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I buried my face into his warm chest "Sounds perfect"
Chapter Five
Landstuhl
The first day of Summer Break, I took the day off from Titan, and Jared and I went to our Oak Tree I lazily traced the details of the carving of our names, and let the sweet, summer air sweep over iven ift--before I knew him--and we playful y wrestled and chased each other barefoot in the grass
Jared orking overtime to prove to me that our lives could be as nor us apart at night, he had figured out how to get around the was different
The air srass and sunshine, and coupled with Jared’s scent, it felt a little like Heaven Summer soaked intofora better day?" he asked, running his finger lightly acrossrass "I feel like I did at Little Corn"
"Speaking of that…have you given anyto that perfect little chapel we came across there?" Jared said the words casual y, but he was fidgeting with the he I should have seen the topic cohtly, and always insisted on the perfect back drop "Does Claire knohen she’s co The he him, but I kneas the direction of our conversation
"We can’t gethideous"
"Already have your Bridesmaids picked out?" he said with a contrived sroomsmen? Can’t exactly have Samuel and Eli stand in"
"Sure I could I don’t think they would do it, but I could ask" I laughed, and his smile relaxed "Bex, obviously Maybe I could ask Ryan It would help Claire"
"Not funny," I said, ripping out a handful of grass, and then throwing it at hi says I have to have as many as you"
I had never considered that the s would be so difficult for his, and contacts within the systes easier, but no friends Barely any family His side of the church would be pitiful y bare
"Maybe I’ll just have Beth and Claire, and Bex can escort both of the to relieve him of part of what he perceived as a proble that our lives be as close to noret, that Jared was bordering on obsession about giving that towere as important to him, I would be equal y deter to be a source of disappointment; for either of us
His eyes turned soft "You can have as ure it out," he said, leaning toward htly, and then brushed along the edge of my jaw line
His touch had always had an i alone, shaded from the summer sun by our Oak Tree, I lost al in inhibitions I pul ed hishierly danced with his I let ainst the blanket, and held his shoulders, bringing him with me His lips planted tiny kisses froround, feeling wonderful y overwhelmed His mouth was so waroose bue in teers reached up the underside of his shirt, feeling the lean muscles of his back under his tan skin His attraction to rateful There was no doubt that I was lucky Jared being so close made that fact al too real
I lifted his shirt over his head, and watched as his muscles stretched with each movement A smile broke out acrossintome away
"Have I told you today how incredibly beautiful you are?" he asked, his nose tracing a line from my chin to my nose, where he stopped to kiss ize That’s sonized on a daily basis" He easily unfastened the first button ofto the second
"You can say it however often you like, as long as you’re doing that while you’re saying it," I shed
"Of course," I said
He rol ed his eyes "It’s Claire"
"Old habits die hard"
He flipped it open "Ryel"
A stream of words I couldn’t understand blurred in different tones Jared’s expression caused me to panic
"Okay We’re headed to the airport, now"
"The airport?" I said, watching Jared dial again
"I need to charter a jet to Ramstein No, not Frankfurt-Hahn Yes, the Air force Base It’s the closest airport to Landstuhl I’ll take care of it, Frank, just get it done"
"We’re going to Ger on?"
Jared ignored ain He spoke in Ger I understood was Landstuhl It was the largest military hospital outside the United States, near Ramstein, Germany The hospital was mentioned in the news frequently because the hanistan were flown there
In that s into the backpack, frantical y pul ing on my motorcycle helmet Jared imripping his jacket as he took off at ful speed
Everything I had feared since the moment I learned of Ryan's decision to join the Army had happened: Ryan had been injured, and Claire was alone, waiting to die
We stopped at the loft long enough to grabelse behind Jared was quiet, and the way he was rushing to get to the airport h the ter strides
The plane was ready and waiting alked onto the tarmac, escorted by only a handful of the jet's employees Jared spoke quick instructions to the pilot, and then we rushed up the stairs, barely greeting the flight attendant as we passed
Jared didn’t speak during take-off His fingers were on his lips as his mind processed the situation, and the consequences I left hihts Just as worried as he was, I wondered about call ing Beth, or Ki the how I knew before Ryan’scapabilites
Two hours into the flight, I fought withmyself awake, I final y broke the silence "This is ridiculous How could I possible be sleepy right now?"
"Maybe you should try to sleep," Jared said without looking atjerked, and ain