Page 19 of SEAL of Valor

We had everything, then lost it all.

“Just didn’t work out,” I reply. The truth is impossible to talk about. And why would I? Nothing will change. The only two people who know all that we lost are Reese and me.

Which is exactly how it will stay.

“Wes—” he starts.

“I’m not interested in a pep talk,” I snap. “Anastasia was out of line to call you because I’m a grown man, and I can deal with my own problems.”

Zane’s gaze sharpens. “We both know you never dealt with whatever happened between you and Reese.”

He’s not wrong, and yes, we both know it.

I spent three nights in jail after I found the papers she’d left for me. I’d been on a fast track to a full-blown prison sentence when Officer Alan Leopold stepped in. He’s now the local police captain, and I’m still thankful to him for setting me on the path to joining the Navy. If it weren’t for that, there’s no telling where I’d be right now.

Prison.

In the ground.

Still, either one would have been preferable to running into Reese today.

I can still see her standing there, those deep blue eyes widening when she saw me. She’d been horrified. Disgusted. And who could blame her? The boy I was when I saw her last has been dead a long, long time. There’s not a single part of me that even comes close to resembling him.

And inside? I’m even more scarred.

“Look, I’m really not interested in getting into this, Zane.”

“Fine. Then we don’t have to talk about it. What’s next on your list for today?”

I arch a brow, seeing right through him. “So, what, you’re just going to follow me around?”

“If that’s what it takes.”

“I’m not going to do anything stupid.”

“You sure about that?”

“I’m not who I was before,” I tell him. “So, yeah. Pretty sure.” After downing the rest of my water, I toss the bottle into my recycling bin and cross my arms. “You know me, Zane. You know that I have no interest in getting into this. She’ll be gone again soon, and I won’t have to deal with it again.”

“Until the next time she’s in town.” He steps forward. “You moved back here. To the ranch her mother owns. You had to know you’d see her again. Honestly, I always figured that’s why you did it.”

I swallow hard, once again hating that he’s struck a nerve. Not that I’ll admit it. I have no intention of ripping myself open for all to see. For them to kick dirt in. Even if Zane is my brother in everything but blood, I won’t let him see the wound still festering in my chest. “That all?”

Zane nods. “You know where to find me, Weston.”

“Yeah. I do.”

An hour later, I’ve successfully worked myself into near exhaustion. Every muscle aches, and my skin is slick with sweat. The main horse barn has never looked cleaner, though. As much as I would have loved to avoid this part of the ranch, the horses don’t deserve to suffer for my cowardice.

After sending Kyle home, I refilled grain buckets for tomorrow, filled our storage bins, organized the tack again, and cleaned up the breezeway.

Did the barn need all of that? No. But going to the gym to work off this frustration is too risky since my entire team works out there, and going for a run is out of the question on the off chance I end up seeing Reese again.

So, hidden in the main barn, I stayed.

It just had to be today, didn’t it? Of all days, it had to be the anniversary of the day I lost Violet. The domino that fell and destroyed everything else in my life.

Because, why not today? Why wouldn’t life level me when I’m already on my knees?