Bye, Mr. Ex! novel · Chapter 22 of 24

Chapter 22: The Medal

I walked down the aisle between fourteen hundred people who were not breathing.

Darden's hand fell away from mine.

I walked up the steps to the stage, because I could not do anything else.

The general waited at the podium with his hands behind his back.

Up close he was smaller than he sounded, with tired eyes and a silver crew cut.

"Sergeant Pickens," he said, not into the microphone. "For seven years the Army has had your name missing from a report."

"Yes, sir."

"Today I'm correcting it."

He turned to the room.

"I have signed a recommendation myself this morning for the Silver Star. A board will meet in a month. I will not tell it what to find."

"But the Army will no longer pretend it didn't hear her."

Then he held out his hand to the sergeant major, who put a flat blue box in it.

It was the same box.

The Colonel's aide had carried it into the hall that morning in case I changed my mind, and no one had thought to take it back.

"This is for Camp Mackall," the general said quietly to me. "I understand you'd have taken it any other week."

"Yes, sir."

"Is this the week?"

"Yes, sir."

He pinned it on my chest himself, with fingers that had done it many times and still took care.

Then fourteen hundred soldiers stood, and the Bravo section stood first.

I could not hear anything but my pulse.

← Chapter 21 · All chapters · Chapter 23 →

Want to keep talking to characters like these? Chat with AI romance characters: AI Boyfriend · AI Girlfriend · Dark Romance · Fantasy Romance · BL (Boys’ Love) · Billionaire Boyfriend · Mafia Boyfriend · Possessive Boyfriend · Hockey Boyfriend · Older Boyfriend · K-Drama Boyfriend · Anime Boyfriend · Vampire Boyfriend · Werewolf Boyfriend · Demon Boyfriend · Fae Romance · GL (Girls’ Love) · Anime Girlfriend · Goth & Alt Girlfriend · Gamer Girlfriend · Tsundere Girlfriend · Fantasy Girlfriend