“Then he went on to speak about his family. How he wanted to put distance there.” I paused and stared into Dalton’s icy blue eyes. “You know what kind of shitty home-life I came from. Family is all I’ve ever wanted. I couldn’t believe what happened in that living room, and I knew it was all my fault.”
“It wasn’t your fault, Cassie. It sounds like his grandma had it out for you from the very beginning.”
“She was suspicious, yes, but that was before she got to know me.”
“She still doesn’t know you.”
“And she never will. She doesn’t want anything to do with him as long as I’m in the picture. You think she’ll magically warm up to me?”
“Cassie, I don’t have the answers to this problem. Hell, I’ve got my own issues. But I know you love him, and I know he loves you. I think after everything you two have been through, you guys deserve to work this out and be happy.”
Truer words were never spoken, but being happy came with a hefty price tag for us. At this point, I wasn’t even sure if Alex was willing to try.
“Dalton, you have to listen to me and promise not to fly off the hinges.”
“Do I ever?”
“Just promise.”
“Shoot.”
I blew out a gallon sized ball of air, clearing the way for what was the most heartbreaking, gut-wrenching, and devastating thing that Alex had ever said to me. “He told me, and I quote, Cassie, if I can’t have you, all of you, then I can’t have any of you. I’ve never loved anyone more than the way I love you, and it’s that love that won’t allow me to be with you. It hurts looking at you, it hurts touching you, its hurts smelling you. It just hurts. And for my own sanity, I can’t live with this hurt.”
Tears slowly trickled from my eyes again, prompting Dalton to take me in his arms. He rubbed the back of my head as we sat at the edge of the pool, and I cried as he shushed me, making me feel something besides hurt, anger and despair.
“Cassie, he loves you. He’s hurting, and he’s a prideful son of a bitch. His pride is in the way. Give him time.”
“I don’t know if I can, Dalton.”
“How did he leave you last night?”
“He walked me up to my room…” I paused for a second, reliving the kiss that made me feel alive and distraught at the same time. “He kissed me as if it were the last air he would ever breathe.”
A smile took over Dalton’s face. His pearly whites were on full display, shining brighter than the scorching desert sun.
“What are you smiling for?”
“Because you’re so blind to the fact that this isn’t over. You two mules love one another so much that it’s blinding your better judgment. First you deal with court, then you work on putting your fragile relationship back together.”
The smile that crept across my face was the first that had appeared in what felt like days. I hugged Dalton with everything I had, finally feeling as if a bit of life had sparked inside of me. I wasn’t sure how I had gotten so lucky to have him in my life, but right now, I was beyond thankful.
“Let’s go. We’re going to be red as lobsters if we stay out here too much longer.”
Nodding my head, I stood and walked over to the lounge chair to grab my towel, only there was a male sitting there, hindering my ability to pull it away. He had a devilish grin on his face, his eyes full of deceit as he sat there and staring at me as if he were a wolf ready to eat its unsuspecting prey. I tried to ignore him and go for my towel, but he held it down, biting onto his bottom lip before finally speaking.
“Pfc. Bennett, I presume?”
I took a deeper look, trying to figure out if I knew him or not. Nothing was ringing a bell, and if we weren’t at a public pool, I would have feared for my safety.
“That’s my towel you’re sitting on,” I casually responded, not trying to confirm anything for him. I looked around, but it seemed Dalton had ducked into the men’s room. I was on my own.
“Oh is this your towel? I’m sorry about that, here you go,” he said, raising it up for me. When I grabbed for it, he pulled it back, smiling again. “Seems like you’re having a rough day. It’s not every day a pretty girl cries in her boyfriend’s arms at the base pool. You’re much too cute for that…need me to kick his ass?.”
“He’s not my boyfriend, and I don’t know you, so I don’t need you to do anything for me besides let go of my towel.”
I went to grab for it again, and he let it go, allowing it to fall to the ground.
“I know who you are, and I know who your boyfriend is. Alex should probably watch out because it doesn’t seem as if you’re keeping up your end of the bargain in this relationship, and all of this fraternizing would have been for nothing.”
I glowered at him. Then it finally hit me, this was that asshole, Vernon.
“Good luck in court tomorrow, Pfc. Bennett. You’ll need it.” He stood and walked away.
Dalton came out of the bathroom freshly showered with a smile on his face. The myriad of emotions coursing through me at the moment were just too much to take. I plastered on a fake smile and walked out with him, wanting this weekend to be over with finally.
++++
My nerves were shot the next morning. My shower was much too long, it took me a good twenty minutes to make my hair behave, and every time I looked at myself in the mirror, I’d find something wrong with my uniform. To date, I had spent less than six months in the Marine Corps, and I was about to face a pre-trial hearing, something that most Marines wouldn’t see in twenty years of service.
Alex came to mind, and I wondered how he was doing with all of this. I hadn’t heard from him since the night he dropped me off and walked away. So many times I wanted to pick up the phone and call him, but I stopped myself. If a break from me was what he needed, then I would respect his wishes.
When I could no longer stand it, I grabbed my cover and walked out the door and down to Captain Hedlund’s office. I hoped that I’d left with enough time to get to Hedlund first; I wanted to speak to him without Alex present. Having Alex around, even the mere thought of it sent my stomach into a fit of convulsions.
I could smell the aroma leaving the chow hall as I walked by with every swing of the door, but I had no interest in going in. I was wound too tightly, and the smell did nothing but further agitate my already shocked insides.
Alex’s truck was nowhere to be seen as I turned the corner for the base legal office. I took notice of all of the staff in the office wearing my same uniform—Service Alphas. The green pants creased to perfection, khaki shirt fitted with a matching tie, and the green coat with rank insignia and service hashmarks covered in service ribbons situated over the left breast. Everyone looked very business-like.
Court day—the day to seal my fate.
I self-consciously tugged at my coat, feeling like something was wrong with my uniform because as much time as I had given myself this morning, it still didn’t seem like enough.
“Pfc. Bennett, you’re a little early,” Lance Corporal Nelson spoke, jarring me away from my shot nerves.
“Oh, I know. I was hoping to speak to Captain Hedlund before we head off for court.”
“Let me see if he’s available to take you. Go ahead and sign in, then take a seat.”
I did as instructed, holding my cover in my hand like it was the last inch of life left in me. Lance Corporal Nelson came back, instructing me to follow her back. She knocked on the door, then gently opened it, motioning for me to make my way in. Captain Hedlund was knee deep in paperwork, but stopped what he was doing when I walked in, giving me a firm handshake before taking his seat.
“Lance Corporal Nelson, the files we’ll need for court have a few additional documents that need printing. Everything is in your email.”