My boots thudded against the hardwood as I dropped them by the door, jacket slung over the back of the chair.
The shadow box Camille had made me sat where it had for weeks, on the dresser in my bedroom. I’d look at it sometimes, just long enough to feel that familiar ache in my chest, then turn away.
I told myself I wasn’t ready. That those medals, those ribbons, weren’t about me. They were about the men who didn’t make it home. But tonight, I stood there longer. The black frame caught the low light, the glass reflecting back my face. Her touch was all over it, the careful way she’d arranged the rows, the way she’d included that worn patch I thought was worthless, the photo of my unit tucked into the corner. She hadn’t just made a display. She’d made a reminder, something she’d said I should be proud of, notashamed.
Her voice echoed in my head: You shouldn’t hide it. You should honor it.
But I wasn’t ready for that. And after three nights of staring at the ceiling and two skipped texts I couldn’t bring myself to answer.
I put my boots back on and ended up at Mike’s place. Mike had been in my unit. We’ve seen the same sand, heard the same blasts, and carried the same ghosts. If there was anyone I could halfway talk to, it was him.
He shoved a beer into my hand the second I walked in. “You look like hell, man.”
I snorted, collapsing onto his worn-out couch. “Thanks for the warm welcome.”
“I doubt you’re here for compliments, Bennett.” He dropped into the recliner, studying me like I was a puzzle missing half its pieces. “So. What’s eating you? Work? Nightmares? Or…” He paused, a smirk tugging at his mouth. “…woman trouble?”
I glared at him over the rim of the bottle. “Don’t start.”
“That’s a yes,” he said, grinning like he’d scored a point.
I scrubbed a hand over my face. “It’s… complicated.”
“Complicated how?”
I hesitated. Saying it out loud felt like ripping a scab. “She’s good. Too good. And I’m… not.”
Mike raised a brow. “Translation?”
“You know how it is, little stuff sets me off. Sometimes I pull away, sometimes I get pissed.”
Mike leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Let me get this straight. You’ve got a woman who actually likes you. Hell, from what you’ve told me, loves you. And kidswho look at you like you hung the damn moon, and you think the right move is to ghost them?”
I stiffened. “I’m protecting them.”
He barked a laugh. “Bullshit. You’re protecting yourself. Big difference.” The words hit harder than I wanted to admit.
I sat back, staring at the beer bottle in my hands. My chest was tight, my throat burning with all the things I couldn’t say.
Mike shook his head. “You survived ten years in the Marine Corps, Bennett. Four deployments to the middle of Afghanistan. But you’re about to blow up the best thing you’ve got because you’re scared she’ll see you bleed. Newsflash: she already knows you bleed. And she’s still there.”
I didn’t answer. Couldn’t. Because the truth was, he wasn’t wrong, even if I wished he was.
“She’s not Kelsey.”
Mike’s tone was even, but there was weight behind it. “Never liked her for you, by the way. But I saw you with Camille. The night you brought her over. You weren’t as rough that night.”
“I know she’s not like Kelsey,” I said, my jaw tightening. “Not even close.”
And damn, did I know it.
Cami was warm—bright in a way that didn’t fade when things got hard. She showed up for people without needing a reason, without keeping score. Kelsey, my ex-wife… she’d been the opposite. Cold. Calculated. The kind of woman who turned love into leverage. I’d spent years walking on eggshells, trying to keep the peace. And when I came back and needed her to step up for me, she’d quickly forgotten it all.
Mike leaned back, his expression grim as he turned the bottle in his hands, watching the way the light caught the glass. “You know,” he said after a long pause, “you’re not the only one who tried to run.”
I frowned, glancing at him. “What do you mean?”
“Sarah,” he said. “When we first started dating, I damn near ruined it. Same crap you’re pulling now. My fuse was short, and I thought the only way to keep her safe from me was to push her away.”
