Falling for the Soldier

Chapter Seven: Lines Drawn

The tension in the air was suffocating. Camilla sat in the passenger seat of Ethan’s truck, staring out the window as they drove in silence. Her hands were clasped tightly in her lap, her mind spinning in a thousand directions at once. After the explosive fight with Jake that morning, she had gone home—to her own house, not the one she had grown up in. But the second she stepped inside, her mother had called, her voice sharp with worry. Jake had told them everything.

Now, she and Ethan were on their way to face the fallout.

Ethan’s grip on the steering wheel was tight, his knuckles white. She knew he was dreading this just as much as she was. It wasn’t just Jake anymore—it was their parents. And once they got involved, things were bound to get worse.

“They’re going to be mad,” Camilla whispered, breaking the silence.

Ethan let out a humorless chuckle. “That’s an understatement.”

She turned to look at him, studying the hard set of his jaw, the storm brewing in his eyes. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

He glanced at her, his expression softening just a fraction. “I’m not leaving you to deal with this alone.”

Her heart swelled, but the anxiety remained. The drive to her parents’ house felt like it took forever. When they finally pulled into the driveway, her stomach twisted painfully. The house loomed before them, the front porch light casting long shadows in the early evening.

Ethan turned off the engine but didn’t move. “Ready?”

“No,” she admitted, but unbuckled her seatbelt anyway.

As soon as they stepped out of the truck, the front door swung open. Her mother, Margaret, stood in the doorway, arms crossed over her chest, her expression unreadable. Behind her, Camilla’s father, Robert, loomed like a silent storm, his features dark with disapproval.

“Inside. Now,” Margaret ordered.

Camilla swallowed hard and stepped past her mother into the house. Ethan followed, his movements tense, controlled. The air inside was thick with unspoken words, anger simmering just beneath the surface. The living room felt smaller than usual, suffocating in its familiarity.

Jake was already there, sitting stiffly on the couch, his jaw clenched so tightly it looked like it might snap. He didn’t even look at Camilla as she entered. The betrayal in his eyes that morning had been bad enough—now, it was like he couldn’t even stand to be in the same room as her.

“Sit,” Robert said, his voice leaving no room for argument.

Camilla and Ethan obeyed, sitting side by side on the couch opposite her parents. The room fell into heavy silence, the kind that made Camilla’s skin crawl.

Margaret was the first to speak. “Your brother told us everything.”

Camilla flinched at the clipped tone of her mother’s voice. “Mom—”

Margaret held up a hand, silencing her. “No. You listen. Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”

Camilla bristled, her fingers curling into her lap. “I fell in love.”

Jake scoffed from the other side of the room. “That’s not love, Camilla. That’s stupidity.”

Ethan tensed beside her, but he remained silent. She could feel the controlled restraint rolling off of him, the way he was holding himself back for her sake.

Robert leaned forward, his gaze sharp. “Ethan, you’ve been a part of this family for years. You were supposed to look out for her, not—” He exhaled sharply, shaking his head. “Not this.”

Ethan met his gaze head-on. “With all due respect, sir, I do look out for her. I care about her. This wasn’t something we planned, but I’m not going to apologize for loving her.”

Margaret let out a frustrated breath. “You’re leaving, Ethan. You’re shipping out in less than two weeks. What happens to her when you’re gone?”

Camilla’s chest tightened. That was the question she had been dreading.

Ethan shifted beside her, his voice steady. “I’ll come back.”

Jake laughed bitterly. “And if you don’t? If something happens? What then?”

Camilla shot her brother a glare. “You don’t get to act like I’m some fragile thing that needs protecting.”

Jake turned on her, his eyes flashing. “Yes, I do! Because I’m the one who’s going to be here picking up the pieces when he leaves you behind!”

Camilla shot to her feet, her hands shaking. “You don’t know that! You don’t know anything about what’s between us!”

“Enough!” Robert’s voice cut through the chaos like a whip. Everyone fell silent.

He turned to Ethan, his gaze like steel. “Do you intend to marry my daughter?”

Ethan froze.

Camilla’s heart nearly stopped.

Silence stretched between them, thick with the weight of the question. Then, slowly, Ethan exhaled. “If she’ll have me.”

Camilla’s breath caught in her throat. He hadn’t said it lightly. He meant it. Every single word.

Margaret looked between them, her eyes filled with something unreadable. “You’re both so young.”

Camilla swallowed hard. “We know.”

Robert let out a long sigh, rubbing a hand over his face. “This isn’t what we wanted for you, Camilla.”

She softened slightly. “I know, Dad. But it’s what I want.”

Another beat of silence, and then Margaret spoke, her voice much quieter this time. “Jake, give them some space.”

Jake’s jaw clenched, but after a moment, he stood and stormed out of the room, muttering under his breath.

Margaret turned to Ethan. “If you hurt her…”

“I won’t.” His voice was steady, unwavering.

Robert exhaled. “Then I guess we’ll see how this plays out.”

It wasn’t approval, not entirely. But it wasn’t outright rejection, either.

For now, it was enough.