Cassie: Well, I can give you one thing. At least you're honest. I wish you could have been more forthcoming with me, though. I would have appreciated the heads up on getting pushed away and then hearing about you fucking your colleague. The one who just so happens to hate my fucking guts. If you were trying to humiliate me, congratulations, Alex, you've done that just well. Let's do what we promised to do in the very beginning and act like we don't have any history. A few more weeks and I'll be long gone anyway.


A couple of things stood out in her message. The first thing that hit me was that she would be leaving in a few weeks. I hadn't even thought about that and it sent panic flaring up inside of me. I didn't want her to leave, but the fact that she would be was very real, and it gave me even more of a push to try and make things right.

The second thing was that she said I had fucked Castillo, which hadn't happened.


Me: I did not fuck Castillo. I never meant to humiliate you, and I am terribly sorry. I don't want you to go.


Cassie: It's all out, Alex. If you fucked her, you fucked her. Can't take it back now.


Me: I'm telling you, I did not fuck her last night. Who the fuck told you this?


My patience was growing paper thin. As badly as I had messed everything up, I didn’t need any extra help with further pissing off and keeping Cassie away from me.


Cassie: Does it matter?


Me: YES!


Cassie: Ruiz.


I could have broken everything around me at that moment. Instead, I pounded on my dresser, trying to figure out how I was going to destroy that bitch for sticking her nose where it didn't belong.


Me: It's a goddamn lie. I never fucked her, Cassie. I promise you.

Cassie: Even if you didn't, something happened and I don't really want to dig into it. I have tests to study for. Have a good day, Sgt. Cruz.


Her cold and distant response was what finally sent me over the edge. I had already warned Ruiz, but she hadn't seemed to learn her lesson. Rage erupted from me, sending my drawers from my dresser flying across the room and hitting the wall with a loud thud. I could have swallowed nails in my bout of wrath, chewing them up before doing so. If there was anything more I hated than a rat, it was a person who couldn't mind their own fucking business. Ruiz had been given the warning to back the fuck off or face whatever I had on her, and thanks to Riley, I had plenty. If she was ready to play hardball with me, I was ready to smash her ass.

Monday morning finally came. I'd spent all day Sunday gathering up everything Riley had found on Ruiz and double checking it all, making sure that everything was lined up perfectly for me to bust her ass and get rid of her once and for all.

I'd tried calling Cassie, but as expected, she didn't take any of my calls. I felt like she was long gone, but I wouldn't allow myself to give up, so I kept trying. Jensen never came home after our fight, which was fine by me, but I couldn’t be sure he hadn't gone to the higher-ups and run his fucking mouth.

I left before Riley, blazing the streets trying to get to base to take care of my growing list of problems. I parked my truck and ran to the barracks duty hut, speaking to the Pfc. on duty.

"I need you to get Pfc. Angelica Ruiz for me."

He sifted through the duty book and found her name, nodding as he stood and walked out of the building. The sergeant on duty with him looked at me questioningly, probably wondering why I was in such a hurry and why I had a bruise on my left cheek. Fucking Jensen.

"I need the secondary room," I told him.

He handed me the key to that room.

"And you didn't see me here," I roughly told him, frowning my face and peering into his eyes.

He looked like he understood, so I backed up, giving him space to get back to doing whatever it was that he was doing.

I walked to the secondary room, taking a seat in the chair at the table that sat facing the door. So many scenarios ran through my mind on what I would say to her when I got her into the room. I wanted to rip her a new asshole. I wanted to break her down. I wanted to fucking destroy her.

The Pfc. knocked on the door then opened it, standing there with Ruiz by his side.

"Come on in, Ruiz."

Her eyes shot open, and I could smell the fear radiating from her body. It was a welcomed sign to me. It gave me the green light to pounce.

When the door closed and we were left alone, I stood and swiftly made my way over to her, standing directly in front of her, and laying into her.

"I fucking warned you. I fucking did. You decided to interject yourself in matters that do not concern you."

She swallowed fast and furiously.

"Why the fuck did you think you could go around spreading lies, telling Pfc. Bennett shit that never happened? Did you think I would just let that shit slide?"

"I… I'm sorry." Her feeble voice was uncharacteristic for what I had grown to know of her.

"You're sorry?" Her apology further pissed me off. My knife hand came out—all fingers extended and joined with my thumb along the side—as I used my whole hand to point in her face.

“You have the fucking audacity to spread a fucking rumor about a NCO and think there will be no consequences. Then you stand here and give me this bullshit apology. Who told you I slept with Castillo?"

She stood stunned, not moving and not speaking. Her silence was grating my nerves. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the paper with the heading Humboldt County. I unfolded it and shoved it into her face, making her painfully aware that I knew all about her and the skeletons in her closet.

"You want to fuck with me, I'll fuck with you. How the fuck did you get into the Marine Corps with this assault on a peace officer with a deadly weapons charge?”