I passed back the papers, Ruiz never once looking me in the face as I strolled over to her and dropped off her paper. I guess she was finally taking me seriously. When I got around to Cassie, I dropped her paper off, standing over her for a minute while images of the beach, the dog tags, the fire—all of it—came rushing through my head. These next few weeks would be the hardest ones yet—even harder than the first few that had me teetering like a fucking seesaw. Now that things had been laid out and cemented, I wanted her every second of the day, and restraining was proving much more difficult than I wanted it to be.

“Yeah. That’s right!” Allen shouted as I laid his ninety-six down on his desk. He was pounding his chest, the whole caveman like persona grating my fucking nerves. Jensen walked through and high-fived him, further annoying me. What he liked so much about Allen I just couldn’t understand. He was much too loud, and much too obnoxious, for my taste.

“Alright, today you’ll be pairing up to work on a mock radio system. I don’t care who you work with, just find a partner and wait for directions. Go!”

The room became a chatter box with students moving here and there, trying to figure out who they would be working with. Ruiz, thankfully, didn’t approach Cassie. I wouldn’t have allowed that shit if she had tried. My number one goal right now was keeping her safe, and I was going to do it any capacity.

“Hey, Bennett, I’ll be your partner,” Allen said, stomping over to where she stood with a pompous grin on his face. But when I turned and watched her face, dread completely took over, letting me know that this wasn’t a friendly gesture.

I stepped in his way, intercepting him and turning him around to a pair that I was about to break up.

“Pfc. Taylor, you’re now working with Private Allen. Pfc. Jones, you’re now working with Pfc. Bennett.”

When I looked back to Cassie, relief shrouded her face. I knew then that I would need to straighten some things out. Allen was an overbearing little shit, but her look didn’t convey that. There was something more, and I was determined to figure it out.

The next couple of hours were devoted to various tasks on the radio systems: trouble shooting, jamming, and programming. The room grew quiet as concentration filled the space. They had no idea, but they would be graded on how well they performed each task since each one had been covered in class over the last few weeks. Newsome, Jensen, and I floated around the room with clipboards, verbally asking questions while also watching the students fix numerous problems. I made sure not to be the one to test Cassie. I knew Jensen’s watchful eyes were on me, no matter where I stood, so I let Newsome be the one to do it, but I was never too far away.

A few of the students stood after their testing, walking over to the standings listing. Ruiz skimmed the list, finding herself in third place. She was smart and picked up on the material rather easily, so I knew if she just kept her fucking nose where it belonged, she’d make a fine Marine. If not, well, I had no problems destroying all of that for her. I went to the far corner of the room where I questioned a pair on their troubleshooting when I heard Allen cry out, “Second place? How am I in second place?”

Jensen walked over to him, placing his hand on Allen’s shoulder. “We still have more tests, devil dog. You’ll get there.”

I was puzzled by the whole thing. Was it because Cassie was sitting in the top spot and he wanted to see anyone other than her win this thing? I remembered that Allen acted like a fucking barbarian at the initial PFT, and it was Jensen who congratulated him on his shit. Maybe his like of Allen had nothing to do with Cassie? I was too wound up, and nothing fit quite right for me. Paranoia in the form of protection was beginning to set it, and it was already frying my fucking nerves.

By the time the lunch hour rolled around, I was starving, and not for food. I needed to know what the deal was between Allen and Jensen. I needed to know if Jensen was trying to be a little bitch and keep Cassie from being the top earner. And I most certainly needed to know what the fuck had Cassie so startled when it came to Allen. The look on her face when he came near her was emblazoned on my brain.

I texted Riley, knowing he would do anything I needed him to do.

Me: Hey, man. Take Jensen out to lunch. I need to be alone with Cassie.

His researching skills were needed once again. If he could get Jensen alone and shoot the shit with him, all under the guise of just catching up, he would be doing me a world of good.

Riley: Man, I’m all for supporting, but seriously? At the schoolhouse? I’ve gotta draw the line.

Me: I’m not fucking her. I need to get some info.

I looked up, scanning the room to make sure that eyes weren’t fixated on me.

Me: Find out why Jensen likes Pvt. Allen so much.

Riley: You’ve got it. And, Alex… don’t fuck her here, man. J

I grinned at the text because I just couldn’t promise that. I shot Cassie a quick text, telling her to leave herself available for me for lunch. The sexual innuendo in that statement had her trying to hide a grin that was threatening to erupt into a full blown smile. I liked seeing the effect my words had on her mind and body.

Once everyone filed out, Jensen left the room without speaking more than a few words, telling Newsome where he’d be. I stepped out the back door and peeked around the wall, seeing her ditch her crew and scamper over to where I was. When I got her inside, I couldn’t help myself; I pinned her up against the wall, kissing her hard before she playfully pushed me away.

“Well good to see you, too.”

“Fuck the greetings. Do you even know what having you in this room does to me?”

“I think I’m beginning to figure it out.”

“Just now beginning? What the fuck is that? You should already know.”

She kissed me again, her soft, moist lips placating me for the moment.

“So I need to know something,” I told her, taking her hand and leading her over to the front desk. Her eyes shifted down to it as she softly smiled.

“Not in the classroom, too.”

I looked down at it, remembering the delicious lunch I’d gotten out of her on the desk in my office.

“I’m starting to realize that you as my meals is turning out to be pretty damn healthy for me. But, no. Not in the classroom—not yet anyway.”

She hit my arm and I caught her hand, taking a seat on the desk and pulling her in between my legs.

“On a serious note,” I said, my voice turning harder, “I need to know what’s going on with Private Allen and you.”

Her look of shock and disgust caught me off guard.

“Are you asking me if we have something going on?” The acid in her tone was noticeably apparent.

“Not so much. Calm the fuck down. I just noticed the look on your face when he offered to be your partner, and I wanted to know where it came from.”

 “Allen is just an idiot. I don’t want to have anything to do with him if I can avoid it.”

She started to pull away, but I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her closer. “There’s more to it, Blondie. I know it. I’m going to do some digging on this shit, believe that.”

“Alex, why can’t just take my word at face value? He’s a dumbass, and I just choose to avoid him.”

“Because the look on your face was more than just disgust with a dumbass. I’m not fucking stupid, Cassie. The kid rubs me wrong, and that look tells me that my feelings about him are absolutely right. So if you won’t be honest with me, I’ll find out on my own.”