Page 193 of One Eye Open (The BlackWater)

“No, Infantry did.”

“When were you in the Infantry?” He asked.

“When I first joined. No one goes straight into Blackops, at least not squaddies anyway.”

“Huh.” He replied watching her. “Did they teach you how to dig your way out of that hole too?”

“That was Blackops. They made us do it a few time too.” She said glancing up and meeting his gaze.

“They buried you and made you dig your way out?” He stated as if he didn’t quite believe it.

She shrugged. “It was only a few metres, not as far as Jamie put me. We had a panic button if we got into trouble but it was all part of the training.”

“Anything they didn’t teach you Maddie?”

“How to defuse bombs, we left that to the RLC.” She said smirking.

“I make a mental note of that if we find any more bombs then.” Cole replied.

“For what reason?”

“That you’ll be no good to me.” He said and she laughed, half shocked, and few a pair of socks at his head.

“No good my arse.” She stated.

He laughed. “Don’t worry, you’re still irreplaceable.”

“Oh I better be.” She said.

He ran his eyes over her, just for a second before it looked like he came to his senses, like something told him to stop.

“Don’t be like that.” Maddie said quietly.

“Like what?”

“Weird again. Like you were last time I got taken.” She stated.

He winced. “I’m not meaning to be.”

“Then don’t.”

He met her eyes. “I love you Maddie. I’m not a sentimental person, I’m not going to whisper sweet words into your ear or whisk you away on romantic sunset dates but you are the person I care the most about in this world. I hated the fact that you were in danger, that you were gone, and that I couldn’t do a damn thing to protect you.”

She got to her feet holding his gaze the whole time. “I don’t need your protection Cole. I’m strong enough and tough enough to take whatever is thrown at me.”

“I know that…”

“Shut up.” She said and she saw his eyes flash. Good she thought, she wanted him pissed off, angry even, better than a remorseful, guilt-ridden one.

“You don’t get to feel guilty, to feel anything but anger.” She said. “That’s your emotion, that’s what you should be feeling, because you didn’t do this, you weren’t responsible and the only person that gets to feel anything else is me. It was me that went through it, me that got buried, me that dug myself out so I’m the one who gets to feel scared, that gets to feel guilt…”

“Why are you feeling guilty?” He asked.

“Because my entire team got killed.”

“You weren’t responsible.”

“And neither were you.” She snapped.

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