My mouth opened, but nothing came out because all the anger dissolved out of her expression in an instant, and it was quickly replaced with a look of betrayal.
“Tell me you’re lying.” She gripped my shirt and shoved against my chest in weak protest. “Carter, tell me you didn’t do it.”
I let her beat against me, let my hands slide down her arms to rest on the swaths of white fabric gathered around her waist, in surrender.
“I ship out first thing tomorrow.” I admitted softly.
She collapsed against me, her voice a strangled sob of devastation. “Why?”
“Because I can’t keep living someone else’s life.” I stroked her hair, committing the sweet, sun-warmed strawberry smell to memory.
“Please don’t go.” She sobbed into my shirt. “Please, Carter, I’mbeggingyou.”
“I’ll think about you every day.” I promised, hating that I was leaving just weeks before her birthday.
She could hardly get the words out. “You’re going to get yourself killed.”
I smiled sadly. “Have a little faith in me.”
“I do.” She argued, and I realized that’s exactly why I had to leave. But I couldn’t help wondering if I was making the biggest mistake of my life as I made the only girl I’d ever really cared about, cry harder than I’d ever seen her cry.
I didn’t have a choice.
It was terrifying to stay and terrifying to leave, but if I didn’t get out now, this life would smother me and there would benothing to stop me from doing something horribly, terribly, stupid—something that would blow up my life even more than leaving would.
Maybe I’d made an assumption about what she was going to do, but it was too late now.
Letting her go was for the best,at least that’s what I tried to tell myself.
CHAPTER 4
Boola Boola
CARTER
Two years later…
“Casanova, check your six, you’ve got a bandit coming up behind you.” Tatum’s voice crackled through the comms in warning.
The sensors in my jet were blaring as I pulled on the throttle. “Copy, I see him.” I began a steep climb until the nose of my jet was pointed towards the endless blue skies. Bracing against the G-force, I maneuvered into a flip and dropped behind my target.
The sensors beeped in confirmation a moment later—target hit—which meant the skies were clear.
“Always going for the yank and bank.” Mike muttered over the comms.
I flipped my jet upside down, mirroring my wingman’s cockpit from above. “Aww, is Jinx upset because he can’t keep up?” I teased.
He flipped me the bird. “Show off.” I flashed him a toothy grin he couldn’t see from inside my helmet.
“Formation, fall in.” I called through the comms and proceeded to barrel roll off Jinx as our squad shifted into a tight V formation.
“Nothing but beautiful blue skies.” Ezra sighed contentedlyfrom beside me in his own jet. “In fact, it’s the perfect day to join the Martin Baker Fan Club, don’t you think, Jinx?”
“Shut up.” Mike groaned.
“You make it too easy.” Tatum chimed, and I could hear the smug grin on his face from his own cockpit.
“Yeah, he’ll be the first one to yank that oh-shit-stick.” I agreed, knowing if one of us ever ejected, it’d be Jinx and we’d never let him live it down.
