Page 56 of Viking

My phone buzzes in my pocket, pulling me from the spiral. I glance at the screen.

Alinna.

I don’t even hesitate. I swipe to answer and press the phone to my ear, my voice already trembling. “Hey.”

“Lila?” Alinna’s voice is warm, concerned. “Are you okay? You sound…”

“He’s gone,” I blurt, the words catching in my throat as I grip the jacket harder. “Logan’s gone. He just left for a deployment, and I—” My voice breaks, and I press my hand to my mouth, biting down hard on my finger to try and hold back the sobs that threaten to take over.

“Oh, Lila,” Alinna says softly. Her tone is a balm, but it’s not enough to stop the tears. “I’m so sorry. Do you want me to come over?”

I glance around Logan’s home. Everything here screams him. His boots neatly placed on the shelf by the front door. His laptop, forgotten, left on the coffee table for later. It’ll be dead when he gets home. That feels like a bad omen. I walk over and pick it up, heading in search of the charger.

“I’m at his house,” I manage.

“Then stay there,” Alinna says firmly. “I’ll grab Ivy, and we’ll come to you. Don’t move, okay?”

“Okay,” I whisper, my voice barely audible.

***

When the knock comes at the door, I nearly jump out of my skin. It’s been an hour since I talked to Alinna and all I’ve managed to do is clean up the mess we made in Logan’s kitchen. I rush to open the door, and the moment I do, Alinna pulls me into a hug so tight it feels like she’s holding me together.

“I’m so sorry,” she murmurs into my hair, rubbing my back in soothing circles.

Behind her, Ivy steps in, carrying a bag of takeout in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other. “We brought reinforcements,” she says with a small, tentative smile.

It’s such an Ivy thing to say that I let out a weak laugh, even as tears continue to streak my face. “Thanks, guys.”

We settle on Logan’s large light gray sectional, the takeout containers spread across the coffee table. Alinna sits cross-legged at one end of the couch while Ivy pours wine into the glasses she found in Logan’s kitchen. I sit in the middle, clutching the glass they hand me like it’s a lifeline.

“What did he tell you?” Alinna asks gently.

“Not much,” I admit, picking at the edge of a napkin. “Just that the base they’re going to is under siege and that they need air support. He doesn’t know how long he’ll be gone. It could be months.”

Ivy frowns, her dark eyes full of sad understanding. “Under siege? So, it’s extra dangerous.” It isn’t a question.

“Yeah,” I say quietly, staring into my wineglass. “And he said he probably won’t be able to contact me for a few days until they’re there and have cell reception.”

She nods again. A far-off look in her eyes. I know she’s been through this but at the moment it doesn’t comfort me.

“Do you want to stay here?” Alinna asks after a moment. “Or maybe come to my place? I don’t think you should be alone right now.”

I shake my head. “I think I want to stay. He gave me his spare key and said I could come here whenever I want.”

Alinna nods, her expression soft with understanding. “Then we’ll stay with you tonight. We brought clothes and toiletries in case you wanted us to be with you.”

Ivy reaches out and squeezes my hand. “You don’t have to do this alone, Lila.”

“What about Hadley?” I say to Ivy.

“My mom has her, she’s fine. I’ll call in a little and fill them in.”

South China Sea

June 8, 2024

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