The Soldier Next Door

To say that I am not disappointed is an understatement. I got my hopes up for something that was never going to happen. I created my own heartache by expecting too much. It hurts to feel that the person that made me feel so special just a few days ago does not want me today.

What do I do? Do I ignore her and just walk on past or am I the better man and greet her while she is sitting with another man? Why does it feel like my heart has been ripped into pieces? Not just ripped but trampled into the dirt.

Just to prove my point that shit definitely ain’t going my way, we need to pass their table to get to the only other table available. My heart feels that it is just about to grow rock hard and crumble into pieces. My hands are slightly trembling, and I just know that I am going to stutter when I do finally speak.

“M… M… Morning Ana.”

“Good morning Ethan.”

What happened to soldier? Why am I Ethan now? Why is she pushing herself away from me like this? I do not understand what I did wrong; apart from not having a damn leg, what is it that I did for her to be like this to me? But I put my best fake smile on as she introduces me to this man sitting with her.

“Ethan, this is Paul.”

“Nice to meet you, Paul.”

Not really, but I can’t go and be a jerk to the poor man. I mean, it is Ana’s choice, and who am I to be an asshole about it? I don’t like it; in fact, I can’t near stand seeing her with another man when she is supposed to be with me.”

“Likewise,” he claims, but the annoyed look on his face tells me differently. “Ana told me you were in the Corps as well.”

“Yes, I got back a little over a week ago. As you can see not by my plan.”

“Wish Mark had the same Luck as you.”

“Paul is Mark’s brother,” Ana explains. “He is in town for a couple of days.”

I watch as he still lovingly holds her hand. “Came to check if the girl is okay. She just all upped and left one day. Real damn stubborn ass.”

“Hahaha, that sounds about right,” now, if my smile was not fake earlier, my laughter definitely is now. “The town folk is not far off calling her Miss Stubborn.”

“Why she came running down here, I don’t know, but she says that you have been looking out for her. Thanks for doing that; at least she got someone good around.”

“Don’t know how much good I am to her, but yes, you can see I am around.”

Am I feeling a slight bit better now that I know it is Mark’s brother? Well, yes, but it still does not mean they can’t have something going on? I must stop overthinking this shit; I am just getting myself hurt. What we had was obviously just a once-off thing; I read too much into it.

“Well, it was nice meeting you, Paul, and good to see you again Ana, if I don’t leave now, Matt is going to throw me with that fork he is about to bash through the table.”

“It was nice to see you again, Ethan,” Ana smiles, but I am not sure if hers is just as fake as mine.

“I turn around and leave for our table. Matt is eagerly sitting and waiting for me to come to dish the dirt. “So what is up with that, bro?”

“It is her late husband’s brother.”

“Do you think they got anything going on?”

“I don’t know; what do you think, Chloe?”

“Nah,” Chloe shakes her head. “I don’t think so, I know they were holding hands and all that, but she is not giving that vibe that they are doing the nasty together.”

“Hahaha,” I laugh out of relief as I glance over to their table. “Thank you; I just needed to hear that; what the fuck is doing the nasty in any way?”

“Bro, seriously,” Matt looks at me strangely. “You so need to get laid more. Maybe we should hook you up with one of the other girls in town. I know of just the right ones.”

“I will give that one a definite miss; we don’t need another playboy in town. And seriously, man, do you think I want what you have plowed through.”

“Bro, can you even think of the amounts of girls you are going to get hooked after Maggie has put your pretty-boy face in the paper. Everyone loves a hero.”

“Ya, maybe I should walk around in my uniform as well. It ain’t going to happen. My stupid ass falls in love with the first girl he saw, and look what that got me.”

“Come on, don’t let one old let down ruin you for the rest. It’s lonely being lonely.”

“Do you even listen to all the crap that comes out of your mouth?”

“Hahaha,” Matt’s laughter echoes through the coffee shop. “I don’t need to; some girl will eventually repeat it right just before they slap me in the face.”

“And Chloe, you put up with this boy?”

“I will call it more like tolerate,” she answers me with a little cheeky smile on her face. He has his other good uses.”

I keep finding myself staring over at Ana. She looks stunning in her tight black pants that fit her body like a glove. It only but accentuates every curve of her hips and tiny waist. The heat I feel just looking at her is nothing compared to the heat from the coffee I am sipping. God, how I miss that woman; she drives a spell over my body as no woman has ever done before.

Can what we have been so wrong? It felt so real to me, so good like it was meant to be. Should I stick my pride in my sock and fight for her? The question is, how far am I willing to go. If she is with this man, is it right of me to impose? The thing is that I cannot find myself getting over her; I mean, in the end, she will have to choose; I should at least show her that I am interested.

I take my phone from my pocket and message her.

“You look breath-taking. I miss you.”

