Don't Hold Your Breath

Chapter Eighteen

“You ready?” Ethan said. I turned around, startled.  He’s geared up, with his favorite pistol on his belt, and a series of bombs attached. His eyes look stormy, reflecting the cloudy skies above. 

“I… I didn’t see you there,” I said, surprised. My hands let go of the steel barriers on the balcony, where I’m trying to clear my mind before we all leave in fifteen minutes. 

He nods slightly. “Alyssa, I’m sorry for fighting with you for the past day or so,” he starts. 

“Ethan, do you know why I’m mad?” I ask sharply. More sharp then I intended. He was taken aback by my directness, and looked a little surprised. 

“Uh… not really?” he answered, like it was a question. 

I sighed deeply. “I’m mad because you don’t trust me. I can make my own decisions. I can take care of myself, Ethan,” I said. 

“But what if you can’t? What if you get shot out there? What if you make the wrong choice?” he asked, firing questions at me. 

“Then I’ll die. I know that, Ethan. You’ve got to trust me! Jason-” I exclaimed, raising my voice. 

“Oh, so Jason trusts you, huh? Well I don’t trust him either!” he starts to yell. 

“You know, the past few days, he’s been a better friend than you!” I yell the last part. 

“Damn it, Alyssa! He rejected you!” he yelled. 

“TWO YEARS AGO!” 

“AND HE’S NOT ANY DIFFERENT!” 

“HOW WOULD YOU KNOW?!” I screamed.

“I can’t believe you’re TAKING HIS SIDE!” 

“YOU WOULD NEVER-” I started, but Ethan cuts me off. 

“I would never WHAT?!” he asked, raising his eyebrows. 

“Jason told me that I deserved someone that would take a bullet for me. That would die for me. And right now, it sounds like he would and you wouldn’t,” I said fiercely.  Ethan looked shocked, and he didn’t answer. I stormed off the balcony, and slammed the door behind me. 

I stalked down the hallway down to our private squadron room, punched in the code, and promptly slam the door behind me. Kris looks up, surprised. 

“Lyss, are you-” she began. 

“Kris, what happened to the Ethan I knew?” I asked, shaking my head. “Where’d he go?” 

Kris sighs and draws me in for a hug, ignoring the questioning stares of Jake, Jason, and Chase. 

“I don’t know, hun. I don’t know,” she whispered. I took a deep breath and stood back. Jason met my eyes, and he offered me a small smile. The door slid open again, and I expected Ethan to stalk in, but instead, a tall, portly looking man strode in. 

“This is Squadron 713?” he asked. We all nodded. “Good. I have your mission com links, holos, and instructions. Are you all here?” 

Chase shakes his head. “No, sir. Soldier Aarons isn’t here, but we can fill him in,” he answered. 

“Alright then. First, battlefield partners. If your squadron ever has to separate, you must stay with your partner. Is this understood?” he asked us. His badge read “Block.” 

We all nodded in consent again. He went on. “The partners have been assigned by the Queen herself. They are Soldier Dayton and Soldier Carter, Jake; Soldier Carter, Alyssa, and Soldier Grey; Soldier Evans and Soldier Aarons. Is that clear?” he reads off a holo.