How to Love the Stars | Ghost (Simon Riley)

Chapter 49

Simon never thought he would ever fall in love. He thought it was truly impossible for someone like him.

As a child, he was almost never shown love. The moments of tenderness and care that other children experienced were foreign to him. His days were consumed by survival, navigating a world that demanded toughness and endurance. Simon learned to fend for himself, and grew up with a heart that seemed impenetrable.

Love, to him, was a distant concept, an abstract notion that belonged to others. He never allowed himself the luxury of yearning for it, believing that it was a weight he couldn't bear. Marriage, relationships—these were all only things that added to the load he already had to carry. All the lives he had taken.

More than that, Simon understood the unlikelihood of anyone falling for him. His rough exterior and the scars etched into his soul were not the ingredients for romance. Even if someone were to break through the barriers he had erected around his heart, Simon was convinced that he would inevitably sabotage any potential relationship.

So, he stayed alone, embracing solitude as a companion. Until he met Althea.

Althea changed everything. She entered his life like a force of nature, challenging the walls he had built around his heart. She needed him, and in her, Simon found a need he never knew he had.

He never thought he was worthy of love, and deep down, he knew he probably wasn't. But the mere fact that someone needed him, that he needed her in return, singlehandedly fueled him to continue on.

He was so insanely, embarrassingly, unfortunately in love, and he knew it. And it was the same for him. It was just like the drop of the anchor. Although he always knew he would fall in love, he was never fully ready when it happened.

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He's a fucking idiot. I can't believe he fell for such an unintelligent, witless trick. If that missile launches because of him... Hassan's next target was Belgium! What the hell was he thinking? Did he not trust her enough to know that she was capable of herself?

Althea found Price in the control room on the lower deck, his gaze shifting between monitors.

Price looked up as Althea entered, and shock bloomed on his face.

"Althea, are you alright?" Price asked, his voice low but filled with genuine concern. Soap's head snapped up. The same shock on his face too.

"Althea?" He immediately got up to meet her, his Scottish accent slurring his words as he spoke. "Simon was so worried about you! You look terrible, what happened?"

She caught her reflection in the shiny metal of the wall, finally noticing her ragged appearance. Her hair was loose and dangling at her waist, and her body was soaked head to toe in water. Althea almost couldn't recognize herself. She was absolutely trembling from the cold, but she was trembling even more from anger.

"You want to know?" She spat seawater onto the ground. "Ask that fucker. He traded the launch codes for my life. Just let that sink in."

Price's eyes narrowed, his jaw clenching in anger. "He did what?"

Soap's expression mirrored Price's anger as he stared at Althea, disbelief etched on his face. "Why would he do that? The mission is at stake!"

Althea took a deep breath, steadying herself. "It was a trap. Carlos had set it up from the beginning. He wanted to force Ghost into a corner, make him choose between the mission and my life. And Ghost, being the idiot he is, chose me."

Price's fists clenched, the tension in the room palpable. "Damn it, Ghost. We can't let that missile launch. We need to abort the mission immediately."

Althea shook her head. "No, we can't abort. We're too close, and there's no way they're not going to launch that missile. We need to find a way to stop it without jeopardizing the mission. Contact Ghost."

Price's gaze hardened, and he glanced at the tactical map. "He's not responding. We've lost contact with him since the incident near the engine room. We're working on reestablishing communication, but time is running out."

Althea's heart sank, but she pushed aside her personal worries. The mission still hung in the balance, and they needed to focus on completing it. She would do what he couldn't.

"Let's proceed with the plan. We can't afford any delays," she said, her voice steady.

Price nodded, acknowledging the urgency. "Agreed. Soap, Gaz, you're with me. Althea, you take the lead on securing the missile. We need to move swiftly before Hassan's allies make their move."

As the team mobilized, Althea took a deep breath, the weight of the situation settling on her shoulders. Ghost's absence gnawed at her, but she couldn't let it distract her. The mission had to be completed.

A/N: Short chapter for you guys today! (Sorryyyy ╥﹏╥)

I'm trying to find a good way to end the story, but it's much more difficult than I expected. Also my bird is chewing on my computer right now, and I can't get him to stop. 

Lately I've been absolutely obsessed with the Six of Crows/ Shadow and Bone series, I love Leigh Bardugo (⋟﹏⋞)

THANK YOU ALL FOR READING!!! It's been very difficult to find the time to write, and usually I have 5 pre-written chapters, but now I only have two. I'm very behind schedule, sorry :(. But thank you all for finding the time to read my story, and I am so thankful to have so many people enjoying what I write. This story is very ill-thought-out, so I promise that when (or if) I start my next one, the plot will be much better than this one :) I LOVE YOU ALL!!! REMEMBER TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELVES!!!