Then There Was You (Twist of Fate)

by A. J. Daniels

  I breathe in the fresh air and allow Jack to lead me down the trail as I take in the view around us. Hills covered in trees and lush bushes surround us on either side. We cross a flowing stream and then another and another, and before I know it three miles have passed and Jack’s leading us up a giant rock and in front us is a beautiful waterfall and watering hole. I snort. Watering hole. Like Timon and Pumba from The Lion King. Jack turns and raises a questioning eyebrow at my outburst, but I shrug it off and climb up next to him.

  “Want to go swimming? Looks like there’s a rope swing over there.” Jack tips his head towards the far right side of the falls and sure enough, there’s a rope swing attached to a tree in the corner.

  I climb over the other rocks without answering him and once I’m at the water’s edge, I slowly zip down my sweater, little by little revealing the black bikini and my bare skin underneath, inch by slow inch.

  “Please tell me that’s not the only thing you’re wearing under there?” Jack groans, but I don’t miss the subtle way he tries to adjust himself in his shorts.

  “Okay.” I grin, turning around to give him my back. “I won’t,” I say over my shoulder, hooking my thumbs in the waistband of my shorts and pushing them down to my ankles.

  Strong arms wrap around my waist and I squeal as I’m lifted in the air. Jack slides down the last rocks and into the pool. As soon as our chests are submerged something brushes up against my leg but when I glance down it’s too dark to see anything. I somehow manage to turn in Jack’s arms and wrap my arms and legs around him.

  “Uh, babe, is there something in the water… other than fish?”

  Jack chuckles, cupping my neck in his hand and holding me to him as I try to climb higher when something else that definitely doesn’t feel like a fish, brushes against my foot. “I don’t think you want me to answer that.”

  “What’s in the water, Jack?”

  He kisses my temple, moving us further into the pool. “Just don’t think about it, babe. Let’s just swim, yeah?”

  I exhale hard, looking over his shoulder ready to give in and just enjoy being in the water with him, but then I see a shadow swim behind him, and I just can’t let it go, especially if what I think I saw is what I actually saw.

  “What’s in the water, Jack?” I ask again, scrambling to get closer to him, not really caring if I’m choking him by holding on for dear life.

  Jack sighs, gripping me closer as he turns and swims us back to the rocks. After I’ve climbed up on the rock and completely out of the water, Jack follows, sitting with his feet still skimming the surface. “There might be snakes in the pool,” he says so nonchalantly I almost don’t believe him except for the fact that he’s not smiling, there’s not even a hint of amusement in his eyes.

  “S-Snakes?!”

  Jack hangs his head. “You’re fine, Annika.”

  “You’re telling me that was a snake that brushed up against my leg and then my foot?” I shriek not listening when he tries to calm me down.

  Jack stands and moves in front of me, cupping my face and forcing my gaze from the water to his face. “Annika, breathe,” he instructs, taking a deep breath and slowly releasing it, watching me do the same. We do it a couple more times before he pulls me into his arms. “You’re okay, babe. I wouldn’t have let anything happen to you.”

  “Did you know there’d be snakes in there?” I ask, wrapping my arms around his back.

  “If I had, I wouldn’t have made you go in the water. I only figured it out after I felt it against my own leg and saw it swim by.”

  I take another deep breath and hold it for a few seconds before letting it out, refusing to release him from my arms.

  “You ready to get out of here and get some food?”

  “God, yes. Get me away from those things.”

  I pull away and scowl at the pool. Jack laughs, handing me my clothes before pulling his shirt back on. I can see he wants to say something else but wisely keeps it to himself. Good, because if he was about to tell me that there were probably snakes along the edges of the trail I’d make good on him carrying me back to the car. I hate the slithering creatures. I shiver and pull on my sweater ignoring the fact that my body is still wet from the water. There was a reason why the devil masqueraded as a snake in the garden with Adam and Eve. They’re evil creatures.

