Chapter 32
June stood in silence a moment, debating with herself about giving Rob a chance to explain.
She hated to admit she was curious about the reason for his disappearance, but at the same time, his reappearance was like tearing open an old wound.
She still hadn’t fully recovered from his callous silence to her, and now he’d just popped in like no time had passed at all.
Though he did look a little worse for wear. His hair was in disarray, and he looked tired and haggard.
She knew what Casey and Karla would say. Don’t give him a chance to spill more lies just to get back into her good graces. Sue would tell her to hear him out.
What did she have to lose?
She could listen to his ‘explanation’ and send him packing. It’s not like there was any excuse for not talking to her for three weeks.
“We’ll go to your place.” It was further away, but that way it would be easier to walk away than try to kick him out of her house. She didn’t want him in her home right now either. The memory of the last time they were together there was still too fresh.
“Alright, I’ll meet you there. Thank you,” he added, looking relieved.
“I’m just listening to what you have to say. It doesn’t change anything between us. Things are over.” The words hurt to come out, but she had to make him know his explanation wouldn’t change anything. She couldn’t survive another heartbreak.
Rob nodded solemnly and stepped away from her car so she could get in it. “I’ll abide by whatever you decide.”
June didn’t say anything as she got in her car. Her mind was in turmoil as she drove to Rob’s house. Part of her was glad he was back, and another part felt angry and confused. She hoped his explanation gave her some sort of closure to their relationship.
Although June couldn’t let it sway her into giving him another chance. It didn’t matter that she still had feelings for him. He had shattered her heart and broken her trust. That wasn’t something she could easily forgive.
“Alright, what’s you’re reasoning for leaving me after we made love and not talking to me until now?” June asked without preamble once they were in the house.
“Do you want to sit down first?” Rob questioned from the doorway, just closing the front door.
“No, you said you were going to tell me the truth. I’m waiting.” June didn’t want to be here any longer than necessary. She also didn’t want herself getting too comfortable because she didn’t plan to stay long. It was the only way to protect her heart from further breaking.
Rob wrung his hands together as he walked further into the room. June had never seen him so nervous before.
“Rob?” For the first time since seeing him again, she felt hesitant. “Are you alright? It’s nothing bad, is it?” She hoped she wasn’t being a bitch when a family member was dying or something.
Rob shook his head. “It’s not bad, but I’ve never told anyone before, so I just don’t know how to begin.”
That wasn’t reassuring. “You don’t do anything illegal, do you?” That could be a reason she hadn’t considered until now why he was out of town.
Her brother would not be happy with her for dating a criminal. Nor did she want to date one. June had a hard time picturing Rob as a bad guy.
The corner of Rob’s lip twitched like he was trying not to laugh at the suggestion. “No, I don’t do anything illegal, but it is secret.”
She remembered his words in the parking lot. Top secret. Only military people used lingo like that. But he was out of the military, wasn’t he?
“You still work for the military, don’t you?” She didn’t understand how. He should be considered a disabled veteran.
Rob’s head whipped up, and he stared at her wide-eyed that she had guessed so easily, but it made sense. The secrets and avoidance of answers. It was just like her brother, but Rob couldn’t be a Delta, so what was he?
“You know I was in Special Forces before my accident.”
“Yeah…” A highly decorated one too by his shadow box on the wall at the entrance of the house. She had dumbed down how much she knew about his medals, but she understood what they all were.
“After the explosion, I was medically separated, and I lost my way for a bit. I had never planned on anything outside of a military life.” June could understand that. He had planned to make a career out of the military, but the explosion put a halt to that.
“I went to a place in Washington where a lot of veterans hang out for second chances. It’s a bar run by a veteran and employed by veterans.
He even has cabins on his property for people who just need a place to hang their hats until they figure out their next move.
While I was there, a man contacted me about an opportunity for a second chance at serving my country.
I was skeptical at first, but met with him.
He was forming a team of military veterans who still had a lot to give their country but could no longer serve as active duty. ”
“Your friends, they are also part of this team.”
“They are,” he confirmed; he had promised not to lie to her, and there wasn’t a way to explain his job without including them.
“So, what is it you guys do, or can you not tell me?”
“I can’t tell you all the details, but we go when political tape gets in the way. We don’t exist. We’re not sanctioned by the government.”
“So, if you are ever captured or killed, the US government can deny any knowledge of you.”
“Exactly. It’s similar to what I had been trained for. Reconnaissance, recovery.”
She was sure he was leaving out a lot, but she was used to the half answers with Liam. She knew he did things he could and would never tell her, and that was okay with her.
“I got a call that night we made love, and I had to leave without delay. The mission didn’t go as planned, and my trip got extended; that’s why I didn’t talk to you these past three weeks. I only got back a few hours ago, and I came straight to you as soon as I could.”
June took a moment to absorb all this new information. She was glad she finally had an answer for the reason he had disappeared for three weeks, but it still didn’t answer why he’d never called her, texted anything. “Why didn’t you leave a note or text me during all this time?”
Rob’s features pinched in pain. She could see the sorrow in his eyes; it was a decision he regretted, but it was too late to take back.
“Once I get focused on a mission, I tend to block out everything else. But I thought about you all the time. I just wanted to stay focused on my mission to get back home to you.”
“But I’m sure Greg and Luke told Zoey and Shay they were leaving and called them when they got back.”
“Relationships are new to me, June. I’m not used to telling people my comings and goings.” His voice rose as if he were getting irritated with her and having to defend his actions.
June saw red at his accusation. He had no reason to be upset with her.
“I’m not asking for your every move, but it would have taken you two seconds to send the text ‘I’m alive and I’ll be out of town.
Call you when I can.’ Or not sneak out like a thief in the night without a word after what was one of the best nights of my life.
“It’s better than thinking the past three weeks that what happened between us meant nothing to you. I felt used, Rob, can’t you understand that? Then you have to audacity to get upset with me because I point out your teammates’ girlfriends knew you were out of town, and I didn’t.”
“I didn’t regret making love to you. I don’t. I care about you, June.” He reached for her hands, but she stepped back not wanting him to touch her.
“You have a funny way of showing it.” June laughed when inside she wanted to cry. Rob just didn’t get it. He seemed to think saying ‘I’m sorry’ and that he cared for her erased the fact he hadn’t tried contacting her over the past three weeks on purpose because he was playing G.I. Joe.
“June, I know I don’t have a good excuse for what I did to you. Know that I feel like shit for the way I handled things, and I’m asking you to forgive me and give me another chance.”
“Rob, I appreciate all you do for this country, and now I understand why you did what you did. I can’t forget the feeling though, of waiting for you to call me day after day, making up so many excuses why you couldn’t spare me two seconds to say you were over me, that you weren’t dead, anything.
Three weeks after the fact doesn’t erase that.
So no, I can’t forgive the way you treated me, and I won’t give you another chance to hurt me worse than you already have. Goodbye, Rob.”
Rob didn’t try to stop her as she left his house. There wouldn’t have been a point. She was done with him.