The Butterfly Effect (Boggy Creek Valley 1)

I walked closer to him. “Aiden, I was never once worried that you would.”

“The look on your face,” he whispered as his own screwed up into an expression of utter horror. “I could have hurt you.”

“You didn’t. Aiden, the only thing I want from you is to let me in. Let me help you fight whatever demons you’re trying to fight alone.”

He swallowed hard. “Help me? I’m fine.”

“Yes, help you. You may have been fighting alongside your SEAL team all these years, but you’re fighting another battle completely alone. For once, let someone other than a SEAL fight alongside you.”

He shook his head. “I’m not putting you through that. It’s fine. I’m fine.”

At that very moment, a loud bang came from one of the tractors backfiring.

Aiden jumped toward me, covered me with his body, and rolled, taking the brunt of our landing as we hit the ground.

My breath was knocked out of me, and it took a moment to drag in deep breaths of air. The feel of Aiden’s hands all over me, checking me for any signs of harm, left me feeling confused. His touch was calming, and at the same time, it lit my body on fire. It didn’t take long for reality to settle back in as he stood and helped me up.

Aiden stared at me before letting his gaze wander outside. He started to sweat, even though it was cool out.

“It was a tractor backfiring,” I whispered as I watched a torrent of emotions cross Aiden’s face.

My voice must have brought him back. He looked down at me, his brows pulled in tight. “Did you get hurt?” he asked, his eyes pooling with wetness.

Oh God. Oh shit. Shit. Shit.

“No, not at all. I’m okay. I’m fine.”

It struck me as so strange that I would use the same line he’d said only moments ago.

I’m fine.

I wasn’t physically hurt, but something inside of me broke in that moment. Not for myself, but for Aiden.

“I’m sorry,” he said and started to walk toward the exit.

Reaching for his arm, I pulled him to a stop. “Aiden, do not do this again. Please. Please!”

He slowly shook his head. “I thought I could do this. Just melt back into the life I knew before the Navy.” His throat bobbed as if he was struggling to swallow. “Thought maybe we could…but I can’t. I could have hurt you—again—and that is the last thing I want to do, Willa.”

“What are you saying, Aiden?” I asked. My voice didn’t sound like my own.

He let out a cry that sounded like a wounded animal’s as he ran his hand over his face. “I’m…I’m going to Boston for a while.”

I was positive my mouth fell open. It was almost as if he had made that decision right there on the spot with how he blurted it out. “What? You’re leaving? Are you coming back? What about Carl? Your mom?”

Me? I pleaded silently.

His eyes looked like a brilliant shade of silver as he looked down at me. “I…I just need to go, Willa.”

I reached out and grabbed his arm again. “No, Aiden. You don’t need to go. You need to stay here, and we need to talk. We have to talk.”

Leaning down, he gently brushed a kiss across my lips before he pressed his forehead to mine. His chest rose and fell in heavy breaths, and I swore I felt him trembling.

Everything inside of me screamed to hold on to him. To pull him against my chest and protect him from whatever hell was tormenting him. My heart begged me to stop him from leaving.

Before I could do anything, though, he kissed my forehead and, in an instant, he was gone. Again.

Aiden

“How the fuck did we get stuck in this?”

I couldn’t tell who had made the comment since the firefight we were caught in was one of the worst yet. I had run up the hill to get into position to take out a sniper who was picking off the Marines one by one.

“Bravo Two, what’s your position?”

“Hilltop,” I replied, adjusting the long-range scope on my gun.

Bravo Two, where’s the strap?” Bravo One asked as I glanced behind me to see Claire, the CIA agent who was assigned to our team. She held a pistol out and was watching our backs. She didn’t normally come on missions, but we’d needed her to pose as a civilian this time.

“Bravo One to base, we need those evac choppers now! We’re under heavy fire, I repeat, we are taking on heavy fire.”

“O’Hara! O’Hara!” Claire shouted from behind me.

I ignored her as I positioned my rifle. One more adjustment and I’d take out the fucking sniper who had been picking off soldiers below us like tin cans on a fence.

“Aiden!” Claire screamed, but I ignored her again.

I squeezed my finger and shot. Perfect shot to the middle of the head. The sniper went down, and I quickly called it in.