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Ian turned to Becca and held out his hand. "Hi, I'm Ian. It's nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too," Becca said, shaking his hand.
The conversation flowed easily, with me and Ian reminiscing about our time in the military and catching up on each other's lives. Becca listened and asked questions, enjoying the lively banter between the two of us from the smile on her face. It seemed she had already forgotten about my nightmares. I released a deep sigh of relief.
I watched Becca leave the table, her chair scraping against the floor. "I have to go get dressed for work," she said with a yawn.
"Sure thing," I replied, still feeling full from our breakfast. I turned to Ian, who was reading a paper he had picked up from the table. "So, what do you have planned for today?" I asked.
Ian shrugged. "Nothing specific. Just looking to catch up with you and see what you've been up to since we last spoke."
"Fair enough," I said, pushing my plate away. "I was thinking of showing you around the city, maybe hitting up some of the local spots."
"Sounds good to me," Ian replied, folding up the paper.
As we chatted, I couldn't help but steal glances up the stairs, wondering what Becca was doing. After a few minutes, she came back down, looking sharp in her work clothes.
"I'm heading out now," she said, giving me a quick peck on the cheek. "Have a good day, both of you."
I walked her to the door and out to my car. "I can give you a ride to work if you'd like," I offered.
Becca smiled. "That would be great, thanks."
We drove in comfortable silence, enjoying the views of the city. As we arrived at the cafe, Becca turned to me and planted a kiss on my lips. "Thanks for the ride," she said, before getting out of the car and making her way to the cafe. I watched her go, my heart beating in tandem with her steps. Then I turned away and drove back home.
I pulled into the driveway and parked my car in front of the house. Ian was already waiting for me on the porch, nursing a cup of coffee.
"I have to say I’m happy to see you, man," Ian said as I climbed out of the car.
"Likewise," I replied, patting him on the back.
Ian raised an eyebrow as I led the way back into the house. "So, who was that girl this morning?"
I tensed at the question. "Just a friend," I said shortly.
Ian gave me a knowing look. "Uh, huh. Just a friend, huh?"
I gritted my teeth. I knew Ian was only teasing, but the possessive part of me couldn't help but feel a twinge of annoyance at the thought of anyone else being interested in Becca.
"She's not interested in dating anyone right now," I said firmly.
Ian held up his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. I was just curious."
I let out a sigh, trying to push aside the possessive thoughts.
"Let's grab some coffee and catch up," I said, changing the subject. "I haven't seen you in ages."
When we had moved to the living room with the view of the water, I asked Ian the question I had been dreading.
“Do you still see it?”
He didn’t need to ask what. We’d both suffered the effects of PTSD after leaving the military. Both suffered the psychological suffering that came from being in a way.
“Sometimes, do you?” He asked.
“I had a bad one last night, really bad. Becca was there,” I said. I could speak to Ian about my problems. He had been there, he understood how it felt to not be able to close your eyes because your head was filled with images that wouldn’t let you rest. They just kept flashing.
“She was in your bed, man?” Ian asked.
