Broken Soldier

There was a long drawn out ring from the telephone that made his head hurt. He rubbed at his eyes and felt the wetness. Had he been crying? He didn’t even realize he had been. Last night he had gotten so pissed off at London for doing everything she did so he went and got himself so trashed that they ended up having sex together. Never in a million years had he seen that coming. He had too much respect for her from being best friends for too long that he never thought of taking their relationship a step further for risk of it not working. Now that they have had sex his whole view of her was flipped upside down. Yes London was beautiful, yes she was smart, and amazing and everything else but she was his best friend. Almost like a sister!

But last night had been magical.

There was a raw moment of passion and sparks and what felt like love but when he had woken up all he felt was dazed and horrified. What had he done? He had woken up, hung over, and felt confusion for just briefest of moments before he looked to his right and saw her laying there on her stomach with her dark hair sprawled around her like a halo. Her tan skin was smooth and bare and as he studied her face he saw that she was content and peaceful. Then something broke his thoughts.

Evelyn.

He had gotten up as quickly and quietly as he could without waking London up. He just wanted to get dressed and leave. He felt disgusted with himself that he was treating her like a trashy one night stand.

She deserved so much better, and he wasn’t it.

He had quickly scribbled a note and started getting dressed when he almost made it. He froze as he heard her take a deep breath in before slowly letting out a soft and oddly feminine sigh. Her hand slid to where he was just minutes before and she seemed to know, even still sleeping, that he was gone.

Then all the fighting and screaming started.

He wanted to tell her that he loved her, that he needed her in his life but this wasn’t how he wanted it. His phone had a few missed calls and messages, all from Evelyn. His heart sunk. He may have been around a bit growing up but he was never a cheater. Now he cheated on the woman he said he was going to spend the rest of his life with and oddly he wasn’t AS heartbroken as he should have been.

The bathroom door had slammed shut and he heard the water start and soon steam was pouring out of the crack between the door and floor. He put his hand on the door and leaned against it wanting to say something. Anything!

The sounds of her short sob was quickly cut short like she put her face in her hand or something. Of all the things to say to London he had to say they couldn’t be friends anymore. Why why why was he so damn stupid?

It didn’t matter anymore because I was time for them both to move on with their lives. London was destined for greatness what with her paintings and he was nothing more than a disabled veteran.

A broken solider.

The sound of the ringing broke his train of thought as he glared at the phone like it was the phones fault for everything. He could see Taylor’s name flashing on the screen before it went black once more. Then it lit up again.

He ignored it. She only wanted to know what happened last night and he couldn’t face
telling them. It was weird but even in his heart he knew they would take London’s side. She was loved by all of them, especially Michael who was an overprotective Lion. He once asked his brother if he had a think for London but Mike denied it. He said in High School he did but as they all grew up he realized he was starting to see her as like a little sister.

“And you know how big brothers can get over their little sisters!” he had laughed and punched Jeremy’s arm.

The phone rang once more and Jeremy quickly picked it up and hurled it across the room. It slammed against the wall and the screen went black, this time permanently.

He sat back down and put his head in his hands. He was so glad Evelyn hadn’t been here all day to see him like this. He was going insane trying to figure out how to tell he what he did. She was never going to forgive him.

“Oh, I know! It’s because I’m not a trash skank of a blonde who says she’s going to photoshoots but is really having sex with men she’s comes across at the country club!” he flinched as London’s scream at him rang through his ears. That had been the second time she had mentioned that his Fiancé was cheating on him. It had really bugged him that she would say such things. Evelyn was beautiful, opinioned, social-. He blinked and stopped himself. She was everything he had ever wanted in a woman, back in high school though. She was the hot blonde that should have been on the cover of Playboy magazine and she knew it. He knew she was a terrible model which was why he didn’t worry about her actually going somewhere with the career.

There a horrible brutal sound of banging on his front door that caused him to jump in fright and reach for his gun. “Jer open up!”

Michael?

Jeremy put his gun back down and walked towards the door at a brisk pace. He flung the door open and realized it was dark outside. Not to mention pouring rain. Where was Evelyn? She was never this late without telling him.

Mike stood before him drenched but not seeming to care. He was pale, like deathly pale, and his lips were trembling. His eyes looked like his mind was elsewhere but when he saw Jeremy staring at him he focused but only just slightly. He took a step back out of the doorway offering for his cold wet brother to come in but Mike only shook his head.

“There’s no time. There’s been an- an accident.” Mike seemed to struggle with his words and for a psychiatrist he was oddly losing his cool. Mike was always so calm and composed.

“Dad?” Jeremy asked scared completely forgetting about where his future wife was and about what happened last night. His dad had been coming down with the flu this past week and Jeremy feared it was much worse. Mike only shook his head.

“It’s London.”

It was in that moment it felt like the world had stopped. His brother kept talking but his voiced sounded muffled and faraway. The room started to spin and he quickly sat down in a chair that was by the doorway. Mike was yelling something at him but he couldn’t seem to focus or move. Had London taken her own life because of him? Did she do something to herself because of what his asshole self said just mere hours ago? No she would never do that. She had too much to live for and even if she didn’t she loved her parents too much to put them through something like that. Does that mean someone else hurt her?

He felt himself get riled up with anger at the thought of someone hurting her. Robbery? Rape? Murder? He shuttered at the thoughts. “What happened?” His voice sounded like a hoarse whisper.

“She stepped into traffic down on Main.” Jeremy quickly looked up at him in shock.

“She tried to kill herself?!”

“No no! The driver and few witnesses said it looked like she in her own little world and just didn’t look before she stepped out. She looked preoccupied apparently.” Michael said confused as to why the first thought his brother had was of their mutual friend offing themselves.

“Is she okay?” Jeremy finally managed to get out.

“No she’s not. She’s not waking up Jeremy. Doctors had to rush and put her into an induced coma so the swelling in her brain wouldn’t kill her. We need to hurry though Jeremy. Taylor says it doesn’t look good.”

Without a moments thought Jeremy quickly grabbed his coat and slammed his door shut behind himself not caring to lock it. All he could think about was how if she died she was going to died hating him and he would never get the chance to apologize.

Please don’t die on me.