Prologue

Alexia’s POV

“How can you say something like that?” I asked the arrogant and infuriating man sitting across from me. He sat there looking at me for a moment before giving me an answer.

“What would you like for me to say, Lexi? That I’ll just go and tell my Commander that I don’t want to go. Do you think that would work?”

I shook my head trying to keep the tears that were threatening to fall down my cheeks, from doing so.

“I don’t know, Brandon. I know that you can’t tell him that, but I wish that you didn’t have to go. I don’t know how I am going to handle not being able to talk to you any time I want to.”

Brandon stood up and came to sit beside me. “I get it, Lex. I do, but I have my orders. We knew that it could happen eventually. It’s been a year and a half since I joined. You know that. I’ll call and write every chance that I get. You’re my best friend and no amount of time or distance will ever change that.”

“I’m going to miss you so much. I better be the second call that you make when you get the chance. Your mom and dad had better be the first.” I said with a weak smile on my face.

Brandon gave me a hug that felt like goodbye. When he let me go and walked towards the door to leave, I got this sinking feeling that a part of me was leaving with him. I gave him one more sad smile before he closed the door, got in his car, and drove away.

Two weeks after Brandon left for Iraq, I got the first letter. He told me that he was finally getting settled in and that he missed me and his folks. He told me that things were crazy over there and that he wasn’t sure how often he would be able to write me or when he would be able to call me. He ended his letter by telling me that he would write again soon.

I constantly checked my mail to see if he had written again, and I cherished every letter I received, until his last one. It was laying in the floor by the front door. That letter broke my heart. I cried as I read his words.

They told me that he was home, but he didn’t want to see me and that he wasn’t sure if he ever would. Part of me died as I read the words before me. The loss of my best friend was something that I had prepared for, but I hadn’t prepared for that loss to come from his own free will.

The only thing I could think to do was call my mom. So that’s what I did. She came home from work early and held me while I cried and then we just sat there in silence until the darkness finally took over and I slept.

The next morning, I woke up to the sound of voices coming from the kitchen. I forced myself to get up and made my way down the hall. I walked into the kitchen to see my mom and dad talking with Brandon’s mom and dad, Helen and Dale. Well, Helen wasn’t talking much. She looked like she had been crying.

“Hey, Helen. Hey, Dale. What are you two doing here so early?” I asked half-heartedly.

“We had an incident the other night at the house. Your dad was with us when it happened. We just wanted to stop by and let him know what was going on. How are you doing, dear?” I could tell that he already knew about the letter. I could see the pity in his eyes.

“I’ll be fine. I had already prepared myself to never see him again. It hurts. It hurts really bad, but nothing that I won’t survive.” I refused to let the tears start falling again. I had shed enough tears last night.

“Mom. Dad. I’m going to go to Sam’s house. I just need to get my mind off of things before we head off to school this weekend.”

“Okay, sweetie. We will see you later. We love you.” My dad said before giving me a kiss on my forehead.

I gave everybody a hug before heading upstairs to get ready to leave. Once I got back home this evening, I would have to start packing my bags. I couldn’t wait to get away from here. After reading Brandon’s letter, staying would be harder for me than leaving ever would have been.