Lucas

I grabbed the last item I would be taking with me to San Diego. I never left my book behind. Even though I'd already read it a few times, I liked to keep it around for when I was thinking of her. It might have been almost a year since we saw each other for the brief moment in the airport, but it felt like it was just yesterday. I could close my eyes and recreate her in my mind with ease.

"That thing's falling apart," Bayer said as he watched me open the cover and read the curvy feminine writing just inside the cover.

We must be meant to be. Love, Bailey Athena Prescott. I must have read her words a hundred times since the day she gave it to me. I'd opened it at as soon as she was out of sight. I knew immediately that she would always be my girl. She was right, we were meant to be. I don't want to get all mushy and say that the possibility of us both being named after Greek gods was so small it had to be divine intervention, but I can tell you it sure felt like something in the universe came together to make sure our paths crossed. And I was glad that they had.

"Are you taking it with you again?" Bayer asked as he packed up the last few items he was bringing.

"Yea. I don't ever leave it." I tucked it safely into my bag and cinched the top shut.

"What's the story with that anyway?" He pointed to where I had put the book in my bag.

"It's a long story." I shrugged, sliding the strap on my back and heading for the door. We needed to leave soon if we were going to make our flight.

"I've got all day." He slung his pack onto his back too and met me at the doorway. "If we're going to be roommates, I need to know about the girl that's got you by the balls. I've been sharing this room with you and Buckner for months. I haven't seen you hook up with a girl the entire time." He raised a brow as if to say that that was all the evidence he needed.

I chuckled, "I met her last year at the airport on the way to Pensacola."

"Sounds promising," he said sarcastically as he moved past me and out into the hallway.

"Fuck off," I teased. Bayer was a California boy born and raised and was always giving me shit about being from Pensacola. I locked up the door and headed down the hallway after him.

"Is she your girl then?" he asked as we made our way down to the car.

"No, it's not like that. I haven't seen her for a year. I'm hoping one day we can get together, but she's in school in Cali and I'm being tossed all over the fucking map here in the Corps." I tossed my bag into the trunk and he tossed his in next to mine.

"I hear ya," he commiserated as he hoped into the front seat. "I've been through five girlfriends since joining. This shit just doesn't lend itself to a happy relationship status.

I chuckled as I fired up the engine. "It wouldn't be fair to ask her to wait around for me when we've barely been with each other. We keep in contact over email, but that's it."

"Email?" he made a face like he'd eaten a sour lemon, "What is this? The fucking nineties?"

I shrugged one shoulder. Lots of guys give me shit about my relationship with Bailey. They didn't get it. None of them would want to put in the work to talk to a girl if it wasn't going to lead to sex within a few weeks. They didn't understand that she was different. I was tired of trying to explain it. "It's just what works for us."

"Does she send you naked pictures?" he asked just as I pulled us out onto the highway.

Iflipped him off quickly. He laughed beside me and I couldn't help but smile. Hedidn't have to get what I had with Bailey. I didn't need anyone else to agreewith me to be able to see the good thing I had. Bailey was it for me. I justneeded to get through these next few years