Chapter 53
The house smelled like coffee and bacon.
Aria stood at the kitchen island cutting vegetables while trying very hard not to smile like an idiot.
Which, honestly, was impossible.
Because for the first time in years, things felt normal.
Not perfect. Not magically healed but safe.
The kind of safe she had stopped believing she would ever get back.
Upstairs, the shower still ran. Chase had disappeared nearly twenty minutes ago after mumbling something about "bein' too sore to function like a civilized human."
Which nearly caused to blush so hard, she had immediately hidden in the pantry afterward out of pure embarrassment.
The man had zero shame. Yes, she had awakened him this morning for more of what they had started last night and yes she may have also taken her shot after breakfast as well but she was a deprived woman.
A knock sounded against the front door before it opened without warning.
"Hope everybody's decent!" Parker's voice echoed through the house.
Aria slowly turned to glance toward the door and there he stood.
Coffee in hand, sunglasses pushed onto his head while looking entirely too smug for seven in the morning.
"Actually... wait." Another pause. "Oh God." His eyes narrowed immediately, then widened.
"Oh my God." He pointed at her dramatically. "You got laid."
Her knife nearly slipped. "Parker!"
"Nope." He held both hands up immediately. "I know that look." A slow nod.
"Glowy." He pointed harder now. "You're glowy."
"I hate you." Aria pointed at him with her knife.
"You don't, and put that knife back to work before you hurt yourself." His grin widened. "Also, where's lover boy?"
Upstairs, right on cue, the shower shut off.
Parker's eyes widened. "Oh my God." He slapped the counter. "HE got laid too, awe."
Aria groaned immediately. "You are unbelievable."
"I'm observant." He grabbed a piece of bacon directly off the plate. "Was it emotional?"
She pointed the knife at him again. "Leave."
"Was he weird after?" Parker sent her a grin while wiggling his eyebrows up and down.
"Parker." she admonished before laughing.
"Did he cry?"
Her jaw dropped. "Oh my God!"
He gasped dramatically. "He cried!"
"He did not cry!" A pause. "Well..." She looked away.
Parker's mouth dropped open. "Oh my God he absolutely cried."
The grin slipped softer then, more brotherly than menacing.
His voice gentled. "Good."
The single word landed unexpectedly warm, because Parker, for all his chaos, loved Chase... loved both of them and he had wanted this for them, he had wanted them both whole again.
"You okay?" he asked quieter now.
"I think," she said softly, "we're finally gettin' there."
Parker smiled. "About damn time."
Then, he paused and looked away from her like remembering something before he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a familiar key that he lifted in the air holding it out for her.
Everything inside her stilled, immediately, because she knew what that key meant.
The warmth disappeared and just like that, he was serious, all business.
Her eyes lifted slowly to his. "No."
His jaw tightened slightly. "Yeah."
Silence settled between them, heavy now, different.
The joking gone, their grins gone.
That was his backup house key, the one that he lent to her every time he was going to be out of town on a job, so she could take care of Echo.
When she didn't reach for it, Parker set the key quietly on the counter.
"They need me."
Parker leaned back against the counter like maybe standing still somehow made it easier to say.
But Aria knew him too well, she knew by the way his jaw tightened that he was trying not to show her his stress. She knew by the way his thumb rubbed absently over the edge of the key when his mind was already somewhere else.
Gone before he'd even left.
"How long?" she asked quietly.
He shrugged once, the movement looked deliberately casual.
Which meant it absolutely wasn't.
"Don't know."
She hated that answer, she always hated that answer.
Because with Parker, nothing was ever simple.
Nothing was ever safe.
He wasn't military anymore, not technically.
But every once in a while, somebody somewhere decided the world was on fire and Parker apparently became everybody's favorite emotionally unavailable problem solver.
"How bad?" she asked.
His mouth twitched slightly. "That depends."
"On?"
He grabbed another piece of bacon. "If I come back ugly."
"Parker."
He sighed dramatically. "Okay, fine." The humor slipped for a second. "Bad enough."
