The Devil Doesn't Bargain

Chapter 15

I awoke to a loud thud in the room, shooting up and reaching for the nightstand I kept my pistol in I noticed Simon was gone. He was now standing at the bedside, struggling to pull on his clothes.

"Simon.. Walking out?" I sighed

"Appearances love."

"Its only 5:30... No ones awake."

"Hm." He mumbled, not stopping his shirt from being pulled over his torso.

"So that's it? We go back to being cold?"

"Last time I checked. You called me for this." His brown eyes pierced into me.

"You really don't care... Do you?"

I was met with a cold silence, the small flinch from my words not going unnoticed.

"No. I don't. And if you thought this would lead anywhere than you're a bigger idiot than I thought." He huffed, lacing up his boots.

"Simon..."

"Ghost."

I looked towards my nightstand, the framed photo of the 556, the FULL 556 glowing in the moonlight...

"Leave... I'll see you around." I mustered, my voice caught in my throat.

"That's the plan." Was all he said before closing my door. Flopping back into my pillow I curled into a ball, choking back sobs. Clutching the small frame to my chest I sobbed quietly. Well what I thought was quiet.

A knock at the door shattered my thoughts.

"Enter..." I said, pulling the blanket to cover my still bare chest.

"Hey Em.. Are you o-" Soap looked at me and quickly turned around, facing the now closed door. "I am so sorry I had no idea you were-"

"John its fine..." I sighed, reaching for a stray tee shirt and pulling it on. "What can I do you for hunny?"

"I heard you crying..." He mumbled, turning around slowly. "Thought you had a nightmare."

He was so thoughtful... Truly a genuinely good person.

"No.. Just... Hurt."

Soaps eyes looked around, the obvious cloths around the room, my hair a mess... It fully clicked. "Ghost and you...?"

"Not anymore... He only cared I put out..."

Soap sighed, slowly making his way to the edge of my bed. "Lass I'm... I'm sorry."

"No no.. I was a fool to think he thought anything else." I put the picture frame back, only for John to reach over and pick it up.

"I recognize the 4 of you.. But who are these two?" He tried to change the subject, "And why is this ones face all... Ripped?"

"That's Messier. A second generation French who joined to be an MP, I was engaged to until last year..."

The silence was deafening. I automatically grabbed my earbuds, offering one to Soap. He simply nodded and took it, "I'll Be Good" by Jaymes Young filled the cold silence...

"What happened if I may ask?"

"You may," I laughed sadly, pointing to my neck scar. "He wasn't who I thought he was..." My voice quiet, shakey.

"You mean he..."

"Yes. He thought Scotty and I were sleeping together. Didn't like that one bit so... He tried to kill me."

"Bastard... Wait Scotty?"

"Yeah..." I pointed to the other, very large male in the photo. "That's Scotty, he was our LT before he.." My mouth ran dry

"I see... You guys seemed close. But not in that way.." He nodded to how, even next to Messier, my body was curved towards him as he was pulling me towards him by my shoulders.

"He was like a big brother.. You remind me a lot of him sometimes, just much. Much shorter."

A smile spread across Soaps lips. Looking at the Irishman next to me in the photo, he truly towered over everyone as his arm was wrapped around me, pulling me into him. The silence continued to be filled by the soft music in our earbuds, 'Pluto Projector' by Rex Orange County humming quietly.

Eventually we just started talking about how the old team was. I felt tears prick my eyes as I remembered the first time I was in the 556 we went to the Czech Republic, how I had put my cold weather gear in my undertow bag (which got lost). The amount of shit I got for it... It was only my bag too! Then there was the time Ajax got shot in the ass and I had to pull the bullet out on the way back to base. As a combat engineer I had no idea if I could actually pull it off, but I did somehow... Omari's BBQ days after a mission leaving us fat and happy. Dante playing the guitar and singing in Spanish to us... Scotty making sure we all were taken care of in the end, which cost him his life... The hours passed as stories from long forgotten memories filled the room like sunlight, although that did too.

----Ghosts POV----

I felt like a stalker... Sitting in the hallway listening to her talk to Soap about her friends, her ex fiance.. Everything. I knew that she was baring her soul to him, the same way I wish she had to me. But she was already too close, I couldn't afford to pull her closer.

Last night

My phone buzzed quietly next to me, I hadn't been asleep so it didn't bother me. Looking at the screen I saw that it was Ember... A "You up" text.. My heart soared, beating a mile a minute I wanted to run over there. Only, when I teased her she backed off... Fuck it, I wanted her. Pulling my balaclava on I half jogged to her room, greeted with the beautiful woman I craved...

After our passionate.. I don't even want to call it sex, it wasn't fucking... I don't know, but whatever it was was beautiful. She laid in my arms, head on my chest. I never wanted to let her go... I wanted to take her to the Azores, secluded on the water away from everything that hurt her..

I grazed my thumb across her scarred cheek.

'You don't need distractions.' A voice within my head called quietly. 'You'll lose her just like your bloody family.'

No... Shut up... This isn't that!

'Oh Simon but it is... You love her don't you. And you know what happens to those we love.'

I panicked, 5:30am.. I had to leave, I couldn't let myself get attached. I had to leave. Leave. LEAVE!!

I stumbled on my way to my clothes, causing her to shoot up, almost literally. I lied.. I couldn't let her see me as Simon. I needed Ghost... To protect her I can't be Simon anymore, only Ghost...

So Ghost is what I'll become.

A/n
Hi guys! I literally wrote this at work because I couldn't stop thinking about this 😂😂 its a short chapter I know but we are quickly reaching our midpoint, more trauma, love, and pain are incoming so please be patient!!

I love you all, thank you for being here and reading through these as I try and set up our climax!! (Pun intended 😏😏)

XOXO! Sabrina 😋😋