Uncovering Peace

by Steffy Rogers

  My hands are balled in fists, what did the bastard do to Faith?

  Me: Go on.

  Braden: I don’t know the full story, Faith won’t talk about it. I was going over there to help her pack when I got a text from her asking to please hurry up. I was in the middle of class, but left immediately. I knew something was wrong. When she opened the door, fuck, there was blood all over her face. The fucker had hit her pretty hard and broke her nose. I guess somehow Faith convinced him to let her be. As I said, I don’t know the details. He said some pretty nasty shit about her and I lost it. I messed him up pretty good and made him leave. Faith refuses to press charges.

  Me: I’m gonna murder him. Wait till I get back, I will find him. Now I know why she won’t talk to me. Please, Braden, you have to do something. I can’t lose her.

  Braden: I don’t know what to do. She’s been holed up in our guest room for days. She barely talks to us. Not even Skye can get through to her. Hell, she won’t even look at Abigail.

  Me: Fuck. I need to talk to her. Get on Skype with your phone and give it to her. I’m not letting her walk away from me. Not again. I just got her.

  Braden: I’m not sure it will work, but it’s worth a try. Give me five.

  Me: Okay. Hurry up.

  The next five minutes feel like the longest of my damn life. I just want to talk to Faith. I need to convince her not to give up on us. Finally, Skype alerts me of an incoming call. Braden’s face comes into the picture.

  “Okay. Let me bring her the phone,” he says. I see glimpses of his house. I miss home. I can’t wait for this deployment to be over with.

  “Faith? There’s someone who wants to talk to you.”

  I hear her voice in the background. “Who is it?”

  “Just take the call, please? I promise that’s all I’ll ask from you.”

  “Fine. Give me the phone.” Braden hands the phone to her. Her face pops up on my screen. I cringe. Her face is green and blue. The swelling isn’t bad, but you can tell he hit her pretty hard. I can’t wait to get my hands on that fucker.

  “Hey, Seth...” Her voice is broken and full of hurt. I wish I could reach through the computer to comfort her. Tears are building in my eyes.

  “Baby... God, I’m gonna kill him.”

  “What do you want, Seth? I’m tired. I just want to go to bed.”

  “Faith, please don’t shut me out. I’m here for you. I was so worried when I didn’t hear from you. You haven’t answered any of my messages.”

  “Well... It appears Braden filled you in. Look, Seth, I really don’t want to talk about it right now, okay?”

  “What does that mean for us? I love you, Faith. I can’t lose you.”

  “I don’t know. I need some time. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”

  “Sweetheart, please.” I cry openly now. I can’t take it anymore. I thought we had finally made it. Now this.

  “Goodnight, Seth. Be safe.” It’s the last thing she says before she hangs up.

  Rage flows through me. How dare that motherfucker lay a hand on her? He’ll have to answer to me when I get back. Tears are blurring my sight.

  “What the fuck is wrong, Jacobs? You look like someone just told you your dog died.” Tyler and his smartass mouth walk into the room.

  “Shut the fuck up, Tyler.”

  “Whoa. I was joking, man. What’s going on?”

  “It’s none of your fucking business, okay? Now leave me the hell alone.”

  “Uhh... I just came to tell you that we’re heading back out in an hour. We just got notice. Get your shit packed. Whatever it is will have to wait till we get back. Get your fucking head in the game!”

  Why are we already going back out on a mission again? I’ve never had to go out as much as I have on this deployment. I don’t have a good feeling about this.

  An hour later we’re all packed and back in the Humvee. It’s eerily quiet. All the guys are lost in thought.

  We drive for what feels like hours in silence, when all of a sudden, we hear gunfire. I look around and see we are surrounded by vehicles. Our truck is forced to an abrupt stop. What the fuck?

  Tyler tries to hold me back as I climb out of the vehicle but I shake him off. I return the fire hoping to get as many of those bastards as possible.

