CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Tom Chandler
A month had passed since Sasha had shown up, Tom realized. A whole month. His head was slowly getting better, although he still saw the ghosts often, he was able to recognize that it was simply his mind projecting his guilt. He was able to talk to Sasha about it and slowly they would fade.
The nightmares were lessening as well. He didn't have one every time he closed his eyes, but they were still frequent. And he knew there had been quite a few violent enough to scare Sasha. She would never admit that to him, and she refused to leave his side, but he knew that she had been terrified a few times while he was locked into the night terror. Slowly he felt like he might be able to come out of the shell shock of the PTSD.
He thought about his kids. He hadn't physically seen them in a month. He had asked about them, through Sasha, and was frustrated and broken that he couldn't be there to help. He knew that Sam was having a particularly hard time of it, but Tom wasn't sure he would be able to connect with his son. There was a lot of anger and resentment according to Mike.
Ashley no one was really sure how she was doing other than she was applying herself at school and spending a lot of time with Andrea Garnett. He was glad for that. That Ashley had a female role model to turn to. He looked at Sasha. Maybe they could transition that role to Sasha in the near future. He sighed. But he knew he should tell Sasha to leave soon. He should make her go; he could take it from here. The danger zone had passed, he no longer craved the oblivion of alcohol, or the darkness that his gun would bring.
He knew he would be able to live again, but he was not the man she had been in love with. He was not the man he had been six months ago. He was an empty shell of that man, broken and full of shards of glass. Sharp shards that could shred anyone that was close to him now. He still didn't think he was worthy of her love, she deserved so much more. But he knew as long as she was here with him…she'd never look anywhere else.
He stood at his sink staring out the window, contemplating all these things as Sasha sat at the table. She was quiet today and Tom wondered what she was thinking. She was giving him space. Maybe she knew too. That he was ready to be on his own. Maybe she was just scared after the particularly violent nightmare last night. He had hurt her. He pursed his lips and rubbed his hand along his beard growth.
His beard was fully grown in now. His hair longer as well. Long enough for the curls to show through. He'd never let it go this long since he had gone to the academy at eighteen. Hell, he'd probably never had his hair this long and he never had a beard like this before.
Was this his subconscious way of distancing him from Tom Chandler Navy Hero? Was this his way of rebelling against the way of life he had sunk himself into at eighteen and never looked back until now? Maybe. Maybe it was a way to disguise himself when he looked in the mirror, because looking at those haunted blue eyes staring back at him was like looking at a stranger. So, maybe he had subconsciously made himself into that stranger.
He jumped a little when he felt Sasha's arms encircle his stomach. The latched around him in front and her head gently settled between his shoulder blades. His hands remained locked on the edge of the kitchen sink. He held his muscles tightly coiled, tense. He wouldn't allow himself to feel loved. He couldn't do that right now.
"What are you thinking about, Thomas Chandler," she whispered as he felt her lips touch his back through his shirt, then she kissed his neck. He closed his eyes, remaining stiff and stoic.
"Stuff," he mumbled. He wasn't ready to have the conversation he needed to have. But then again, would he ever be ready to have that conversation? No, he didn't think he'd ever actually be ready to have that conversation, but that didn't mean it wasn't going to happen. He sighed heavily and he felt her arms tighten around him, squeezing him tightly.
"Don't pull away from me now, Tom," Sasha whispered, as if raising her voice would shatter the moment. Tom fought back the burn of tears and the lump in his throat. He could not except her love. "You need to forgive yourself. I need you to forgive yourself."
That last part caught him hard in the chest. She was asking him the impossible…or was it? Could he, in fact, forgive himself? Maybe he needed to explore that option— because that might be the only way he could get some of his life back. His kids. Could he face his kids without forgiving himself for the things he feels like he's responsible for? Was he really responsible? Things were so wound together in his brain it was hard to separate how to feel about things. When he didn't answer her, she unleashed her arms and gripped his hips, turning him around. He allowed her to do so but closed his eyes as he came face to face with her.
When his butt was against the sink he let his arms dangle at his sides, closed his eyes and tried to breath normally. He felt Sasha step into his personal space, her chest touching his, her arms wrapping gently around his neck, her hips bumping his. She spread her hand out on the back of his head, gently feathering her fingers in his curls. Still, he remained stoic and a statue. His eyes still closed. He was afraid it would all shatter if he opened his eyes.
