27 Truths: Ava's story (The Truth About Love Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

His lower body is uncovered, giving a sinful view.
    I slide in next to him, not touching him. He makes the first move, always.
    “Give me ten,” he states.
    I lie back, look at the ceiling, and start counting to six hundred.
    ***
    I wake to thrashing, undistinguishable curses, and low pain packed with sorrow-filled noises that sound almost like a cry.
    I sit up quickly, realizing where I am and the noises are coming from Luke.
    I grab for his hand to try to wake him, but as soon as I touch him, I am flying backward off the bed.
    “I’ll kill you!”
    I jump up and see him jump off the bed.
    I run to the doorway yet remember I’m naked and my clothes are near him. Therefore, I run into the bathroom and shut the door, locking it behind me.
    I am not afraid of Luke, but I have read enough on PTSD to know the man who threw me from the bed was not Luke, not my Luke. This Luke is fucking frightening.
    “Ava! Open the fucking door,” he says in an angry yet regretful tone.
    “You okay?” I ask through the door.
    “Ava,” he sighs.
    Now that’s Luke. My Luke.
    I open the door and smile. “Bad dream?”
    The way he looks at me makes me wish I hadn’t opened the door. I think it’s disgust, disdain. Regardless, it’s not happy. Not happy at all.
    “Am I okay?” he half-laughs, half-snaps as he reaches up and touches the corner of my eye.
    Ouch , I think.
    He walks past me and turns on the faucet. “Ten minutes, Ava, ten. Not”—he pauses and looks at his watch—“two hours. Two hours, dammit!”
    Before I have time to say anything, he holds a cold washcloth against the corner of my eye.
    “Fuck!”
    I hold my hand over his. “You had a bad dream. You didn’t mean it. That’s why they call it an accident.”
    “Don’t. Don’t make fucking excuses for me.”
    “Luke, you’ve been in war zones for—”
    “Don’t do that, either. Don’t pretend to know what the fuck goes on over there.”
    I feel like I’m making everything worse, so much worse. But dammit, I know he didn’t mean it. And I sure as hell know I will not let the man who has put his life at risk for this country, the man I love, think that he is alone. I am with him.
    “I won’t pretend to know, Luke, but you need to know I am so proud of you for all that you do.”
    “Don’t, Ava. I know how you all feel about my decision to reenlist.”
    “ You all ?” I ask, shaking my head. “I see you, and I see me. And you’ve known me since birth, so you know there is no way in hell I can stop myself from saying what’s on my mind, and on my mind is me being proud of you.”
    “Ava …” He shakes his head.
    I hold my finger up to his lips. “I’m not done.”
    His eyebrows shoot straight up.
    “It was a damn accident.”
    He sighs.
    “Two hours, though?” I give him the uh-oh look.
    “Right, we need to go.” He looks at me like he wants to say something yet doesn’t.
    When he turns, I grab his hand. “We’re okay, right?”
    He stiffens and turns back. “Meaning?”
    “No protection,” I whisper as if someone may hear me.
    “I don’t know, are we?” He acts annoyed.
    “Clean on my end.” I grin like a stupid kid and immediately regret it when he rolls his eyes slightly, almost causing me to lose my courage.
    Almost.
    “Luke, I need to tell you something else.”
    “We need to get dressed and go,” he says, yanking my hand and pulling me behind him. “Does your brother stay at the gym for two hours?”
    “Depends on what kind of ass is there.” I laugh.
    He looks back at me. Again, it’s like he has something to say yet doesn’t.
    So I do.
    “Speaking of ass, yours is rock hard, Luke. I really love your ass.” I use the word love to test the waters.
    He nods and drops my hand as he grabs his clothes.
    “I think you should have my name tattooed on it.”
    He whips his head around and huffs, “Yeah, right.”
    Ouch.
    I’m not a quitter, so I continue, “You have the flag over your heart, so that part’s