Beneath the Fallen Stars

I’m jolted awake by a loud clanking sound. Sitting up, I’m on high alert until I remember I’m not in the desert. I’m in Kentucky, at Chad’s parents’ place.

“I’m sorry,” a feminine voice says softly from behind me. Turning to look over my shoulder, I see Shayne. She holds up a glass. “I was thirsty,” she says, placing the glass back on the counter and turning the lid on the gallon of milk before putting it back in the refrigerator. “Wait, did you want some?” she asks.

Of you? Yes. “No thanks,” I say instead.

“I’m sorry I woke you.”

“You all right?” I ask.

“Yep,” she says, popping the p.

Moving over to one side of the couch, I pile the blanket I was using on my lap and pat the cushion next to me. “Wanna sit?”

“I should let you get back to sleep.”

“I’m up. You’re up. Come sit.” I pat the cushion again. I watch as she grabs her glass and heads my way.

“You sure?”

“Positive.” That’s all the reassurance she needs to take a seat. She doesn’t sit on the cushion next to me. Instead, she sits with her back against the armrest, and her legs pulled up underneath of her. “What time is it?” I ask her.

“A little after two.”

I’ve barely been asleep an hour. “Tell me something. Anything.”

“What do you want to know?”

“You. I want to know you.” The lighting is dim here in the living room. Just the small light over the stove from the kitchen is on. Thankfully this house has an open-floor plan, or we would be in complete darkness. Not that I mind the dark, but I’d prefer to be able to see her.

“Me?” she asks, surprised. “There’s not much to tell.”

“I find that hard to believe.” Reaching over, I tap her knee, feeling her soft skin beneath my fingertips. “Come on, give me something.”

“Fine, but you have to give me the same as I give you.”

“Trust me, sweetheart, I’m a giver,” I assure her.

“Fine. Favorite color is pink. And before you say something about me not being a girly girl, I know that, but it’s feminine and soft, and I just love it.” She shrugs.

“Pink is a good color.” My mind instantly goes to parts of her body that I’m sure are a pretty pink that I’d like to explore.

“Your turn.”

“I don’t know, black or gray, I guess.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Black is slimming.” I rub on my flat abs over my shirt, making her laugh.

“For real?”

“Yes.” I chuckle softly. “Is that morbid?”

“No. Not at all.” She shakes her head. “Okay, next, let’s see…” She taps her index finger against her chin as she thinks. “Oh, I hate onions. Bleh.” She pretends to gag.

“I’ll pretty much eat anything,” I tell her. And again, my mind detours to how much I’d like to eat her and all her pink sweetness.

“Your turn. You tell me something.” She takes a sip of her milk.

“I’m twenty-one. Enlisted in the army right after graduation.”

“A baby.” She laughs. “I’m twenty-three, and I worked at the grocery store in town up until two years ago when I turned twenty-one and started at Jet’s. I worked at the store all through high school, and it just made sense to stay. That is until life happened, and well, the tips at the bar help my bank account.”

“I used to think I wanted to make a career out of the army. Now I’m not so sure.”

“No? What changed?”

You. “I don’t know, really. I’ve just been thinking a lot lately. When I enlisted, I signed-up for four-year active duty. I’ve been thinking about signing up for two more. However, I’ll still have two years after that in the reserves. My overall contract was six years regardless.”

“Yeah, Joan mentioned that Chad was thinking about the same.”

I nod. “Yeah, we both talked a lot about it and we’re both thinking two years sounds better than four.”

“Having regrets?”

“No, but if I’m honest, I’m not sure I want to at all now having met you.” I can see the shock written all over her pretty face.

“You barely know me.”

“Yeah, but I want to know you, and that’s going to be hard as hell to do when I’m living in the desert six to nine months out of the year.”

“You chose the desert, right? Didn’t y’all have to list three places you were willing to go or wanted to be stationed or whatever it’s called?”

“Yeah, we did, and Chad and I had all three of the same locations listed. We’ve been lucky the last three years—from basic to our assignments, we’ve been together.”

“You two are close.” It’s not a question as much as her making an observation.

“I trust him with my life.”

“I’m glad he has you. I’m glad that you have each other,” she says softly. “So you’re stationed at Fort Campbell too?”

“Yeah. Luckily, it’s not too far from home. My family can come and visit often when we’re not deployed.”