"Open your eyes and look at me, Tom," she said so gentle, so quiet, it almost worked. He almost obeyed her on command. But he fought. He shook his head ever so slightly, letting her know that he was still in control. "Tom, please," she asked and he again almost broke. But he wasn't ready to break completely. What was she trying to do? Her hand left the back of his head and then her fingers were trailing through his beard, down his jaw. Her other hand joined the first, but on the other side. He felt his heart quickening and worse yet, his dick betraying him.
He wondered if Sasha had noticed yet as he grew hard under her touch. He got his answer when he felt her push her hips into him, rubbing against him. Tom felt the moan building and he bit his tongue to keep it inside. Then he swallowed hard. His chest heaving as he drew in shaky breaths. Damn this woman, he thought. She pressed into him again and he felt his dick twitch in response, as it uncomfortably pressed against the confines of his boxers and jeans.
"Open your eyes and look at me or I will slowly torture you until you explode in your pants," she whispered as her hands stilled, but her hips continued to grind against him. He kept his eyes shut, willing himself to remain in control but what she was doing was sending electricity through his limbs. Heat was pooling in his belly; his balls were tightening with anticipation. His resolve broke. He couldn't remain passive, or she was right. He would explode right there in his pants. His fingers twitched as his hands shot to her hips, gripping hard, digging into the flesh just above the top of her jeans.
He pushed hard, putting space between them as his breathing became harsh and irregular. He was painfully hard and wanted nothing more than to reach down and drop his pants to the floor. But he refused. He couldn't do this. He didn't want to do this. He didn't want to feel like this. He wanted to be in the darkness where he belonged, he wanted to feel like he was unlovable, because he didn't love himself. And that thought caught him off guard. His eyes sprung open, and he met Sasha's. She seemed to understand he had made a realization about something.
"Stop," he whispered, his voice a hoarse depiction of the pain he felt inside of him. Stop loving me, he wanted to say. She studied his eyes.
"Feel the emotions, Tom, fucking feel the heat from this," she said softly and then she was pushing against his hands, and they were touching again and she ground hard against his erection. He sucked in a harsh hiss as his eyes closed fast, willing himself not to cum like a teenager.
"Stop," he ground out, his voice shaky, unrecognizable. She thrust again. "How can you love me, when I can't even love myself?" he wailed. His tone and confession stopped Sasha cold in her tracks. Tom felt the fight go out of himself as his knees and legs gave out. He sunk down to the floor, as Sasha sunk down with him. Tears came next as he sobbed. He landed on his butt, his knees curled up to his chest, his arms wrapped around his knees, and he dropped his head to bury then in his thighs.
His sobs shook his entire body, as Sasha scooted into a sitting position next to him. Her arm dropped over his back, her hand stroking his shoulder. She let him cry, as he realized he didn't love himself anymore. He couldn't love the man he had become, and he didn't know how to become a different one.
Eventually he regained control. His body became still but he still held his face buried, protected. Sasha had wrapped her body around him as he became still, she was tugging at him. He released his arms and leaned over as she took him against her chest, her arms around him, holding him tight.
"I can love you for the both of us until you can love yourself," she whispered in his ear. "Because I love you, Tom, and there will never be another man that can take the place you have in my heart."
"No," he spat out in a harsh whisper as more tears sprung to his eyes.
"Yes. I know you think you're unlovable, but I love you, I always have."
"I know," he sniffed. She cradled his face against her chest, and he closed his eyes. "How can you love me like this?"
"Because I don't see you the way you see you. I don't—"
"I miss my kids," he blurted out suddenly. And he did. For the first time in a long time there was a deep longing in his heart that he wanted to see his kids.
"I can talk to Slattery. You up to seeing them?"
"I don't…know."
"Are you strong enough to handle it if there is rejection, Tom?"
"What do you mean?" Tom asked stilling his body. Sasha sighed but stayed silent. Tom shifted his body so he could look at her. "What do you mean?" he asked with a little more force. She gave him a sympathetic look.
"Look, the kids are feeling a bit betrayed by you. Like you…abandoned them," she replied gently. "Ashley has asked why they weren't enough for you to—"
"Fuck," Tom ground out and he slumped back to his kitchen floor. He had. He had abandoned them. He had sunk so deeply into his own internal hell that he had forgotten about theirs. He had let his best friend take his kids, and here it was a month later…and he had never attempted to see them. Fuck. "How bad is this?"
"I don't know, Tom. I know Ashley is probably going to be more forgiving and more understanding than Sam. Simply because she's a little older and according to Garnett she had a better grasp on what happened with you."
