Until You're Mine

Chapter 6

"Hayden?" Simon stands up, looking as confused as I feel. "What are you doing here?"

The guy, Hayden, who seems a similar age to Simon and I, steps forward and wraps Simon in a bro hug. "The hotel was getting old, plus I couldn't miss out on the opportunity of meeting the Isabella, in the flesh."

"The Isabella?" I repeat, ruining their moment.

Simon steps back, somehow looking like he's lost some of the tenseness from before. "Isabella this is Hayden Blake, we both deployed at the same time and we've been best friends ever since."

"I also am not to blame for you getting stuck with that ogre over there." Hayden adds with a smirk.

"Are you forgetting you were the reason we were at that bar in the first place, dickhead." Simon grins. I smile as the banter between the two continue. This is the most care-free I've seen Simon in awhile, reminding me of the boy I fell for all those years ago.

But it's not you making him smile, I remind myself.

"You guys go chill." I tell them, needing the few minutes to recollect myself. "I'll bring out some snacks."

"You never told me she was so polite." Hayden nudges Simon, as they walk out the door and I briefly hear him add. "or hot."

I laugh to myself as I make some sandwiches.

When I walk into the living room, the boys are laughing at something one of them said. Their wide bodies take up majority of the L-shaped couch, I bought when I first got here, reminding me of the torment they went through to get them.

Olivia always tried to keep Simons near death experiences a secret, but as she said, I checked anyway. I stirred all night when the update of the blast he got caught up in pinged on my phone, because yes I had notifications on. The words 'status unknown' weren't exactly comforting, but Olivia called me a few hours later, as the sun started to rise to let me know she heard from him and he was alright. A little banged up, but alright.

The last time I searched his name was more recent than I'd ever admit. Simon couldn't actually believe I didn't notice the haunted look in his eyes, his motto seemed to be alive but not living, don't let anyone too close. Me, I understand, but his family? That's what confuses me.

But there was nothing to find, the website hadn't updated his status in five weeks, and Simon claims he got back here three weeks ago, which I believe. I just don't understand, why his last mission wasn't recorded. 

"Iz?" Simon snaps me out of my thoughts, and when I look up at him, he's looking at me, looking slightly concerned. "You good? You got lost there for a bit."

I nod, and muster up my best smile. I can hardly tell him that I was lost because I was worrying about him, I can't make him tell me. "Just trying to remember if I done all my final rounds before I clocked out earlier."

"You're a nurse?" Hayden asks and takes another bite of his sandwich.

I nod. "I'm in ER at the minute, but eventually I'll move up the ladder."

"Where do you want to end up?" The question comes from Simon, and it takes everything in me not to look surprised. This is the most civil we've been towards each other in two weeks, and let's face it probably the most words we've spoken to each other in years.

"I'm thinking a paediatrician, but I'll probably have to go back and train for that."

"That sounds cool, and you could probably keep nursing in the ER on the side" Hayden fills in the silence after a few seconds, probably understanding the tension in the air.