Chapter 13: Norfolk, Virginia - June 2014

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"He's not talking to me." Caro paced back and forth across Teylor's apartment, throwing her hands in the air as she spoke. "He's getting ready to ship out for four months and he's acting as though I don't exist. He hasn't spoken to me in months!"

"Why don't you call him?" Teylor asked, despite knowing that the answer would be no. The idea of Caro backing down and admitting that she might have some responsibility for the war between her and Danny was preposterous, although Teylor knew better than to say so. Caro was smart enough to know when she was wrong, but she absolutely hated being told so. Teylor had quickly learned that a soft approach, one where he allowed her to reach the obvious conclusion by herself, led to a much more pleasant results. One where he wasn't accused of "mansplaining", something that would definitely mean he wasn't getting laid tonight. And given that the Nathan James was shipping out in two days, a pissed-off Caro was definitely not the outcome Teylor was hoping for. Checking his cell, Teylor noticed the message from Benz about meeting up at Shippers, mentally considering how much physical injury Caro would inflict if he dragged her there and forced her to confront her brother. Just the thought made him cringe.

Nope, definitely not a good idea.

"I did," Caroline mumbled. At Teylor's blank stare - Caro's prior statements on the likelihood of her contacting her brother ran the gamut from hell no to over my dead body - Caro elaborated. "I texted him this morning. He didn't respond."

Having had his understanding of situation flipped upside down, Teylor struggled to find something to say. "We don't ship out until Tuesday, Green may still text you. He could be in meetings or something."

Not an outright lie, if one considered a gathering of the SEAL Team at Shippers to be a 'meeting.'

"What if it's too late?" Caro demanded, dropping to the sofa next to Teylor, and he swore that he saw the glitter of tears in her eyes. "What if he doesn't want to talk to me again. He hasn't called Rebecca either, you know."

Again, Teylor found herself a lost for words. Caro was not the type to second-guess herself, nor the type to break down in tears. "Rebecca was his girlfriend. Now his ex-girlfriend. You're his sister. It's totally different. He just needs some time."

"Mom said that I need to apologize," Caro said quietly.

For the third time in the space of five minutes, Teylor found himself at a loss for words. He could admit that he didn't understand the dynamic among the Green family, but from what he had picked up they seem to both be a tight-knit group, and yet spent an ornament amount of time fighting with each other. "You talked to your mother about the fight? I thought that she played Switzerland?"

The last drew a smile.

"I asked her," Caro explained. "She said that I should have stayed out of it. That it wasn't about me."

Given how much he had already pushed his luck, Teylor decided that staying silent was the best plan.

"She asked what I would have done if Danny got mad at me for dating you." Caro squirmed until her feet were on the couch and she was facing him. At Teylor's raised eyebrow, she rolled her eyes. "We both know that I would have flipped my lid. Guess I can't completely blame Danny for doing the same."

Teylor couldn't believe what he was saying even as the words came out of his mouth. "The guys are at Shippers. We could swing by."

Caro stared at him as though he was deranged and, for a moment, Teylor thought he was. There was no way that a confrontation with Green was a good idea. At best, outing his relationship with Caro now would lead to a very awkward four month tour. At worst, well given that both Greens had tempers, there was a not-impossible chance that one or both of them would need bail money come morning.

Then, in an about-face that left him dizzy, Caro curled up against him, head on his shoulder. "Danny will be home in four months. Plenty of time to figure things out then."

"Mmmm." Teylor hoped that his relief wasn't obvious as he pulled her closer.

"Besides," Caro added, her voice mischievous. "This is my last chance to get laid for months. I need to take advantage."

For the fourth time that night, Teylor was caught completely off-guard. "Not planning on hooking up with someone else while I'm gone?"

"Wasn't planning on it," Caro drawled, her attention fixed on her nails. "You?"

Teylor snorted. "Bunking with nine other guys doesn't really do much for the love life."

Caro shifted until she could see his face, a slow smile spreading across her face. "Call me when you come home. I'll be waiting."

And that sounded surprisingly like a promise.