Page 12 of See You Soon

"It's something I don't tell anyone on the first date." He sighs.

Oh.

He's a SEAL just like Paul?

My heart skips a beat. I can feel my cheeks getting hot and I'm blushing. I let my hair fall over my cheeks as I turn away from him so he can't see my face. I've never felt this way with any guy ever. No one has made me feel so alive before and we barely know each other. This was a first for me.

"So why the Navy?" I ask softly. I wanted to continue the conversation and break from my awkwardness. I truly wanted to know more about Danny. He was one of my brother's closest friends. I didn't think I could like him even more in such a short amount of time, but this changed everything. The fact he was associated with my brother made me more comfortable around him. It made me feel like he was no longer a stranger.

"Well, my father was a SEAL, so it was up to me to carry on the family tradition." I watched his jaw clench at the words,family tradition. Something about the way he said it made me feel like there was animosity towards his family.

"I also just want to be a part of the best team in the world and kill bad guys. Simple. As. That."

"How many deployments have you already done?" I ask curious. Danny looks at me, his face hardens, and he stares into my soul again.

"Seven."

I look back at him and I can tell there was more to his words. There was pain underneath the stone-cold emotionless face he was using as a mask. I so badly wanted to reach out and grab ahold of his hand and give him a gentle squeeze… but, I held myself back.

"How long were these deployments?"

"They all varied. The longest was a year. They can go from three months to a year, just depends"

Geez.

"And how long are you leaving for, this time around?" I was hoping he would say a few weeks only. Wishful thinking. I just met such an amazing guy and he was leaving already. This night was probably our last together unless we kept in touch somehow.

"I don't know," Danny says. He stands up and walks back to the kitchen and pours a large amount of whiskey back into his glass. The thunder outside keeps getting louder and more consistent. Lightning flashed through the windows, lighting up the house with blue rays of light. The temperature in the house feels like it's dropping even more due to the strong cold winds. Either way, I can't help but notice Danny keeps the inside of his house cold; I was freezing.

I decide to follow him over to the kitchen, hoping every stride would warm me up. I sit down on a bar stool at the kitchen island that's between us. The island was a beautiful rustic wooden color.

"Do you drink a lot? Often?"

Danny smirks. I can feel myself getting hot. Even his smirk was so damn gorgeous.

"Is every weekend considered a lot?" Danny chuckles.

"Umm, maybe?" I wasn't a drinker. I only drank on special occasions. So every weekend did seem like a lot to me. But I don't blame him for drinking often. His job seems like it’s a stressful one to have. I can only imagine all the trauma he's already been through with all of the deployments and losing a close friend on one of them...my brother.

"How old are you?"

"Thirty-three."

Why am I so attracted to that?

"You?"

"Twenty-two."

"So why did you choose nursing as a career?"

That's an easy question.

"Because I want to help people. I want to help people that can't help themselves. I want to save people that can't save themselves…" I swallow the lump in my throat. "Like Paul." My voice comes out dry and hoarse.

Danny looks at me and his eyes soften. He glances at the windows outside watching the trees sway like they're about to snap.

"Paul was an amazing big brother. We were supposed to go to the upcoming Bloomings Author Event, together."