by Carmen Faye
“You are acting worse than my family.” She sounded sad, but he couldn’t care about that.
“I’m sorry that you feel that way, but I want you to make it home in one piece. Your family cares about you. That’s why they act the way they do…not out of some misguided thoughts you have in your head.”
She looked like he’d betrayed her, and if this was what her family had to deal with, he could see their frustration.
“You’re doing all this for some woman for whom you couldn’t even bother getting her phone number? It makes no sense how involved you are with this. Getting all the people here involved in your quest and moving mountains trying to get medical facilities opened,” Emmy said, like she knew that as a fact.
“How did you know that?” he asked, as he moved closer to where she sat. If the civilians could get that kind of information that quickly, it made him wonder if there was a breach in security.
She looked at him quizzically and had just a bit of a smile on her face. “I know you, Matt Perrier. That was probably one of the first things you did. You are nothing if you’re not resourceful, and you wouldn’t have wanted to waste time. You probably went to the top of the food chain here. Surprising him with the request for one person when they are dealing with the problems of many.”
He shouldn’t have been surprised by how well she knew him. Between sex and talking, the percentage of each that had been done was a tie. Matt felt like he knew her, too, and he liked what he knew. Too much. Apparently, it was clear to everyone how he’d felt about her, if he took into consideration the sappy look on people’s faces when they found out what he was talking to everyone about.
Emmy looked tired, and he didn’t know if that was because of the missing medication, or if she was just tired of his shit. He’d put her through a lot, but it was for her own good.
That answer, even in his own mind, stopped him in his tracks. I really am thinking for her. How would I feel if someone did that for me? I would not be happy. That is a fact.
He walked over to Emmy and pulled her up from the chair and into a hug. It wasn’t supposed to be sexual, just a hug because he didn’t know how he’d feel if something happened to her on his watch.
“I can’t do this with you, Matt.” She pulled out of his arms and walked near the door. It was almost like she was afraid of him.
“I know that you haven’t liked my treatment of you since we left Hawaii, but I hope you’re not afraid of me.”
She didn’t give him much encouragement when she hugged herself and looked so lost he wanted to kick his own ass for bringing this kind of pain to her door.
“It’s not that I’m afraid of you, Matt, because I think you’ll physically hurt me or force me to do something I don’t want to do. It’s that being around you makes me happy, and I want to do all kinds of dirty, naughty things with you, but at the end of that, I’ll be ready to see what else we can make with such a great connection, and you’ll be riding off with another woman.”
Matt couldn’t believe what she was saying…well, some of it was true, but there were other parts that needed some clarification. “I literally drove off with Carolyn yesterday, but she said she needed a ride to the base and I gave her one. She was supposed to call the person she was there to see at the front gate. When you say ‘ride off’—it makes me think you had some idea that I rode off with her to fill in for you.”
“Whether it was her or someone else, I didn’t get the opportunity to say what I wanted in this whole thing. I think that is some of my frustration. I came on this trip to find myself, and the first thing that needs to change is me being a doormat. Everyone just walks over me, telling me what I need to do and what I should do…what’s good for me and what isn’t. I’m sick of it.”
He walked over to the door just so he could be near her. “You are absolutely right about everyone doing what they think is best for you, but it’s not because people don’t care or think you’re a doormat. It’s because we care about you, and we don’t understand why you don’t care more. I agree that you shouldn’t have to worry about everyone telling you what you should do, but if it’s about your health, then you should understand that people want you around more than you want to be around.”
She didn’t look like she wanted a hug, so he just stood there for a few minutes.
“I’d like to ask your permission to find the medication for you. The truth is the storm is coming and I don’t know how much damage there is going to be, or how long you’ll be stuck here. It is not my wish to force you into anything. You are an adult, and if you want to stop me from working on your behalf to find something I think you need, let me know. I’ll accommodate your wishes.” That was all he could give her, and as much as it hurt him to do it, he would. The inner turmoil was strong, as she thought everyone was treating her without really talking to her. He’d done the same thing although he didn’t think it was like that as he did it.
She looked up at him, and it seemed like it was the first time she’d done it with clear eyes in a while. Her eyes weren’t clouded with lust, confusion, or anger. All he saw was understanding. When she lifted her arms to pull him in for a hug, he almost lifted her off the floor. It had been a long night without her. It was like she’d been embedded into him, and knowing he wasn’t going to see her again was like a physical pain. This morning when he was supposed to get his marching orders, he’d found out that the island was about to be hit by a natural disaster. He was ordered to stay there to see what would be needed, since he was already there. There was a list of people who were still on the island and were being moved. His heart lifted and dropped when he’d seen that Emmy was still here. Was it a sign? He wasn’t sure, but that was what he was going to take it for.
