Author's note
Thank you once again for all those comments.
Here is another one
Enjoy
Bass's POV
Conner and Miles haven't spoken one word with me since Charlie left. I couldn't stop those words from slipping out of my mouth, even if I wanted to and I could kick myself right now. Jealousy is ugly and mixed with anger it can be really nasty.
Thankfully, Alex is oblivious to what happened; he seemed to find his dinner more interesting than our Adult conversations.
I pay as the waitress brings the check and the only one who is chatting the whole way home is Alex. As Miles opens the door, a brown envelope is lying on the ground. My best friend hands it to me and says "Maybe this is the wake-up call you need!"
"You can be a real asshole, big brother" Conner adds and shakes his head. "Come on Alex; let's see if Uncle Miles has some ice cream hidden away."
I look down at the envelope and immediately recognize Charlie's hand writing. I know what this is and I have been waiting for her to give these to me since she told me she was leaving. I have no idea why she waited so long.
I sit on the couch, which Miles has on his front porch, and open the envelope. I knew what was in it just by seeing the envelope, but yet the words 'Application for Divorce' hit me like a ton of bricks. Tears form in my eyes, but I force them back down.
I'd do anything for her and if this is what she wants, then so be it. I don't want to keep her from a better life. From someone who can make her happier than I ever could. I have issues, a huge truck load of issues. The nightmares and flashbacks are just two of those issues. She doesn't deserve an old fucked up man by her side.
"Here, drink this!" Miles orders and brings me out of my thoughts. I don't know how long I have been out here starring at these papers and only now I realize that my hands are shaking like crazy.
"You got a pen?" I question, as I drown the glass of whisky Miles handed me.
"You are not signing those papers!" Miles says sternly.
"I sure am. This is what she wants, this is what she gets. She deserves better Miles!" I answer. Miles suddenly produces a bottle of whiskey out of his back pocket and pours me another glass, before sitting down next to me. "Remember those were your words, as I told you Charlie and I are dating."
"Yes I know that those were my words, along with a bunch of other crap I said to you that day" Miles replies and takes a sip from his own glass of whiskey. "But you also know the words I said to you just a few days later."
Flashback
"Miles" I am surprised to find him at my door step, since we are not on talking terms at the moment and it is 8 am in the morning. "What are you doing here?"
"You will treat her well?" His voice sounds rough, as if he partied all night long.
"Yes, of course" I reply without a doubt.
"Okay then." He says and pushes past me into the house and walks straight towards the kitchen. "You got any coffee?"
"The pot just finished" I answer, close the door and follow my best friend.
"I am sorry. What I said was wrong…" Miles starts, but I interrupt him.
"No…you were right. I don't deserve her and I don't know why she likes me. But I know she is someone who makes me happy and I hope that I make her happy too…"
"She told me that you make her happy and I should butt out of her life" Miles replies with a smirk and I can't help but smile too. "So this is me butting out. You are a good guy, Bass. I don't think anyone ever will be good enough for her, but you come pretty damn close."
End of Flashback
It is the closest to a compliment I ever got from Miles. "Yeah I remember. But things have changed Miles…I have changed. Hell she left me, because she can't stand me being away all the time. Add those nightmares to it and she definitely deserves better."
"Then quit your job, like she asked you to do a million times" Miles retorts.
"You know our economy is shit. What am I supposed to do without a job? Alex goes to a private school, we have house payments…" I count up and even to my own ears it sounds like a bunch of excuses.
"Stop making excuses and look at the bright side. If you quit your job, you can actually see your son grow up. Those nightmares and flashbacks, and don't think I haven't noticed, will stop eventually too and if they don't you can get professional help" Miles replies and refills my glass. "And on top of everything, you can fight for your marriage with Charlie, unless you don't love her anymore?"
"She is it for me, Miles. There will never be someone else" I snort, as if anyone could fall out of love with Charlotte Matheson.
"Well then get you head out of the sand and fight for her, because if you don't there will be someone else eager to take your place" With that Miles gets up and leaves me alone. One look at my watch tells me that Alex should be in bed and I should start to pack. I am going back to Iraq tomorrow for six weeks, which means I have six long weeks to think really hard about what I want to do.
"Hey buddy?" I say as I come to a stop in front of Alex's school the next morning.
"Mh?" Alex replies sleepily.
"Take care of you and your mom okay?" I ask and get a nod. "Come here!" I pull him over the console and into my lap. I hug him tightly to my chest and as usual hope that I will make it back to him.
"Dad can we skype again… when you are over there?" He mumbles into my chest.
"Of course. I will email your mom and set something up okay?" I say and hug him a little tighter. I love him more than anything else in the world and I am glad that he seems to have inherited more from Charlie than me.
"I will miss you" He says and then jerks away and gets out of the truck.
His words are still ringing in my ears as we get to our camp in Iraq 24 hours later. I get settled in and go to greet Max, who is just overly happy to see me, because he knows I have as usual treats in my cargo pockets.
"Monroe!" Nutter shouts across the yard and runs towards me.
"Nutter" I respond as a greeting as the other man gets closer.
"How was your leave?" Nutter got his nickname, because he loves all kinds of edible nuts and he always carries a bag of nuts around with him.
"Short, yours?" I question carefully. Nutter's wife left him three years ago and his mother just recently passed away.
"Arleen was her usual Nagy self, the kids didn't want to see me and dad…well he is hanging in there as best as he can" He replies and shrugs his shoulders. "It's crazy to think I am rather out here than listening to Arleen yap on about all the payments she has to make and that I am not giving her enough alimony. Then I dared to suggest she'd get a job."
"What did she say?" I question with a smirk. I met his ex-wife once and she is a horrible person. Her husband is fighting for our country in a shitty desert and all she thinks of is going to Lunch with the girls and shopping. She burns through his money faster than you can say her name.
"She screamed at me for 15 minutes, before I had enough and hung up on her." He replies with a smirk of his own.
"NASH! MONROE! Sit Rep in 5" First Sergeant Taylor Reese shouts across the yard.
With one last pat on Max's head, we both make our way to the main tent, where meetings take place.
Loved it? Hated it? Leave a comment!