Taming my bully

Letter

Leah’s P.O.V

I waited patiently for dad to arrive, no scratch that I couldn’t get my ass to sit still for a minute before I started pacing again. I was anxious to know what stood in that letter and thinking about it now, why did dad call me to tell me about it? He could’ve just given it to me when he got home.

Ag this waiting isn’t doing me much good. Come on dad, how much longer do I still have to wait? I looked up at the wall clock and not even five minutes had passed. f**k this, I’m calling dad… pick up dad, on the fourth ring.

“Leah is…

“How long will you be?”

I cut him off mid-sentence.

“Five minutes, is everything okay?”

“Just peachy dad, see you soon.”

I dropped the call without waiting for him to say goodbye. I'd see him now anyway, I headed straight to the door. I’ll just wait outside at the door for him.

The longest freaking five minutes of my life finally ended when I saw dad's truck pull up in the driveway. I rushed over to him, gave him a hug and a kiss, then stretched my hand out to him.

“Well hello Leah, my day was fine. How was yours? Oh, that’s good to hear.”

Dad said sarcastically.

“Ag sorry dad, I just..

“Hey, I get it, here”

I took the letter from him, gave him another hug, then rushed to my room so I could read it in the comfort of my room and alone. My hands shook as I opened the letter and my heart had magically found its way into my throat.

My dearest Leah…

My eyes were already welling up with tears.

‘Where do I start?

I guess sorry would be the first thing to say… man, I suck at this, right?

But for you, I’ll try.

No amount of words will ever amount to how truly sorry I am for the things I have done and put you through.

My dear Leah bear, what I have done I regret with every fiber of my being, and I hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive me.

The tears streamed down my face and I could hardly see what was written…

I am ashamed of my behavior, but please understand that I never intended to hurt you the way that I did. I thought that’s how one shows love. I hope that one day you will give me another chance to prove I’m worthy of your love and trust, a real chance this time.

You are my everything, Leah, and I have never been this crazy about anyone before. For me, it has always and will always be you.

I know what you are thinking. I know that while you are reading this your eyebrows are drawn together and that lush bottom lip of yours that I so much want to kiss is wedged between your teeth.

In case this isn’t clear enough for you, I love you Leah. From that very first day you stepped into that classroom, I knew I’d make you my wife someday.

Seeing you today, God, that was my undoing. You're beautiful babe, so f*****g beautiful. I’ll change who I am, Leah. I would do just about anything. All I’m asking is that you wait for me. I have to leave as punishment for my behavior. I have to go to military school for a year, then join them for two years. I know that I am asking a lot, considering everything that’s happened, but please baby wait for me. As much as I hate leaving, I want to do this to be a better man for you. I know I can if you’ll give me a chance and have me. Teach me how to love you the right way. If only I had known better back then. Wait for me baby please.

Yours truly

Emmett.

I was full on crying now. Emmett Daniels, my number one bully, destroyer of my entire primary school years, loved me and, as crazy as this f*****g seemed, I loved him too.

“Dad! Dad! Dad!”

I shouted as I rushed down the stairs.

“Hey kiddo, what’s wrong?”

“Can you take me to see Emmett before he leaves?”

“I’m sorry honey, Emmett left before I got off work.”

“He what? Why? How? Why didn’t he wait for me?”

“Oh Leah bear, he didn’t want to make this difficult for you sweetheart.”

“Dad please.”

“His gone honey.”

That night I cried myself to sleep in dad's arms. Never mind what Emmett had put me through. I couldn’t deny how I felt about him, maybe I understood why he did what he did. He didn’t mean any of it. The days and weeks after Emmett left were a blur. I spent most of spring break curled up on my bed crying. I had no way of contacting him as that was part of his punishment no contact with the outside world.

I wondered if he had forgotten about me? What was he doing? Was he as miserable as I was? Did his heart feel as hollow as mine did? Did he miss me because God knew I missed him every passing day.

I barely made it out of bed most days, hardly ate or even bothered to bathe. The feeling that I felt was an understatement of miserable. It’s like drowning, trying to come up for air and when you do break through the surface before your next breath, that wave knocks you back under.

Dad tried talking me out of this depressed state and did everything he thought of doing to try and get me to eat until one day.

“Alright Leah, this ends today! I have given you more than enough time to grieve or whatever this is you are doing. Emmett wouldn’t want this for you, so get up and take a shower. For God's sake, it smells like death in here.”

“Gee thanx dad.”

After that day, I started living slowly again. Although I still think of Emmett every passing day, my dad was right. I couldn’t wallow like that anymore.

Emmett’s P.O.V

It’s been a year now since I have seen my Leah, a year of f*****g torture. I’d say being in the military suited me well, every muscle had a muscle and I now stood at 6ft5. I have even gotten a few tattoos: a tribal sleeve on my left arm going over my left pec, a lion barring its teeth on my right pec, on my right side by my ribs I have Saint Michael's prayer and a name written in Chinese on the right side of the neck.

Three of my military friends and I have matching tattoos on our right wrists. Luke has: I WILL ALWAYS PLACE THE MISSION FIRST. Jerome has; I WILL NEVER ACCEPT DEFEAT, Thomas has; I WILL NEVER QUIT and I have. I WILL NEVER LEAVE A FALLEN COMRADE BEHIND.

I think of Leah every day, hoping that she misses me as much as I, her, that she has forgiven me, or that she thinks of me. I even prayed to God that she didn’t find someone, selfish I know, but I did.

I wallow in self-pity every day of my life and if this god-forsaken place wasn’t so wired up with high-tech security and fencing I’d f*****g run away from here. Being here though made me a better man. I’ve learned a lot being here and around married or dating men. I’ve picked up on a few things they talk about doing for their significant other, things my father made me believe in doing otherwise.

As far as my parents' mom finally grew a backbone and left the bastard, she is living with Uncle Tony, her brother. He is also in the military and kind of stepped up as a father figure to me. I opened up to him about everything, and he made it his duty to teach me how to treat a woman as best as he could. My days are spent training, doing drills, eating, bathing and then sleeping, but most nights' sleep doesn’t find me.

My nights are filled with her constant thoughts about how beautiful she looked the last time I saw her, what I would do when I saw her again, and partying to god she doesn’t move on without me.

“Daniels, time to head out!”

Robby says

“On my way”

I said to him. I met him the first day I got here. Decent guy, but a pain in my f*****g ass, he enrolled himself in the military. It was his mothers dying wish. I hope Leah read the letter I wrote to her, and I trust in the man above that she will wait for me.