Fisher's Light(60)

“I promise next time I’ll last longer than thirty seconds. Jesus, you would think I was the one losing my virginity,” I laugh sheepishly.

I feel her body shake as she laughs with me. “I told you, Fisher, it’s fine. It was perfect, absolutely perfect.”

I tighten my hold on her with my arms wrapped around her waist and she rests her hands on top of mine.

“Are you scared?” she whispers after a few quiet minutes.

“Not really scared, more nervous than anything,” I admit.

Tomorrow, I head out for twelve weeks of boot camp at Parris Island, South Carolina. Even though it’s not that far away from Fisher’s Island, I’m still not going to be able to come home or see Lucy for three months. Leaving her now is what scares me more than getting my ass kicked by the Marine Corps.

“I know I’ve said this to you a hundred times, but I’m so proud of you, Fisher. I’m proud of you for doing what you believe in no matter what your father wants. I’m going to miss you so much, but I know you’ll do amazing and you’ll be back here before I know it.”

I have no idea how I got so lucky. I’ll never understand why Lucy decided to give me a chance after the reputation I’ve earned over the years, but I am not going to f*ck this up. My friends have been giving me shit non-stop ever since Lucy and I started spending more time together and I finally got her to admit that we were a couple. Bobby is the only one who doesn’t rag on me. Maybe it’s because he’s taken the time to get to know her, unlike most of the people in school. He truly likes Lucy and thinks of her like a little sister and he has no problem telling girls right to their face to f*ck off when they make snide comments about how I’m slumming it when they see us together. Those bitches are lucky they’ve never said those things in front of me. I think Bobby sees how good Lucy is for me. She makes the fights with my dad more bearable and she makes me want to run back to this island as soon as I can just to be with her again. She makes me appreciate my home, because she IS my home.

“Do you think once you’re finished with boot camp that you’ll get shipped out immediately?” she asks quietly.

I shrug against her, resting my chin on top of her head.

“I don’t know, possibly. It’s all over the news that the shit is really hitting the fan over there. If they tell me to go, I have to go, Lucy. As much as I want to stay here with you and never leave, this is something I believe in, something I have to do.”

She turns in my arms under the blanket until we’re facing each other, cupping my face in her hands. “And that’s one of the reasons why I love you. You love your country selflessly, and I understand that you have to do this. That doesn’t mean I’m not going to miss you or worry about you or wish that you were here with me, but you need to do what you believe in, Fisher. I’ll always be here, waiting for you when you get home.”

For the first time since I signed on that dotted line to join the Marine Corps, I’m actually having second thoughts. Not because I’m afraid to go to war, because I’m afraid of losing Lucy. I’m afraid that once I leave, everything will change. I just need to have a little faith that we are strong enough to make it through whatever comes our way.





Chapter 24




Fisher

Present Day


Jesus Christ, I’m going to puke. I’m going to throw up right here on the sidewalk.

I agreed to meet Bobby at Barney’s to shoot some darts mostly because I was sick of listening to him bitch about how I need to get the f*ck out of Trip’s house before I turn into an old man like him. For the last couple of days, I’ve done nothing but pace back and forth at Trip’s, wondering if Lucy read the journal pages I gave her. Did they make her sad? Did they make her happy? Did they remind her of a time in our lives when we had nothing to worry about but spending as much time together as possible?

Obviously, she either didn’t read them or they didn’t mean jack shit to her. Across the street, right in front of everyone, she’s got her tongue down Stick-Up-His-Ass-Ford’s throat. Fine, not down his throat because I’m sure such blatant displays of public affection would be beneath him, but still. Her hands are resting on his shoulders, his hands are holding respectably to the sides of her waist and their lips are fused together.

People are walking right by them not paying any attention. Don’t they see how wrong that is? Doesn’t it make them want to throw their fist against the wall and scream at both of them to cut that shit out?