Moonlight peaked through the curtains above my bed, bathing the interior of the bunkhouse in a pale blue. I couldn’t sleep. Corey, on the other hand, snored noisily from his bed against the far wall. It sounded like a chainsaw revving up.
Missing sleep wasn’t new to me. In fact, compared to the alternative, I welcomed it. The nightmares began when I left Afghanistan. The sound of gunfire, explosions, and agonized screams terrorized my dreams. That is until I met Jessica.
From the first time I heard Jessica’s angelic voice, my head had little room for anything else. Her unexpected presence in my life overpowered any darkness. I wasn’t just in love with her. I was grateful for her.
Love. I groaned to myself and rolled over again for the millionth time. What was I doing to myself? A few short months ago, I had been lost until a random phone call from my old platoon leader told me about a man in Texas helping veterans get back on their feet. After a bus ride and an outrageous Uber fee, I was sitting in Mr. Bell’s kitchen. Now, I was dreaming about his daughter like a love-sick puppy, imagining the erotic things we had done together.