{[Every narcissist believes themselves smarter than their victim. After all, their victim is bending to their will… The reality is that you don't need to be smart to be a narcissist. You just need to have the trust of someone… And once that trust is gone, reality will crumble on them like an avalanche. Destroying the fragile pride of said narcissist and the illusion they created for themselves.]}

“I want us to have as many kids as possible.” Gio smiled at his girlfriend. They were both preteens, and they started their relationship as a childish couple. As the years passed, kissing took the place of holding hands. And now, they were something many envied. "But I think I want more girls than boys."

“Boys are easier to raise, though." Robyn giggled. "We haven't graduated high school yet, and you're already thinking too far into the future."

“The future will come quicker than we want." Gio kissed Robyn quickly as students made their way to class. The air was fresh. The birds were chirping, and the grass was giving birth to wildflowers. "No matter what we end up doing, I just want to be with you."

The bell rang. Robyn kissed Gio back. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” The two released each other’s hands and went their way to their classes.

I fucking love my chick… But I wonder if she'll be mad at me since I want so many kids… Maybe she thinks I'll lose interest in her, but that'll never happen.

As class began, the holograph television interrupted the class. It was a warning system.

A war update?

The hologram became 3D, and a man wearing FCU's, or a Future Combat Uniform, addressed the nation.

He's a Brigadier General. What happened to the Five-star General?

“As of zero-seven hundred in the morning.” The man spoke. His voice echoed across the halls of the high school. "A group of enemy special forces attacked our capital. The president, vice president, and their families were murdered. Most of Congress and the House of Representatives were also eradicated with this tactical attack… They destroyed most of the coastline with their firepower, and we're currently fighting them off on our soil."

The kids behind Gio started murmuring.

“As for the war.” The General continued. “We’re struggling to maintain pressure against our enemies, so it’s with great resentment that I have to say this… What’s left of our government has decided that we need more boots on the ground… Every able-bodied man between the ages of fourteen and seventeen is now officially drafted… Report to your closest recruitment center or military base… And may God be with us all…”

The holographic monitor went dead, and the entire school was silent for the first time in a long time.

FUCK!

*******

“What if you don't make it back?" Robyn held Gio's hand tight. Her nails were digging into him. She had cried most of the night after the announcement, and her red hair was a mess. "I can't believe they're sending everyone… Who would've thought the war would get this bad?"

“I won’t die.”

“YOU DON’T KNOW THAT!” Robyn wept bitterly. “It’s not fair…”

Come on, baby, don't cry…

"You know I'm strong. I can take down guys twice my age." Gio smiled and snuggled her. This caught her off guard. "I won't die."

"How will hand-to-hand combat going to stop a bullet?" Robyn put her head on Gio's. "I already lost my dad and brothers in the war… I don't want to lose you too."

“You won’t… I promise…”

“When do you leave?” She wiped her tears.

“Tomorrow.”

“And you’re spending your last day with me? What about your mom?”

“She doesn’t care about me.” Gio gave her a genuine smile. “I’d rather spend my last day with you.”

“Last day…” Robyn leaned back on her bed. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“No!” Robyn exhaled her words sharply. “I love you more than you can imagine…”

“I know. I love you just as much.”

“I don’t really feel ready… But I don’t know if I’ll ever get another chance…”

"What are you talking about?"

Robyn started undoing her top. This was a first for her, so her fingers trembled.

"Stop." Gio held her hand on the second button. "We don't have to do this if you're not ready. I will survive this, and I will come back to you…"

"My dad and brothers said the same thing…" Robyn tried to fight back her sobs, but they came out anyway. "Who cares if I don't feel ready… I want this…"

“Are you sure?”

“Yes… But please… Lead… I don’t think I can…”

Gio kissed her. For the first time, the couple everyone assumed had slept together made love until the sun rose.

Both of them were naked under Robyn's bed sheets. She clung on to Gio's shoulder. “That was better than I imagined…” Robyn admitted. Her body was still a little sore, but the experience had sparked something new inside her.

