The Former Lover [Sequel To Military Minds]

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Honey, do you want breakfast?"

Rebecca peeled her eyes open slowly. She was surrounded by the familiar sights of her bedroom, but there was one problem - her head ached.

She groaned, putting both hands on the back of her head as she buried her face into the pillow. Everything she heard was amplified. The only thing she could remember before passing out was Cameron supporting her, his arm laced around her hips. It had been a moment Rebecca was able to recall vividly. She had felt safe being in Cameron's company, and it scared her.

She could still smell the scent of his cologne on the hoody draped around her. It smelt of fresh air, and open water, which seemed to have a soothing effect on her.

"Rebecca!" Her father yelled from the other side of her door, pounding on it impatiently.

The soldier groaned in exasperation this time, and flung her pillow at the door just as it opened.

Luckily, Glenn caught it.

"What's wrong with you?" He narrowed his thick black eyebrows at her, his gaze quizzical.

"I'm hungover," Rebecca grumbled in reply, rolling onto her stomach with one arm draped over the side of the bed frame. She was finding it difficult to keep her eyes open. "Leave me alone."

Though she could not see him, she could feel her father's exasperated glare burning through her, almost like she was paper-thin. She dreaded turning over to meet his eyes. Suddenly deciding against the idea, she curled up into a ball, pulling her warm bed sheets up to her chin.

"Rebecca," he sighed. "We're meeting Miranda's parents today."

She groaned into the sheets. She felt like banging her head against the wall, repeatedly, until she knocked herself out from this nightmare. She could still see the contempt occupying Miranda's eyes the previous night.

She wasn't afraid of her father's fiance - she was just concerned. She found herself unable to shake the feeling that Miranda was hiding something.

"Go without me," Rebecca grumbled, her voice muffled by the fabric clutched against her face.

"You are coming," Glenn growled through his teeth. He was standing directly beside Rebecca's bed now. "I'll drag you there by the ear if I have to. I will not let you mess up this marriage for me, Rebecca."

Rebecca heard the definitive click of her bedroom door closing, and brought herself into a sitting position. Her head hurt, but whether from her scattered thoughts or her hangover, she wasn't certain anymore.

Did her father know about Miranda's unfathomable attitude? She had never been in the room long enough yet to observe the way they acted when they were alone together. Surely, Miranda did not express quite the same scorn that she did towards Rebecca.

The buzzing of her phone made her jump. Attempting to calm her racing heart, Rebecca drew her Nokia from underneath her pillow to skim over the new text message from an unknown number.

Got any plans for today?

The soldier raised an eyebrow. It had to be either Cameron or Millie, she conceded.

I have to meet Miranda's parents with my dad. Lame.

Rebecca hit send, before falling back onto her mattress with an exasperated moan. She had only just returned from war. Why couldn't Glenn cut her some slack? Forcing her to go out somewhere against her will stirred up an unsettling feeling in her stomach.