Something Worth Fighting For (17 page)

“Shut up.”

“I’m serious.”

“I find that seriously doubtful.”

“Remember before I left for field, we went to dinner in Wilmington?” I nodded as he parked the truck in Felix’s driveway. “We were getting ready to leave and I went to the restroom?” I nodded again. “The waiters were talking about you. They were wondering if they could get away with hitting on you while I was gone, slipping you their number or some stupid shit like that.” Atlas wrung his hands together. “I told him if they so much as looked at you I would hide a body part in every state and Afghanistan.” He grinned obviously proud of himself.

“You did not!” I gasped.

“I most certainly did.”

“Atlas Quinn!”

“No one gets you but me. I hear it all the time. The guys on base have seen you. If your father heard half of what I did...” He trailed off.

“That’s enough.”

“All I’m saying is my girl is not only gorgeous she’s in Hernandez’s words “fine as hell” or something like that.”

“Shut up, let’s go.”

Atlas jumped down from the truck and with his hand on the small of my back we walked to the door together. It swung open before we even had a chance to ring the bell. Felix was beaming at us. His red pull over sweater made his dark eyes pop, wrinkled at the corners from his smile.

“Great to see you, son.” He pulled Atlas into a hug, holding him tight. Atlas patted his back, stepping away. “Ellie, beautiful as ever,” he kissed my hand under Atlas’ watchful eye.

“Thank you and thank you for having us.”

“So polite, I wouldn’t have it any other way.” He stepped aside ushering us into the house.

“Who’s at the door Felix?” A dark haired woman with Felix’s mocha eyes came around the corner. She stopped dead in his tracks, hand covering her mouth. “Atlas?” She asked with trembling lips.

“Hey Aunt Nicola.” Atlas smiled.

“Oh my God it is you!” She rushed over, hugging him. “You’re all grown up!” She squealed kissing his cheek.

“Yeah, it’s been a minute.”

“A minute?” She laughed.

“Nicola this is Atlas’ girlfriend Ellie.” Felix inclined his head toward me.

“Aren’t you just a doll!” Nicola let go of Atlas, hugging me as well.

“Um, thank you.”

“You two come on, everyone is going to die!” Nicola waved us forward as her black heels clicked on the wood floor. “Tatum come see what I found.”

“Tatum?” I whispered to Atlas.

“Her husband.”

“Ah, gotcha.”

“Atlas?” A short round man with a shiny bald head came into view.

“Hi Tatum.” Atlas acknowledged him, shaking his hand.

“How the hell are ya’?” Tatum had a thick southern accent.

“I’m great, yourself?”

“Damn good, can’t complain.” He turned to me. “Tatum Adley.”

“Ellie Grant.” I shook his extended hand.

“I’ve lost my manners. Ellie, my Uncle Tatum. Tatum, my girlfriend, Ellie.”

“Nice to meet you.” I tugged my hand out of Tatum’s.

“Likewise.”

“Atlas?!” A man nearly identical to Felix exclaimed.

“Caspian!” Atlas threw his arms around the younger version of his father.

“Look at you! Holy shit, man!” Caspian held Atlas at arms length.

“I know, I know.”

“You’re huge!”

“Marine Corps will do that to ya’.” Atlas laughed, slapping a hand on Caspian’s shoulder.

“Damn dude!” Caspian hugged his nephew again. “Who’s the firefox?”

“Firefox!” I threw my head back laughing. “Firefox is a new one. It could very well be my new favorite.”

“Feisty is the girl that refuses to marry me.” Atlas smirked, pulling me over to his side.

“I didn’t refuse, I said wait, there’s a difference.” I scowled, poking him in the side.

“She’s hot.” Caspian nodded approvingly.

“She thanks you.” I quipped.

“Caspian, my firecracker girlfriend, Ellie. Ellie, my Uncle Caspian.” Caspian tried to hug me while wiggling his eyebrows up and down. Atlas pulled me back, laughing. “I’m not letting you get your hands on her. You might taint her innocence.”

“Fine, fine.” Caspian held up his hands in defeat, leading us into a room full of people.

“Whoa,” I looked around at the unfamiliar faces. Most were kids, and a few adults whose attention was snapped towards us.

“Is that...?”

“No way.”

“Wow.”

“Who’s with him?”

The whispers began as Felix clasped his hand onto Atlas’ shoulder. “I’m sure you all remember my oldest Atlas. This is his lovely lady, Ellie. They’re going to be joining us for a while.” Felix took control of the situation without a second thought.

An older woman, tiny thing with stark white hair pushed her way through the gathering group of people. “Atlas Ryker where have you been hiding?” Her wrinkled, leather hands were balled, perched on her hips.

“Oh you know me grandma, master of reigning hide and seek champion. Someone just forgot to look for me.” Atlas embraced her, kissing the top of her head.

“Come sit and tell us all about you.” She pulled him by the hand to the couch. I sat on the other side of him as he held my hand.

“So what do you do? Where do you live?” Caspian started in with a glare from his frail mother.

“I live in North Carolina; Ellie and I have an apartment there. I’m station at Camp Lejeune.”

“Stationed?” Nicola asked as if she didn’t understand.

“Yes ma’am, I’m in the Marine Corps.” I smiled proudly at him as he leaned over kissing my forehead.

“He showed up yesterday in his Dress Blues, shocked the hell out of me.” Felix chuckled.

“What’s your rank? What do you do? Have you been deployed?” Questions were being fired off in every direction.

“Whoa, one at a time. I’m a sergeant, hopefully career Marine. Yes, I’ve been deployed, I leave again next month for my fourth deployment.” Atlas was trying to keep a calm exterior.

“What do you do?” Caspian was watching Atlas with wonder.

“I’d rather not say.” Atlas reluctantly answered.

