Page 96 of Miss Typed

The lie was easy to say as I didn’t want her to worry. “Safe enough.”

“Are you glad you went back?”

Glad wasn’t the word I’d use, but I was still hoping for closure. “I don’t know yet.” At least it was an honest answer. “I’m sorry I called.”

Her sigh was audible. “That makes one of us. Ask me to wait for you.”

There’d never been a time in my life I’d been more conflicted. Never a time I’d wanted so badly to act selfish. If I said those words, I could come home to her. “I can’t ask you to do that. It’s important you move to LA so you can resume your classes. You’re living your life, and nothing could make me happier.”

Liar, my subconscious screamed. I wanted to be a part of her life in the worst possible way.

“You’re right. It is important. But you could be part of that life, too, Aiden. They don’t have to be mutually exclusive. And you may not believe it, but you are worth waiting for.”

I closed my eyes, absorbing her words. She was right. I didn’t believe it. But for the first time, I desperately wanted to. “I’ve missed you, too, Chloe. I need to go. But promise me you’ll be safe.”

“Says the guy in the war zone. Yeah, I’ll be sure to safeguard against papercuts. Promise me you’ll be safe, too. You may not be coming home to me, but I still need you to come home.”

A lump formed in my throat. Although I wasn’t ready to tell her to wait, I foolishly hoped she would anyhow. I didn’t deserve her, yet I wanted a chance to become the man she saw.

“I’ll do my best. I need to go.”

“Okay. Bye, Aiden.”

“Bye, Chloe.” I hit disconnect on the call, wincing at the weakness that had prompted me to call her. If I truly wanted her to move on and not wait for me, why had I called?

I sat outside for long minutes, contemplating what to do before the red tip of a cigarette came moving towards me.

“Hey, man,” came Alex’s familiar Alabama twang. He sat down next to me on the concrete blocks.

“Hey. You okay?”

“I don’t know. But I want to thank you for earlier. I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to the gas station runs. Or the cars coming up beside us on the roads. Hell, any of it.”

“It’s not something you should ever get used to.”

“You lose your leg in Iraq?”

When everyone shared the same showers, it was impossible to hide the fact you were an amputee. But oddly enough, over the last few weeks, I’d let go of my insecurity about people seeing it. After all, I wasn’t the only amputee here. “Yeah. Roadside bomb.”

“Yet you wanted to come back?”

“It was different in the military.” I’d always had a deep satisfaction in serving my country, but this wasn’t it. It wasn’t even close. Yet being able to talk Alex through an escalating situation had felt right. I definitely hadn’t been thinking of my leg during those moments.

He took a drag on his cigarette. “Talked to my wife today. We have a six-month-old baby. Told her after the three months are up, I’m coming home. The money is good, but I don’t think I’m cut out for this.”

“It’s not that you’re not cut out for it, but if you want my two cents, no money is worth the risk you won’t see your wife again. Or your daughter grow up.”

“I’m thinking the same. Hey, could you give me some tips? You know, if you have some time? I’m a good shot. I’ve hunted for years, but obviously this is much different.”

Yeah, it was. “Sure. Come find me in the morning, and we’ll go through some urban warfare tactics.”

The stark reality was I couldn’t guarantee to keep Alex safe. The same as I couldn’t guarantee my own safety. But I would do everything I could to ensure he returned home. And everything I could to get there, too. I refused to die in this country that had already taken my leg. I might not know what my future held, but I could definitively say I wanted a chance at that future. One which included big brown eyes, blond hair, and a smile I’d give anything to see about now.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Chloe

After hanging up with Aiden, I walked back into the living room and sat on the couch, stunned.