I believe you love who you love

Ain't nothing you should ever be ashamed of.

-Luke Bryan, "Most People Are Good"

Waynesville, Missouri

Miles

"COMPANY C! You have exactly three minutes to eat breakfast and then it's back outside for calisthenics!" Sergeant Lawson barked. "Don't waste time talking!"

I sat down with my tray of pancakes – which were actually tasty – and shoved them into my mouth at record speed. Dale appeared next to me and started shoveling food into his mouth even faster than me.

In three minutes, we were done and outside, doing push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups, and squats in the hot summer sun. I didn't think it would be as hot in Missouri as it was in Florida, but I was sorely mistaken. I was sweating in places I'd never sweated before, even during the heat of baseball practice. But I was still in pretty decent shape, thank God, so the exercise wasn't so bad, but it was just constant. Next to no breaks, only long enough to get a swig of water every hour or so.

Finally, after what seemed like half the day, and actually was, it was time for lunch. Once again, we had three minutes to eat, except it was grilled cheese sandwiches and potato chips this time. It was delicious.  I was starved after all the exercise, and those sandwiches were the best thing I could've asked for in that moment.

***

After a few more hours of training and another meal, it was finally time to shower, and it was the most glorious shower I'd ever had. I stepped out of the shower and put on my Army issued sweats, padding in my socked feet back to the barracks.

I tossed my bathroom bag under my bed and flopped down, relishing the moment of rest.

"Ugh," Dale groaned from the bed next to me. "This week has been hell!"

"Yeah, it's been tough, but we knew the first week would be difficult, right?" I asked, looking over at him.

"True."

My phone vibrated, and I glanced down at it to see a text from Rachel. My eyes lit up and a smile spread across my face as I read her words.

Hey baby, I just wanted to text and say I love you. I know you probably can't answer, but I just wanted you to know. xoxo

I typed out a quick reply and looked up to see Dale looking at me in amusement.

"Someone special?" he asked with a smirk, echoing my words from the day we got to boot camp.

I realized then that we hadn't even had a moment to discuss anything about our personal lives, but in the past week, we had developed an unspoken bond. Perhaps it was from being part of the same company.

I nodded. "My fiancée, Rachel. She's back in Tallahassee, in grad school for her Masters in School Counseling." I looked around, making sure Sergeant Lawson wasn't around, and showed him my lock screen – a picture of Rachel on the beach last summer, her blonde hair blowing in what had to have been a pretty strong breeze.

"Wow, she's beautiful," Dale said, looking back up at me and smiling.

"She is... she's my everything," I said, my heart constricting. I miss her so much.

"That's awesome, man," he said, and he glanced around again, just like he had when we got off the bus that first day.

My eyebrows twitched. "What about you, dude? You have someone waiting for you back in Atlanta?"

He ran his tongue along his top teeth, as if he were trying to decide if he trusted me or not. Apparently, he decided he did, because he finally spoke.

"Yeah, I do," he said, and a real smile flashed over his face.

"Well? Let's see her," I said, winking.

A short chuckle left his throat. He pulled his phone out from under his pillow and tapped a couple times. He turned his phone around and showed me a photo – of him and another equally handsome guy. "This is Noah."

"Ohhhh," I uttered in recognition. "Well, he's beautiful too," I said, and Dale laughed.

"I didn't want to tell you at first," he admitted. "I haven't told anyone here."

"What?" I asked, surprised. "Why not?"

"Come on, Miles," he said, lowering his voice. "'Don't ask, don't tell' may have been repealed, but I'm still a little nervous about the reactions from the other guys. But after this week, I knew I could trust you."

"Well, I appreciate that, and you're right; you can. But Dale, I don't think you have anything to worry about. Times have changed, right?" I said, clearing my throat, realizing I had no idea what I was talking about.

"Yeah, they have to an extent, but I think it's still one of those things people get weird about," he said, sliding his phone back into his pillowcase.

I shrugged. "You might be right... obviously I have no idea, but I do think that you should feel it out... maybe get comfortable enough, and then, maybe next time someone asks you about who's waiting for you back at home, you can answer immediately," I said in what I hoped was an encouraging tone.

His eyes turned glassy and I was afraid I'd hurt his feelings. "Shit, I didn't mean to – " I strted.

"No, no. You are absolutely right. Thanks, Salazar. I appreciate it," he said quickly.

"Hey, man, no problem," I responded, and just then the lights went out.

"COMPANY C, IT'S LIGHTS OUT. No more talking or phone time. See you all at 0600 hours on the field for your morning run," Sergeant Lawson called from the end of the barracks.

"Sir, yes, sir," we chorused, and then all that was left to do was sleep.

Panama City Beach, Florida

Luke

"Brooke?" I asked through the phone. "When are you going to be home?"

"Ah, Luke, it's going to be late. I'm meeting with your father and some of the trustees to go over the budget for the remodel," she said, and I heard some noise in the background.

"Oh," I said. "Okay. Well, I made dinner, so it'll be waiting for you when you get home," I said.

"Okay, babe, sounds great. Okay, I gotta go, love you," she said.

"Love you too," I said, and she disconnected the call first.

I put my phone down and put both palms on the countertop, hating the thoughts that were running through my mind.

I'm not going to say I don't trust Brooke, because I do. But my dad hadn't mentioned anything about a meeting today. Not that I would've needed to be there, but I was with Dad most of the day today, and he hadn't mentioned anything about a meeting.

Stop it, Luke. She's proven time and time again that she can be trusted. Don't sabotage this.

So I pushed the thoughts out of my mind and sat down to eat the spaghetti I had cooked.

I had just started eating when my phone dinged. I picked it up, hoping it was Brooke telling me she decided to come home. It was a text from Dad. I furrowed my brow and read it.

Hey son, your mom and I just got out of the movies and are going out to dinner. Wanted to see if you and Brooke wanted to come along?

My heart leapt into my throat as I responded.

I just cooked dinner actually. Did you have a meeting this evening?

Nope, cleared the entire evening for a night with your mom.

It felt like my heart was imploding down my windpipe.

What in the hell was going on?