"I have to go…" Breaking away from Robyn was the hardest thing Gio had done up until that moment. However, the penalty for refusing to fight in the draft was prison, and on top of that, the prisoner's family lost food stamp privileges. It was a death sentence since food had become scarce. Gio only had his mom, and they never got along, but he wanted her to live. “I promise I'll write to you…”

“Will you marry me too?” Robyn asked with a deep red blush.

“I’m supposed to ask you that.” Gio leaned back and kissed her lips.

“Is that a yes?” She asked sheepishly.

“It’s a yes.”

*******

“This is your company!” The Drill Sergeant announced to the group of teenagers. They had spent the last five months training. And now every one of them was ready to see combat. “The war has dwindled our numbers! It has left hundreds of millions dead! And most of you will join them! It is our duty to fight and die for our nation!”

The Company stayed in formation.

“None of you are children anymore! All I see are warriors ready to eradicate our enemies!”

“Oooh, rah!” The soldiers roared.

“We leave at 0600. Your company will touch down in Europe, where we will hold off the enemy's advance and save what's left of our soldiers! We'll finally give them payback for destroying our coastlines!”

The soldiers remained silent. “Dismissed!”

The formation broke up, and everyone walked towards their friends and family.

Gio scanned the people who came to say their final goodbyes to their kids.

Mom isn’t here… I’m not surprised.

Gio made his way to Ashner and Wong. The two soldiers he had spent the most time in basic training with. They were once known as the three worst shooters, but as time progressed, they were forced to fire on targets in the middle of simulated snowstorms, desert heat, humid environments, and thunderstorms. By the end of their training, all three became expert sharpshooters.

The army hadn’t dismissed the idea of women fighting either. Their platoon was about thirty percent female. From the stories they had told Gio, they volunteered so their families got fed. Some joined because they had nowhere else to go. Either way, Gio learned to respect them.

“Hey Wong,” three girls smiled at him. “We have today off. Do you want to hang out with us?”

“No.” Wong tilted his head away from the girls.

The girls walked away. Everyone had gotten used to how cold Wong was.

“It’s a shame I can’t go see her.” Gio moped and reached into his pocket. He had a picture of Robyn.

“She'll be there when we get back,” Ashner smirked, and Wong rolled his eyes.

“Can you stop talking about her? If anything, we should get our gear ready. Tomorrow, we're leaving.”

“Hang on, I’m sending her money.” Gio tapped his phone. “Times are getting hard, and everything has gone up in price.”

“War does that.” Wong made his way towards his room. “Are you sure it’s smart to give her most of your money?”

“Yes.” Gio smiled. “We’re practically married, so what kind of husband would I be if I don’t give her as much as I can?”

“For one. You wouldn’t be broke most of the time.” Wong retaliated.

“You don't mind paying for my lunches.” Gio bear-hugged him from behind. “I'll get you back.”

“Sure… Let's go out to eat one last time…” Wong glanced at his company. Some were planning to get drunk, and others were planning to see places around the city. Not that it mattered. They were drafted against their will. “We might not come back… The death rate is high…”

“Don't think about it too much.” Gio smiled brightly. “I'm sure you'll patch me up if I get hit.”

“It's not that I won't do my best… But in most cases, if someone gets hit, even if there was a whole team of surgeons at their feet, we wouldn’t be able to do anything.” Wong was a realist through and through. “Don't be reckless… The guys with hero complexes are the first to get gunned down…”

“Yeah, yeah, we’ll be careful.”

*******

“Will you stop being so jumpy?” Wong glanced at Ashner. They were both wearing a black suit.

“Sorry.” Ashner dabbled with the tie on his neck. “It doesn't feel real… We've lived in trenches, bunkers, and under armored vehicles for fifteen months.”

“It's really been a year and some change? We lost thirty percent of our battalion… It's been a hard war… But we're not in the field today.” Wong sighed slightly. Worried about how the war will affect Ashner's psyche. Even if medicine had advanced to the point where the worst effects of PTSD were suppressed, it wasn't always true. He, at times, caught himself panicking and fighting back his fears. “We're here for two weeks and then back to the front lines… Anyway, here he comes.”

Gio took his steps into the church. He wore a black suit that fit him perfectly.

A year of fighting had made his body hard. Even if he was sixteen, the government allowed and even encouraged early weddings due to the massive loss of life from the war.

