“You haven’t earned the privilege to call me Boxer. And I have every right. I’m in charge!”
“What’s going on?” Jill yawned, groggy with sleep.
We both shouted, “Quiet!”
“No, you lost the right when you broke up with me!” I yelled in his face, tugging my arm out of his grip.
“The fuck you say?” He seethed, a murderous glint in his startling ice-blue eyes.
“Oh shit.” Jill got between us, “Guys. Please. This isn’t the time to drudge up the past.”
“Move, Jill.” He shoved her out of the way. “Repeat what you just said,” he barked, his right eye twitching like he was about to lose his mind.
I backed up toward the kitchen counter, my heart racing as he moved like a lion ready to pounce on his prey. Maybe I should’ve kept my mouth shut.
“I said to repeat it!”
I jumped at his booming voice. “You lost the right when you ghosted me,” I told him in a trembling voice.
“I. Didn’t. Ghost. You,” he growled through gritted teeth.
Trapped by this brutal man, I teared up, bumping into the counter. “It was a long time ago. You probably forgot how it all went down.”
Jill came to my side. “She’s right, Box. Memories get muddled.”
Zach didn’t take his eyes off me. “I. Didn’t. Ghost. You.” His jaw twitched in time with his right eye. I’d never seen him this way before. “Youghosted me, you heartless bitch!”
I gasped, shaking my head, completely floored by the hate burning through his retinas. I turned toward Jill. “Tell him.”
“Tell me what?” he roared, face red, eyes still locked on me.
I elbowed her. “Jill, tell him.”
Wolf entered and slammed the door, but it didn’t faze Zach. Wolf and Hollywood watched us, their sick curiosity seemingly getting the better of them. An audience was the last thing I needed.
“I don’t remember,” Jill whispered.
Zach glanced at her, then back at me. “I wrote to you. I called you dozens of fucking times!”
My eyes blurred. I didn’t want to do this right now, but it seemed I didn’t have a choice.
Stay strong. Fearless.
“You didnotwrite! Why would I take your calls when you planned to screw your brains out while away? It wasn’t like your girlfriend ‘would ever know.’” I made air quotes, repeating the very words Jill had overheard him saying to another new recruit the day he was sworn in.
He reared back like I’d slapped him. “How do you know that?”
“Yeah, shocked I found out, are you? Jill told me she heard you bragging about all the pussy you’d get being a big, bad Marine. So much for the promises you made. The lies about being mine. All that bullshit about marrying me when I graduated. Loving me forever and ever. You make me sick!”
I pushed past him, running to my room. Why did he have to go there in front of so many people? It was humiliating. Personal. Painful.
I went to shut the door, but Zach’s massive body was in the way.
“I don’t want you in here. Please get out.” My body shook as adrenaline pumped through my heart. I refused to discuss this any further. It was pointless. Futile. It hurt too fucking much.
He entered, slamming the door shut. His chest rose and fell in a heavy thud. Seeing him this way frightened me.
“Boxer!” Jill banged on the door. “Don’t do this.”