A Solder's Tale (Book 1 of Something Series) (Completed)

Chapter 25 (Edited)

All the people that I cared about were gathered in the tack room, excluding Annabella. Tomorrow was the day that I was leaving, after all of Marisol's events, which I had only placed her in two, and they were at the beginning of the day.

"You're leaving," Marisol said, bluntly. There was a pained expression on her face and then letting it fall into a blank mask. "When?"

"After your events," I replied, my voice cracked making me clear my throat. "I can't stay."

"Yes-"

"No, I can't," I said, interrupting Emily. I looked at her with pained filled eyes. "She kicked me out. I-I-" I shook my head and moved a hand through my hair, grimacing. "I told her that the ring was hers and asked her to give me a reason to stay."

"You should've taken her out a date," Emily said. She gave me a look, probably knowing what I had said to her. "And then told her to marry you."

I huffed and moved a hand through my hair. "I tried," I replied. "I've tried taking her on dates but took Addy instead."

"For a Captain, you sure are a chicken," James said, causing me to roll my eyes.

"Correction, he is only a chicken when it comes to Señora Annabella," José said, causing the other family members to hum and nod in agreement. "Tus padre knows that he loves her as well as your abuelo (grandfather)."

"My grandfather doesn't know that Captain Castille is in love with her," James tried to deny. He moved a hand through his hair and sighed. "Even if he did, why would it matter?"

"It doesn't," I replied, glaring at José. "I don't like it that you were checking in on me."

"Mi madre is a respected person, and she had checked you out when she was told that you were working here," José said. "She told us not to give you a hard time. Said that you had already had enough hard times to last a lifetime."

"She said that you beat your father to the brink of death as well," Herberto added.

"Now, I didn't do that. I did beat him unconscious, but that was because he had took a girl's life, my sister's life." I huffed and moved a hand through my hair, making it stand up. "That was why I left Montana and joined the army. I could not go to jail."

"You'd be someone's perra (bitch) there," Raúl said, causing the Hispanic men to laugh and agree.

"There are children around," I playfully scolded them. "But, I do agree with you."

"So you would be on the bottom?" Marisol asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Marisol," I warned, causing her to smirk. I shook my head. "I know that it is going to be tough to not see me everyday, but I think it is for the best."

"Ya, like you are going to find someone," Emily said, rolling her eyes. "I just got you back why do I..." She blinked back tears, and it pained me to see them because I knew that it was because of me she was trying not to cry. She moved into my arm and hugged me tight. "I don't want to lose you, again," she whispered.

The mood in the room turned darker, and I knew that everyone here would miss me as much as I would miss them.

"Please, don't leave," a small voice whispered, almost too soft for me to hear. Hands touched my jeans and pulled, causing me to believe that someone short had said it. "Please."

I blinked and looked to my right to see Patrick staring at me with tears in his eyes. "Did you just..."

Patrick nodded. He bit back a grin when I cheered and pulled him up into my arm, causing Emily to move back.