A wedding is usually for the bride. But to the best men and the groom. They held their heads high and were proud of their friend.

Gio stepped up and waited.

Robyn entered, her red hair contrasted against the white of the wedding dress.

How does she manage to get more and more beautiful?

The ceremony continued, and Gio and Robyn exchanged rings and vows…

Vows she never held close to her heart…

*******

“I don’t get her.” Gio glanced at his phone. “She hasn’t messaged me in two weeks… I know sometimes the messages take time to get to us, but they always reach us…”

Ashner was taller and stronger, and his uniform was covered in dirt. Some patches had red spots due to blood that didn’t quite wash off. “Maybe she’s busy.”

“For three weeks?” Gio shook his head. “No, something else is happening…”

Wong moved towards them. He kept his head low in the trench and then sat next to Ashner and Gio. He held a dog tag between his fingers, and his two eyes became sorrow-filled.

“Frost didn’t make it.” Wong gritted his teeth. “I didn’t have the skills to save him…”

The guys sensed a weight on their chest. “It’s not your fault.”

“It's their fault.” Wong spat towards the front line. “It's been over three years… I'm sick of this place…”

“Wong." Gio reached his hand towards his friend, but Wong wasn't in the mood.

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"I'm tired… Of watching my friends die…" Wong rubbed his face and tried his best to fight it, but tears ran down his face. "We should've been in school, looking at colleges, thinking about what we want to do for the rest of our lives… Instead, we're here, in a foreign land covered in carcasses."

"Dude." Gio reached for Wong and gave him a tight hug. "We'll get out of this, and when we do, we'll get a ticket into the floating cities. A utopia above the skies… The three of us should be neighbors."

Wong put the dog tags in a bulletproof case that he kept in his cargo pocket. He had made it his personal mission to collect the dog tags of his company. He even collected the ones from the girls that were killed. It was no secret that he kept his distance, but he also didn't despise them as much as he claimed he did.

Ashner glanced forward. Then he grasped something odd. He reached for his M4-Carbine.

As soon as he did, Wong and Gio reached for their weapons.

“What’s going on?” Gio asked silently. “I don’t see the enemy.”

"The bugs went silent, and birds are scattering." Ashner scanned the area below him. "This feels off."

"Drone strike? Or maybe they're sending unmanned suicide trucks again." Wong and Gio scanned the field. Thousands of allies, automatic machine gun drones, and fake dummies surrounded them.

What does Ashner see? I don’t see anything…

“NODs." Ashner told the group. "Put them on."

It was the middle of the day, so wearing them was inefficient. But they all put them on. In front of them were thousands of small heat spots floating in the middle of no man's land.

Ashner opened fire, and a robot's bust shattered, destroying its stealth technology. "HUMANOID ROBOTS! And they're running cold!" The robots were all functioning on low battery, preventing them from being detected. However, the technology wasn't perfect. Floating hot spots were unnatural, which Ashner used to determine they were under attack.

After the first one died, the robots dropped their camouflage, and their entire bodies heated up. They all had blades for hands. If a robot dies with a firearm, then the enemy now has a gun. So, blades built into the machines were more effective.

Ten thousand robots charged.

The screams of his allies followed. Gio glanced into the trench, a handful of robots had made it and were cutting down human and dummy targets. Gio engaged in the trench as Wong and Ashner fired downrange.

Their automatic turrets engaged and ripped apart multiple targets.

A roar rang loud, and tens of thousands of human soldiers rushed towards the trenches.

“We’re outnumbered.” Wong focused fire, popping both humans and robots.

“Retreat!” Their Lieutenant roared as the machines cut him down.

Next to Gio, a soldier's head exploded in a red mist. Gio grabbed the dead soldier’s fifty caliber and carried it over his head, moving and firing it downrange. All while keeping his head down. As the three moved deeper into their territory, jets dropped their payloads, destroying both machines and humans alike.

“Into the caves!" Ashner roared as he gunned down two soldiers who managed to get into the trench. "We'll make our stand there!"

They fought all day and night.

The battle had forced the three to retreat into the underground passages, and they held their ground in a small room, the bodies of their enemies stacked on top of each other. That made the room foul with the aroma of iron. Then, when the three had given up any hope of surviving.

