I walked up the steps and began to get changed, I grabbed my leather jacket and jeans. As I put them on I thought I heard the sound of a car door closing outside. Shortly after I heard the sound of the front door open, “Who's here?”, I thought to myself as I finished getting ready. Just as I was about to open my door I stopped in the doorway. “I need you!” I rushed over and grabbed the ring and made my way toward the stairs. I stopped in the stairwell When I began to hear a conversation. A soft, sweet, and familiar voice spoke up.

“Dad! Why are you acting so weird? You still haven’t told me why Jason’s car is here?”

“That’s not important! Head home right now! You cannot be here right now!” Mr. Roberts commanded.

“No! Why can’t I be here? Why is his car outside! And I’m not leaving until I get an answer!” The voice became stern and aggressive.

“Go home!” Mr. Roberts shouted as his voice echoed through the house. A man I knew as always calm, was audibly angry.

“Mr. Peter! Why is his car here? Did you go get it? What’s going on?” The sound of her voice strained as it became more frantic. I couldn’t take it anymore, I rushed down the steps as the entire room stopped in its tracks. Not a noise was made. My eyes met hers, my whole world stopped. Her lips quivered as she attempted to speak, I could tell she wasn’t sure what to say. My family, mr. Roberts, all melted away from my vision, I couldn’t take my eyes off of her as I began to walk down the stairs, “Jules?” I said, a smile on my face as I walked towards her.

“No! No! No! No!” She shouted, her eyes became glossy as she began to back up.

“Jules, it’s me. I know, everyone thought-“ I was cut off before I could even say anything.

“No! You’re dead! I know you are! This is some kind of dream! Or a nightmare!”

Those words, “nightmare.” That didn’t sit right with me. I slowly made my way towards her, “Julia, it’s me, I swear. I promised you I’d come back.” I smiled as I embraced her. At that moment, I made a decision. I felt her arms wrap around my neck as I began to tear up. I choked up a bit as I spoke. “Every single day I was gone, I dreamed of holding you in my arms again. Look, I know this is confusing, but I’m not going back. I’m done. I’ll be putting in my paperwork as soon as I get back to base. After, we can-“

“Jason, you don’t understand, a lot has-“

Just then, the door opened, cutting Julia off, “Hey Mr. H, how is that truck run- who the hell are you?” The voice asked in a snarky, commanding tone.

I released Julia, and straightened my back. I looked to find a man dressed in a stunning black silk suit, with a white undershirt and dark blue tie to round off the attire. “Who the hell are you to barge into my home and talk to me like that?” My voice stern as I spoke.

His face quickly contorted from the egregious frown to a smile as he turned to look at my parents, “I’m terribly sorry Mr and Mrs. Thane! I didn't mean to curse in your home, but wh-who is this person?”

“I’m sorry, who exactly are you supposed to be?“ I ask.

“I’m terribly sorry Brett! This is Jason, our son.” My mother spoke up, my father had a look of disdain that he kept swapping from “Brett” and Mr. Roberts. I looked back to Brett as I noticed he looked me up and down almost as if he’d been seeing a ghost. “I’m sorry, I thought you said your son passed in combat? You did get the letter did you not?” He said as he seemingly sized me up.

“Yeah, I was just as shocked to find out I was dead too.” I said.

“Well, at any rate, My name is Brett Winters! It’s very nice to meet you. Jason was it? ” He said as he extended his hand for a handshake. He forced a halfass smile.

I had had enough, everyone was keeping something from me, dancing around whatever it was! I didn’t care, I was just so tired of this. “Okay, that’s it! What is going on?” I shouted.

“Volume!” Brett said.

“Oh, blow it out your ass!” I said, my anger finally showing.

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”Jason!” Mom says in shock.

“Excuse you!” He said, reactive towards the conversation.

“Excuse me? You listen here you egocentric fuck, You entered my home like a bat out of hell demanding who I was like you’re some kind king entering the roost! God, who the hell even are you?”

“Jason, stop! There is a lot you don’t understand, you need to calm down.” Julia says, pleading with me.