“What’s your count?” I shot Caspian a glare that would have melted the iceberg that sunk the Titanic. “Or not.”

“I’d rather not.” The corner of Atlas’ mouth turned up as he caught sight of my look to Caspian.

“How long have you two been together?” Nicola quickly changed the subject.

“Not too long, not long enough. I haven’t decided yet.” I felt Atlas’ body relax beside me as he spoke.

“Are you from North Carolina?” Nicola directed the question toward me.

“I moved in with my father when I was seventeen. I lived in Portland before that. California, Hawaii, a few other places, my father and brothers are Marines as well.”

“Wow, so you must know how to deal with him being away.” The innocent statement from his cousin made my blood boil.

“Just because I know what it’s like doesn’t make it any easier.” I said as calmly as I could force myself to remain.

“Yeah but you’re like used to it or something. It’s no big deal by now.”

“You don’t get used to it. You cling to your cell phone, watch the news any free second you have, constantly check your email, Skype, Facebook, the mail, anything to have a piece of him closer. You sleep in his clothes, lay on his pillow, and try not to cry when he calls. When you say goodbye and hang up the phone you break down. You cry when no one looks, when everyone looks.” I spun my camo Ryker bracelet around my wrist. “You plead with the universe to keep him safe and bring him home. You can’t get used to worrying, hoping, and missing someone so much it physically hurts. No, I’m not used to it.” I stood up, leaving a shocked room behind me.

I knew I had probably overreacted but with deployment looming over our heads I couldn’t help myself. The world felt far too heavy to keep up right now. I pushed through the glass door to the stone patio, the wind hitting my face. I squatted down, holding onto the wrought iron bars of the fence, trying not to cry.

“Ellie...” Atlas’ deep voice held such tenderness when he said my name. It broke my resolve as tears streamed down my face. “Oh baby.” He sat on the concrete floor, pulling me into his lap.

“I’m so sorry.” I choked on the words.

“Don’t be,” he kissed the top of my head breathing in deeply. “I will always come back to you, Ellie.”

“But you can’t know that!”

“No, I’m promising. You can’t make me say otherwise. I promise you Penelope Noelle Grant, should be Ryker, that I, Atlas Quinn Ryker will come back to you. This life, the next, and every single one after that.” He held his pinky out to me and I wrapped mine around it.

“You better, you have to propose when you get home.” I teased, trying to calm myself down.

“I plan on it.” Atlas used his thumbs to wipe my face.

“Thank the universe for waterproof makeup.” I laughed with a shaky breath.

“You’re beautiful. Now let’s go get a drink and let my cousin apologize, she feels like shit.”

“Good, she should.” I sneered.

“There’s my firefox.”

Chapter Twelve

The rest of Thanksgiving Day had been far less eventful and I managed to keep my emotions in check. There were times I would look at Atlas and think of how I was going to make it through the day without him there. I had done it dozens of times before but this one seemed to bring on a new level of anxiety.

Atlas had decided after much pushing on my part, to spend Friday with Ares, guy time that they both needed. Andy had insisted on taking me into Dallas to shop. Girl bonding and new clothes had me filling the maternal void I had been lacking since my own mother didn’t want me around.

Atlas had texted me throughout the day to let me know he was missing me and to hurry up.  He was ready to have me back to himself again. Andy found her sons persistence endearing. “He loves you, ya’ know.” She said as I buried my phone in my bag again.

“Yeah, I know.”

“You love him.” She didn’t ask, just stating the obvious.

“More than anything.”

“You’re good for him. He needs someone around to take care of him, to love him for who he is, he had a lot of rough years after Felix left.”

“He’s good for me too.  I honestly couldn’t ask for a better man. Thank you for that, Andy.”

“For what?” She asked confused by my gratitude.

“For raising the man of my dreams.”

❋❋❋

“Are you sure?” Atlas asked for the fourth time.

“Go Atlas, I’m a big girl. Besides I have some planning to do.” I straightened his sports coat. “You look good.”

“Like what you see?” He jested.

“Always,” I leaned up on my tiptoes giving him a chaste kiss on the lips.

“I’ll be back in a few hours.”

“Take your time. You and Andy need some time together too. I monopolized her enough today. Besides you can find out if she really likes me or not.” I teased.

“She does, stop worrying. Thank you for this.”

“Go!” I pointed to the door.

“I love you.”

“I love you, now go.” I swatted his backside as he shut the door. I had insisted that he take Andy out to dinner but refused to go with them even as Atlas begged. Waiting by the door, I watched the headlights of his truck pull away from the driveway.

“Ares?” I called out from the living room.

“What’s up, Ellie?” He poked his head out from his room.

“I need some help.”

“No problem, what can do I do for you?”

“I need a guitar.”

“A guitar?”

“To borrow for tomorrow night.”

“Atlas’ party?” I nodded. “I have an acoustic.”

“Perfect, have a capo?” I clapped excitedly.

“Yeah, do you sing?”

“Mmhm.”

“You’re going to sing tomorrow?”

“He doesn’t know. It’s a surprise.”

“Awesome, need an audience?” He asked over his shoulder.

“Sure,” I shrugged as he came back with the Gibson acoustic. “Nice, thank you.”

“Can you show me how to play?” He asked shyly.

“Of course! Let’s go outside and get started.”

Three hours later we had moved to the living room and Ares was watching me show him how to place a scale for the third time. “Play a song, you’ve spent all this time showing me stuff.”

“Oh, okay, sure.” Eddie Vedder sings it with a ukulele but I’m not that cool, so yeah.” I laughed and started to play “
Longing To Belong
”. My fingers plucked and strummed as I sang the tender words.

Clapping behind me as I finished the song made me jump. “Beautiful,” Atlas grinned as he leaned over the couch, kissing me.