Reinforcements arrived, reclaiming their base. Once they did, the new company discovered the three soldiers. They were covered in blood from head to toe. As they exited, their reinforcements tapped their shoulders and praised them.

“Your battalion held off an army five times their size long enough for us to pincer strike the enemy and take down their means of communication.” A lieutenant explained to them after they had showered and collected the bodies of their friends. “You're the last four. Unfortunately, your battalion was wiped out.”

Crow was a soldier with jet-black hair and dark eyes. He was often by himself. They were happy they weren't the only survivors, even if he didn't click with the group.

Crow shrugged and walked away from the LT. Wong, Ashner, and Gio didn't say a word. But this was a blow that stung. Everyone they lived and fought with was gone. It was surreal and left them all hollow.

“You four are going home for the time being.” The LT's words made them drop their jaws. “What your company did today won't be forgotten… But as of now, you're combat ineffective, so it's time you four go stateside for reassignment.”

*******

A new base?

Gio made his way around the floating city. He sent a message to Robyn, letting her know he was on his way home, but she hadn't replied. But he memorized where she lived since he sent her more gifts than he could count.

I'll surprise her. Then we can go somewhere nice to eat… Maybe after, I'll take her to the marketplace, and I can get her clothes or maybe some kind of jewelry. Whatever my babe wants, she gets.

Gio studied the home the military had assigned him and his wife.

Here it is.

Gio went to the doorknob and put his index finger on it. The door opened, and the moans of a woman in pleasure gripped his ears.

Is someone here… Or maybe she’s watching porn… But that’s Robyn’s voice…

Gio walked into his bedroom to the sight of his wife taking it deep from a tall soldier. Her eyes were closed, and her busty chest shook with each trust. Her hair was a mess, and her moans were no longer just his to revel in.

"Who the fuck are you?" The soldier asked. He stopped thrusting, but he was still inside her.

“I’m her husband.” Gio pointed at the door. “Get out.”

Gio's voice was calm, but he demanded it. The soldier glanced at Gio’s massive arms and cautioned against starting a fight. He grabbed his clothes and didn't bother putting anything on except his boxers. Then he fled the scene.

He slammed the door behind him.

“What are you doing here?” Robyn didn’t bother getting dressed.

"I messaged you…" Gio was at a loss for words. She was sweating and naked, but she was still gorgeous. "We're done."

“Wait.” Robyn moved the covers up, covering her chest. “Please don’t just cut me off…”

“Why did you cheat on me?”

"Because you're not here." Robyn cocooned into herself. "I know you're stressed… But I'm also stressed out… The man I love might die at any moment. Do you know how that feels? The constant worrying and fear?"

“Why didn't you communicate with me? Instead, you’re sleeping with someone else." Gio took a step back, but she took one towards him.

"You don't understand. After our first time, I got addicted to sex… And without you here, I needed to vent out my frustrations. You can't tell me you didn't sleep with any female soldiers…"

“I didn’t.” Gio bumped his back against the wall.

“I won’t mind if you do.” She leaned towards him, her cover falling down, revealing a thick body that curved in all the right places. “I waited years for you…”

What am I thinking? She's been struggling too…

“I’m sorry.” Gio eyed his wife’s body. “But still.”

“It was just him, and he wore protection.” She interrupted Gio. “I know how important it is for you to have kids… I want kids too… But only yours…”

Gio took a few seconds to digest everything she said. The fact another man had taken her enraged him…

“Was it just him?”

"It was just this time," Robyn answered quickly. "It won't happen again… I promise…"

I'm finally home with the girl I love… Even now, I adore her… Fuck it… I'm back now, so she won't do it again…

“If you cheat on me again, we're done,” Gio warned, but Robyn lit up and smiled.

“I love you.”

*******

“Several nations were destroyed in the nuclear bombardment.” A newscaster spoke to the world. “The entire world has gone silent, but we can assume that combined forces of NATO have claimed victory…” Gio, Wong, and Ashner sat in a bar. The three still hadn’t gotten their orders. “The war is over, humanity has survived… Our firefighter droids prevented wildfires from spreading around the locations where the nukes fell, and we currently have tens of thousands of droids clearing the sky. Our experts say that we won't have a nuclear winter, but we will be instructing all civilians how to survive with the radiation.”

