FRAGMENTS ; Simon Riley

Chapter 3.

ROSALIE.

—————————

« He set fire to the world
around him but
he never let a flame
touch her. »

(unedited)

LAYING down, lazily, on the bed, it seemed to be in paradise. Lost in my dreams and the warmth that engulfed me protected me. Only a few rays of sun peeked from the closed curtains of the room, letting a mysterious magic hang in the air.

A familiar scent lingered in the air around me, something that smelled like pure love and affection, a connection between souls.
A low hum rumbled from my chest as I stirred, my head was laying somewhere warm and comfortable, making me want to stay put forever. A steady heartbeat, lulling my body to relax and be at peace.

"Love, the alarm went off fifteen minutes ago."

Right, I had to go to work, but my body was too relaxed to move or even scoot away from the source of warmth. "Five more minutes.." I protested quietly, earning only an amused chuckle. Then a sweet melody came out, our sweet sweet melody.

A hand snuck inside my disheveled hair, caressing my scalp just the way I adored. How could I even move after getting those scratches?

"You're going to be late for work."

I know.. five more minutes, please?

With a gasp, I sat up on the bed, the irritating creaking ricocheting around the dark room. That damn dream felt real, way too real.

Since the day I was prescribed new meds, strange dreams had been appearing during my most peaceful nights, making me wake up with a strange heartache. The real question was.. why did they always look the same?

Looking at the bedside table, the digital clock had just struck 6 am, the alarm set for 7 am. My body seemed to be awake already, so instead of getting back to sleep, I rose on my feet and prepared for the day ahead.

Even if the meeting was going to be held in three hours, I decided to take my time and soothe my nerves. A long and warm shower was what I needed, my thoughts were running wild and before the meeting I needed my head to be clear from any torment.

The past was thrown in the past, and now I was focused on the present and future.

After a long care for my own self, I walked through the hallways of the base, hands busy fixing my hair into a ponytail. Today seemed like a busy day; soldiers rushing around, teams getting ready to deploy. Looking out from a few windows, a few busses were parked with families and other soldiers bidding goodbye.

It was a sad reality, but full of honor to those who were brave enough to serve for their own country.

"Nova! Coffee?" Soap approached me from behind, I was still busy gazing at the young couples crying and exchanging their last goodbyes. That's when I felt another heartache.

"Hm? Oh, yes, thank you." I quietly answered him, a hand grabbing the paper cup from him. He seemed to notice the scene I was watching, and a chuckle escaped him. "We'll be leaving too for at least three months. Is your family coming too?"

Family. Yes, my family. "I suppose. I'm not that close to them, anyway. I wouldn't mind them not presenting themselves." With a tiny shrug, I fully turned my body towards him, bringing the cup to my lips.

"Ay, busy fam?"

"No. They didn't want me joining back after the car accident."

Back to three years ago, it was a struggle to get back on my feet, to deal with the migraines and all medications. My father and mother were always there for me, helping me through the recovery, but also acting strangely. As if there was something they were hiding from me.

And returning to my house in the UK, I took my life back into my hands and resumed from where I've stopped.

Just as I was about to say anything, the lieutenant passed by us, with his usual grumpiness and balaclava. He was wearing a black jacket, jeans and a holster secured around his hips and thigh, highlighting the long trainings he endured.

What a lucky wife.

Stopping to the realization of me and Soap drinking coffee in the hallway, Ghost turned his head in our direction, flashing us a hard glare. Especially to me. "There's a meeting in just a few minutes, what the bloody hell are you doing here." More like a question, it seemed like a scold.

His figured towered over mine. This man was too tall that it didn't even seem real. Then, such closeness made me breathe in his cologne, a husk that I've smelled already somewhere. Migraine, once again.

"Sergeant Nova." He called me out, suddenly grabbing the cup of paper I was biting unconsciously. I was zoning out on his chest, on the dogtags hanging from his neck. But other than them, something else hid beneath them, looking like a ring. Perhaps the wedding ring.

"MacTavish, I never expected you to distract yourself just because we have a woman in our team." His words were harsh, even Soap wasn't expecting it.

"What? No— we were just talking about the deployment." Soap immediately defended us, a hint of urgency in his tone.

"In the meeting room, now."

My eyebrows furrowed at his behavior, I was here for only a few days and his grumpiness hadn't eased even a tiny bit. Opening my mouth, I was about to spat back a few words, but Soap nudged my side and signaled with his head to get going.

And that's what I did. Forcing down the words, I flashed Ghost a look and walked away with the sergeant.

Soap started rambling about something, yet I was too distracted on what had just happened. Turning my head to the side, I watched the lieutenant take a look at my cup of coffee – still untouched – and take a sip from it after rolling his balaclava up.

His Adam's apple bobbed up and down, a light stubble covered his chin and sharp jawline, pinching my curiosity further. His hazel eyes seemed longing, thoughtful, almost sad.

Then he threw away the cup in a bin, his head cracking to a side and his hands flexing slowly.

What a odd man.