finality in her tone when she’d told me we were better off not seeing each other again, but I’d heard it. Anyone would’ve heard it.
Ethan let out a bitter laugh. He downed half his refill before he shook his head. “You should fight for her, Scotty. Fight until your fingers are stumps and you can’t fight anymore. You know what that’s like. You’ve done it for your country. Now do it for your girl.”
“And if she doesn’t want me to?”
He snarled. “If she doesn’t want you to, she’ll tell you. She deserves to know you’re willing to. Hell, I wish this dickhead my sister was into would fight for her.”
I didn’t know who Ethan’s sister was, but I knew he was right. Letting go without a fight was not only not in my nature, but it wasn’t fair.
Over and over again, I’d been told that I’d made a mistake with Lindsay. I’d come to terms with the fact that I had, but she didn’t know that. She didn’t know how desperately I wished I could turn back time and find a way to make her mine for real.
She didn’t know that I’d hardly slept since I’d last slept beside her. She couldn’t know that she was in just about every one of my thoughts or that I’d told my mother about her.
All of these things were my daily reality, but Lindsay didn’t know a thing. She thought I didn’t care. She thought she was the only one thinking back to Fiji as being the best and the worst time of her life.
I’d listened to her, but Ethan was right. “I should fight. Thanks, man. I owe you one.”
Slapping a hand down on his shoulder, I gave him a grateful squeeze before turning to leaving the venue. Ethan clasped his hand around my wrist, stopping me from moving before he held his phone out to me.
“I’ll be back in some or other dust bucket before it plays out, but shoot me a text on the other side of it, okay? I need to be able to tell my sister there are happy endings, and I’d like to use yours as an example.”
It was a weird request, but I understood where he was coming from. His sister had been hurt and he was leaving again soon. The only way he’d have to comfort her was vicariously through others’ stories.
I didn’t know if mine would have a happy ending, but updating a guy I liked and got along with wouldn’t be a chore. Either his sister would learn something from my story or she wouldn’t, but I didn’t mind keeping him up to date.
Hell, at least it would mean that there’s someone else out there rooting for us. Even if it is just that he’s silently rooting for the dickhead dating his sister to pull his head out of his ass.
Hell, if I could come around, couldn’t anyone?
Chapter 37
LINDSAY
“I’m heading out, Ms. Flinn.” Anna popped her head into my office, her eyes red rimmed and glazed from having stared at her screen for so many hours today.
I instantly felt terrible about keeping her so late. Just because I was restless and unable to sleep didn’t mean she had to suffer for it. I smiled and waved her away. “Go. I’m sorry we went so late.”
She stifled a yawn, blinking the resultant moisture out of her eyes. “That’s okay. I know we’re still trying to catch up.”
“Even so, I should’ve been keeping an eye on the time.” I waved again. “Go, and don’t come back until tomorrow afternoon. Take the morning off.”
“Are you sure?” She frowned. “Won’t that only make us fall further behind?”
“Nope. I’ve got it. You spent weeks here without me. I’ll be fine for just one morning.” She gave me a grateful smile, yawned, and nodded. “You shouldn’t stay too much longer either. It’s getting really late. Tomorrow is another day.”
“I’m just finishing up some paperwork. It won’t take too long. I promise I’m not too far behind you.”
“Good. See you tomorrow.” She closed my door with a soft click behind her.
I sagged into my chair and rubbed my eyelids, careful not to smear what little was left of my makeup too much. My lenses stung, but I just had a few last things I needed to get through.
One last push for the day.
I’d been texted a few pictures of an incident that had occurred this morning between some of the support staff, and I needed them to complete the report