Play Pretend (Aaron Pauley)

2:1

CHAPTER ONE OF PART TWO

POV: COMANDER EMBER CARTER OF END GAME

I stood outside a Rebellion warehouse standing guard. I didn't like that, but Aaron was in charge of the mission. Regardless, I was just another soldier as I had been in Rebellion in this mission. I followed orders just as everybody else. That was the thing about being commander and having a general with me. We both could be soldiers instead of just leaders. So, there I stood outside a Rebellion warehouse standing watch with another soldier.

"Commander Carter, you're swaying again. Are you gonna be sick?" Lyn-z was a new member of End Game. She had a pale complexion, jet black hair, red, full lips, and kind eyes. She had joined us from the East Coast of our broken country. She was vicious and cut-throat, but with a soft side to her. She cared about her comrades. I nodded a reply before I ran over and threw up into a bush. I had been throwing up all day, but didn't tell Aaron so I could stay on detail for the mission. I walked back to my position, calmly, taking a drink of the water I kept in my belt.

I thought about how much changed in the months after End Game began. Tay and Alex were pregnant. Austin had asked Taryn out. Phil got married. Tino had become head of training newbies. Alan was thinking about proposing to Alexis. As for Aaron and I, we were getting much more serious. As for the organization itself, our numbers went from twenty eight to ninety. We were growing quicker than either Squire or Rebellion could keep up. Rebellion and Squire were losing members to us, and the Neutrals who just wanted this awful war to end joined as well. I couldn't be more pleased.

Lyn-z and I stood in silence, waiting for the trucks to come through. I threw up one last time before the trucks came through. The last one came through and stopped, Aaron sticking his head out of the window.

"Get in, ladies! Let's go home." He yelled to us. We went running to the truck, getting up into the large vehicle. I sat in the passenger seat while Lyn-z sat on the floor between the two seats. I leaned my head against the window, feeling the coolness of the glass sooth my head. "Ember, are you alright?" Aaron glanced over at me. I closed my eyes and nodded. Lyn-z placed her hand on my thigh. I just fell asleep.

I woke up to Aaron carrying me out of the truck. I groaned and wrapped my arms around his neck and cuddled into his chest. I inhaled the scent of Aaron, a mixture between a sweet, almost floral smell, the smell of gun powder, and sweat.

"Sleep, my darling. You need the rest. It's all too much on you. You need to sleep." He whispered into my ear, walking me past soldiers and comrades, attempting to get to our quarters in the high ranking officer's wing. I just mumbled incoherently. He laughed lightly. He pressed the buttons to key in the code to our quarters carefully, being sure not to drop me. The door slid open and he moved through the doorway, setting me down carefully on the bed. I curled up and waited for him to lay down next to me.