  “Are you trying to get yourself killed, man?” Tyler shouts over the gunshots as he follows me outside. I don’t know what the fuck is going on – I hear metallic tings all around me. In the distance, their muzzle flashes as rounds fly past me. Breathe, aim, squeeze, and repeat. I can’t tell how many are down or taking cover, I just keep on moving to the next. It’s pure chaos. Adrenaline is pumping through me as I only have one goal in mind – to get out of here alive. I hear distant shouts but can’t make out words while I fire round after round. I lose all track of time not knowing whether minutes or hours have passed. Breathe, aim, squeeze, and repeat.

  Suddenly I hear someone shout something about a man being down but I’m not sure if it’s coming from one of my guys or not. Breaking the fire I look to see that Tyler has been shot in the shoulder. Shit. We need to get him the fuck out of here. One of my soldiers jumps out of the Humvee and gets to Tyler. My concentration on the enemy is broken for what can only be split seconds when I feel the impact and fall to the ground. Looking down, I see blood everywhere. The pain is so excruciating that my vision goes blurry and I can’t make out where they got me. My world starts spinning and all I can think about is the woman I love.

  “Faith, please. I need to get back to her. Please get me back to her.” I can still hear gunshots around me. I hope my guys make it out of here alive. The last thing I hear is Tyler telling me that everything is gonna be alright. The doctor is on his way. Then the world around me turns black.

  “He’s lost a lot of blood. The bullet went straight into his lungs. He got lucky that it didn’t do any more damage than just the loss of blood. We were able to get the bullet out and stop the bleeding. He’s still in critical condition, but were confident that he will pull through.”

  Bullet? What’s going on? I feel like I’m stuck in a dream. I can hear voices, but I can’t open my eyes to see where they’re coming from. Where the hell am I? Why does my whole body hurt? Suddenly it dawns on me. The mission. The enemy showing up. Fuck. I try again to open my eyes, but I’m too weak.

  “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have told him I needed time. What if he doesn’t make it? I didn’t even tell him I love him.” Faith? How did she get here? Where the hell did they take me?

  “It’s gonna be okay, Faith. He’ll make it.” That’s Braden. I want to open my eyes so bad to let them know that I’m okay. My body won’t let me and soon I drift off again.

  I wake up a few times and always hear voices. Faith and Braden haven’t left my side. My body still refuses to cooperate with me.

  “Maybe you guys should try to get some sleep. I’ll stay here with him till you guys get back.” My mother? What the fuck is she doing here? I haven’t talked to her since I joined the army. My parents pretty much disowned me when I signed up at the age of nineteen. They wanted me to go to college, get a business degree, and follow in my dad’s footsteps by taking over the family company one day. I had no interest in the company.

  “I’m not going anywhere until he wakes up. I’m not leaving him again. I’ve done that too many times and look where it brought us. To a damn hospital in Germany.”

  Germany? How did I get here? Why didn’t they airlift me back to the states? Then I remember that they usually bring wounded soldiers in critical condition to Rammstein. It’s the closest military hospital and sometimes minutes can be life saving. Or maybe my mind’s playing tricks on me?

  I wake up a lot, going in and out of consciousness, but can’t open my eyes or move my body. I’m tired of it. I want to get back. Faith is here with me. She needs to know that I’m alright. I’ll pull through this. I promised her I would come back. I always keep my promises. Fuck. Why is my own body betray
ing me like this? I just want to get back to my woman.

  “Seth, please just wake up. I’m so sorry. I promise I’ll never leave again. I’m done pushing you away. I just want us to start our lives together. Please don’t leave me. I can’t live without you.” Her sobs are killing me. I use all my strength to force my eyes open and squeeze Faith’s hand. I can’t talk because there’s a breathing tube stuck down my throat.

  “Oh, my God! You’re awake.” She runs out of the room.

  “Someone get a doctor, he’s awake. He’s awake,” she all but screams. If I wasn’t hurting so bad I’d probably laugh.

  A doctor comes rushing in and checks all my vitals. Finally, he starts talking and explains what exactly they did to me. He tells me that I’ll probably be here for another two weeks while they keep an eye on me. I slowly lift my arm and point at the breathing tube.

