Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 61190 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 306(@200wpm)___ 245(@250wpm)___ 204(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61190 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 306(@200wpm)___ 245(@250wpm)___ 204(@300wpm)
“We’ll make it work,” Emmett assured him. “Hell, I’ll move closer to everyone. I’m the one who lives farther away.”
“You’d move? Just to be closer with all of us?” Brianna asked with wide eyes full of awe.
Emmett smiled at her.
“Of course. All of you are my family. You mean the most to me,” he replied. “I’d be happier being closer anyway.”
“I’m not too attached to my place either. A fresh start would be nice,” Mo agreed with a nod.
Brianna placed her hands over her heart.
“It means a lot that you guys care so much and are so willing to work things out,” she told us. “I know this is all so unorthodox, but no one can control how they feel. No one can control who they love, and I care so much about all of you.”
Warm murmurs and smiles filled the room, the atmosphere lightening. I knew that we could work things out. I only lived about thirty minutes away, but if there was ever a good opportunity to move closer, I would take it. I cared about her and the others that much to uproot myself.
Suddenly, David’s phone rang. He checked the caller ID, his eyebrows furrowing as he showed the screen to everyone.
“It’s Major Beckett,” he said, making my heart rate speed up. We knew what that meant. He answered the phone, and everyone remained silent as he said a few short sentences and nodded to himself.
The anticipation was killing me! What was going on? What was Major Beckett saying? Did David look upset or determined?
“Yes, sir,” David replied before pocketing his phone.
“You’re leaving again. All of you,” Brianna guessed with teary eyes. She went through this so many times, and my heart ached for her and the pain that she was feeling right now. It wasn’t fair for us to be ripped away from her this soon after admitting our feelings for her!
David looked at everyone before finally speaking.
“We’re being sent back to Vlasica to help with peace negotiations,” he told us before turning to Brianna. “You’ve been cleared to join us if you’d like.”
Stunned silence filled the room as we all processed the sudden news. Brianna reacted first with an enthusiastic nod.
“Of course!” she said with a bright smile on her face. “We’re going back to Vlasica!”
Everyone patted each other on the back or embraced in a swarm of celebration and relief. We weren’t being sent into a warzone without Brianna. We were going back to the place where we instilled peace and fell in love with her. What better place for all of us to go together after confessing our feelings?
I wrapped my arms around her when she reached me, hugging her tightly as she laughed happily into my chest.
“I can’t believe this!” I told her, still reeling from it all. I thought I wouldn’t ever go back to Vlasica, but this is a good reason to go. It might actually be a pretty relaxed mission.
“Me either!” Brianna said as she took my hands. “I’m excited to go back to where it all began.”
Our mission in Vlasica would always be special to me. We’d stopped a civil war, and we fell in love with a woman who rocked our worlds in more ways than one. We all became closer because of her, and we were stronger than ever before.
Going back was a surprising but symbolic next step now that we were all together like we were meant to be.
David clasped his hands together, catching our attention as excitement buzzed in the air.
“Well, everyone, get to packing. We’re going to Vlasica!”
Epilogue: Brianna
Voices echoed throughout the main corridor in Moranta’s city hall building. I breathed in deeply as I gazed up and down the hall, seeing groups of people gathered outside of the auditorium where the peace negotiations would be held. Despite us being here not too long ago, so much seemed to have changed since then.
Clean-up and recovery efforts began right after we left Vlasica, so the city’s war wounds were gradually healing thanks to its citizens’ help. Rubble was removed. Stray weapons and armor were cleaned up. Streets were cleared. Moranta and all of Vlasica had life being breathed back into as we spoke.
“How are you feeling?” David asked as he moved to my side. We all huddled outside of the auditorium together, waiting to go inside and begin. While I translated between David and the other Vlasica leaders and citizens, the other guys would stand guard to protect me and any others from possible harm.
The air felt light and peaceful today, though. No one wanted to fight anymore.
“A little nervous. I want this to go well,” I told him. “I have this irrational fear that I’ll translate one word wrong and make everyone hate each other.”
David chuckled as he placed his hand on my cheek.