"But they aren't wrong," Tom spat out, the anger brewing inside him. Another reason he doesn't deserve to be loved. Sasha must have read something on his face.
"Stop it," she breathed out as tears spilled down her cheeks. "What do I have to do to prove to you that you deserve to be loved, Tom? Everyone breaks at some point. And after everything that you went through in such a short time, it was a miracle you didn't break sooner."
"Not everyone broke," Tom gnashed out. "Slattery didn't abandon his family. He even took in mine."
"Tom," she said softly. But he wasn't having it. No. He was a complete fuck up. When the chips were down, he couldn't stop the spiral and he had given up on everything. Ashley was right. Her and Sam should have been enough to make him fight. But hadn't he? Hadn't he tried to fight it? But his brain kept confusing reality and fantasy and he didn't even know where he was at the beginning. "It's going to take work, but you can make things better. But—"
"What?"
"You're going to need to forgive yourself. You're going to have to remember you're worthy of their love…of my love…of loving yourself. Do you want me to see if we can go to dinner with Slattery and the kids?"
"I think so," he breathed out. He looked at her. "I don't deserve you—"
"Yes, you do," she said with confidence. He stared at her for a long moment then slowly nodded.
Ashley Chandler
One month. She hadn't seen her dad in one month. Andrea continually assured her that her dad was asking about her, but Ashley wasn't so sure she believed the woman. It wasn't that Ashley didn't trust Andrea, because she did, it just seemed like maybe she was just trying to make Ashley feel better. Which Ashley appreciated. She had become close to Andrea Garnett over the last month. They had bonded in a shared grief, each filling the hole the other had. Ashley had lost a mother (and a grandfather and a dad for that matter), and Andrea had lost her daughter. So, it just seemed natural that they would bond filling the role for the other.
Besides, Ashley felt like a third wheel in the Slattery house. Uncle Mike tried to balance his time, but Hannah still dealt with nightly bad dreams, and Sammy was still lashing out with anger and resentment. She had seen the abandonment issue with her little brother. She was glad Uncle Mike was stepping up so much. It only made sense though. Even though Uncle Mike had found Hannah and Abbey…he had still lost Lucas. Sam was sliding into that role in Uncle Mike's heart and Sam was desperate for a father that cared about him. Not that she thought her own father didn't care about them, but it was hard to remember that he did when he was nowhere to be found when both of them were struggling.
But Sam was starting to respond to Uncle Mike and there seemed to be a lot less anger in her brother. She was excelling at school, helping Hannah and Ginger get through as well. Zain was being friendly, and Ashley was a little embarrassed by the attention.
She was sitting on the floor in Andrea's living room, her homework spread out on the coffee table. Andrea had given her a key and told her she could come and go as she pleased. Andrea was on base doing whatever it was that Andrea did while not deployed on the ship. Ashley worked on finishing her homework. She often came to Andrea's so she could do it in quiet. The Slattery house tended to be a bit noisier with everyone that lived there.
Ashley was just finishing up when Andrea came in the front door on the phone with someone. From the sounds of the conversation, it was most likely Uncle Mike. She looked up from her homework and smiled.
"Yeah, Ash is here, I just got home," Andrea said as she smiled in return and gave Ash a small finger wave. "I don't have anything planned," Andrea continued as she walked through the living room and disappeared into the kitchen.
Ashley finished up her homework and packed her things away in her backpack. She then went into the kitchen to find Andrea. She found the woman standing against the counter with her lips pressed tightly together.
"Do you think that's a good idea?" Andrea asked as she glanced at Ashley. Andrea dropped her eyes and Ashley wondered if she should leave the room. "No, she just walked into the kitchen though."
Andrea was quiet for a while as she listened to whoever was on the other side of the phone. Her lips stayed in a pressed line, her eyes down cast and deep in thought. Ashley wondered what was causing her to act how she was. Finally, Andrea wrapped up the phone call.
"Well, let me talk to her and I'll get back to you soon," Andrea replied softly. "I know," she said then hung up.
"What's up?" Ashley asked not waiting for Andrea to get around to starting the conversation. Ashley was curious.
"Ummm," Andrea stalled as she stared at the floor. She slowly brought her eyes up to Ashley's. "That was Mike. He wanted to know if you would want to have your dad over for dinner. If you'd be comfortable with that."
"My dad?" Ashley asked a little shocked. "You mean he's…asking about us?"
"Oh, Sweetie, he's been asking about—"
"I don't want to pretend," Ashley cut her off and Andrea stopped abruptly and pressed her lips together then nodded slowly. "I know dad's been…preoccupied. But like…is he better? Or is this…I don't know."