  “Oh yeah, we can take that out now.” He removes the tube and offers me some water. The cold liquid feels refreshing in my sore throat.

  “Faith.” My voice comes out raspy.

  “Just take it easy for a while okay? You lost a lot of blood and you’re lucky to still be with us,” the doctor explains.

  “Tyler. How’s Tyler? And the other guys?” I ask him.

  “They all made it out, baby. Everybody is alive,” Faith answers instead.

  “Thank God.” I let my head fall back into the pillow. My whole body hurts. “Can I have something for the pain? This shit hurts.”

  “Of course. The nurse will be here in a minute to give you something for the pain.”

  “Thanks, Doc.”

  He exits the room, leaving Faith and me alone. She’s picking lint off her clothes.

  “Baby, look at me,” I tell her. Her eyes meet mine. They’re filled with sadness.

  “I thought I lost you, Seth. I thought I would never see you again and it’s all my fault. If I wouldn’t have acted like a damn fool this would’ve never happened.”

  “Stop, Faith. None of this is your fault. I would’ve had to go on that mission either way.”

  “Tyler told me what happened. He said it was like you had a death wish. You guys were way outnumbered. Why, Seth? Why did you get out of the vehicle?”

  “It’s what I get paid to do. It’s my job. We wouldn’t have made it out of there alive if I would’ve stayed in the Humvee.”

  “You almost got yourself killed, Seth.”

  “Are we gonna sit here and discuss the what ifs or are we just gonna be happy that I’m alive and came back to you? I promised you I would.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “I’ve missed you.”

  “Me too, Seth. You have no idea how much I missed you.”

  “How did you get here anyways?”

  “As soon as I found out what happened I booked a flight for Braden and me. Skye stayed back with Abby. I had to be with you. They were just bringing you out from surgery when we got here. Oh if anyone asks... I’m your fiancée.”

  I try to laugh but it hurts too much.

  “Is that so?”

  “Yes. They didn’t want to let me in. So I told them we were engaged.”

  We talk for a while. It feels good to have her here with me. Faith just went to get some coffee when the door to my room opens. My mother walks in.

  “Oh, Seth... I’m so glad you’re awake.”

  “Mother, what are you doing here?”

  “What do you mean? My son is hurt. Of course I would be here.”

  “I haven’t seen you in almost ten years, yet alone heard from you. Why in the world would I want you here now?”

  “Son, you don’t mean that.”

  “I actually do. I don’t want you here. You and Dad decided to disown me when I followed my dreams. I never wanted to be in the family business.”

  “You know how your dad gets. It doesn’t matter, I’m here now.”

  “It does matter, Mother. Where is he?”

  “He stayed back. There was some important business he had to tend to. We were hoping that once you get released you’d come back home with me. It’s not too late to get into the business. He’s willing to forgive you and give you another chance.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me. Listen to me carefully. I am not taking over the family business. I’m not coming home with you. Most importantly, I have no interest in a relationship with you. My whole life I grew up with parents who didn’t care about anything else but money, their social status, and the business. I didn’t have parents then and I sure as hell don’t need them now.”

  “Sleep on it, son. It’s the meds talking. You know it would be in your best interest to come home with me. What are you doing with that girl anyways? I’ve seen the nasty scars on her arms. Seems like she is very mentally unstable. I know some nice girls that I can introduce you to. Someone more fitting...”

  I cut her off. “Don’t you fucking dare talk about Faith like that. So help me God, I will get out of this bed and strangle you. Now get the fuck out of here. I don’t ever want to see you again. I mean it. I’m done with you and Dad. You’re dead to me.”

  “If that is what you want. Don’t come to us asking for money when your life goes downhill. You won’t see a penny from us.”

  “I. Don’t. Need. Your. Fucking. Money.” I accentuate every word. I’m disgusted by the woman in front of me. How dare she come in here and lay judgment on Faith?