“You have my permission to find medication for me. Thank you for asking.” She gave him a quick peck on the mouth but then moved away from him. He understood. He’d been worse than a bipolar roller coaster, giving with one hand and taking with the other.
His phone rang so he stepped up to answer it. The private phone was a secured line and only rang with official military business.
“Lieutenant Commander Perrier,” Matt answered in a voice so sharp it would be able to cut something.
“At ease, Perrier. Come to the mess hall by the north tower; I need to talk to you. I’ll be waiting so don’t dawdle.” The captain didn’t mince words, so he must have a mission or task he wanted him to complete.
“Yes, sir.” Matt hung up the phone and tried not to be discouraged about having to stop looking for medications for Emmy, especially since he’d just gotten her permission, but the military called and he was there to answer.
“I’ve got to go, but I’ll continue my search when I get back.” He moved toward the door and watched her wrap her arms around herself. She was really something special. Leaning down slowly, he went in for a kiss, but he wanted to make sure she was on board. They’d already had the talk about people just taking from her. When she raised her head, he went in without concern, but he knew the soft peck they were giving each other could get out of hand like a California brush fire. “Stay safe.”
“You too.” She was looking like a lost puppy, and with the way things were going, he didn’t want that to be the last thing she thought or said to him.
“I’ll be back,” he promised, hoping that it was true.
“You’d better be,” she answered back.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Emmy didn’t know what to think about the sudden events of her life. The crew that was keeping them informed was telling them one thing, that everything was going to be fine and they’d be out of there soon, but Matt had eluded more than once that this storm was more serious than they were all being told. It made sense. If all these people thought there was a problem and their lives were in danger, there would be chaos and terror—two things that didn’t work well together if they were going to do things in a calm and orderly fashion.
She made her way back to her cot and was no
t surprised that everyone was staring at her. There wasn’t much news going in or out of this area and people were relatively bored. Her story was the most interesting thing going.
“So?” Carolyn was the only one to actually put voice to the questions, but that was probably because the woman thought they had some kind of bond between them.
“Matt has been trying to find some medication for me since I have a heart condition that requires that I take an anticoagulant. Before you ask, it’s a medication that keeps my blood flowing through my veins. Without it, I may develop some clots that could ruin my life. Seriously and permanently.” Emmy wanted to let the people know what was going on because after talking to Matt she could kind of understand her family a bit more than she normally did. She’d always get defensive when someone wanted to do something for her—not taking it as what it was…a sign that the person loved her and wanted to help her do what was right…whether she wanted the same thing or not.
“Where is he?” the woman on the cot behind her called out.
“He got an urgent call and had to go somewhere on the base.”
“They said the storm is coming up quickly, and they are going to batten down whatever hatches they have. I hope your man friend doesn’t get caught out there and whipped around in the storm.”
Although she was sure that last comment was said in good spirits and with the best of intentions, the thought that Matt could get hurt in the storm twisted something in her gut. The rains that pelted the building were fierce, and Emmy sat by the door, hoping that the person she was looking for would come through it at any time, but it didn’t happen. The storm blew harder and harder on the cinder block building, but it didn’t seem like anyone was worried about Matt.
The blonde, that seemed to be the spokesperson for the airline and this disaster, stood by the door as well.
“There isn’t any way to check on someone who’s out in this storm, is there?” Emmy tried to get information from the frazzled-looking woman using her sweetest voice. It sometimes opened up doors that her more confident demeanor couldn’t.
The woman ran around to her group of papers that had everyone’s name on them. “Who was it? I thought we had everyone accounted for.”
“Oh no… I’m sorry. I was talking about the man who was helping me find medication. He’s a Navy SEAL named Matt Perrier.”
The woman stopped shuffling through her papers and looked at her. “We don’t have any control or authority over any of the military personnel. If he was helping you, he is probably still around.”
“He got a call and had to go outside to meet someone.” Emmy was thankful that the woman was trying to be helpful, but she could tell that the lady didn’t think she’d be able to help her.
“The man went outside? Recently?”
“About a half hour ago I’d say.”
The look on the woman’s face wasn’t encouraging, as she walked over to the one small window that was made out of blocked glass. It wasn’t a crystal clear view, but it was obvious that the storm had arrived. Whether it was the main one or a different one, it didn’t look like it was fit out there for man or beast.
“I don’t know what to tell you. Maybe he’s out there waiting until the storm slows down.”