  We make it three quarters of the way back up the trail before I have to stop and catch my breath. Jack hands me a protein bar and encourages me to drink more of the water from the hydration bag, but even after all that, it’s like my legs refuse to move. Seeing my fatigue begin to grab a hold of me, Jack offers me his back and I don’t hesitate climbing on and wrapping my limbs around him, letting him carry me some of the way. As I feel his back muscles work against my front, I know I hadn’t imagined him getting bigger and stronger when I saw him yesterday. We make it back to the parking area in less time with Jack carrying me than we probably would have if I had continued walking on my own. And he doesn’t even look like he’s broken a sweat! Meanwhile, I’m counting down the minutes until I can jump into another shower, preferably with my husband… my naked husband.

  I squirm in the passenger seat and clench my thighs together as memories from last night and this morning begin to play in my head. Jack directs us back towards the apartment and I try to keep my eyes on the scenery in front of us and off the bulge in the front of his pants. But when he drapes an arm over the steering wheel and the other one over the gear shift, and I see the muscles of his arms stretch and pull with the movement, I can’t stop from leaning over and running my nose up the curve of his neck and across his jaw.

  “Baby, I’m driving,” he groans.

  “I know.” I shift closer in my seat, pulling the seat belt to give me more room. “Better keep your eyes on the road then,” I say, skimming a hand up his thigh. I stop when I feel the bulge under my palm and give it a squeeze.

  Jack curses, his grip on the steering wheel tightening. I nip at the sharp edge of his jaw. He tastes like Jack with a hint of something else, the water from the waterfall maybe. Rubbing my palm up and down his length, I continue nipping and sucking down his neck and feel him harden against my hand.

  “Don’t tease me, Nika.”

  I grin. “Then you better keep your eyes open and on the road. I don’t feel like dying today, Jack.”

  I pull the drawstring of his swim shorts and tug until it opens, his cock springing free of its confines. The head red and angry with a bead of pre-cum already glistening on the top. I spread the pre-cum around the head of his cock before running my thumb nail along the slit and grin when Jack hisses.

  “I can’t wait to get my mouth around this cock,” I whisper in his ear, closing my fist around the soft steel and sliding down to the base. “To run my tongue under the head until you curse and grip my hair in your clenched fists.” I moan, my hand still gliding up and down his length. I add a little twist on the upstroke and watch as his Adam’s apple bobs with a hard swallow. “To suck one of your balls while I glance up at you towering above me, trying not to come.” Jack groans and his hips buck up slightly causing his length to slide through my closed fist. “To take you to the back of my throat until you’re coming, and I have no choice but to swallow.”

  “Fuuck!” Jack throws his head back against the head rest. Spurts of cum shoot from his dick and land on his shirt and my hand. I make sure he’s looking at me before I gather up what I can on my fingers and sucks them clean one by one. It’s not until I’m done that I tear my eyes away from a panting Jack and glance out the windshield to realize that we’re stopped in traffic.

  Jack pinches my chin between his thumb and forefinger when I move to settle back in my seat and forces me to look at him. “When we get home, you’re going to be waiting for me in the bedroom, naked and on all fours with your ass up,” he commands. His eyes turning a stormy grey and all I can do is nod.

  * * *

  “Does this ever get any easier?” I ask, standing
with my arms wrapped around Jack at the door to our apartment.

  He’s due back on base to complete the rest of his training this week and he’s not sure if he’ll be able to make it off base next weekend again.

  “God, I hope not. I don’t want saying goodbye to you to ever get easier, Annika,” he replies, pulling me closer, his chin resting against the top of my head.

  This past weekend didn’t even come close to filling the gap that was made by not seeing him for five months. And I know I should just be grateful that I at least got a weekend with him during training, but when you’ve grown dependent on seeing someone almost every single day for seven years then to not see them for months at a time, it’s… hard.

  “I know,” I sigh, looking up at him. “It’s just… I feel like this weekend went by far too quickly. It feels like I was just getting off a plane yesterday and seeing you for the first time in months.”