"It's okay to say no if you're not ready," Andrea replied gently, and Ashley nodded as her brows knitted together and she wondered what she really wanted. She'd love to see her dad. She missed him immensely, but was he going to be her dad? Was he going to act like him? Be him? Or was he a broken version of him that would be weird and hard to be around?"
"I don't know," Ashley whispered as she felt the burn of tears. Andrea pushed away from the counter and stepped into Ashley's personal space, wrapping her arms around Ash and pulling her tightly into her chest.
"I know this is hard. I'll be there, as will Mike. We'll help you and can end the dinner at any point."
"How is Sammy reacting?" Ashley asked as she pulled away slightly. Andrea let her go, but her hand lingered on Ashley's shoulder.
"Mike said Sammy is angry, but if you want this to happen, we will work around it."
"I want to see my dad," Ashley said her voice breaking with emotion.
"Okay, Sweetie, I'll let Mike know to set something up. Is tonight too soon, or do you need some time to come to terms with this?"
"Tonight's fine," Ashley said, wiping at her face. She then turned around and went back into the living room as Andrea had her phone out again.
Mike Slattery
Mike was exhausted. He'd had a trying day. Sam was acting out at school again, so he had spent his morning in the office convincing the principal not to expel the boy. It had taken a lot of Mike's energy to keep his cool. He had then received a call from Sasha asking if she and Tom could come for dinner. Tom finally wanted to see his kids. Mike's gut reaction was to say no and hang up, but he stopped himself.
He had to keep his own anger in check. Tom was finally asking about the kids so maybe he was getting better. Mike was bitter. He was making progress with Sam, and he was terrified that this would set the boy back. Maybe he was a little jealous that Sam wasn't his own. The more time he spent with Sam Chandler to more the boy fell into the hole left by Lucas' death. Sam was a little older than Lucas would be, but that was irrelevant. He felt like he had his son back, even if he was using Tom Chandler's son as a stand in. His heart wasn't as heavy.
Maybe his snap instinct to say no was that Mike was afraid of what will happen when Tom takes his kids back. He had blown out a heavy breath and told Sasha that he needed to check with the kids first and that he would get back to her. So, he had called Andrea who was on base today. Mike had gotten a special permission to not report for duty while they weren't deployed because of the kids.
She hadn't seemed like it was a good idea either and she was probably feeling much like he was. He had noticed how close Andrea and Ashley Chandler had become. Mike and Andrea had talked on numerous occasions about how the kids were filling holes.
After talking to Andrea Mike had found Sam and brought up the subject. Sam had immediately reacted with an angry outburst. There was no doubt in Mike's mind that this was a bad idea, but he wasn't about to deny the kids their dad, or Tom his kids. He tried to talk to Sam about giving his dad a chance and when Sam had calmed a little, he had given Mike a watery nod. About that time Andrea had called him back and said that Ashley was torn but had decided she wanted to see her dad tonight.
Mike just hoped there was enough of Tom Chandler on the surface that the kids could actually do that. So, he had called Sasha back and told her when to come over and then headed straight to the kitchen to prepare the meal. Abbey had joined him and helped make the food while Hannah sat at the table and did her homework. As Mike was helping Hannah, and Abbey was stirring the pasta, Andrea and Ashley walked in.
Ashley gave everyone a forced smile, a little wave, then excused herself to her room. Mike looked at Andrea and she simply gave the same forced smile and shrugged her shoulders. Mike sighed. He wanted to go and hug Andrea, but they hadn't told the kids about their dating.
The last month Mike had taken Andrea out a few times and things had gone well. He felt like they were growing closer, and he was ready for the next step in their relationship but he feared it would be detrimental to the kids. They had discussed it and Andrea had felt they should wait a little longer to tell anyone. Mike had reluctantly agreed.
Before long Hannah was done with her homework, and Abbey had finished making the food. Mike had everyone but Sam at the table when Sasha and Tom showed up. Mike watched as Ashley stiffened when she saw her dad come in with a strange female. Mike frowned. They hadn't told the kids about Sasha.
Mike excused himself and went in search of Sam. He found the boy in his bedroom under the covers crying. Mike laid down on the bed with him and pulled him into his chest.
"Hey, it's okay. If you want to stay here, I can tell them you don't feel well."
"I like that idea," Sam sniffed. "I don't want to see him."
"And that's okay, Sammy. You stay in here and I'll just tell him you don't feel good and you're already asleep."