I watch her as she checks her phone and smiles, but she does not respond. So it is another knock on my heart, but as I said, I should show her that I am still interested.

The next thing I feel is Matt slapping me against the head. “Bro, what are you up to?”Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“Me? Nothing.”

“Ya right, that just gave it all away. Is your sorry stupid ass messaging a woman while she is sitting with another guy?”

“Me, never, that is just asking for a beating.”

“And the reason she is smiling is because that buff dry dumbo is today’s stand-up act.”

“Hahaha. You better hope you can run fast cause I ain’t helping you when he moles your face for calling a dumbo.”

We are interrupted by Chloe giggling.

“Girl, what did you do?” Matt asks.

She hands me my phone, “You got to be shitting me. Did you send this? Do you really want that dude to come to break my other leg?”

“Hahaha, just go!” Chloe laughs, satisfied with what she has done. “There, she is going, go now!”

Much to my absolute disgust in Chloe’s little stunt, I get up and make my way to the restroom. As expected, I find Ana standing there with a huge smile on her face.”

“Hey, sorry about that,” I start to apologize to Ana. “Chloe got hold of my phone while I was arguing with Matt.”

“Well, I am here now, so is there something you did want to tell me by any chance?” she asks.

“I am so not good with this, me and talking about my feelings do not sit in the same sentence. What do you do when you can’t talk? You act.”

I pull her into one of the available cubicles.

“What are you doing, soldier?”

“Ah, now I am soldier again?”

“I can’t call you soldier in front of my dead husband’s brother.”

“And why not?”

“Good point, I actually don’t know.”

“Are you with this guy?”

“Define with? Because I am with him at the coffee shop, now if you are referring to the other with, well that is a hell no. I can barely stand the man; he just bloody rocked up out of nowhere.”

“So then he ain’t going to mind if I do this?”

“What is…?”

I push her slowly back into the door; my hands move to her hips; I wrap them around her waist and pull her into me.

“Soldier!”

“Ssshhh, they going to know you in here with me. Do you really want Maggie to put this little scandal into the gossip column?”

I lean in and hover my mouth over hers for a second. Our lips move closer, and they touch. My tongue reaches out, sliding over her lips and pushing through the seams. It searches her mouth, exploring and teasing her tongue; the first touch sends a shiver straight between my legs. I pull her tighter into me and kiss her harder; she begins to whimper. The sound of her moan and the whisper of my name is driving me wild.

“Mmmm, soldier.”

I catch her legs in my hands and wrap them around my waist. She gasps. “Oh, god, soldier!”

“Ssshhh boo.”

I take her mouth by force, consuming it, taking it for my own. The kiss is passionate, her mouth intoxicating, our tongues moving in perfect strokes. Our eyes gradually meet; I lower my head and begin biting and kissing down her neck. My mouth roams at will, no longer gentle as I devour her, ravenous against the smooth curve of her throat, the soft flesh of her ear.

“Soldier, if you don’t stop now, we both are going to be naked.”

“Will that be so wrong?”

“You sure want to start that scandal.”

“I am sure it has already started. We both have been away long enough from the table.”

I drop her down to the floor. Every bit of me wants to take her, wants her hot naked skin against mine, but I can’t have it, at least not now. “Guess we have to make it out back there.”

“I guess so.”

“So I will see you again?”

“I will see you around, soldier.”

She heads out back to her table and, once I have calmed my raging hard-on down, I join Matt and Chloe back at our table.

“Damn, bro, did you score in the bathroom over there?” Matt excitedly asks.

“Near but not near enough.”

“So?” Chloe joins in as she curiously asks. “Are you two back together?”

“I don’t know; she told me that she will see me around.”

“That sucks,” Chloe says, somewhat defeated. “I thought for sure that my plan was going to work.”

After being rejected for what seems to be yet another time, I try to focus my attention on Matt and Chloe. We have our breakfast, and soon we are ready to go. By the time we get going, she and Paul are still sitting at their table. Their laughter is somehow just annoying the shit out of me; I think I might just be a slight hint of jealousy.

This time we just walk past without saying goodbye. I don’t know what more should I do to show her that I still want her. Yes, I am not going to lie, I do want her sexually, but there is more to that; I just want to be with her.

We managed to get home without bumping into Maggie again. Matt and Chloe go off to the lounge, and I go to my bedroom; my leg is sore; I want to take my buddy off and just relax. Soon I find myself drifting off to sleep.

I am awakened by Matt much later that evening. “Bro, wake up,”

“Fuck Matt, can’t a man sleep?”

“There is someone here to see you.”

“Who? If it is Maggie, then I am not in the mood for her.”

“No, bro it is that guy from the coffee shop.”

“What guy from the coffee shop?”

“The one that was with Ana.”

“What does the buff dry dumbo want?”