“The earth shook all night,” Ashner added as he sipped on his beer. They weren't old enough to drink alcohol, but the older bartender gave them some once he got a peek at their unit patch. “I heard nukes hit almost every state in America...”

“Several large cities were destroyed too.” Wong sipped slightly. “Radiation is infecting everything now… At least we're in a floating city… The government was prepared for this, and they're passing out medicine and preventive clothing and gear.”

“The war is over." Gio chugged his beer. "Sure, the world is fucked, but it was fucked up before… But come on, guys… We're done fighting…"

The two guys were in a daze.

"One more round." Gio half screamed at the bartender, who immediately got to work.

“Was it worth it?” Ashner finished his drink. “My hometown is gone, our Battalion is dead…”

“And the side effects of the radiation will destroy our ecosystem.” Wong finished his drink. “Instead of dying quickly, we’re going to die slow and painfully…”

"Come on, guys." Gio smiled brightly. "Stop looking at the bad… Read my lips… The… War… Is… Ov... Er…"

"Yes, it is!" The bartender smiled at the young men. "You boys are war heroes! I couldn't fight, but my boys did, and they didn't make it back… You were a part of the 3-7-3. I can tell with the patch on your shoulders.”

The boys examined their shoulders. The patch of a skull biting a wooden paddle with red eyes and broken teeth stood out. It was something created by Frost. 'All hands on deck' was their chant… A chant that cost the lives of every young man and woman who fought.

“I heard your battalion fended off a mix of robots and ground troops. You were outnumbered three to one, but the 3-7-3 warriors held their ground… If any unit deserves a movie, it's yours…"

Ashner and Wong glanced at their drinks.

These guys need some cheering up.

Gio held his beer up. “To Frost for creating our patch, he was a great artist who wanted to make his own comic…” This made both Ashner and Wong lament for their friend. “And to Solo, he wanted to write a web novel one day…”

Ashner and Wong lifted their glasses.

“But his story lacked any type of character development.” Wong halfheartedly laughed.

“He named the main character after himself, but he mediated to make him taller and with a better jawline.” Ashner chuckled. “And he gave him abs, too.”

Good, they’re cheering up.

“Yes! And to Julia, who wanted to be a surgeon, and Esteban, who wanted to take over his dad's business and become a car salesman, personally, that dream wasn't as cool as the others. But they're our friend's dreams… So many dreams…”

Ashner and Wong sipped on their drinks. The bartender brought them each a shot. “This is my most expensive whiskey… On the house…”

Gio grabbed the glass and stood up. “That's why we have to live out our dreams for them… Or else when we enter the afterlife, they're gonna be pissed off!”

Ashner stood with his drink. “To our brothers and sisters. And the dreams they held so dearly.”

Wong stood up, too, and held his cup up. "To a future we earned through years of bloodshed."

The three clicked their drinks together and took the shot.

*******

Gio entered his home to see his wife eating out a woman. They were both naked, the stranger half jolted up, but Robyn held her down.

“Welcome home.” Robyn smiled.

She’s cheating again…

“I’m glad you’re here… I have a surprise for you… A threesome…” Robyn’s lover gave her an angry glare.

Gio stood over her, numb. It had been three months, and Robyn had slept with two men and five women.

Robyn grabbed her hook-ups cheeks and threatened her. Instead of being intimidated, the woman jumped off the bed, grabbed her clothes, and ran out the door.

This made Robyn irritated. But she smiled at Gio regardless and undid his pants.

I made her hyper-sexual by sleeping with her… I'm tired of arguing with her… No matter what I say, it's still my fault… No matter what I try, she's always furious… But at least right now…

Robyn took Gio’s dick in her mouth and started sucking.

This is her way of apologizing… I'll cum in her mouth, and she'll swallow it… Then I have to pretend not to be mad… What happened to my family? What happened to the life I dreamt of with her?

Gio put his hands on her head. Her red hair shook wildly.

I never thought I’d feel this lonely while my wife is…

Gio finished. He closed his eyes, and his body reacted. Robyn showed him his seed in her mouth and swallowed. Then she left him to take a shower.

