Join the Club - Lani Lynn Vale Page 0,69

do because a shaved head didn’t appear sexy to me—but it was a shock to see it all gone.

What would I hold on to when…

I viciously cut that thought process off, knowing that I seriously didn’t need to go down that path with my thoughts.

“So how did it go today?” Bell asked, bouncing on her toes a little.

Everyone at the table just stopped.

One second, we’d been eating, and the next, Bourne was giving Bell a very serious look.

What the hell was going on?

“What the hell is going on?” Nico barked, echoing my thoughts.

Bourne took his seat at the table next to me without saying a word I might add, and picked up his knife and fork and started to eat.

He didn’t say a word, just started to eat.

“Bourne,” Nico snapped.

Bourne looked up, and that was when I saw the black bags underneath his eyes.

He also looked a tad bit hungover.

“What?” Bourne grumbled.

“What?” Nico said. “First, your sister says something about you before you come in, and now I see all your fuckin’ hair gone and you looking hungover as fuck. What’s going on?”

Bourne shrugged, looking as if he couldn’t be more bored.

“I joined the Air Force Reserves,” Bourne explained to him. “I ship out for bootcamp on the first of August. I’ve already cleared it with my job. I’ve paid the lease for a year. Once I’m done, I only go in once a month. The basic military training that I have to do is eight weeks, and I’ll do that at the base near San Antonio.”

“Oh, that’s not too bad,” Bell interjected. “Do you have to shave your beard, too?”

Bourne nodded. “Not ready to part with it, yet.”

Asa’s eyes were wide with excitement. “Cool!”

Everyone else at the table, though?

Not so excited.

Bourne went back to eating as if he hadn’t just thrown a bomb on the Pena kitchen table for everyone to digest.

I carefully set my fork down, appetite forgotten, and said, “Excuse me.”

Then I got up from the table and calmly walked away, hoping that my desolation didn’t show all over my face.

Bourne didn’t follow me, either.

I shouldn’t have expected him to, but I did.

Stomach feeling like it was tied in knots, I walked straight out of the Pena household and straight into the woods.

I hadn’t intended to go as far as I did, but once I started walking, I couldn’t stop.

***

Bourne

I should’ve gone after her.

But I had my pride.

She hadn’t called me last night before I’d started drinking.

It’d been hours as I waited for her to call, and she never had.

Which had led me to going out and finding a beer.

Which had then led me to talking to the military recruiter for the Air Force that liked to frequent the bar.

One thing had led to another, and this morning I’d found myself at the recruiter’s office talking to him about stuff that I should’ve very well gone over with Delanie.

Only, I’d still been pissed.

Oh, and I hadn’t stopped drinking.

I’d had a beer the moment that I’d woken this morning.

And, after giving last night a shot, I’d decided that it was time to stop living for everyone else, and instead start living for me.

I loved Delanie.

I loved her a fucking lot.

But what I didn’t love was the fact that I had regrets in life.

That I thought that maybe I should’ve done something differently than what I’d done.

Hence the reason I’d gone to the recruiter’s office this morning after having two beers and signing myself up for the Air Force Reserves without first talking to anyone about it.

One thing led to another, and soon I found myself signing my name on a dotted line that would mean that the Air Force would own my ass for a while.

At least, I admitted to myself, I hadn’t completely gone and signed up.

I’d done it on a temporary basis.

The first months after I left would be hairy.

But I wouldn’t have to go anywhere or do anything unless shit hit the fan, and that would hopefully be never.

“You’re not going to go after her?” Booth asked as he watched me.

I took another bite of the driest meatloaf I’d ever tasted and shrugged.

“Bourne.”

I looked at my father.

“Go.”

I rolled my eyes and stood, but I took the meatloaf with me.

By the time I got out to the front porch, I wasn’t sure why I’d grabbed it.

Tossing it to the floor, I wiped my hands on my jeans and started looking around for the woman that had the ability to break my heart with a few simple