14. Vance
CHAPTER 14
Vance
“There's something I need to tell you.”
She pulls back, searching my face. “What is it?”
If this relationship is going to work, she needs to know all parts of me, not just what she sees. It’s always been hard for me to come back and jump right back into civilian life. My job over there is difficult and comes with certain components that… leave me with scars. Not just physically but mentally. Taking someone’s life, what I am trained to do, still haunts me every time. My brothers have no idea the mental struggles I have because we don’t discuss those matters, but my therapist seems to think that I can’t keep it to myself.
I take a breath. “My deployment... It left scars. Not just physical ones.” I turn away, running a hand through my hair. “There was an ambush and we lost good men. Friends.”
She reaches out, gently touching my arm. “Vance…”
I stand up and start to pace. I flinch, lost in the memory. “I can still hear the gunfire, smell the smoke. It haunts me, Blair. Every quiet moment, it's there.”
She steps closer, wrapping her arms around my waist from behind. “I'm here,” she murmurs against my back. “You're not alone anymore.”
My hands cover hers, squeezing tightly. “Sometimes I feel like I never left that desert. Like I'm still fighting, still losing.”
She presses a soft kiss between my shoulder blades. “You made it home, Vance. You survived.” She comes around and strokes my cheek. “You're safe now. You're home.”
My eyes open, meeting hers. “You’re my home, Blair. I never dared to hope for this,” I admit. “For a future beyond the next mission.”
She leans back, searching my face. “What do you see now? When you think about our future?”
A small smile tugs at my lips. “Peace,” I say. “A life where I wake up next to you every morning. Where we build a beautiful family together.”
“I want that too,” she says. “A home, a family... all of it, with you.”
I cup her cheek, my thumb tracing her lower lip. “You make me believe it's possible.”
My gaze drops to her lips, then back to her eyes. She leans in slowly, giving me time to pull away.
I don't.
My lips meet hers, soft and tentative at first. Then, as if a dam has broken, the kiss deepens. I taste the promise of tomorrow on her tongue, feel the weight of her longing in the way she holds me.
When we finally break apart, I'm breathless. I rest my forehead against hers, eyes closed.
“I love you, Blair,” I whisper. “No matter what comes next.”
Her lips find mine again, hungry and insistent. My body responds instinctively. She has the stamina of a fighter. Maybe we should have eaten before we came to the apartment.
We move together, and I still when she traces the scars on my skin, silently acknowledging the battles I’ve fought.
“One day, I wanna know how you got these. But that can wait.”
This round, I take my time, truly exploring and devouring her in every way possible. Blair might not realize it yet, but there is no one else. If for any reason we didn’t work out, I’ll be single. My heart belongs to her, always has.
Blair screams out my name three more times before we make some quick sandwiches and retreat to the bed.
“I’ve never been so hungry.” I say, taking a bite.
She eyes me. “I didn’t hear any complaints.”
“Fuck, I’ll never complain about being with you, princess.”
The only thing that stands in our way is my best friend. Sooner or later, he will come around. I have first hand knowledge just how protective he is of her, but he should know by now, I would never do anything to hurt her. Honestly, I am still shocked he never picked up on my feelings for her. All these years, and never once questioned it.
Blair runs her index finger down my chest. “I just remembered… don’t hate me, but before all this happened, my parents invited you over for dinner tomorrow.”
My eyes bulge. “And you are just now telling me?”
Her parents love me, or they have, but will it change when they find out about us?
She leans in, pressing a soft kiss to my lips. “I love you, Vance Blackhawk, and we will be just fine.”
Instead of worrying about tomorrow, I soak up Blair resting in my arms, the sound of her breathing steady, and knowing that this is how I get to enjoy every night for the rest of my life.