Touching Scars(58)

“Please don’t step away from me.” My voice sounded rough.

As quiet as I’d ever heard her speak, she said, “I just wanted to help.”

Reaching out, I put my hand on her upper arm. She was stiff at first, but eventually relented and came to me. I wrapped my arms around her body and held on to her. She squeezed her small arms around my waist and it felt like she was holding me together. We stood there for a while as my nerves subsided. Every once in a while, a firework would go off and it would cause me to jump, but Kat would hug me tighter. She was the one that eventually pulled back and stood on her tip toes to kiss my nose. Grabbing my hand, she pulled me to the bedroom.

“I’m tired and I think we’ve both had a long day. Let’s go to bed.”

When we settled into the small double bed, Kat faced me and ran her fingers through my hair. It felt so good. It was as if her fingers were stroking every one of my nerve endings and lulling them to sleep. My eyes were heavy and the booze was still swimming in my veins.

“Was it the noise that did it?” Her voice was quiet but still seemed loud in the mute space.

I nodded. “I think so.”

“Where’d you go?”

“What do you mean?” I didn’t understand her question.

“You were standing right in front of me, but you weren’t here. Where’d you go?”

Lying there, feeling her small fingers stroking me, I felt okay enough to answer. “I think the sound reminded me of that day. I felt myself getting anxious, like every fiber in my being needed to be up doing something. I guess that’s just the Army in me. Always ready to do battle.” I sighed deeply. “I’m sorry I snapped at you. I should have never yelled like I did. I was having trouble grabbing a hold of my emotions.”

“It’s okay, Timber. I pushed when I shouldn’t have. I could see something was up and I ignored my instincts to give you some space.”

“No, don’t do that. Don’t blame yourself for my crazy ass issues. You did what you thought was right.” I faked a yawn, not really wanting to talk about it anymore. “I’m ready for the day to be over. Let’s just get some sleep, huh?”

She crawled over to me and I tucked her into my body. She buried her face into my chest, and I pressed my nose into her hair. I fell asleep breathing in coconut, but it didn’t act as a barrier this time from my nightmares.





“I SERIOUSLY CAN’T WAIT TO get home and use the shit out of my dick. It’s been too long since the poor guy has seen any action,” Holt said, sitting in the front passenger seat of the MRAP.

“I have a feeling he’s going to have to keep waiting if that’s how you talk to women, Holt,” Rooster, who was driving, said to him.

“Man, all I have to do is smile at a chick, and she’ll ask me to take her back to my place.”

I chuckled. “Which would be your mom’s house, right?”

“Fuck you, man. I’ve got that basement all decked out real nice, they wouldn’t even know I was still living at home.” We all barked out a laugh. Holt mumbled under his breath, “bunch of douchebags.”

I leaned forward and slapped him on the shoulder so he would know we were just fucking with him. We were halfway through our second patrol of the day and it was really windy outside, kicking up dust. All four of us were getting anxious to head home. We only had two weeks left in this shit hole. For three of us, we’d be getting out. We’d done either four or six years’ time in service and we were ready to move on to something else. Corey, naturally, was the one that was staying in. The guy couldn’t imagine doing anything else with his life, so he was going to make a career of the Army. Good for him.

“Hey, Rooster, what’s the first thing you’re going to do when you get home?” I asked.

“Hug my wife and kids, take a nap on my man couch, and haul the family off to Disney World for some much needed R&R,” he said.

“Cindy hasn’t burned that couch yet?” Corey asked from beside me.

“Nah, she knows that’s reason for divorce. I love that fuckin’ couch. Most comfortable couch I’ve ever owned.”

I smiled and shook my head. “What about you, Corey?”

He paused, thinking about it. “I think I’m going to go take my Ma out for a lobster dinner, then grow a pair and finally ask my high school sweetheart if she’ll date me again.”

“How come you’ve never asked her before?” Holt chimed in.

“Eh, she went and did the college thing. She was out having fun and living a different life than I was. But now that she’s back home, she’s gotten some job with a medical supply company and is settling down. I think now is a good time.”