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 y
Alexia’s POV ‘Breathe. Just Breathe.’ I thought to myself as I started getting ready for my day. This was going to be one of those days that could either be one of the best days of my life, or one of the worst. I slowly made my way into my bathroom to take a shower. I had no clue what I was going to wear or what I was going to do with my long auburn hair. I was determined to make an impression that was going to last a lifetime. I finished my shower, wrapped a towel around my hair, put on my robe, and then headed towards my closet. As I was looking at my lackluster clothing options, I decided to wear my black pinstriped pant-suit, emerald green silk blouse, and my black kitten heels. After curling my hair, putting on a little bit of makeup, and getting dressed, I checked out my appearance in my full-length mirror. “Wow.” I mumbled out loud. I hardly even recognized the woman looking back at me. My auburn locks looked like a waterfall cascading down and stopping just above the small
Brandon’s POV My day started out like any other day. I showered, got dressed, had my breakfast, and then went into my office to start going over the resumes for the applicants that were interviewing for a position at my research lab. Two of my buddies, Mark and Thomas, and I started this lab after we got back home from overseas. They were the brains and I was the money. Well until I decided that I was tired of only being the money. So, I decided to go back to school and finish getting my degree to become a bioengineer. On my way into the office, I started thinking about Mark and Thomas. We met overseas in Iraq. We were bunkmates while we were on our first tour. We got sent back stateside after our convoy got ambushed on our way back to our base. Out of twenty-four men in our convoy that day, only seven made it back home. To say that the three of us had a bond that most wouldn’t understand, would be an understatement. When I got back home, I wasn’t the same person that I was when
Alexia’s POV I opened the door to my apartment, knowing that my mother would already be inside waiting for me. The last person I expected to see sitting in my living room with her was Brandon’s mother, Helen. As our gazes met, the onslaught of emotions that rushed to the surface overwhelmed me once again. I could no longer hold back the sobs that I had been fighting from the moment that I laid my eyes on Brandon. My mother and Helen both got up from where they were seated on my couch to rush to my side. They both radiated love and concern. “Come sit down, dear.” I heard Helen say in such a way that made me sob even harder, but I followed her and my mother to my couch and sat down between them. I sat there and cried until I couldn’t cry any longer. My mom was the first one to break the silence. “Alexia, I need you to tell us what happened? Did you not get the job?” “No. I got the job.” I mumbled while I fiddled with my hands. Helen and my mother looked at each other quizzically
Brandon’s POV I opened my office door and walked in. I went over to the couch that I had slept on many nights in the past. I was so caught up on replaying Lexi’s words in my head, that I didn’t even notice that Teddy was sitting in one of the chairs at my desk. “Uhm, Boss?” He asked cautiously. I jerked my head up to look at him. “Teddy, I didn’t realize that you were in here. Is there something that I can help you with?” He watched me for a moment trying to gauge what kind of mood I was in. “No, I just wanted to make sure to remind you that you have that meeting with the pharmaceutical rep at 1:30.” “See if you can reschedule it for later this week. Tell them that there was an emergency with one of the computer systems that we use to run the pre-trials.” I said without a second of hesitation. Teddy gave me a curt nod as he walked towards my office door. “Yes, sir. I will let you know the new day and time.” He shut the door behind him. I laid my head back down and closed my eye
Alexia’s POV I laid in my bed trying to get to sleep. I sent mom and Helen home not too long after I got off the phone with Brandon. I wasn’t in the mood for company and just wanted to take a shower and go to sleep. Now all I wanted was for my brain to shut off and allow sleep to take over, but I couldn’t stop thinking about what Brandon meant. How was he broken? He seemed like the same old arrogant jerk that I remember. I can’t deny the haunted look that I saw in his eye though. It looks so similar to the one that I see when I look at myself in the mirror. I wasn’t sure when I finally drifted off to sleep, but I woke up around four crying and soaked with sweat. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep, so I got up and started stripping the sheets off my bed. The nightmares that plagued my sleep keep replaying in my mind, even though I am no longer asleep. After getting the sheets in the washing, I decided to go for a run to try and clear my mind. I walk into my closet
Alexia’s POV I was not disappointed at all. I didn’t really talk much throughout the tour. I was just so focused on taking it all in and listening to everything that Brandon was saying, that I only gave him short replies or nods so that he knew that I was paying attention. The last stop on the tour, before going to my office and the research lab that I would be working in, was the robotics lab. We walk in and I see the two guys that I met earlier standing in front of a computer talking about a robotic leg prosthetic. We walk over to them so that they can talk a little about what projects they are working on. “How is this one coming along, guys?” Brandon asked them once we were within earshot. Dr. Langford gave him a frustrated look. “Man, it’s still glitching. I can’t figure it out. I have tested every bit of the mechanics and even rewrote the programming for it. Nothing seems to be wrong, but it obviously is.” I stood there and listened while also inspecting the leg closely. It
Brandon’s POV As I made my way back up towards my office, I kept replaying what Lex meant when she said that I was only a small part of the reason she couldn’t let me back in. I wonder what other ghosts haunt her? I could tell that they were bad, just by the look in her eyes. It was the look of trauma and scars that ran deep. I hope that she has someone that she can talk to about it. I know having Mark and Thomas to talk to about what we experienced definitely played a part in my healing process. I know I still have some issues, but they are nowhere like they used to be. When I finally reached my office, I noticed that my door is slightly ajar, which is something that I don’t do. My door is always shut no matter if I’m in my office or not. I immediately go on high alert, as I slowly push my door open. I let out the breath that I had been holding, when I saw my mom sitting on the couch to my right. “Mom, to what do I owe this lovely surprise?” I asked as I walked toward her and kis