That is what someone who had any sense would do, but she knew, somewhere deep down in her soul, that he’d try his best to make it back to her…or die trying. Die trying. That phrase that she’d always heard and didn’t really pay attention to seemed to reverberate around the chamber of her head. That fool better not die trying to get back to her. It would be so much better if he just stayed where he was until the weather was better. If she had his cell phone, she could have called, but that wasn’t something she had at her disposal.
The winds could be heard blowing around the building. She wasn’t quite sure what a typhoon was, but it sounded scary as all hell. There were things hitting the building, and the rustle of the trees outside were like newspapers being thrown around. It crossed her mind several times that this place was an island and could probably be taken down by the sea without much effort. That wasn’t the best use of her mind space but what else could she do.
There was a pounding on the large steel door that seemed to shake the hinges. The staff that was stationed by the door looked like they didn’t know what to do but got up to open the door. When they tried to crack it open, the doors blew back, and in came a rush of wind, rain, and debris along with three men.
She went over to see what was going on, and when she locked eyes on Matt she didn’t care what had gone before or what was going on after, she was going to be with him right now. She got to him at the same time the man in the white uniform came behind him.
“Is this the woman we’ve all risked life and limb for?” His gruff voice was slightly hostile in tone, but she didn’t blame him.
“I’m sorry for any inconvenience, sir.” Emmy was sorry for all that these men had gone through because they looked like they almost didn’t make it. Three men were out in this storm, and now she found out it was for her own needs. It was humbling.
“Sorry for my attitude, young lady. This young man wanted to make sure you had what you needed, and he was so persuasive I wanted to go and get it with him. None of this is any fault of your own, and as they say…All’s well that ends well.”
The older man walked off, and Matt grabbed her hand and walked her to his room in the back. When they were almost there, the lights went off.
“Everyone stay near your cot until further notice.” A voice rang out in the darkness. It was dark outside, but the inside of a warehouse with very limited windows made it unbelievably dark.
A small light shone on the area right by Matt’s feet. Of course, he’d have a flashlight… what kind of fighting machine would he be without that. He led them through the maze of people until he got to his room. He was able to open the door with his key and get them inside. When he closed the door, it was like they were in their own private world. It was dark, besides the light of his flashlight. Although Emmy could still hear the rustling of the trees and the howling of the wind, it was more like a sanctuary instead of the cluster fuck it seemed like beyond these walls.
She heard a crinkling of a bag, and he walked over to her with the brown medicine bottle. With him near her, she could see the bottle had her name on it—and the name and dosage of the medication.
“You didn’t have to do all this. I thought you were going to just get me a few pills to make it through.” Emmy was overwhelmed with gratitude over how hard he’d worked to get this medication to her. It was more than just a pill. It was about how much he cared about her, whether he said it or not, and how important her safety and well-being was to him.
“I wanted to make sure you had what you needed, no matter how long all of this takes. If I rested and you weren’t where you needed to be by tomorrow, it would be just that much more of a problem. I like to take care of things that are important to me.”
“I don’t know if I should be bothered because you said I was a thing, or if I should be flattered that you said you care about me.”
He didn’t add anything to what she was saying, and she wondered if he somehow let that slip when he’d not really wanted to say it.
“You must be tired,” she said and giggled because she knew how that sounded.
“Boom chica waa waa,” Matt sang in a 1970s porn song way.
“I knew you were going to think that was a cheesy line, but really, you’ve done a lot today.”
“I’m rather tired, but I’m just happy you got your medication. I don’t want to tick you off further since we had that very enlightening conversation earlier, but how about you actually take the pill that I risked my life and the lives of two other military personnel to obtain?” He handed her a bottle of water, and he watched intently as she took the pill and washed it down with some water.
“Happy now?” she asked him.
“Very,” he said, as he lay on his bunk.
> She wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do. Go back to her bunk, lay down with him, or stand there awkwardly in the middle of the floor?
“This is a very bad storm. Even with how horrible it sounds outside, this isn’t the storm that everyone is terrified about. That storm is behind this storm. There are so many things we need to work out and so much to say, but for right now, let’s just lay here together and be happy that we can do so.” Matt didn’t sound sleepy, just tired.
It was almost like he was telling her that they were doomed. He was calm, but she wondered what it must be like to live like this all the time. Going from crisis to crisis, seeing everyone at their worst and leaving when things were getting better, only to go off to find another crisis.
She lay in the bed next to him, and it couldn’t be anything other than intimate. It was a twin bed, and they were both grownups, so it wasn’t like sleeping at her cousin Lily’s house in her cute Strawberry Shortcake bedding. The bed may have been child sized, but the man in it wasn’t.
