all american • javier peña

Chapter 2 [REWRITE]

The next day, Sloane and Javier faced the eight hour drive to Medellin. Sloane wasn't particularly looking forward to it, and she wasn't too sure that not sure he was either. They sit in silence for the first forty five minutes or so, and then he spoke up.

"So... Station Chief... that's pretty impressive."

She watched the mountains out the window absentmindedly. "Considering I never wanted to be in Afghanistan in the first place—yeah, you could say it was impressive."

"You didn't choose to transfer there?" he asked, shock lacing his tone.

She rolled her eyes. "Why would I have chosen to transfer there when I had it made here?"

"So did they just really needed you there or something?"

"That's what they'll tell you," she sighed, "but the truth is that I was exiled. I held too much power here, knew too many people, too many people knew me, and they didn't like that. They really hoped I'd meet my maker over there, and as you know, I almost did, but here I am. They had to let me come back because I'm all they've got against narcos."

"You honestly think they tried to have you killed?" Concern that seemed to be genuine filled his voice.

"That might have been a bit dramatic." She bit the inside of her cheek, unsure of how much to disclose. "But it was pretty obvious they didn't want me around."

"That's still rough."

She shrugged and tried to keep herself from thinking about the events leading up her departure. "I mean, I had it coming. I was too ambitious. I took things too far. I'd rather not talk about it, honestly."

He turned on the radio. "There are some cassettes in the glove box if you want to pick one out."

"I'd like to just listen to the radio for a little bit if you don't mind." She pressed her forehead against the window. "I've missed the radio stations here."

"That's fine." He took a deep breath. "I'm sorry I was such a dick before, I had no idea what you'd gone through."

Yeah, no shit, she thought. She'd never been as miserable as she was while recovering from the injuries she had obtained in Afghanistan. It hadn't been just the intense physical pain, it was the emotional turmoil she faced. She had been lonely, scared, and grieving. Just a couple months prior she'd had to break off her engagement to the love of her life so she could go to Afghanistan in the first place. She was suffering terribly at the time, and she'd have done anything to take her mind off of it, including string Javi along.

She finally looked over to him and pursed her lips. "It's okay, I shouldn't have left you hanging like that. It was just a weird time for me. I was processing a lot of things, and I never should've agreed to it in the first place."

The only visitors Sloane had had in the two weeks she'd spent at Walter Reed, in and out of surgery on her shoulder, had been her parents. Thankfully, she was due to be released the next day, but she'd still have to return for physical therapy for the next few months, which meant she'd be living with her parents.

She knew they felt bad for her, her mother brought a new bouquet of flowers every time she visited, and her father would barely even talk to her. She guessed that he somehow felt responsible for what happened. She had no idea what living with them would be like, but she hoped she at least wouldn't be so lonely.