  “I know, baby. It’ll get better when I’m done training.” Jack leans down to kiss me and I have to hold myself back from trying to deepen the kiss. He’s already in danger of running late.

  “Until you go wheels up,” I murmur.

  “Until I go wheels up.” He tries to give me a reassuring smile, but it falls flat. Instead he just kisses me again. His tongue licking along the seam of my lips, wanting entry.

  I forget about the Navy and his training, and everyone waiting for him to get back to base, allowing myself to enjoy my husband. Until the sound of a car honking on the street below invades our little bubble. Jack pulls away, picks his bag up from the floor, and plants a chaste kiss on my lips before reassuring me that he loves me, and then he’s gone.

  Chapter 7

  The rest of the week went by incredibly slow. The only saving grace was getting to know the kids in my class better and seeing Nate at work every day. Our classes joined together for another PE class on Wednesday morning, this time it was warm enough to get the kids in the pool. They were so cute in their maroon swimsuits and swim caps. Wednesday was all about getting them used to the different strokes and jumping into the water. By the end of the class, some were even diving. It was awesome seeing them progress throughout the ninety-minute class.

  On Friday morning the classes met back on the sports field and we had a rematch of the soccer game from Monday morning. Nate’s class kicked our asses this time, but it was all in good fun and by the end of it, the kids were begging for another rematch. Of course, Nate and I said we’d be discussing it and would probably divide the classes up into mixed teams next time.

  By the time Friday afternoon rolls around, I’m eager for the last bell to ring and the kids to be dismissed. I’m hoping I can catch Nate on his way out and convince him to have a drink or two with me at Dunes, and maybe go explore the night market in Hout Bay. I need a couple of pieces for my house anyway, and what better way to collect art than at a local market.

  “Hey, got a minute?” I ask, stepping into Nate’s empty classroom after the kids have left.

  “For you? Always.” He grins back, beckoning me closer. “What can I do for you, Ms. Carter?” he asks, stuffing papers into his messenger bag.

  “I was wondering if you wanted to accompany me to Dunes for a drink. Maybe some dinner?” I add, bowing my head when I feel heat begin to spread across my cheeks.

  “Why, Ms. Carter, are you asking me on a date?” He feigns shock and I roll my eyes.

  “You did win the rematch after all.”

  His grin blooms into a full smile. “Yes. Yes, we did.”

  “Alright, no need to get cocky. So, dinner and drinks?”

  Nate glances down at his watch and I think he’s going to tell me thanks, but no thanks. What comes out of his mouth instead is, “Give me about two hours and I’ll pick you up at home. I have a field hockey meeting but then I’m all yours.”

  My mouth opens to tell him that it’s okay and I’ll just see him tomorrow for the hike up Lion’s Head but then his words register, and my mouth snaps closed. Huh, I kind of wasn’t expecting that.

  “S-sure,” I stammer, running my palms down the legs of my grey slacks. “That gives me time to go home and change into something more comfortable.”

  Nate groans, and I lift my head in time to see him close his eyes and his Adam’s apple bob with every hard swallow.

  “You okay?” I ask, concern marring my voice.

  “You’re going to slip into something more comfortable?”

  “Yes…”

  His eyes pop open and he gives me a pointed stare until my words begin to sink in.

  “Oh…” I say, and then grin at the pained expression still present on his face.

  Memories from Monday night flash through my head. Nate running up behind me, pushing me up against my front door, and devouring my mouth like it was his last meal. A warmth blooms in my belly and spreads up. I look away to avoid his gaze, afraid that if I don’t, I’ll see the same heat reflected back at me.

  “I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”

  “Yeah. Sure, sounds good,” I say and then turn and hurry out of his classroom and down the hallway that leads to the staff parking lot.

  I’m so screwed.

  * * *

  18 months ago

  Loud banging on the front door draws me out of the memories of the life I shared with Jack. I wipe away stray tears with the back of my sweater sleeve, my eyes already feeling puffy, and shuffle towards the door.

  “Shit,” Caleb curses, pulling me into a bear hug as soon as the door opens. “I thought I would’ve beaten them over here. I’m so sorry, Nika.”

