He went on to tell them about how he and the sergeant had gone nuts yelling out that they were down in the bunker and how the soldiers dug them out. Then they were flown by helicopter again to the nearest base where medics were already waiting for them.

As absorbing as his rescue story was, Romero seemed more interested in his tactical arms training. He went back to the beginning of Vince’s story. “So, no shit, they were gonna send you back here to train, and your ass chose to go to Iraq instead?”

Vincent glanced at Rose for a moment then turned back to Romero. “It’s complicated but something like that.”

After hours of having felt nothing but pure bliss, Rose felt the guilt sink in fast. He’d chosen Iraq over coming back home because of her. She spent the rest of the evening trying to keep up the fake smiles, but she couldn’t help feeling terrible that because of her Vincent had gone through all that he had.

Once everyone was gone, they sat on the sofa in the family room alone.

“So what happened?”

Rose tilted her head not understanding Vincent’s question. “When?”

“Tonight. You seemed happy enough the first part of evening then something happened and that changed. You just tired? Too much excitement for one day?”

She shrugged, playing with his dog tags, feeling herself getting choked up again. “I just hate that it was entirely my fault you had to go through everything you went through.”

Vince sat up, pulling away swiftly, so as to get a better view of her face. “Your fault? How was it your fault?”

“If I hadn’t been so stubborn and believed in you more, I would’ve read your letters and known sooner why you left. I never would’ve had to fake having a boyfriend, and you never would’ve thought I moved on.” She looked in his eyes now. “That’s why you went to Iraq, right?”

Vincent caressed her face, and she leaned into his hand. “Baby, my having to enlist in the first place was all my fault. I mean Enzo is the one that was doing the dealing, but I didn’t have to cover for him. I chose to. And he had nothing to do with me kicking that ass**le’s ass next door. No one did but me. I had a choice there, too, and I made mine, so it cost me.”

“But you could’ve come back here to train instead of going to Iraq.”

“My choice again. It’s not your fault I made a stupid choice, but you know what? You’re the reason I’m even here. You’re what kept me going. Do you really think it’s a coincidence my entire squad didn’t make it out of there but I did?” He traced her lips with his finger. “You were there with me, Rose, and I fought hard even in pain for you, to get back to you. You’ve always been my incentive.”

She smiled, remembering how often she’d questioned why he would go back to dealing when he’d always claimed he wanted to better himself for her. Then she remembered something.

“Vincent, I was gonna wait for another time, but I want this behind us already. I want us to start all over starting now with nothing hanging over our heads…or my head, I should say, that I’d be dreading to do or talk to you about.”

He pulled away searching her eyes. “You don’t have to dread talking to me about anything, Rose.”

“It’s about Ben.”

His expression changed instantly. “Ben? What about Ben?”

She pressed her lips together not sure where to start. Vincent showed up so suddenly she never even got a chance to think through how she’d explain this. He started to pull away from her, but she reached for his hand. “Don’t.”

He stopped and stared at her. “What about him? Just say it; you’re making me nervous.”

“Don’t be. It’s nothing like that. We just started talking again after you left, and we hung out a few times, but it’s never been more than a friendship with him. Then when I had to lie about having a boyfriend so Grace could stop worrying…well you know how this family is. Every gathering I showed up without my so-called boyfriend; they wanted to know where he was.”

Caressing his hand, she hoped he wasn’t getting angry. She couldn’t make out what he was thinking, but he said nothing.

“I uh…I asked him if he’d show up at one of the parties and pretend to be my boyfriend.”

“What?” He started to pull away again, but she didn’t let him squeezing his hand. “It was just the one time, and I felt so awful when Lorenzo called me on it, that I never did it again.”

“Lorenzo called you on it? What did he say?”

She shrugged. “He asked how long I’d waited after you left then threatened to beat him up, right here in Sal’s house.”

Even as appalling as she made that sound, Vincent still laughed. “That would’ve been hilarious.”

“Well he didn’t, but you wanna know what else your brother did?”

“Absolutely,” he said looking far too amused.

Even though this was not meant to be funny, she was glad his mood had switched.

“When he found out Ben was the one giving me the injections, he practically blackmailed me to make him stop.”

“Ben was giving you the injections?” Vincent’s eyebrows lifted. “And while you’re at it, where exactly on your body are these injections?”

Rose gulped; his cheery demeanor was waning. “Ben is a pre-med student, so he’s trained.”

“Pre-med my ass. You don’t need to go to med school to give an injection.”