Her chest tightened, because she knew what that meant too.
Bad enough meant dangerous. Bad enough meant quiet flights and burner phones and no details. Bad enough meant waiting.
And God, after Chase, she hated waiting.
The silence stretched for a second too long before Parker suddenly pointed at her.
"But before we get all sad and emotional..."
Oh no.
"You are absolutely not avoidin' the fact that Captain Sad Eyes finally climbed back into his marriage."
She groaned immediately. "Parker."
"No." He held up a hand. "I deserve details."
"You deserve absolutely nothin'."
He gasped dramatically. "After all I've done for this family?"
"You walked in my house and verbally assaulted me before coffee."
"That's called support."
She rolled her eyes so hard it almost hurt.
Upstairs, a floorboard creaked. Parker's head snapped toward the ceiling. Then slowly a grin spread across his face.
"Oh my God." Absolutely not. "You leave him alone."
"I haven't even said anything yet."
Another floorboard creaked, followed by heavy footsteps.
Parker leaned toward her like they were in a hostage situation and needed to whisper.
"Question."
She sighed already. "What?"
"Did he finally remember how obsessed he is with you?"
Her face betrayed her instantly.
Parker's mouth dropped open. "Oh my God." He slapped the counter. "HE DID."
"Lower your voice!"
"You two nasty little trauma survivors finally got your act together!"
"PARKER!"
"What?" He looked genuinely delighted. "I am on episode 8 season 17 of this drama... I been rootin' for this!"
A voice drifted from the stairs. "...Should I be worried?"
Both of them turned to see Chase stood halfway up the stairs in gray sweatpants and a t shirt, hair still damp from the shower.
And God, the smugness left Parker's face so fast it was almost impressive.
Then, ever so slowly, his eyes narrowed.
"Oh." He pointed. "You definitely got laid."
Chase stopped mid step. Blinked once, then twice. "What the hell?"
Parker folded his arms. "You got that stupid relaxed look." A pause. "Also?" He gestured vaguely. "You're glowy."
Chase looked horrified.
Aria immediately turned away to hide her laugh.
"Parker," Chase said slowly, "I will physically hit you."
"You won't." Parker grinned. "You're way too happy."
They all smiled at that until Chase noticed the key sitting on the counter.
His expression changed immediately, the softness disappeared.
"What's the key for?"
Silence.
Parker looked down once, then back up. "Break times over."
The room changed, it happened so fast it almost felt physical. One second Parker had been running his mouth like usual.
The next, everything felt heavier.
Chase's expression shifted immediately, gone was the easy softness from five minutes ago.
Gone was the teasing.
"What do you mean break times over?" he asked quietly.
Parker scratched at his jaw once, he didn't answer right away.
Which honestly, told Aria everything she needed to know, because Parker only hesitated when things were serious. Real serious.
"The kind of called where you're leavin' to some place you cannot talk about?" Chase asked.
Parker nodded once. "Yeah."
"How long?"
A shrug. "Haven't been told yet."
"What's the mission?"
Parker gave him a look. "You know I can't answer that."
Chase exhaled slowly through his nose, already irritated.
Already worried.
"Parker."
"Brother." Parker crossed his arms. "I literally signed paperwork sayin' I enjoy jail less than sharing classified information."
That got the smallest twitch from Chase's mouth.
"Hayes?" Chase asked.
Parker looked up immediately and there it was, confirmation.
Aria's stomach dropped, because Sergeant Hayes meant one thing.
Dangerous.
The kind of dangerous nobody talked about over coffee, and the kind Parker always came back quieter from.
"Yeah," Parker said finally.
Chase swore under his breath. "Fuck."
Aria looked between them. "What?"
Neither man answered.
"No," she said, crossing her arms. "No mysterious military man nonsense. What?"
Parker looked annoyingly amused for half a second.
Then sighed. "Sis..."
"Don't sis me." She glared at them both.
Chase leaned against the counter, arms folding across his chest. "He works contractor jobs," he said finally. "Off books stuff sometimes."
