his father would have been proud of the man he’d become. He just wished he could have made him proud when he was stillalive.
“One more party. Tonight,” Glenn said, bringing Nick out of his thoughts. Glenn nodded with enthusiasm and ran a hand through his spiky blonde hair. “It’s atwork.”
“Fuck that. I’m a complete mess. There’s no way in hell that I’m going to one of your work parties,” Nick complained. Glenn was a renowned litigation lawyer who was an associate at a prestigious law firm in the city. By day they were all professional, up-tight lawyers who could serve you your own ass in court on any given day. But come night time, they turned into wild animals. It was unbelievable. Last time Nick went to one of Glenn’s parties he’d woken up the next day with his head shaved and a permanent-ink mustache drawn all over his face. And he couldn’t remember any of what hadhappened.
