A Ghost Encounter: My Time with Simon "Ghost" Riley

Part Fifty-Seven: Simon Riley - Part One

"Speak, Sergeant," I order sternly as his panic is starting to weigh on me.

"We can't find her anywhere. She was supposed to go with Gaz and me to the movies as one last hurrah before she leaves," Soap tells me.

She has connections outside of me.

"I love everyone in the Task Force but this comes down to you, to us."

She truly doesn't want to leave, does she?

"Have you checked her quarters? The training room? The-"

Soap cuts me off.

"Come on, L.T.!" he scoffs, frustrated. "Gaz, Price, and I have looked everywhere. Her stuff is gone. All of it."

Her stuff is...gone?

"Price invited her to stay and join 141, did you know that?" Soap's gaze is cold, piercing.

He's angry.

"She told me," I deadpan, feigning nonchalance.

Soap shakes his head in utter confusion.

"Then why would she leave?" He's starting to tear up. "Breanna said she wanted to stay so why would she leave? And early for that matter..."

Because of me. It's my fault per usual.

I don't know what to say to him so I say nothing: my favorite cop-out.

Soap has his hands on his hips, staying silent for a moment as if he's processing something, then looks me directly in my eyes with pure rage in his.

"What did you do?" Soap accuses.

Oh. He's angry. With me.

"Excuse me?" I scoff, offended as if he's not right on the money.

"You said she told you that she was invited to stay. What. Did. You. Do?" His tone is less accusatory and more certain now.

He's not wrong.

"That's none of your concern," I snarl.

"Yes, the fuck it is." Soap approaches me, only inches away now.

"I suggest you take a few steps back, Johnny," I admonish. "Before you regret it."

My defenses are up.

No one fucking talks to me that way.

But she did, and I always let her, because I loved the way she could command me like a storm commands the water.

When I'm around her I don't always have to be cold or strong. I could just be myself and let the storm calm.

"Answer the goddamn question, Simon," he growls, raising his tone.

How dare he use my real name.

Disrespectful little shit.

First, he makes multiple attempts at my girl and now he thinks he can order me around?

"What do you want me to say, Johnny? Huh? You want me to tell you how I pushed her away?" I'm losing my temper now.

"Yes, because I know that's exactly what you did!" he yells. "Why, L.T.? Why send her away?"

"I didn't tell her to leave. She made that choice on her own. If she wanted to stay she would have," I say dismissively.

Excuses. I'm fucking pathetic.

"Oh, fuck off," Soap scoffs, baffled. "You didn't have to tell her. Your actions speak for you!"

Without hesitating, full of anger, Soap shoves me against my office door.