Her stomach tightened. "I knew you were helping with the military but why as a Contractor?"
Parker made a face. "That sounds way less cool than it is."
"Parker."
"Fine." He pointed vaguely at himself. "I help solve problems."
Chase deadpanned. "He's not being dramatic." A pause. "Parker's one of the best snipers I've ever worked with."
That shut Parker up, because Chase did not hand out praise.
Ever.
Aria blinked. "You're a sniper?"
Parker pointed dramatically. "World class, thank you." Then immediately looked offended when she didn't praise him.
"You own a construction company," she said slowly. "I thought you were out there building things for them... you kill people for them?"
"Yes." He answered, as his eyes lost a little more of their light.
"So all this time you have been casually disappearing to kill people?"
"Yes." He answered, while looking down at his boots.
Because now the reality sat there between them. He was leaving for a deadly meeting that would take more of his light and leave his eyes a little darker when he came back.
"When?" she asked quietly.
Parker rubbed the back of his neck. "Tonight."
Her face fell immediately. "Tonight?"
"Plane leaves at two." The words came too casually, like he wasn't talking about vanishing into danger, like he wasn't asking them to sit here and wait without knowing if he was alive.
Chase stared at him for a long second.
Then quietly, "You don't gotta do this anymore."
Parker looked at him, really looked at him as something quieter and unspoken passed between them.
Things Aria would probably never fully understand.
"Yeah," Parker said softly. "I kinda do."
Silence settled after that, because everybody in the room knew exactly what he meant.
He hadn't been there when Chase disappeared.
Hadn't been able to save Demi.
Couldn't stop any of it.
And somehow, Parker had never really forgiven himself.
Finally, he cleared his throat, then pointed dramatically at Chase.
"Anyway, if I'm potentially risking my life, I deserve details."
Chase blinked once. "...About what?"
Parker looked personally offended. "You know exactly what." His eyes narrowed.
"Did y'all finally reconnect reconnect?"
Aria groaned immediately. "Parker!"
"Oh come on." He looked between them. "Don't act shy now." Then he pointed at Chase.
"You got laid and suddenly you look ten years younger."
Chase looked personally offended.
"I hate to see you leave, brother," he said flatly, grabbing his coffee from the counter. "But you better be off to get things packed."
Parker grinned immediately.
"Love you too, brother."
Then, because apparently peace was never an option, he leaned closer toward Chase and lowered his voice just enough to pretend he was whispering.
"You can just call me later."
Chase's expression turned murderous.
Aria nearly choked trying not to laugh.
"Oh my God," she muttered, setting the knife down before one of them turned this into a fistfight.
Parker straightened immediately, smugness radiating off him like sunshine.
"Just sayin'," he shrugged. "I'm invested now."
"You are disgusting," Chase deadpanned.
"And yet somehow still everybody's favorite."
Chase pointed toward the front door. "Out."
Parker ignored him completely, instead, he reached across the counter and stole another piece of bacon.
"You know," he said thoughtfully around the bite, "I always knew y'all had unresolved sexual tension."
Chase blinked once. Very slowly. "We are literally married."
"Emotionally unresolved sexual tension." Parker said, around his bite.
"Parker."
"I'm just happy for you." A pause. "Also deeply uncomfortable now that I have taken this joke too far."
Chase narrowed his eyes. "Pick one, either your invested or uncomfortable."
"Nah." Parker smirked. "I'm complex."
Aria shook her head, smiling despite herself, she was going to miss this idiot.
The realization hit harder than she expected, because Parker had become family somewhere along the way.
Chaos wrapped in sarcasm and emotional damage, the kind of person who showed up whether you wanted him to or not, the kind who stayed. Until duty came calling.
And now, he was leaving again.
Her eyes drifted toward the key still sitting on the counter.
Parker noticed.
Of course he noticed.
His grin softened around the edges.
"I'll be alright, Ari."
The nickname hit her harder than she expected it to. She crossed the space between them and hugged him, while pretending not to imagine worst case scenarios.
