Page 6 of Fragile Lives

We sit in silence, remembering.

Alex got burned pretty badly. Half of his body is damaged. When I was trying to get him out from under that burning truck, I didn’t think he’d make it. Thank God he did. But he got scarred, inside and out.

And I got nothing. Not a fucking cut.

The waitress brings our food, but we both lost our appetites. Alex becomes grimmer, and I don’t want his girlfriend coming after me for ruining his anti-anger strike, so I try to lighten the mood.

“So, how is domestic life going?” I chuckle. “Must be cool to have a willing woman by your side every night.”

“You shut it, fucker.” He laughs as his neck pinkens.

Hook, line, and sinker.Anything to change the subject.

“She’s my girlfriend.”

“I remember.” I lean back with a toothy smile, glad he’s moving away from that dark place he goes to when anger hits. “So, how is that?”

“Fuckin’ amazing. Ten out of ten recommend.”

I laugh louder. “Sure, whatever you say.”

“No, for real. It’s awesome. You have someone in your corner all the time. Every day. No matter what happens, she’s on your side. It’s amazing.” He shakes his head in wonder, a look of pure awe on his face.

Then, a moment later, Alex digs into his food, missing how it’s my turn for dark clouds to shroud my mood.

What he found isn’t in the cards for me, ever. I’ll never have that with someone. Ever. My life is written in the stars to be lonely and miserable. I just need to make sure it’s not long.

Chapter Three

ARCHIE

I open my eyes to my phone ringing. Leaning over the sleeping body in my bed, I grab it from the nightstand.An unknown number. I usually don’t take those and am about to put it back when something nudges my mind. The first digits clearly indicate that the caller is from Maine, so I hit ‘accept.’

“Yes.” I sound gruff, but that’s not my problem since they got me half asleep.

“Archie?” An unfamiliar voice asks.

“This is him. And you?”

“It’s Kenneth Benson, Alex’s brother.”

My blood runs cold, and my heart stops. I’ve heard of him briefly but never actually met the guy, and him calling me inthe morning like this? It fuckin’ chills my bones. Alex is a vet struggling with severe PTSD, and no one, trust me, fuckin’ no one wants to get a call like this.

“What happened?” I push through the sudden dryness in my throat.

“Oh,” he exhales loudly. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you. He’s fine.”

I let out a breath of relief.

“I was wondering if I can ask you for a favor,” he chuckles apprehensively.

“Favor?” Interesting. I barely know the guy. Alex hardly mentioned him during our years of service together, so Kenneth calling me must be big. “What sort of favor?”

He chuckles again, clearly not knowing where to start. “This is gonna sound weird.”

“You think?” I lean back onto my pillows, and the female body next to me wiggles her ass in the air, stirring my dick.

“Fair.” Another chuckle. “I’m kind of in a…how should I say? An interesting situation.” I’m quiet, so he asks, “You there?”