  “I think it’s best if you leave now. You have upset my fiancé enough and he’s supposed to be resting.” My mother glares at Faith. I wonder how long she has been standing there.

  As my mother walks out, I hope that’s the last I ever see of her.

  Turning to Faith, I ask, “How much of that did you hear?”

  “All of it. She’s right, you know. I am mentally unstable. You deserve better than me.”

  “I don’t want anyone else but you. You’re it for me. I’ll help you fight the demons. I’m not ever giving up on us.”

  She smiles at me. In that moment, I know we can make it if we both just work hard enough for it. Nothing in life comes easy. I’d be damned if I ever let Faith slip through my fingers again.

  Chapter 10

  Faith

  Seth and I are on the plane to go back home. It’s been three weeks since I got the call from Braden that Seth had been hurt. I remember dropping the phone and having a nervous breakdown. The last thing I had told Seth was that I needed time, but when I got the call I wasn’t sure if we would ever have time together again.

  I blame myself for his accident. If I would’ve gotten my head out of my ass he wouldn’t have been so distracted.

  I think back to the conversation I had with Tyler while Seth was in a coma.

  “So, you’re the infamous Faith?” A guy walks into Seth’s room. He has short black hair, piercing green eyes and from the looks of it he spends a lot of time in the gym. He’s attractive, but he doesn’t compare to the man lying behind me.

  “Do I know you?” I eye him suspiciously.

  “I’m Tyler. I was there when it all happened.” That’s when I notice that his arm is in a sling. I totally forgot all about the other guy who had gotten hurt.

  “Do you mind taking a walk with me?” He gestures to the door.

  “No offense, but I don’t want to leave his side. I want to be here when he wakes up.”

  “Sure. We can talk here too,” he says pulling over a chair and flopping in it.

  “He loves you, you know.” He starts. I have no idea where this is going, but I’m intrigued.

  “Yes, I know.”

  “I don’t know exactly what’s going on but you need to make up your mind. You’re hurting him. His mind wasn’t in the game while we were in Afghanistan. He was distracted all the time just staring off into space. It could’ve cost him his life. It almost did cost him his life. I’m not gonna sugar coat what happened, sweetheart. But when he jumped out of that Humvee I thought he had a death wish. I don’t know why he thought he could take them all
on. It’s not your fault what happened, it’s no one’s fault really. It’s what we signed up to do. I have to ask you though to make a decision. Either you stand by his side and you guys work on whatever it is that is bothering you, or you have to let him go. He loves you with every fiber of his being. You’re all he talks about. I’ve seen him cry for you when he thought no one was looking. Whatever it is, you guys can work through it. I’ve never seen his eyes light up the way they do when he talks about you. Krystal was a mistake and we all know that. Don’t give up on what you have because you will never get it back.”

  I’m rendered speechless. A complete stranger basically just told me that I needed to get my shit together. On the plane here I had already made my decision that I’d never leave Seth again. What Tyler just said only strengthens my wish to give Seth a fair chance. He never had one and he sure as hell deserves it.

  “Thank you, Tyler. I appreciate you telling me all this. I guess I really am not making this easy on him, am I?”

  “To say the least. I’m sorry if I offended you in any way. Seth and I served together, we’ve seen war together. We have a bond that only people in the military can understand. I just can’t stand seeing one of my brothers hurt.”

  “I promise you, Tyler, you have nothing to worry about. I have every intention of staying with Seth. I love him too. I admit that I haven’t handled my feelings well, but I’m here now. I’m not going anywhere. That is, if he’ll have me. I have broken his heart and I hope he will forgive me. If he doesn’t I’ll have to let him go.”

  “He has already forgiven you. I was conscious when he went down and blacked out. His last words were to please bring him back to you.”

  Chills run up and down my body. Seth asked for me when he got hurt? I turn to look at the man who holds my heart. Tears are streaming down my face as I promise never to run again. Somehow we will work through my demons together. I just have to learn to let him in. I pray that his patience with me never runs thin.