"You better be," she said quietly.
His expression gentled.
"Echo's gonna need somebody to remind him he's retired and not still special forces."
"That dog absolutely thinks he outranks everybody."
"He does outrank everybody."
"Especially you," Chase muttered.
Parker gasped dramatically. "Wow." Hand to chest. "After everything I've sacrificed for you?"
Chase took a long sip of coffee. "You ate my bacon."
"Brotherhood means sharing."
"Brotherhood means leavin' when you damn well know you are interrupting."
Parker laughed under his breath, then his expression shifted again.
He looked toward Chase, really looked at him like he was quietly taking inventory.
Like some part of him still couldn't quite believe Chase was standing here.
"You good?" Parker asked finally.
"Better than I've been."
Something eased in Parker's shoulders, almost invisible, but Aria saw it.
Saw the relief. The guilt loosening just enough to breathe.
"Good," Parker said quietly.
Then, because apparently sincerity physically pained him, he clapped his hands once.
"Alright." A dramatic sigh. "Before I leave and y'all start makin' heart eyes at each other again..."
He grabbed the key from the counter and slid it toward Aria.
"Echo's food is labeled." A pause. "He now sleeps on my side of the bed." Another pause.
"And if you let him get fat while I'm gone..."
"Parker."
"I'm serious."
She smiled despite herself and wrapped her fingers around the key. "Come back safe."
The joking disappeared completely.
For one brief second, he looked tired. Older, like maybe carrying everybody all the time had finally started weighing heavy.
"Always try to," he said quietly. Then he looked toward Chase. "Walk me out?"
Chase nodded once immediately, and when the two men headed toward the front door, Aria stayed exactly where she was.
Because somehow, she already knew this goodbye mattered more to the both of them than anybody was saying out loud.
The front door clicked shut.
Aria stayed leaning against the counter, fingers still curled around Parker's key.
God, she hated this part. Always hated this part, the trying not to think about every awful possibility while pretending everything was fine.
Footsteps sounded behind her.
Heavy and familiar, she barely had time to glance up before Chase walked back into the kitchen.
Only, something about him had changed.
The softness from earlier was gone.
Military Chase now stood before her sharp and focused.
He reached for his coffee but he didn't drink it.
Just stood there for a second staring toward the front door.
Then he asked her, "How long?"
She frowned slightly. "What?"
His eyes moved to the key in her hand. "How long's Parker been contractin'?"
Her stomach tightened.
"About..." she thought for a second. "Three years?"
Silence followed her reply, it lasted long enough for her to start to worry about what was happening inside his head.
Chase blinked once. "Three years?"
Uh oh. "Chase..."
"Three." It was not a question, it was a statement. His jaw tightened hard enough she saw the muscle move. "He's been runnin' ops for Hayes for three damn years?"
"Well..." She shifted slightly. "I mean... not constantly."
He laughed once, short and humorless.
The kind of laugh people made right before they snapped.
"That son of a bitch."
Her eyebrows lifted. "Oh no, Chase don't."
"Oh yes." Chase already had his phone out.
The look on his face made her deeply concerned for whoever answered.
"Chase..."
"No." He held up a hand. "Nope."
The phone rang once, twice, then someone answered.
Chase immediately straightened.
"You got about ten seconds," he said flatly, "to explain why my best friend has been playin' expendable soldier boy for three damn years."
A pause.
Then "No, don't 'Captain' me."
Oh, he was pissed pissed.
Aria quietly sat her coffee down.
"You knew and didn't tell me." His voice sharpened. "Fuck you Hayes, you knew what happened to Demi and me and you still allowed this bullshit."
Another pause, then suddenly...
"Oh, bullshit." He started pacing now, slowly and filled with agitation.
The way he used to when something really got under his skin.
"You owe me Hayes... You owe me after everything that happened."
Pause.
"He should have been released... he should have been here healing.... no you let him keep takin' contracts?"
Another pause. Then Chase yelled"No." The word came out sharp, final.
"We're endin' this bullshit."
