C. Brown: Fraternizing

Cassie took the pills and washed them down with water. I turned and smiled at the nurse, urging her back out of the room. She got the clue, hurrying back out to her station. When she was out, I turned back to Cassie, trying to figure out what was running through her mind.

“What about the investigation?” she asked. I could tell she was stuffed with worry, and I was too, but I wasn’t about to let it kill this moment for us.

“Fuck that investigation. They can rip everything away from me, take me clear down to Private, and it wouldn’t mean shit to me as long as I’ve got you by my side.”

“This is exactly what I didn’t want. I didn’t want you having to choose between everything you’ve worked so hard for and me. I didn’t want to be the one to ruin everything for you.”

Listening to her blame herself was beginning to claw away at me. Her words were eagle-like talons ripping into my flesh, slowing pulling my skin down, exposing the inside and dousing it with acid. Nothing that had happened between us was any of her fault, and I was not about to let her take responsibility for any of it.

“Let me remind you that I am the superior in this situation and that I pursued you. Nowhere in this equation do I see you ruining anything for me. I made a conscious choice, and I don’t fucking regret it, but it’ll break me in half if I can’t have you—all of you.”

Just as she was about to speak, the door swung open, no courtesy knock whatsoever, and a woman walked in. She looked tired and rundown, and her foul aroma of cigarette smoke nearly knocked me off of my feet. She didn’t look too old, but her face was filled with wrinkles, and the long, scraggly blonde hair covering her head didn’t help her look. Her eyes struck Cassie, pinning her full of mockery and repulsion. My guard dog senses came alive, wanting this woman to leave because her presence had obviously disturbed Cassie. She moved further into the room, smiling a wicked smile that sent chills down my back.

“Well, well, well. Look at this here. I knew you’d find some fucking way to get yourself in some sort of trouble.”

I didn’t like her look, and now I wasn’t too keen on her tone.

“Who the fuck are you?” I asked, highly annoyed by the less than gracious entrance she made into the room.

“Who are you?” she asked, turning to me with contempt in her eyes.

Cassie rolled her eyes, then sighed.

“Alex, this is my mom, Emmalyn Bennett. Mom, this is my boyfriend, Alex.”

Confirmation that this was her mom soured my mood, making me want to grab Cassie and take her away from there.

“Hmmm. Was he the one that did this to you? You never did have any sort of fucking judgment.”

“You watch your mouth when you speak to her. I don’t know why you’re here, but if it’s only to cause problems, then it’s best you leave before I lose my fucking temper.” My clenched jaw made it easy for her to read that I wasn’t messing around.

Cassie sat in bed, mortified and not knowing what to say or do. I didn’t know her mom, but from everything I had heard, and from what I had just seen, I didn’t want her around.

And I was more than willing to be the one to remove her ass.

“What are you doing here?” Cassie finally asked. I didn’t care what her reasons were. I just wanted to see her turn and leave the same way that she came in.

“You got your ass beat so badly that you were in and out of consciousness. The hospital staff called me since I’m your next of kin.”

Hearing her say that was like a sledgehammer to the gut. Seeing this woman, Cassie’s decision maker in the event of anything ever going wrong, solidified my belief that her marrying me was for the best. I needed to rid this trash out of her life. I needed to make sure that her past didn’t come soiling our future.

We stood in a silent stalemate for a few minutes, my heart pounding, the sound beating against my eardrums. The horrendous information I had learned about Cassie’s mom wasn’t doing the real life image justice. This woman was repugnant in its truest form. She made my skin crawl, and her demeanor ignited an adverse reaction that I wasn’t even going to waste time trying to hide. This bitch was mean, cruel, and nasty. Her time tormenting Cassie was over. I stood and walked over in her direction when there was another knock on the door. Our chief instructor, Gunnery Sergeant Chavez, and the Company Gunny, Gunnery Sergeant Bokowski, marched in, looking stern faced and on a mission. Their attire alone told me they were there on official business.

“Sergeant Cruz?” they asked, looking in my direction.

“Yes. What is this about?”

They stood, surveying the room before finally focusing their attention back to me.

“Sergeant Cruz you are suspected of fraternization. By order of First Sergeant O’Hara, we are to escort you to his office where you will receive official charges.”

A piece of me wanted to shout how much of a pussy First Sergeant O’Hara was for sending his henchmen here to do his dirty work instead of detaining me on his own. He’d had me, and he’d had every opportunity to take me in. Instead, he chose to have my Chief Instructor and Company Gunny do it for him. The thought of his utter cowardice sent anger flaring through my nostrils as I stood, feeling like I could break through walls at the moment. The two Gunnery Sergeants stood, waiting for me to make my way over to them, but I didn’t.

I had known this day would come, but I had no idea how it would play out, and this was the last way I could have imagined—Cassie lying in a hospital bed, her piece of shit mom in the room with her, and me being escorted out. It was a bad dream come to life. The walls had finally come crashing down.

Gunny Bokowski grew tired of waiting. “Right fucking now, Cruz!”

I looked back to Cassie who had tears falling from her eyes. I hated seeing her cry, and in the past day I had seen more tears fall from those gorgeous eyes than I had cared to see in all of my lifetime. Her hurt brought me hurt, and I hated it.

My eyes swung over to the living cancer stick, sitting there, satisfaction written all over her face. I could tell that the fact that I was being led out made her happy. It was heartbreaking for her daughter, and she seemed to thrive on that shit. I took a couple of slow and methodical steps over to where Chavez and Bokowski were standing, then looked back at Cassie, sadness written all over her face. I didn’t say a word as I allowed them to reign me in, but Cassie stopped crying long enough to yell out, “Yes, Alex. It’s a yes.”

Standing enclosed between the two men, I had never felt so free. To hear those words come out of Cassie’s mouth was the key to freedom. I was floating on cloud fucking nine, and nothing else factored into my moment of happiness as I stood to lose so much, but gained so much more in return.

I mouthed I love you as I was led out of the room, feeling queasy that her mom was still there with her, but also fulfilled that I had gotten her. Cassie was all I had ever wanted from the very beginning, and if it meant losing everything to gain her, it was the sacrifice that I was willing to make.

I walked out of the hospital, looking like a criminal as curious eyes glued onto me as I stood encased between two stern faced, uniformed gunnies. But the accusations, the punishments—none of it was enough to take away what I had just won. Cassie Bennett was the ultimate prize, and the love she gave me was worth more than anything else. My temporary punishment was no match for my lifelong gain.

As I was led into the back of the duty car, a satisfied grin creeped across my face.

Like Cassie’s butterfly, in every way that mattered, I was finally free.