The Soldier's Roommate

Chapter 17: A simple kiss on the cheek.

Alice

I know I don't have to tell him what exactly I want to know. I see it in his eyes that he knows it.

And still, I ask, "What happened to you?"

Elijah just nods his head, taking a deep breath as he grabs a stick, drawing patterns into the ground as he speaks. "As I said... I can't tell you all the details. What I can tell you is that we were supposed to infiltrate enemy territory. We got the intel from a mole that worked with the enemies, and so I led my team there..."

"Mason was my right hand, so to speak, and so we got in there together. We realized pretty quickly that our intel was wrong, and that we've been played. Shots were fired, men died... My men. My men died while Mason pulled me out of the line of fire after I got shot in my shoulder, arm, and knee, in an attempt to save at least some of them. But I couldn't. I failed them all."

He looks so defeated, his shoulders slumped when he takes another deep breath. "The doctors said I was lucky, every single one of the hit I took was clean, entry and exit wounds and no splinters or anything left... Physically I'm fit again, they say, and still my knee keeps fucking with me. They say it's psychosomatic, and for the last six months I laughed at them, but now... The last few weeks opened my eyes just a little."

Again he takes a deep breath, this time turning around to look at me, the pain in his eyes instantly sending tears to my eyes that I find extremely hard to suppress.

"I'm not allowed to go back because I'm damaged. Because even though I'm physically healthy, I didn't pass my psych eval. And now I'm here. Spend the last fourteen years in an army that doesn't want me anymore. And I only managed to kill seven people from my team in the process..."

I don't think I've ever heard him speak so much, honestly, and now I know why. Having this weight on your shoulders... It can't be easy to deal with this. I definitely don't blame him for being so closed off.

"I'm... I'm so sorry this all happened to you, really."

"It's my fault, Alice... I trusted the guy. I should've gathered more info about the mole himself. Instead I just barged in there, wanting to get it over with..."

He runs his hands over his face, burying it in there for a few seconds as he takes deep breaths. I use the opportunity to lean against his shoulder, trying to give him the comfort but space he might need. "You couldn't have known..." I whisper.

"But I should've. And because I didn't do my job properly there are widows out there, children who need to grow up without their father..."

A tear escapes my eye, but I quickly rub it away, not wanting him to feel even worse because I start to cry now. To my surprise he even wraps his arm around me, pulling me into his chest as we just sit there, watching the sunset in front of us, only the sound of birds and the rustling of leaves in the wind surrounding us now.

"I'm sorry about Guy... I hope he didn't ruin your evening," Elijah suddenly says, sending a smile on my lips as I tilt my head, looking up at him as I place my palm on his cheek.

"He didn't, and it's not your fault, anyway. I just hope he got the message."

Elijah turns to look at me, a quiet chuckle escaping his throat before he quips back, "If that right hook of yours didn't do the job, I'll make sure he gets it another way..."

And even though I hear the amusement in his voice, I can't stop my heart from doing somersaults in my chest. The obvious expression of protection gives me all sorts of goosebumps.

He wraps his hand above my own on his cheek, those stormy grey-blue orbits gazing straight into my soul when he whispers, "I hate that he touched you..."