She raises her eyebrows, and I laugh to myself. This has Bryce written all over it.
We sit in silence a few minutes until she pops up like a spring. “Oh my God! I have the best idea!”
“What the fuck! You kicked the shit out of me!” I massage the ache in my side.
“Let’s get tattoos.” Her eyes light up.
I nibble on my bottom lip nervously. “What kind of tattoos?”
“How many kinds are there? The ones that are inked into your skin, you idiota.” She smirks at her witty remark.
“I know that, cadela.” Take that bitch! “I meant, what should we get?”
“Something that means something to us. I think I have an idea for me, it’s a quote.”
As soon as we are in her car, it hits me. I know the perfect tattoo.
Chapter 13
My knees bounce rapidly as I twist the program in my hands. Knowing Bryce is in the same building sets my excitement on overload. My whole body is buzzing with anticipation. Sheila and my mom keep looking at me with amused grins while my dad rolls his eyes. They can tease all they want. Due to a flight delay, I missed seeing him and Nate last night.
A pre-recorded message comes through the sound system, asking us to rise, and the door in the back opens. This is it! Goose bumps break out over my entire body as a large group of men and women march in, all dressed in their Dress Whites. When I finally find him in the crowd, my nose starts to tingle, and my eyes swell. As hard as I try to hold them back, tears fall freely. Sheila shoves a handful of tissues in my hands and sniffs softly. I stand between her and my mom, and we join hands when seated.
Nerves tingle through me during the entire ceremony. When Nate crosses the stage and salutes his drill instructor and Petty Officer, my mom gives a quiet sob. Dad wraps his arm around her shoulder and kisses her temple delicately. Pride beams on my dad’s face.
Several men and woman later, it’s my and Sheila’s turn to sob. Bryce looks so regal and pristine as he gives his own salute and silver dollar to the men in front of him. When he turns to walk away, our eyes catch for a brief second. The slight twitch of his lip is the only c
lue he actually saw me.
When the ceremony is over, I’m out of my seat and rushing toward the sea of white. Most of the men tower over me as I try to find either Bryce or Nate. There’s a soft tug on my elbow, and I turn to see Bryce standing in front of me. His beautiful blue eyes dance, and his face is lit with a huge smile. An embarrassing squeal escapes as I leap into his arms, slamming my mouth to his.
Immediately, I’m surrounded by his familiar scent, the warmth of his embrace, and the taste of him. Our tongues touch, and he cradles me closer, sucking me in. My blood burns with the need to let him know how much I missed him. Too soon, he breaks away and curls a hand on my cheek, locking our eyes.
“Hey.” I finally break the silence. “Congratulations.”
“Shit, it’s good to see you.” He pulls me back into a hug until a throat clears beside us.
I look back to see my brother with his arms stretched. Automatically, I go to him.
“I’m so proud of you, Nate,” I whisper though a cracked voice.
“Why the waterworks?” His warm hands rub my back gently.
“I’m overwhelmed with emotion. The ceremony was quite impressive.” I reach around and tug Bryce into the hug. “That was entirely too long not to see you both.”
They share a look that I know well. Instead of reminding me that the distance will be a part of our lives, they stay quiet and give me a squeeze. Our families walk up, breaking us apart.
A few men and women join our crowd and congratulate the guys. Bryce has already explained that, after graduation, everyone disperses around the country. A lot of them will be stationed in Norfolk but not all. I finally get to meet the other two men Nate and Bryce shared their barracks with, Tommy Betts and Rick Plant. They both attended OCS to transition into officer roles.
Tommy Betts is an enormous, muscular black man with a completely bald head. As soon as Bryce introduces me, I’m swept off the ground and into his arms. I yelp at the surprise and brace against his chest.
“It’s about time. Can’t wait for my Nicole to meet you,” he booms.
I glance over my shoulder with wide eyes to see everyone smiling.
“Nicole’s his wife. She couldn’t be here because their baby is sick,” Bryce informs me. “And if you can’t tell, Betts is quite affectionate.”
He sets me down gently and squeezes my shoulder.