Page 45 of Rescuing Mia
“Not that.” I tap him playfully on the chest, thumping against hard muscles. “I meant the SEAL thing, and I’m not going to fawn all over you. I have too much self-respect.”
“Once a SEAL, always a SEAL. Never an ex-SEAL.” He shakes his head gently, a wry smile playing on his lips. “It’s not just a job.It’s more than a job. It’s a part of who you are, carved into your bones. It stays with you long after the uniform comes off.”
His correction stirs something in me—a realization that, for some, identity is an indelible mark. For Rigel, being a SEAL is as permanent as the stars above us.
And for me?
I wonder if the mark of Red Phoenix Pharmaceuticals is just as indelible. Will my soul be forever stained because of them?
“Do you miss it?” My curiosity pushes past caution, hungry for a glimpse into his world—a world so different from the skyscrapers and labs that I know.
The stars reflect in his eyes as he speaks, and his voice carries the weight of many unspoken stories. “I loved it—the camaraderie, the missions… But it’s someone else’s turn to watch over the night now.”
“And what brought you here?”
“I wanted…” He pauses, and I see the silhouette of his former life in the resolve of his posture. “No. I needed to do something just for me. Diving. Stargazing with a beautiful woman. Time without a mission, without orders. Just me, the ocean, and the endless sky.”
His longing for freedom resonates with me, echoing my own desire to escape my past.
The night air seems to hold its breath as we share this moment, our truths laid bare under the watchful eyes of stars above us. In the silence, I feel an unexpected kinship with this man whose life is as marked by duty as mine is by secrets.
His gaze meets mine, and the depth I see is both thrilling and a little scary.
I understand the sentiment more than he knows. To do something just for yourself is a luxury that feels as distant as the stars.
“If you had a favorite moment or thing you did while in the Navy, what would it be?”
“Diving.” His answer is immediate and certain.
“I guess that shouldn’t be a shock, but I’m surprised.”
“What did you think I’d say?”
“Traveling the world? Isn’t that what’s on all the posters? Join the Navy. See the world?”
“Maybe, but there’s a certain peace in floating in the water at night, the stars mirrored around you, the world quiet but alive. It’s—it’s freeing.”
The way he describes it, I can almost see it—Rigel, the SEAL, adrift in an expanse of stars both above and below. It’s a beautiful image, and for a heartbeat, I wish I could have seen it, seen him in his element.
“Let me show you the North Star. Once we pass the equator, it’ll be gone.” His hand reaches for mine again. It’s an excuse to touch, and we both know it, but I don’t pull away.
As his fingers entwine with mine, he guides my hand to trace the invisible lines between stars. His body presses gently against my back.
With every name he whispers—Orion, Aries, Aquarius, and oddly enough, Rigel—the night grows deeper, the stars burn brighter, and his presence becomes more intoxicating.
“Were you named after a star?”
“Guilty. Although, it’s my parents’ fault. My father had a passion for astronomy, as did my mother.”
“I think that’s kind of cool.”
“Maybe now, but as a kid, it was a hard name to carry.”
“How’s that?”
“Kids are cruel. So, you’re a big city girl? Were you born and raised in Shanghai?” He inches closer. “Your accent doesn’t sound Chinese. It’s more—international.”
“My background is a bit of a mix. Makes it harder to pinpoint, I guess. My father was a diplomat. My mother was an expat from America. They met in Taiwan.”