"Okay," Sam sniffed again. When Mike got up and walked away, Sam curled up in a ball under the covers again and Mike's heart broke. He stepped into the hallway and closed the door behind himself. He then leaned back against the door and closed his eyes. He took a moment to compose himself and was a little startle when he heard Andrea speak.
"Hey," she said softly. Mike opened his eyes and tilted his head down to look at her.
"Hey," he replied. He reached out his hand and she wrapped her fingers in his. "This sucks," he breathed out. Andrea grinned a little and Mike felt his stomach flutter. She squeezed his hand.
"I know. We shouldn't be too long; Ashley didn't look all that happy I was leaving the room."
"Okay," Mike sighed, then he pulled her to him and bent down. He touched his lips to hers, kissing her gentle, sweet, and brief. He pulled back and then dropped her hand as they walked back to the kitchen. Ashley had left a chair between her, and her dad and Andrea took it. Mike frowned but then took the seat between his own daughters.
Dinner was awkward and hard. Mike tried to keep conversation going but Ashley was sad and withdrawn. Tom seemed the same, as if he was struggling just being in the same room with her. Andrea continued to comfort her. Then abruptly Ashley stood from her chair and asked to be excused, eyes downcast, fingers balled tightly against her palms. Mike sighed.
"Yeah, you may be excused," he said before Tom could say anything. It was still his house, but Tom didn't say anything and that made Mike just a little bit mad. He didn't say a damn word as his daughter practically ran from the room. He locked his jaw and ground his back molars. Hannah and Abbey had had enough of the tension as well and shortly after Ashley ran, they also asked to be excused. Mike sat at his table, his hands gripping the edge of his chair, to keep them occupied, his eyes studying the middle of the table. Tom had been quiet. Mike looked up when he heard a chair scoot and he saw Andrea gathering up the dishes that the kids had left.
Normally he would be angry that the girls had left their dirty dishes on the table, and technically it was Hannah and Ashley's day to do the dishes, but Mike let it go tonight. Tonight, he understood. Tonight, he cut them some slack, because it was painful. And if he thought it was painful, he could only imagine what Ashley had felt.
Once Andrea deposited the dishes into the sink she had walked off without another word. He presumed she was going to Ashley's room to talk to her. He was glad she was there tonight. He forced his eyes up to Tom who was sitting stiff in the chair, eyes locked downward. Sasha had her hand on his leg, rubbing him gently. She was talking quietly into his ear.
"Well, that was a fucking disaster," Mike breathed out as he shook his head. Tom's eyes snapped up and Mike saw the pain and anger and despair in them.
"You saying it's my fault?" Tom ground out with a clenched jaw. Mike guffawed and Tom glared at him.
"Seriously, Tom?" Mike spat out then reeled himself back in. This wasn't helping. He shook his head as he pressed his lips together and rubbed his hands along his thighs.
"Fuck you, Slattery," Tom breathed out but there was nothing behind it. Mike dropped his head.
"Those kids feel abandoned. You did that. Those kids are hurting…you didn't help them," Mike snapped.
"Mike," Sasha snapped, and he looked at her. Her eyes were pleading with him to stop, and he threw his hands up in the air.
"I knew this was a bad idea."
"It has to start somewhere, Mike," Sasha replied as she wrapped an arm around Tom's shoulders. His chin dropped to his chest.
"Nope, Slattery's right. I'm a fuck up and I told you, Sasha," he said with venom in his voice. His eyes slowly came up to meet hers and Mike watched with curiosity. "I told you I'm unworthy of this love. I shouldn't be here."
"Damn it, Tom," Mike ground out and slammed his hands off the table. "She's right. Damn it," he shouted again. "You need…its takes…I don't fucking have a clue what to do now."
"Where's Sam?" Tom asked as he brought his eyes to Mike's. There was an ocean of emotion swimming there and Mike felt his guts twist. He rubbed a hand to the back of his head and sighed.
"He didn't want to see you," Mike said. "I'm sorry. I wasn't going to force him."
"He didn't want to see me?" Tom asked and the hurt was evident in his voice.
"Tom, you have to understand," Sasha said softly. Tom looked at her and he looked like he was going to crack. Mike turned away and blew out a breath. "Sam is hurting too, just like you."
"Maybe we can try again sometime soon. I'll talk to Sam and maybe we can…maybe you can come laser tag with us or something," Mike said as he pushed his own emotion down, calming himself. Tom and Sasha looked up at him.
"Can I go talk to him now?" Tom asked. Mike thought about the request, and he frowned.
