For Love, For Honor - #SYTYCW15 #CarinaPress

Part VII - Chapter 6

Julie didn't want to open her eyes. Though a cool breeze drifted in through the open window of the bedroom, the sunlight was blinding, she was sure of it. Her head hurt. The surf pounded against the rocks at the base of the cliff below them with a deafening crescendo. Or was it pounding inside her head?

She'd dreamt of that tempo, of Tyler taking her on the sand--their entwined bodies matching the rhythm of the receding surf. But she was sure this ache had nothing to do with sex and everything to do with too much champagne. He'd been a perfect gentleman last night, right up to the point of passing out on the bed. She couldn't remember how long she deliberated whether it would be better to join him in the cushy, king-sized berth or curl up in the cramped little love seat in the living room. Ultimately, the down comforter and crisp linens called her name and the debate was over.

Cracking open one eye, she turned her head to see if he was awake. Tyler was in the same position he'd lost consciousness in, shirtless, on his back. She watched the gentle rise and fall of his muscular chest. His breath was even, an outward sign that everything was at rest. Yet she knew that inside there were many things brewing. She yawned and shook loose her hair. Brewing. Coffee. I need coffee!

Julie searched the cupboards in the kitchenette for supplies. She found a large basket filled with a variety of aromatic blends and selected the one she hoped was the strongest. Yesterday's turn of events had been taxing on both of them. Drowning their nerves in two bottles of champagne seemed like a good idea at the time. Not so much this morning.

There was a moment during their exchanges with Terri yesterday that she actually asked herself if she really wanted to risk being a part of this kind of danger. Did she care for this man that much? It wasn't until she was on the phone with her mom that it hit her—it wasn't just Tyler. Michael was a Marine too. They were all in this together.  By chance, fate, love, or lust, they had somehow all become family.

Once the coffee-maker began to gurgle, Julie continued her scavenger hunt. Checking the little refrigerator, she found a package of bacon and a carton of eggs. She smiled at the thoughtfulness of the strangers that were her hosts as she slapped the thick strips into a frying pan.

"Ahhhhhhh..." Tyler appeared in the doorway and inhaled. "You're an angel. How did you know? Coffee...bacon...I'm in heaven. He closed his eyes and leaned against the door's frame.

"Good morning to you, too." She hiccupped a laugh.

"Oh, sorry...good morning Julie." He shot her that crooked grin of his and chucked his chin in the direction of the stove. "You have no idea how happy I am to wake up to this. I'm starving."

"No hangover?"

He shook his head. "You?"

"Why do you think I made the coffee first? And by the way, do you happen to have any aspirin?" she implored with her best 'sad puppy dog' look.

"I do. I'll get it for you."

Julie cracked a half-dozen eggs into a bowl and began whisking. She didn't know how this man liked his eggs and scrambled seemed a bit simpler. She'd learned quite a few things about him last night, though his breakfast preferences weren't among them. He'd shared so much of himself she was beginning to understand his journey...his inherent desire to protect coupled with his lack of confidence in his ability to do so. She wished there was something she could say or do to show him how much she believed in him.  His father had really done a number on Tyler's ego. She understood it wasn't anything deliberate, but the absence and a lack of engagement were equally as cruel to the boy that idolized his father so. Her heart wept for the child he was, but swelled with admiration for the man he was determined to become.