Chapter 2 [ @Garrett Reid : Official introduction - my girl . @Scarlett Morgan ] ] ] [ @Scarlett Morgan : Here's to forever , Captain ]] I thought coming back meant I'd be ready . [ ] But seeing those words still felt like someone shoved a knife between my ribs . [ ] Five years dating . Five years married . Ten years I waited for him to claim me publicly . [ ] And he just handed it to someone else . ] ] Dr. Patel's voice crackled through the phone , furious : ] " Everyone's saying YOU'RE the homewrecker now ! He's using this to clear Scarlett's name ! " [ ] " This is insane ! You're his legal WIFE , Wren- poc . " ] I cut her off . " When's my visa ready ? " ] Silence on the other end , then : " ... You're really doing this ? Giving up your position at Walter Reed to go overseas ? " | [ ] I stared out at the North Carolina sky . [ ] Ten years ago , I turned down my acceptance to Cambridge so Garrett could chase his dreams without worrying about me . [ ] Now ? I won't let him derail my life again . [] Garrett and I grew up together on the same base . Army brats . Childhood sweethearts , all that . [ ] My parents died in a training accident when I was six . I got quiet after that . Jumpy . Lived with my aunt who didn't really want me . Other kids figured out fast I was an easy target . ] ] Garrett always stepped in - protected me . Fought for me . e . ] 1 Until his parents got killed on a peacekeeping mission in Yemen . Until he took shrapnel to the chest covering a squadmate during a live - fire exercise . [ ] 1 didn't sleep for three days . Just sat by his hospital bed . [ ] We were all each other had . ] At eighteen , I got my acceptance to Cambridge - full ride , pre - med track . Dream school . That night , Garrett didn't say a word . Just held my hand , eyes red , until the sun came up . ] ] Next morning . I turned it down . Applied to transfer to a field hospital unit near the Afghan border instead . ] ] If he was gonna throw himself into danger , I'd be there to pull him back out . [ ] Border rotations were brutal . Forty eight hour shifts . Patching up soldiers while mortars hit a hundred yards ou Finally , I earned a commendation during a major op . Got promoted early , transferred stateside to Walter Reed . [ ] One of the other medics asked me once - was giving up Cambridge worth it ? ] Back then , Leading the notes Garrett left me before every mission ? Yeah . I thought it was But now A special ringtone interrupted my thoughts [ ] Looking at Garrett's name flashing on my screen , I stared at it for a second , then hit accept His voice came through tight , pissed : My 40 CHIRPTS ALTI Chapter 2 " So what , dragging Julian into some act ? Thought that'd make me jealous ? " " You forget who stayed at the hospital with you when you had pneumonia ? You CAN'T just leave me , Wren . " I held the phone . Said nothing . [ ] Scarlett's voice drifted through the speaker , syrupy - sweet : " Babe , come cut the cake ! " ] Garrett's tone shifted , went soft . " Be right there . " [ ] Then back to me , clipped : [ ] 0 " Look , Scarlett's unit and mine are running joint operations for the next two weeks . After that , I'll clear things up . Stop being dramatic . [ ] " Stay home tonight . I'll grab that Thai place you like on my way back . " [ ] My mind drifted- Garrett got recruited into Delta during a routine inspection of my field hospital unit . Some Colonel saw him disarm an IED in under three minutes and yanked him into Special Operations Command . ] I fought it . Garrett's whole plan was defense contracting after his service ended . Steady job . Safe . Maybe start that security consulting firm he always talked about . ] Delta meant that door closed forever . [] But he went over my head . Spoke to the CO privately signed the papers before I even knew . [ ] Afterward , he held me on our bunk , voice cracking : " Wren , I don't want you living off scraps because of me . I'm gonna rack up rank , give you a better life . " [ ] So Garrett gave up his dream for me . [] Or so he said . After that , our schedules barely synced . Weeks would pass between phone calls . The first time rumors started - some performing arts girl got too close during a morale tour - he drove five hours , overnight just to show up at my door . [ ] Held me . Swore it was bullshit . ] I asked him , " Can't we just go public ? Tell people we're married ? " [] He said it'd hurt his image . Disappoint command . Not the right time . [ ] But he promised - his wife would only ever be me . [ ] I believed him . Until later ... ] Scarlett showed up . She got harassed after some show , tried to run , ended up in a river . Garrett happened to be there doing perimeter security . Saved her . [ ] She played it perfect . Soaking wet . Helpless . Clinging to him . [ ] By morning , the whole base was talking . But that time ? Garrett didn't say a single word ] By the time I snapped out of it , Garrett had already hung up ] Whatever , I had other things to deal with- I called the JAG office , asked about divorce paperwork [ ] Before I left the country . I needed to be done with Garrett Beid ] ] What I didn't expect ? ] Chapter 2 When he came home that night , Scarlett was with him . ] Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!