{Wattys Shortlist 2022}
A one night stand is turned inside out when two strangers discover their shared past.
After a skydiving excursion that ends in a whirlwind one night stand, Camilla writes off ever seeing her handsome instructor again. That...
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The whole drive back from the ice hockey game in Providence, I had this weird feeling something wasn't right.
We'd met up with some guys I hadn't seen since prep school for dinner. We'd won the game. West and I both scored a goal. There was laughing and shit-talking, and everything felt normal. But, I still couldn't shake the sense of dread prickling all over.
I'd had that same feeling the night our mission went sideways. Everything was going according to plan. We'd been successful in recovering the hostages under cover of night. No gunfire. No resistance. And we were preparing to meet at the drop point, buzzing on a job well done and elated to be finally going home.
Then...
I tried to breathe around the onslaught of memories.
The sound of bullets and the shout of my commander to take cover. The way lights had danced in my vision and the taste of blood in my mouth.
It had been an ambush. Hamil went down first. One through the leg. He could still walk. Next, it was my turn.
Lost in that cloud of pain, all I could think of as I kept hold of the steering wheel were my dad's words. That's probably why you ended up with a bullet in your gut.
My body responded with a wash of cold sweat and an unending string of thoughts about the people I loved in danger.
Even though Camilla was in Newport, and I wasn't far away, I had to know she was safe.
I reached for my cell phone and dialed Camilla's number. She answered on the third ring, thank fuck, butmy sense of relief was quickly replaced with concern when I heard her voice.
"What's wrong?" I asked around the cherry lollipop in my mouth.
West gave me a sidelong look from the passenger seat.
"Nothing." Camilla's reply was forced and didn't sound like her at all. Then she added, "I'm waiting at your place. I can't wait to see you. When are you coming home?"
Home. That word sounded so good. She was at my place—no—at our place. Waiting for me.
See, I told myself. Nothing's wrong. You're just seeing ghosts in old graveyards.
Breathe.
"I'll be home soon. Ten minutes out."
We said goodbye, then I tossed my cell phone in the back seat and squeezed the steering wheel, mentally counting to ten and all that other therapy shit. I could feel West staring at me with his mouth open.
"What?" I snapped.
"Everything okay?" my brother asked. "You got weird all of a sudden."
