Nicholas Pov
Eight years ago
"You seem unusually cheerful," Greg said, giving me a sidelong glance.
I scoffed. "I'm not."
He smirked. "You've got that wistful look. This wouldn't have anything to do with the guy from last night, would it?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Mm-hm. Keep telling yourself that."
We met during the enlistment trials navigating the obstacle courses, tackling physical tests, all the challenges designed to separate the strong from the weak. Yet, against the odds, we found ourselves in the same unit, and it was clear right away that we had a strong connection. That afternoon at the base was unusually quiet. No drills, no briefings, just the steady hum of distant engines and the sharp commands of officers echoing down the corridor.
Greg tossed me a look from across the room. "Gym?"
"Why not," I said, grabbing my towel. Anything was better than sitting in silence thinking too much.