  My hands curl into the back of his shirt, and I grip the material tightly, sobbing into his chest. “Were you…?”

  Somehow Caleb manages to manoeuvre us into the apartment and shuts the door. “I wasn’t stationed at the same site as him. We only got the call that he was MIA a few hours later but by that time, it was already too late.” He sniffs and clears his throat, and I realize this may be as hard for him as it is for me. “I’m so fucking sorry, Annika. I should’ve been there. I should’ve had his back.”

  “It’s not your fault, Cal,” I say, moving into the kitchen to grab us some drinks. I need to keep busy or I am going to crumble under the weight of it all.

  I hand Caleb a beer and then plop myself back down on the sofa, bringing my feet up to rest on the edge and bending my knees. It feels like someone else is steering my body and I’m just going along with it, afraid that if I try to take back control I’ll lose myself to the darkness blackening the edges of my vision. Caleb comes to sit beside me and pulls me into his side. It’s like we both need the contact to ground us and keep us afloat.

  “I’m always here for you, Nika. I know we didn’t get much time to get to know each other, but going through that training together like Jack and I did…” He pauses and I have this feeling he’s trying to find the right words to say. “What I’m trying to say is, our team… we’re like family. You were Jack’s family which makes you my family. Always.”

  I let the truth of what he says settle around me. I have no idea what they went through during training, but I have heard stories and seen the small snippets of videos on YouTube. To me it seems like it would be insane to go through that entire process from start to finish with someone and not form a tight bond. I lean up and plant a soft kiss against the short stubble lining his cheek.

  “Thank you,” I say, and resume burrowing into his side. There is nothing sexual about cuddling on the sofa with Caleb in the apartment I shared with Jack. I sense we both just need the reminder that there is someone there for us when we start to crumble. I need to hold onto this reminder now more than ever.

  “If you need help with the funeral or anything, the guys and I are here,” he says, rubbing a hand up and down my arm.

  My vision becomes cloudy with fresh tears and I have to bury my face into the soft material covering his chest, squeezing my eyes shut against the onslaught of fresh pain. Jack’s funeral is the last thing
I want to think about right now, but I know it needs to be done.

  “I haven’t even called his parents yet,” I say, sitting up suddenly and wiping away the tears with the back of my hand.

  Caleb hands me my phone from the coffee table. “Do you want me to go?”

  “No.” I reach out for him and he wraps his arms around me again. “I’m sorry. I just… I feel this need to hang onto him as long as possible and you…” I look down at the phone in my hands, feeling guilty about using him to keep somewhat of a connection to Jack.

  “It’s okay,” Caleb says running a soothing hand up and down my forearm. He nods towards the phone. “Call them. I’ll be here.”

  The conversation with Deb and Ron goes as I thought it would. I wasn’t expecting them to openly sob on the phone, but some emotion from my in-laws would be nice. Or something to prove to me that they aren’t completely heartless. All these years I held out hope that they would come around and reach out to Jack. To show him that they still love him and are at least trying to accept the fact that we are married and have been for years now. But it never happened. The next conversation I had to have was going to be the hardest, though. After hanging up with my in-laws, I start pacing the length of the living room with the phone in one of my hands.

  Caleb had run out to grab us some dinner after I hang up with Deb. He hasn’t returned yet and I know that now is the perfect time to call Xander. Well, not perfect. Nothing about this is perfect, but I need to make this one call by myself.

  I blow out a breath and dial. Closing my eyes against a new wave of tears as I bring the phone to my ear. Xander answers on the second ring. He sounds so happy and refreshed after his recent vacation when he answers, and I hate to be the one who brings him down. Despite being the older brother, Xander took it hard when Jack enlisted and had to move across the country, and when Jack was deployed he called every day, sometimes more than twice just so that I didn’t feel like I was alone.

  “Xander?” I ask, after there’d been silence on the other end of the line for some time. I know he hasn’t hung up because the call is still going, and I can hear him breathing on the other end.