Gio didn’t say a word.

I still love her…

*******

“Arrested?” Gio’s eyebrows raised. “What happened?”

“The story is... Ashner raped a minor, and he chased her onto the freeway. She got hit by a truck and died… I saw his mugshot, his face was burned with acid, and he was badly beaten…”

“That’s bullshit!” Gio growled.

“Yes, it is… What's even more odd is that the court date is in three days.” Wong tapped his lip with his finger. “They lied about the date he was arrested, and this whole thing is being rushed. It’s not following proper legal proceedings…”

“They’re framing him.” Gio punched a tree near him. “Fuck!”

“I’ll do some investigating…” Wong changed the topic. “Gio, I’ve heard some rumors about your wife.”

“Please don’t.” Gio walked off. “Don’t talk about her… Please…”

“As you wish.” Wong let him go.

*******

Gio sat in his car, he was parked in front of his house, but he didn't enter. Instead, he just wanted time to pass. He wanted a life that was at his fingertips but also so far beyond his reach.

Gio stood up and walked home. As he entered, Robyn put her earrings on. She was wearing a red dress that highlighted her ample chest.

She’s going to cheat on me again…

“I’ll be back soon.” She reached for her purse.

Don't talk back, don't ask her questions… It gets me nowhere… I'll just get her angry… At least I'm not in prison… No… This is a prison… Just in another way… Wait… When did I become afraid of telling my wife how I feel? When did I accept this? What the fuck is wrong with me?

“Why?” Gio broke the mold she had spent months hardening. “You promised me that you would stop… But you do it, and every time I call you out, you blame me… I don't yell. I don't blame you. Instead, I try to understand you… So why, why do you keep cheating on me?”

Robyn took a few seconds to reply. This reaction wasn't something she had ever expected from Gio. It bothered her a little since she preferred his tamed side. The fact he was speaking to her like this proved that he wasn't entirely tamed, but he was already wrapped around her little finger.

“Gio, it’s just some meaningless sex.”

“Then why don't you want me talking to other girls so I can have some meaningless sex on the side?"

"We both know you'll get attached, and then you'll dump me," Robyn smirked. "I don't get attached, and I always come home to you… Doesn't that make you happy? It makes me very happy knowing you'll always be here for me."

“I… I don’t want a cheating wife…” Gio fought to get the words out. “Why do you keep doing this to me?”

Robyn glanced at the door, but in her head, it was time to stop acting.

“No matter what I do…” Robyn moved some stubborn strands of hair behind her ear. “You’ll never leave me.”

Gio's heart dropped into his stomach. Then, it settled in the acid. "I… I love you… I love you more than I've loved anyone or anything…"

“And I adore that about you.” Robyn smiled. “I’ll get back late… Or maybe tomorrow…”

Her words stung deeper than Gio imagined. He stood in their home, numb to it all.

Satisfied that Gio returned to his tamed self, Robyn left, closing the door behind her.

“When…” Gio gritted his teeth, and his eyes watered. He wasn't certain if it was due to the sadness or rage that bubbled inside him. “When was the last time she told me that she loves me?”

It was just Gio and his empty home. Filled with memories of infidelity and him trying to make things right. His soul bled, and unlike the war, this world wasn't ending.

“I gave her everything… I gave it my all, but what hurts the most is... It wasn't enough... I gave her a home in a floating city… Enough money for her to spoil herself… All of my love… And I still have this pain in my heart…" Gio rubbed his hands on his face, and now his tears were pouring down. "What the fuck is wrong with me? Why do I love her this much? When I'm just someone she can return to after she's been fucked… Where did I go wrong?"

Gio stumbled towards his bedroom. A place that lacked passion. He opened a small safe next to his bed. Inside was a gun that kept him alive during the war. He pulled it out and studied the revolver.

“Why was fighting in a war easier to handle than loving a woman who doesn’t give a shit about me?” Gio cocked the trigger back. “I'm sorry, Ashner, Wong… I should’ve asked for help… But I couldn’t… This isn’t worth it anymore… I should’ve died in the war… At least my death would have some meaning…”

Gio put the barrel in his mouth.

Maybe she’ll give a fuck about me after this…

Gio pulled the trigger.