He pointed toward the front door like Hayes could somehow see him.
"The second Parker gets home, you pull his contract." A pause. "No discussion."
Another. "You owe me big time and we both know it."
He stopped pacing his jaw was tight, his eyes dark.
"You should've never let him keep goin'."
Silence, then finally his voice dropped quieter.
Angrier somehow.
"I disappeared and Parker spent years punishin' himself for survivin'... he was not fit to be in the field but you used his guilt to use him like a weapon."
The kitchen went still because suddenly, this wasn't really about the job it was about Chase taking care of his friend, his right hand.
"No." His expression hardened. "You don't get to tell me he volunteered."
A beat. "He'd walk into hell for people he loves." His voice cracked just enough to notice.
"And somebody should've stopped him."
The silence afterward stretched.
Then Chase muttered: "Yeah." Another pause. "You fix it."
He hung up then and the kitchen went quiet.
Aria stared at him carefully.
"Well," she said slowly. "That sounded productive."
Chase dragged a hand down his face. "I'm gonna kill Hayes."
"You literally just told him not to let Parker die."
"Aria." He started pacing again. "Parker should have been home." A pause. "He lost enough."
And God, that one hurt, because underneath all the anger Chase sounded scared.
Like maybe losing Parker felt a little too possible now.
Like after finally coming home and surviving torture meant nothing because he couldn't survive losing his brother.
Aria crossed the room and hugged him.
Chase let silent tears stream down his face then slowly, he folded into her.
Big body bending around hers as his arms wrapped tightly around her waist.
His forehead dropped against her shoulder.
And that was when she felt it, the slight shake in his breathing.
The quiet crack in all that control as silent tears still slid down his face.
No sound, no dramatic breakdown.
Just grief, fear, and love.
"I should've been there," he whispered finally, voice rough against her shoulder. "I should have saved her... if I had just made it to her he would be okay."
The sentence broke her heart instantly, because of course.
Of course that was where his mind went after finding out Parker was still running toward danger.
Chase was still carrying the weight of everybody he couldn't save.
She pulled back just enough to cup his face.
"No." Firmly she shook her head. "No, baby."
His eyes closed briefly, like hearing that somehow hurt worse.
"If I hadn't disappeared..." His voice cracked quietly. "He wouldn't still be doin' this."
"Chase."
"He blames himself."
God, the pain in his voice. "He thinks if he'd found me..." He swallowed hard. "If he'd done somethin' different..."
Aria's chest tightened painfully, because she knew.
Knew how guilt hollowed people out. How grief convinced you survival was something to apologize for.
"You know what I think?" she said quietly.
His eyes lifted to hers. "What?"
"I think Parker loves you."
Simple. Honest.
"I think losing Demi and losing you damn near destroyed him."
Her thumb brushed beneath his eye, catching tears before they could fall further.
"And I think maybe..."
She softened.
"Maybe helping people became the only thing that made him feel useful after that."
Chase looked away. Jaw tight. Breathing uneven.
"That don't mean he's gotta keep riskin' his life."
"No," she agreed softly. "It doesn't." A pause. "But you know Parker."
That finally got the smallest, saddest laugh out of him. "Stubborn son of a bitch."
"The worst."
"He ain't gonna listen."
"Nope."
Silence settled between them again.
Finally, she reached up and pressed a kiss to his forehead.
"We'll bring him home," she whispered softly.
His eyes flicked to hers. "How do we keep him here when we get him back?"
Her hand slid into his as a tiny smile tugged at her mouth despite everything.
"Well..." A pause. "You already threatened Sergeant Hayes." Another pause as she kissed him again. "I figure next step is emotional manipulation."
That got him, a laugh fell from his lips.
"I leave that to you... you are the master of manipulation."
She glared toward him at that, but inside she was just glad he was holding it together.
Now she just had to figure out how to keep Parker home and safe when he returned because she did not think Chase could handle life if something happen to Parker.
Maybe a woman in his life would calm him down..... nah he wasn't ready for that... maybe a project.