I looked directly at Julia, and I felt this calm come over me.

“Julia, don’t even try! This savage is nothing more than a baby-killing degenerate.”

The whole room stopped, “Brett! Stop! What is-“

Julia’s voice faded as a rage beyond anything I could comprehend.“What in the fuck did you just call me.”

“You heard me! B A B Y K I L L E R. There I spelled it out for you, even a child like you can understand basic letters, right?” I was so angry I couldn’t even see straight.

“So tell me baby-killer, how many innocent people did you slaughter over there?” He began to chuckle.

Just then a thud was heard behind me, my mother put her hand on my fathers chest, he was just as angry as I was. I took a deep breath and spoke.

“Thirty five.”

“What” he said in shock.

“Thirty five, I have thirty five confirmed kills, about to be thirty six if you keep talking.”

“You touch me and my father will have you in chains! Oh, right! You probably don’t even know who he is! You’ve been in Tehran, away from the civilized world for the better half of two years!”

“Jesus! You know what, I actually feel bad for you, thinking daddy’s money will keep you safe!”

“Enough!” Julia shouted.

I quickly stopped and looked at her. “Brett! Cut it out! And Jason! You need to stop!” She put her hand on my chest.

“What? Julia, why are you defending this pri-“ my voice stopped as I saw her hand. I felt a weight upon my shoulders as i had never felt before, as my eyes met the gold that sat upon her hand. My gaze quickly moved towards Brett’s hand, the same gold band. My eyes met hers, I could see her lips moving, but I couldn’t hear anything, all I heard was my own breathing. My life, my future, my dreams, all crumbled into dust in an instant. I took a step back, and looked down.

“Jason! What’s going on with you?” Julia spoke.

“Jason?” Mom said

“Son? Are you okay?” My father finally said.

A million things went through my head as I attempted to find the words. After wrestling myself to try and say something I could only find the words, “You’re. Married?” Her eyes grew at the realization. “Jason, I- I am.”

“This what you all kept hiding, isn’t it?” I looked towards my father, mother, and mister Roberts.

The three of them were taken back by that response, and finally my father spoke up. “Jason, we wanted to tell you, but-“

“What happened to no lies or secrets?” My eyes met his, I could see the pain and hatred of himself in his eyes.

“How could I tell you?” He choked up as he spoke.

“Jason! We are adults and I get we had feelings for each other once, but that has long passed and I moved on! Don't act surprised!” Julia spoke up, anger in her voice.

“You moved on.” I didn’t know what else to say.

“Come on Jason! You were dead? What was I supposed to do?” She said, I could hear the pain in her voice as she spoke.

“Why are you even wasting your breath on trash like him? He’s a nobody! I mean come on Jason? Really? What? Were you going to just come home? Get down on one knee and propose? This isn’t some movie or rom com! It’s real life! And some grunt like you has no right to a goddess such as this! Besides! Do you have any idea how selfish it is to make a fine woman like this wait! Isn’t she just a fine piece of ass?” He walked up and slapped her ass. A crooked smile on his face as he spoke.

“Why would you-“ Julia, now red as a tomato, was stopped in her tracks at a large thud sound. As she looked over, it was me. I was standing over the table in front of her. My hand outstretched with the little black box on the table. “For the last two years, all I could think about was getting home to you. For two years, as bullets and artillery flew passed me, my main motivation was coming home to you.” I sighed “It doesn’t matter anymore.” My hand tapped the table a few more times, then I toss the box to Julia. Her eyes lit up in shock, she looked back and forth to me and the box. “You know what, maybe it was selfish, I’m not who I was, I’m a broken man, I don’t know why I even thought I had a chance, I don’t know why I thought I could just come back and pick up the life I had before, that’s not on you. That’s on me for actually believing that.” I could feel tears on my cheek as I finally said what I never had the guts too. Before anyone could make a move I grabbed my Keys and left the house, everyone began to chase me, but I sped off before they could get close to the car. It’s over, everything I wanted in life was over. I began to speed away. “I deserved this.” I said as I fought through the tears.