Until We Fly (Beautifully Broken 4)

“No, not really,” I answer honestly. “I hope to be someday.”

Brand stares at me hard. “Why aren’t you happy now?”

“That’s two questions,” I throw his words back at him. “It’s my turn to go.”

Brand rolls his eyes, but I ignore him as I move.

I jump him two moves later.

“What happened in Afghanistan?”

He doesn’t even flinch. “My HUMVEE was bombed. My leg was shattered.”

“You earned a purple heart,” I tell him. “So I know there’s more to the story.”

He shrugs. “I don’t think it serves any purpose to talk about it. Some memories are best left alone. I’ve dealt with it and moved on, but that doesn’t mean I enjoy thinking about it.”

There’s a look on his face, a don’t fuck with me look, that I decide to heed. “Your turn,” I tell him softly instead. He nods.

He moves a checker, only to open himself up to a double-jump. I crow and jump him. Twice. He glares at me mockingly.

“I don’t like this game.”

I giggle. “I get two questions.”

He doesn’t argue, he just crosses his arms and waits.

“There’s something bothering you, I see it on your face. I have a feeling that it’s not your dad’s death, and you say you’ve dealt with Afghanistan, so what is it?”

Brand looks away. “I really don’t like this game.”

I smile, but I don’t back off. “What’s your answer?”

He stares out the window for a minute, at the lake, before he sighs. “Sometimes bad things happen in life. Sometimes they happen when you’re really young. Those are the memories that won’t fade with time.”

I’m stunned. It’s a vague answer, but it’s still oh-so revealing. Something happened to him when he was a kid, something bad.

“Do you want to talk about it?” I ask gently.

Brand looks at me. “That was your second question, you know.”

I nod. “That’s fine. What’s your answer?”

He shakes his head immediately. “No. I don’t want to talk about it. I’m a grown fucking man, not a pussy. I don’t need to talk about it.”

“Yet it still bothers you,’ I state simply.

“There’s no fix for it,” he tells me firmly. “My father’s dead. I guess that’s all the closure I need.”

I’m doubtful as I stare at Brand’s gorgeous face. His gorgeous, tortured face. He doesn’t have closure. I can see that right now. I don’t know what to think about his family situation. He doesn’t seem to be grieving, but he’s still troubled about something. Deeply troubled. But I can also see that he’s done talking about it.

“Your turn,” I say instead. He goes. I go.

After he goes again, I manage to jump him.

“What do you do for a living?”

He grins, pretending to be relieved, only maybe it’s not an act. I can tell he doesn’t like to talk about himself. At all.