How she loved him.
How she hated their tragic love story.
ChapterSeventeen
Aiden was back with his team and doing training exercises at their home base in Virginia two days after Thor’s wedding. His friends were thrilled to see him again. And within an hour, they were grumbling about how he wasn’t himself and what had happened to him.
An excruciating week went by. No Melene. No sign of Melene.
He would’ve laughed at himself, but he was too miserable. What did he expect? Did he think she was going to come to him when she’d told him she loved him, thanked him so beautifully, and he hadn’t even tried to figure out a future? This was on him, but he had no idea how to change it.
He prayed desperately every night for a solution and he avoided Thor’s calls, responding to every text his brother sent with:Enjoy your honeymoon and stop worrying about me.
Aiden worried about himself. He worried a lot. Should he retire from the SEALs? Should he beg her to give up her career? Should he have Papa get him another leave of absence to focus on protecting the Delta secret and fighting King Frederick privately now that everything seemed to be escalating that way?
A few hours after dinner on day twelve without hearing Melene’s sweet voice, touching Melene’s soft skin, laughing with Melene, or seeing her beautiful face, Jace found him on the shooting range. He waited while Aiden finished his rounds with his Glock and then leaned against the table. The range was quiet and the sky deepening around them.
Aiden had shared far too much of the story with his close friend. Jace hadn’t judged him or told him he was wrong. He’d commiserated and his exact words had been, “At least you weren’t as deep as I was, and hopefully it won’t mess you up for as long.”
Now Aiden could feel Jace had something important to tell him. Hopefully they were getting deployed and were going to secretly hunt down Frederick and riddle his pathetic body with bullets.
“Just because I messed up Charisse like I did doesn’t mean you’d do the same to Melene,” Jace said in the softest voice Aiden had ever heard from his CO.
Aiden drew in a breath. Not an assignment to take out a dictator. Dang.
“I know that,” he admitted. “Our story would be different, but … the odds are more than against us, Jace.”
Jace looked at him, and then he laughed. “When has the brave, laugh in the devil's face, so full of faith in God he tattooed scripture on his back, Aiden Delta ever cared if the odds were against him?”
Aiden could only blink at him. Jace was right. Usually, he liked the odds against him so he could push himself harder.
“You’re scared. Plain and simple. To borrow an expression from Thor, ‘Cowboy up, you ugly loser.’”
“Oh, great. Now you’re quoting Thor.”
“Yep. And he’s on the phone for you.” Jace extended his cell. “Said you won’t answer his calls and he doesn’t think you’re even reading his texts.”
Aiden rolled his eyes. He wasn’t getting away from being called out tonight. He “cowboyed up” and extended his hand. Jace put the phone in it and slapped him on the shoulder. “I’ll be there for you, buddy. Whatever you decide.”
“Thanks.” Aiden appreciated his friend and CO’s support. “That means a lot.”
Jace nodded and walked away.
Aiden drew in a breath and put the phone to his ear. He didn’t even need to say hello.
“You ugly fool,” Thor shot at him. “What happened to my twin? The man I respect more than any other? You wussed out and ditched the love of your life?”
“Good to hear from you, too. How was the honeymoon?”
“Brilliant, perfect, amazing. If you want to feel even more miserable, lonely, and dejected than you do right now, I’ll give you a play-by-play.”
“Please don’t.” Aiden wandered along the gun range, grateful no one was here. “Spit it out so you can get back to Shelly.”
“All right. Listen up, and I mean it. This isn’t a ‘pay half attention to the preacher’s sermon.’ This is ‘the world’s ending and you need every bit of inspiration you can from this speech or you’ll end up on the devil’s side.’ You got me?”
Aiden actually laughed. “I got you.”
“Here we go. Jace is right. Lieutenant Aiden Delta, tough Navy SEAL and twin to the most impressive, handsome, and driven cowboy on the planet, doesn’t care about the odds. You’d choose the risk in any other situation, and you’d have the faith to go forward no matter what if it helped somebody else.”