Yeah. We’ve stepped right into the fire now.
“It was different,” I say, trying to keep my tone even, but the way her brow furrows tells me she’s not buying it.
“When we were with the unit, we never knew when we’d be called in. No warning. No idea how long we’d be gone. It could be a night, a week, or a month. Roman pulled the strings, and we moved.”
I shake my head, the memories scraping up things I don’t often let surface.
“None of us had girlfriends. Honestly, I don’t think we ever did.”
“So you shared hookups?” She presses, leaning in, elbows on the table, eyes locked on me.
“Not often,” I admit. “But it happened a couple of times.”
I’m not gonna lie to her. There’s no point. She deserves the truth, even the parts that might sting.
“Other military women?” She asks.
There’s something in her, something small. Like she’s bracing herself.
“No,” I say immediately. “Never.”
“It was always women we met out, nightclubs, bars. People who weren’t attached to our world. They didn’t ask questions, and we didn’t need to give them answers.”
I lean in closer; eyes fixed on hers, steady. I want her to feel what I’m saying.
“There was never anyone I wanted for more than a night, Aspen. None of us did. Not me, not Dante, not Ryker or Max.”
I glance over.
“Well… aside from Max and Ryker wanting each other.”
Max lets out a quiet chuckle. Ryker’s face goes red.
Aspen’s quiet for a beat.
Then, softly, she whispers, “If you’d met me before the plague… would you still…”
She trails off, shakes her head like she’s brushing the thought away.
“Of course you wouldn’t. Neither of you.”
And just like that, she’s not fire anymore. She’s wounded.
She stands, like she’s ready to bolt, to run before the truth hits too hard, but I’m faster.
I rise from my chair, grab her arm, and pull her straight into me. Her body meets mine with a quiet thud, soft curves pressed to my chest.
“You wanted answers,” I murmur, my head leaning to hers. “We’ll give them to you, but you need to let us finish.”
She doesn’t fight me. Doesn’t pull away.
I turn her gently to face the guys, her back against my front, one of my hands resting on her hips, grounding her, keeping her here.
“We wouldn’t have,” Max says quietly. “Because there’s no way a woman like you would’ve crossed our path, sweetheart.”
Ryker nods. “The women around us were older. More experienced. They wanted a good time, nothing serious, just like us.”
He offers her a soft smile. “You were what… eighteen when the plague hit?”
