How to Love the Stars | Ghost (Simon Riley)

Chapter 13

Ghost was seated in front of her, arms crossed, gaze unwavering. Althea wondered if he ever blinked. She squirmed in her seat. She remembered going to get into her assigned vehicle with Soap when she was stopped by Graves and made to ride in the same vehicle as Ghost instead since she "couldn't be trusted" with the other soldiers. So there she was, sitting in a (mildly) uncomfortable and awkward situation with the lieutenant.

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Ghost studied Whisper's expression with a weary gaze. He had watched the incident unfold, her swift and calculated movements as she defended herself against a soldier from their own ranks. It wasn't the first time he had seen such a situation. But there was something different about Althea's response, a raw determination mixed with vulnerability that caught his attention.

He could see something different about her now. He hadn't noticed before, but now he could see that something was missing. Her eyes seemed almost... empty. It was as if a spark that was there before had gone out. He could see it in the way she held herself up.

He noticed Althea continuously scrubbing at her arm with her sleeve right where an angry red grab mark was forming.

Althea was the one who broke the silence. "Sir, about the incident just now, I was attacking him in self-defense, I-"

He held up a hand to stop her. "No need to explain. I saw everything." He didn't mention that he was on his way to wring the bastard's neck when she did it for him. Althea blinked. "Oh, Alright then."

"Couldn't you have gone a little easier on him? They're putting him in the infirmary for a day." Although Ghost was attempting to try and lecture her, he couldn't hide the tinge of amusement in his voice. He was glad she had done that. Just thinking about him made his blood boil.

Althea scoffed. "I had to make an example out of him." She smiled sheepishly "Although I had to restrain myself from bashing his face in."

"Listen, Whisper, you can't attack others-" He moved a hand to his forehead in frustration, cursing. "Graves wants me to chew you out, but..." He gave a resigned sigh. What was he supposed to do? Lecture her for protecting herself? "I'd be a real fucking asshole if I chewed you out for that."

A hint of a smile tugged at Althea's lips but she quickly quashed it.

Ghost raised his eyebrows at Althea. "You sure have a knack for attracting trouble."

Althea shrugged nonchalantly. "Trouble just can't resist my charm."

Ghost shook his head, a hint of a smile in his tone. "You've got a unique way of seeing things."

"Does this mean I'm off the hook then?"

"You owe me two cups of tea now." She slumped into her seat. "I'm going to go broke before we even get back to the base."

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Althea's eyes fluttered open, the world around her slowly coming into focus. The sky was dark with thick clouds, and torrential rain veilied the night. She blinked a few times, trying to shake off the remnants of sleep that clung to her senses. The rhythmic hum of the vehicle's engine had ceased, replaced by the distant sounds of the base settling into the routine of activity. As her grogginess receded, she realized she was back at the base.

Stretching her arms overhead, Althea suppressed a yawn and turned her head, her gaze landing on Ghost seated beside her. His arms were still crossed, and his unchanging expression gave little away. She quickly straightened in her seat, realizing she had dozed off during the ride. A faint flush of embarrassment crept into her cheeks.

"About time you woke up," Ghost remarked, his tone carrying a note of mild amusement.

Althea rubbed at her eyes, trying to appear more awake than she felt. "Sorry, I didn't realize I was that tired."

As she fully came to her senses, Althea noticed that the vehicle had already come to a stop. The door was ajar, and some of their fellow soldiers were disembarking. She unbuckled her seatbelt and moved to exit the vehicle, her movements a touch stiff from the impromptu nap.

Ghost's voice halted her before she could step out. "Whisper."

She turned to face him, meeting his unwavering gaze. There was something in his eyes, a mix of understanding and acknowledgment that she hadn't quite anticipated.

"Good work back there," he said in a low voice, his words carrying a weight beyond their simplicity.

Althea blinked, momentarily caught off guard by the unexpected praise. She took a deep breath before meeting his eyes. "Thank you."

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! These last two were a bit shorter so I'll post a few extra ones :) THANK YOU FOR READING!!!