Chapter 5 The Flight Out
743 Words
For the next few days, I treated Colton like he didn't exist.
His texts went unanswered. His calls went to voicemail. During drills, my eyes never once landed on him.
The total erasure of his existence clearly ate at him more than any argument ever had.
The cold war lasted until the evening before the last day of training.
Colton finally cornered me at the edge of the field, days of pent-up frustration written all over his face.
"Sienna, you've been at this for days. That's enough. I'm heading back to base tomorrow. Give me two months to get my discharge papers sorted, and I'll be back."
I said nothing. I just stared at him, cold and flat.
The weight of my silence made him shift uncomfortably. "Look, I know I kind of neglected you lately, but it wasn't like that. Blair's just... she's basically a dude to me."
"We already broke up, Instructor Hayes. Your personal life isn't my concern anymore."
He blinked, and that familiar look of here we go again flashed through his eyes.
"Over a popsicle? Some dog hair? You're throwing away five years just like that?
"Quit saying things you don't mean. It's getting old. I'll make it up to you when I get back. I'll take you to that restaurant you've been dying to try, okay?"
He was trying to wipe everything clean with a throwaway promise, as if all my pain and disappointment were just a tantrum he could smooth over with dinner.
Right on cue, a bright voice cut in.
"Colton!"
Blair jogged over, holding a neatly wrapped gift bag.
"What are you doing standing around? Let's go! Ryan said he's got the gaming lounge booked. We're playing Delta Force."
Colton glanced at me. "Not today. You guys go ahead."
Blair seemed to notice me only just then, her tone turning playful. "Sienna should come too! You can watch a show on the side or something."
Colton forced a smile. "Next time. For sure."
"Fine, whatever. Oh, by the way, I made chocolate. Try some."
Colton raised an eyebrow. "Well, look at you. A tough girl who makes chocolate?"
Blair punched his arm, unbothered.
"Shut up. Your girl can do a lot of things, thank you very much. This is just a thank-you for looking out for me during training. Otherwise, you wouldn't be worthy of tasting my creations."
I pulled the corner of my mouth into a thin smile. "Special treatment? Interesting choice of words. Someone might think Instructor Hayes has been giving you private lessons."
Blair's smile froze on her face.
"God, why are you so hard to deal with? I just brought some chocolate and you're reading into it? Unbelievable. Forget it."
Colton sighed, wearing his usual look of pained exasperation.
"Sienna, do you have to twist everything? She's just saying thanks. Ryan got a bag too. It's not like she only made them for me."
I'd seen Ryan's bag. Plain packaging.
Colton's, on the other hand, came in a pink bag decorated with little hearts.
When I didn't respond, his tone softened into that patronizing, let-me-fix-this cadence. "My discharge lines up right around our anniversary. I'll make it up to you then. Deal?"
"Anniversary?"
Blair chimed right in. "Oh my God, no way. Your discharge date falls on my birthday! I'm throwing a party. You're coming, right?"
Colton frowned. He clearly hadn't expected the overlap. His mouth opened, and he seemed like he was about to decline.
Blair clicked her tongue. "You know what, never mind. Forget I asked. I wouldn't dare invite you now. Someone's just gonna accuse me of stealing her boyfriend again."
With that, she turned and walked off.
I watched her flawless performance and felt a surge of pure irritation.
"Colton," I said, my voice flat as I watched Blair's retreating figure. "Go to her party."
He stared at me, caught off guard.
"Her birthday matters more. Don't let her down."
Colton's brow knotted tighter. He raked a hand through his hair in frustration. "Sienna, will you stop saying things like that? We'll talk when I get back!"
Talk? He wasn't getting that chance.
When Colton left campus the next day with the rest of the military convoy, I was already buckled into a seat on a plane bound for a different continent.
Below the window, an ocean of clouds churned and rolled, just like the past I'd left behind.
'Colton Hayes. Never again,' I told myself.
- Writer