"I don't think that's a good idea, Tom. He really didn't want to—"
"See his dad. I get it," Tom replied as he pushed from the chair and walked away from them. Sasha watched him go as Mike swallowed and looked at the floor.
"He's trying," Sasha said, and Mike looked at her.
"Yeah, finally. Look we've been through hell with these kids, Andrea and me."
"I know, Mike."
"No. I don't think you do, Cooper. You got kids?" Mike shot at her. He saw the cringe cross her face and the pain and he licked his lips and shook his head. "As broken as he is.? Those kids are too. And he turned his back on them."
"He didn't turn his back on them—" Sasha started to defend Tom and Mike cut her off harshly.
"Doesn't matter how you or even he sees it. All that matters is how they see it. And both those kids have said he abandoned them when they needed him most."
"He's trying," Sasha reiterated, and Mike felt the anger bubble inside again.
"Great," Mike ground out. "But they aren't ready. Especially Sam. He needs more time."
"Okay," Sasha said holding her hands up. She glanced in the direction that Tom had gone. They both sighed when they heard the front door.
"Take him home. Do whatever you have to do. But just know…these kids need more time."
"Okay. Just know, Mike, it's really bad," Sasha replied, tears sprang to her eyes and her chest hitched. Mike felt the punch in his gut. He's been spending so much time being angry at Tom he didn't stop to ask what's been happening. His face softened and he blinked back some tears.
"How bad," he said crossing his arms over his chest. Sasha sucked in a deep breath.
"Night terrors that he thinks are real, he sees…the ghosts of those he loves and lost. He has deep guilt for things he had no control over. He—"
Mike stopped her by holding up his hand, then ran it over his short hair and blew out a breath through his nose. He looked up when Andrea walked into the kitchen. She paused in the doorway and looked around. Mike felt like there was a weight on his shoulders.
"Okay. What's the plan then," Mike asked, looking from one woman to the other. Andrea froze and cocked her head slightly, raising her eyebrows.
"I'll continued to work with him," Sasha said softly as she looked at her hands. "Just please be open to this kind of thing."
"It's not me," Mike snapped defensively. Andrea immediately stepped to him and placed a hand on his arm. He relaxed almost instantly at her touch. His shoulders slumped.
"I didn't mean…" Sasha trailed off. "Look I know emotions are running really high right now, but we need to figure out how to get that family back together."
"I don't know that that's ever going to go the way Chandler wants it to go," Andrea replied softly, giving Sasha a sad smile. "Those kids are—"
"We have to try," Sasha said, almost begging. Mike nodded.
"We are," He sighed. Andrea nodded in agreement. Sasha nodded in return and then she turned and headed towards the front door. Mike slumped against his counter and closed his eyes, arms crossed over his chest. He felt Andrea's fingers wrap around his forearm and squeeze gently. He opened his eyes and gazed down at her.
"You, okay? That was a pretty emotional night," she said softly. Mike took a moment, simply breathing. Her hand left his forearm and planted squarely on his chest.
"Yeah," he choked out, and sighed. She nodded that she understood. "How's Ash?"
"Crying in her room, but I think it's okay. I talked to her for a bit."
"Good," he replied as he peeled his arms from his chest and settled them over her shoulders. He pulled her in closer then wrapped her in a hug. Her arms encircled his middle, her head laying against his chest. "Will you stay tonight?" he asked in a whisper against the top of her head.
Kat Nolan
A month had passed, and Kat figured Sasha just trusted her. Sasha checked in maybe once a week, like Kat was an afterthought. That was okay with Kat though. She was enjoying her independence. She was keeping up with her schoolwork, so she didn't get Sasha in trouble, or have her release revoked.
In the last month she had talked with two different recruiters for the Navy, and both had agreed she needed to be at least sixteen and have a guardian approval before the new Navy would take her. Two more months she thought. Then she could join the Navy and start her life.
She had been talking to Ray daily as well. The phone calls were the highlight of her days, and the texts always made her smile. They had grown closer even though they never saw each other in person, but she found herself opening up to him more and more. On the hard days when she was really missing her dad, Ray was there to listen to her cry and talk to her about his own losses.
She knew that she was helping him as well get through his duties and have purpose besides just the Navy. He had some leave coming up and he had asked if he could come there and spend real time with her. She jumped at the chance and told him she would love that. She didn't know how Sasha would take that, but she figured Sasha was never there anyway. She was too busy trying to rebuild Chandler.
TO BE CONTINUED…