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Harlow | Phoenix | Other people
Smiling around the food that I chewed I cover my mouth with my hand nodding to confirm what I couldn't yet say. "Mhm." Trying not to laugh at him remembering that conversation. "It's good. Very good."
"You don't have to lie to get into my panties you know." He winked at me jokingly making me cough a little as I laughed.
"I am serious." I patted my chest clearing my throat.
"Told you." Phoenix pointed his fork at me. "White people can season."
Putting down my drink I cut another piece of honey ham examining it at eye level. "I said rumor has it. I never said it was true."
"That you did and I won't deny that the rumors would be true if they were directed to me. I can't cook aside from eggs for breakfast, grilled cheese for lunch, and noodles for dinner." He chuckled biting into his own piece of ham.
"You must have terrible diet then."
Phoenix flashed me his toned body oh so casually without looking up. "I make it enough, don't worry." Going back to eating his food I tried not to choke on the little piece of ham that was stuck in my throat.
Fully unprepared to seeing his body like that I tried to act as casual as him. . . I've seen male bodies before . . . it just took me by surprise. He didn't have a single shirtless picture on his social media and he never sent me one either.
"You okay over there?"
"Yes." I cleared my throat. "Yes. I'm good."
Going back to small talk the question of how long he would be here stayed at the tip of my tongue. Afraid to ask incase the answer was tomorrow. Any answer would be a stab to the heart knowing that he had to leave at all. I wanted him to stay. I wanted us to be a couple that could hangout during the day or go to a game on the weekends. I didn't want him to leave but I had to remember that February would come soon enough.
"You're awfully quiet." Phoenix was now back on his side. Our dinner plates were empty and stacked back in the picnic basket. The dessert plates were placed between us but they were still covered leaving me to wonder what was underneath. Spinning the rose between his index finger and thumb he paused tracing the red petals against my crossed legs.
"I don't mean to be."
"But you have a question you're afraid to ask?" I nodded in response. "Don't be afraid Harlow. You can ask me anything."
"When . . . when do you . . . go back?"
Pausing all movements his eyes lowered to the rose. "Four days but I leave in three since I have to travel all day Sunday. Check in is at zero seven hundred. Don't be sad." Feeling a softness under my chin I opened my eyes looking through my tears. Phoenix took my hands in his pulling me down to his chest. "I will come back to you Harlow, I promise. I get a few days of leave every month so eventually I can take a week off and fly you out to see me and the dirt base that I reside in." Laughing at his description he held me tighter kissing my head. "Don't be sad. Before you know it I'll be back for good."
Tilting my head back Phoenix looked down at me with his gorgeous hazel eyes. "Phoenix . . . I just want you to know that I care about you.'
"As my girlfriend I would hope so." He placed a kiss on my nose. "And I care a lot about you too."
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"So where all have you been stationed? Tell me everything." Phoenix had dropped me off back at home at a respectable hour for our first official date. He kissed me goodbye at the door and fron the peephole I watched him walk away once the door was securely locked.
Showering again I began to fixed my hair for the night getting into bed a little after two a.m. when my cell rang. Already wide awake I smiled at Phoenix's name and new contact image of us that Timara took in the parking lot earlier today. And he was right about making cammies look good. The picture made gave me butterflies.
"You want to know my military story." He exhaled shifting from his side of the phone. "Okay . . . Where do I start? I guess I'll start from the beginning . . . Alright, so I joined straight out of high school. I knew I wanted to go to the military from my Uncle Zach. He looked so cool in uniform and was fighting for my freedom. He was a total badass."
"Sounds like it." I agreed.
"When he died I had to fill his shoes. Be the man of the house at ten even though my aunt said she had it under control I had stand in his place not just for her but for Dylan too so when the recruiter came my senior year I simply asked him, where do I sign?" Hearing him shift again I smiled to myself thinking of the possible ways he could be laying. "So off to bootcamp I went wanting to make my uncle proud. Thirteen long looong loooong weeks of intense training in the California sun then I went back home for a few days and flew back to Cali for schooling that was about two months. From there I went to Hawaii, then North Carolina, then back to old ole California."
"Hawaii. Wow."
"It was nice but it sucked when I wanted to call my aunt and Dylan. The time difference was a killer."
"Is that where you met Corey?"
"No, I actually met Prichett in North Carolina. We were in the same class for Corporals Course. We hung out from time to time and then he got stationed first in California and I came a few months afterwards and we ended up being roomies."
"Best friends forever, huh?"
"That's my broster no doubt."
"How long will you be in California?"
"Until I get out."
"Next year?"
"Next year."
Getting more comfortable in my covers I snuggled into my pillow making sure my bonnet stayed in place. "Now that deployment is over what will you do? Can they send you to another deployment back to back?"
"They can't because my contract would be up before I got back but I will probably be sent to the field a few times."
"What's the field?"
"Basically more training."
"Speaking of training. Do you have any more of those long runs?"
"All the time baby. All the time." Yawning before I could stop myself Phoenix chuckled on the other line. "You should get some rest Harlow it's pretty late."
"I'm not tired." I lied. "I want to stay up and talk with you. You sound very awake."
"My body still on a different time zone. Hopefully tomorrow will be better."
"Can I see you tomorrow?"
"You don't even have to ask. Just know that I'll be there to spend time with you but first I have to spend some time with Dylan."
"Of course. I wouldn't want to take you away from your family."
"Don't worry beautiful. There's enough Phoenix to go around."
"You're so silly." I yawned again closing my eyes feeling the tingle of sleep behind my eyelids. Putting him on speaker I mumbled something close to goodnight giving into the darkness.
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A/N: Sorry for the mistakes. I'm frustrating myself trying to figure out why my format is not looking the way it should but I hope you've enjoyed the multiple update anyways. This story is almost over
I repeat
This story is almost over
About seven more chapters left with Harlow & Phoenix :)
Thanks for holding strong with me !!