The Great War || J.B.B.

1: welcome to new york

~1943

I was woken up to the sound of my fiancé's alarm clock, it was five in the morning. Why was it set so early? He has nowhere to go until mid morning. Surely the morning paper isn't that riveting enough. Luckily I was able to sleep a couple more hours before he barged into our shared room to force me out of bed to make him breakfast.

Never in this lifetime would I think he'd be like this. When I met John Emmons four years ago he was the nicest man I've met, other than my own twin brother and his best friend Bucky Barnes. Over the last four years of us being together, I've caught him cheating on me with multiple different women but I chose to stay with him in hopes he'd change one day.

When he proposed two years ago I thought he'd seen his past mistakes and regretted them. But no, even with the ring on my finger he cheated again and got her pregnant and paid for her to get rid of it as it would 'taint his image' as a CEO of the company his father gave him. Despite my best efforts of being his, he'd still treat me less than, as if I were the piece of gum stuck to the bottom of his shoe. At home, he took every opportunity to either hurt me physically or verbally. And in public he'd be all over me with affection, telling me nothing but positive and loving things in my ear. Maybe that's why our engagement has lasted this long.

"Good morning, honey," I said to him, hoping his mood improved within the last half hour.

"Morning. Make me some breakfast, AG, will ya?"

His mood has not improved. I hated when he called me by those two letters. Something worse usually comes after. To keep the peace, I made him breakfast. He really could have done himself if he was that hungry.

"So, at work last night, my boss gave me the order to go to England with the next crew out. Turns out they need someone with my skill set out there."

"Tell your boss that I don't allow that," he said rather harshly and taking a swig of his morning coffee. I could smell the alcohol in it.

"John, this isn't something none of us can say 'no' to. It's somewhere I'm needed. Besides-"

"You're not going to fucking England. Not with that ring on your finger. You hear me?"

The smell on his breath told me he was already drunk at eight in the morning. This is gonna be a longer day than expected since I don't work today. And to be honest, I've grown to hate the ring on my finger for the past six months.

Once I heard John leave through the front door so he could go into the office, I called up Bucky in hopes he wanted to talk to me. I got to tell him the news that I'm leaving with him for England tomorrow. He was excited for me to come along with him, so to celebrate he invited me and John out for a triple date. I guess he found someone for Steve to tag along with us so that he doesn't get left out.

Don't get me wrong, I love my brother with all my heart but he's not the best at interacting with women. I'm probably the only one he can talk to without getting nervous and feeling awkward.

I don't care what John said this morning, I'm leaving for England and the stupid ring on my finger here in New York. I started packing my bathroom things first since I knew John wouldn't notice it right away when he gets back from work. The day went on swimmingly with him gone. He made it back just in time for the date that Bucky planned out.

"Johnny, honey, guess what," I said to him excitedly as he walked through the door.

"What," he said, slightly annoyed.

"Bucky invited us on a triple date! It's his last night here and wants tonight to be special. Doesn't that sound wonderful?"

'Triple date? Who else is gonna be there, your scrawny brother?"