******

“Wake up, Gio.” Ashner shook his friend awake. He was sleeping in the Stryker’s seat. It was late in the night, and most of the group was asleep, excluding Wong, who was in the gunner's seat. "You having a wet dream?"

“More like a nightmare… I dreamt of Robyn…”

“Fuck that bitch.” Wong gave his opinion as he scanned the world around them. The vehicle was parked cause it was Ashner’s turn to sleep.

“Ever since you guys brought me back, I've pondered on the type of woman Robyn was, and whoa and behold, she wasn't a good woman. She used to drink and party a lot… Even if I was always faithful, and for some reason, she would make up stories and would start arguments, she’d excuse her cheating behavior and then encourage me to do it too, but then she’d mock me and say I wasn’t strong enough to cheat on her, she was right about that… Even though I was in the war for most of our relationship. She would jump back and forth between affection and degrading. Then the affection started dying and dying until it was just her degrading and mocking me… It was a total mind fuck… She used sex as a way to trap me… Then that sex turned to blowjobs and later handjobs… And then… Nothing…”

Ashner and Wong stayed silent. Gio had never once spoken bad about her. He loved her so much that her flaws became compliments.

“I don’t know when the cheating started, but I’m certain she was doing it once she started living in the military housing, she made new friends, and she started partying and sleeping with everyone… It's not like I would know, right? There was no guarantee I would come back alive… I caught her in the act after the war ended… And I forgave her…”

The three stayed silent for a few seconds, and Gio continued.

"I don't know why I forgave her… But I did… Robyn was the first, and even now, she’s the only woman I’ve ever loved…” Gio gave Ashner a shamed smile. “She kept cheating, and cheating, and cheating… And I kept forgiving her… What the fuck is wrong with me?”

Ashner studied his friend. Gio's eyes were starting to water.

“The breaking point was when she openly admitted that she was going out to party, and she would come home late… She basically told me she was going out to get laid.” Gio sighed and leaned against the cold walls of the Stryker. “When I finally spoke up… Want to know what she said?"

Ashner nodded.

“No matter what I do, you’ll never leave me.” Gio’s tone was robotic. “And she was right… I had fallen so deeply in love with her that she didn’t need to love me back… I can’t say when, but somewhere along the way, she stopped loving me… I was just someone she could return to when she was tired of sleeping around… And when that clicked, everything crumbled, and I found myself stumbling towards my gun, and I put it in my mouth and pulled the trigger…"

Ashner focused on Gio's face. He fought back his tears as they ran down his face.

“I’m so pathetic.”

“No, I don't think you are… Robyn manipulated you until she broke you…" Ashner grabbed his friend's shoulder. "Being lied to doesn't make you dumb… Being gaslit doesn’t make you soft… Breaking down because the person you trusted most betrayed you doesn’t make you weak… Gio, you have a big heart, and you treat everyone you love like family… Your loyalty is so fierce you've literally rushed through gunfire to get to us…"

Wong glanced back at his friend. It was unwise to take his eyes off the main gun, but he did it anyway. "You're only a fool for thinking I'd let you die… You asshole… But instead of beating yourself up, take all the time you need to get over Bitch McRobyn."

“I don't know if I'll ever get over her," Gio admitted to himself… "Even now, if she were to ask me to take her back, I'm not certain I’ll be able to reject her…”

“If you take her back, I'm shooting your balls off." Wong turned back to the main gun after giving his comment.

“Gio… You tend to run from your problems, but when it comes to your friends problems, you rush to our aid every chance you get…" Ashner sat down in front of him. "Now you have Ari, and we have this world that's ours and ours alone… One day, you might run into Robyn again. If that happens, you'll have more money than she can ever dream of, a beautiful woman on your arm, and the confidence of a man who defied the reaper himself.”

Gio giggled.

“I've been trying to move forward, but my past keeps holding me back, and you won't move forward until you let go of your past." Ashner put his seat-belt on. "No matter what happens, we will always have your back… So please, don't ever put a gun in your mouth again…"

“What if I’m kinky like that?” Gio teased.

“I’m not playing.” Ashner glared at his friend. “This is your second chance, make it better.”

“I will." Gio took the driver's seat. Then he smiled.