Mako's Message: I'm sorry I haven't responded to any reviews for the last...two chapters. I've been very short on time and battery life for my computer. But tomorrow I should be able to get to responding to all your wonderful, amazing, and encouraging reviews.

Also, this chapter is short. I know. But this is just how this story is wirten and when you read it I think you'll understand why it's so short. Thank you for your patience.


I'm so fucking stupid. I let everything go to my head. Him picking me over Katie. Him letting me sit in his lap and snuggle up with him. Sharing a bed after a hard patrol. That stupid, stupid fucking dream. I really thought I had a chance. I thought he might actually like me the way I like him.

But when I went over there this morning SHE was there. Riley. She spent the night at his house. His dad opened the door and I could see straight into the kitchen and there she was, sitting at the table eating cereal. Everything else on my mind, everything else in the WORLD just fell away and the only thing on my mind, the only thing I could SAY was "What is she doing here?"

I don't remember what his dad said, but she looked up and saw me and smiled and waved and said "Hey, Mindy!"

And then Dave came down the stairs and I pointed at her and said, "What is she doing here?"

And he just looked at Riley like he didn't understand the question and said, "Riley? She called last night and said because her roommate had friends over and was being too noisy for her to study, so she asked if she could come over and she ended up spending the night."

Yeah. Sure. She just came over to study. And I'm just sure they didn't spend the night fucking like rabbit.

And I didn't know what to do. I wanted to scream. Hit him. Her. I wanted to cry.

I think I said something about Jessi having a crisis and that I needed to go and just went home and cried on the couch like a little girl. Cause that's what I am. A little girl with no hope of competing with the perfect woman.