Page 38 of No Fear

As if someone had switched off the light, her face dimmed.

“Are you leaving? Is it a contract or something?” he asked.

She stared at her drink. When she raised her head, she was smiling, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes.

“No, it’s nothing like that. I’m getting married. Things change. Next chapter and all that. Who knows how much longer I’ll be there.” She waved her hand dismissively. “So, what exactly do you do in the Navy?” she asked, changing the subject and taking a sip of her sparkling water.

He wanted to talk more about her marriage and the next chapter, but not wanting to cause any tension, he obliged her in the change of subject. He couldn't tell her about Onyx, but he could say he was a SEAL. That wasn’t lying. He would always be a SEAL.

“I’m on a team.”

“What kind of team?” she asked.

The server returned with their food and placed it all in the center of the table and gave them empty plates. Donnie waited until she left before answering.

“I’m in special operations.”

Charlie had been helping herself to salad but stopped.

“Like a SEAL?”

“Yes.” He made himself a fajita, waiting for her reaction.

“Wow. I had no idea. That’s like super difficult, right? I mean the training and selection.”

He wrapped his tortilla and looked up. “Nah, piece of cake.” He winked before taking a bite.

“Well, thank you for your service.”

He heard that a lot but coming from Charlie it meant more than anything. “Thank you.”

“How did you end up in the Navy after...” She trailed off.

Donnie drank some of his soda before answering.

“I was always set on being a cop like my dad. When I left, I kind of drifted for a while. I was lost. I knew I needed to do something, but I wasn’t sure being a cop was the right fit for me anymore. I wanted to push myself to my limit.”

In reality, he had been looking for a way to punish himself.

“I began researching the military and became fascinated by the SEALs. You’re right, the training was brutal. In the Navy, you have very little time to think about anything else. It was disciplined, hard, every minute accounted for. It was exactly what I needed.”

Charlie was quiet, pushing her salad around on her plate. Donnie made up another fajita and handed it to her.

“You’re right. They’re amazing. Please have one.”

She waved it off. “No. Thank you.”

“Come on. Just one.”

“Donnie, I have a wedding dress fitting when I get home. I need to be able to fit into it.”

“You’ll fit and you’ll look beautiful with or without this fajita.” He smiled, still holding it out. She was wavering.

“You’re not good for a girl’s diet.”

“You don’t need to be on a diet. You’re perfect exactly as you are.”

Her cheeks reddened again. He smiled. “Just one.”