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“I don’t know.”
“Do youwantit to come to that?”
I chewed on the inside of my cheek. “I don’t know.”
Sam was silent for a long time, absentmindedly playing with the bubbles and the surface of the bath water. I found myself massaging her shoulders, very much enjoying the way her body relaxed into my touch.
“We used to be very close,” I said quietly. “Terrance and I… We always had each other’s backs. Our parents were in the Army, so we moved around a lot. Different houses, different schools, different friends. The only thing that stayed constant was that we had each other.”
“And then you joined the military together.”
“Being two years older, he joined before I did. I always looked up to him.”
“Really?”
“Terrance always protected me. I know that must seem hard to believe, a big guy like me. I towered over my classmates. But in school, being that different made me…”
“An easy target.”
“Exactly. And it didn’t help that I was quiet. Freakishly giant, quiet new kids never get out of school unscathed. But Terrance was always there for me. He got into a lot of trouble, fighting my fights. He was kind of my hero. Stupidly brave, always ready to throw down.” My throat was suddenly tight. “When I finally graduated and enlisted, he pulled some strings and got me assigned to his platoon but…”
“But?” she whispered.
“He was different. Colder, cynical. That, combined with his hot temper made him difficult to be around. I didn’t recognize him anymore. And no matter what I did or said, I couldn’t seem to reach him. War had changed him in all the wrong ways.”
Sam turned a little so she could face me. “You don’t blame yourself, do you?”
“It’s hard not to. If only I tried harder to get through to him, if only I’d made a bigger effort, maybe then he wouldn’t have…”
She caressed my cheek, holding my eyes. “It’s not your fault that Terrance went rogue, Liam. Don’t for a second think that this is on you.”
“I appreciate that, Sam, I do. But that doesn’t stop me from thinking of all the things I could have done. Of all the things I want to do if I get the chance to see him again.”
“Like what?”
I shook my head, not entirely sure. “I want to know why he’s doing this. I want to know why he decided he was better off without us, withoutme. I want to…” I huffed, a pathetic half-laugh. “I want to bring him home. Help him get back on his feet. Try and save what little family I have left in the world.”
Sam’s eyes were glossy with tears. “Dammit,” she sniffled.
“What’s wrong?”
“You’re so damn sweet, Liam. You’re so damngoodand it’s… it’s breaking my heart, seeing you beat yourself up like this. I know people think you’re some big tough guy, but I see you for who you are.”
“There’s no need to waste your tears over me, sweetheart.”
“Of course, there is.”
“Why?”
“Because I love you.”
I smiled so wide it made my cheeks hurt. “I love you, too.” I swiped the pads of my thumbs over her cheeks, wiping away those stray tears. “Come here, sweetheart.”
I kissed her gently, sucking on her bottom lip and combing my fingers through her hair. She moved to sit on my lap, our bodies melting together as water swirled and bubbles fizzed around us. The sensation of her wet skin against mine made my cock twitch. The moment she groaned against me made me instantly hard.
I ran my hands over her shoulders, down her breasts, giving them both a light squeeze before teasing her nipples between my fingers. I let one hand trail down to between her thighs, enjoying how she gasped in pleasure when I brushed up against her sensitive bud.
“L-Liam,” she whimpered.
