Page 21 of Love and Loyalty

She wanted her. She couldn’t stop thinking about it.

As she approached Isabel’s quarters, she felt a mix of excitement, nervousness, and anticipation. She knocked on the door, her heart beating even faster.

Isabel opened the door, her expression neutral, her eyes avoiding Drew's. "Major," she said, her voice polite but distant.

Drew’s heart sank and sensed something was off. " Lieutenant Colonel Oakley," she replied, trying to sound casual. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Isabel hesitated, her eyes flicking to the side. "I'm busy, Major. We have a mission to prepare for."

She felt a sting of rejection. "Actually, it's about the mission," Drew pressed, trying to keep her tone light to hide her surprise at Isabel’s new behavior.

But her expression remained firm. "I'm afraid not, Major. We'll see each other in the briefing room. You can leave. I'll meet you there."

Drew's face fell, and her heart grew heavy with disappointment. She felt snubbed and rejected like she was nothing more than a casual encounter.

"Understood," she said, trying to hide her emotions.

As she turned to leave, she caught a glimpse of Isabel’s face, her eyes flashing with a hint of regret. But it was too late. The moment had passed.

She walked away feeling lost, confused, and more than a little hurt. What had happened to the connection they had shared just hours before?

How had she gone from hot to cold so quickly?

Drew turned around and looked back to see that Isabel was coming from behind. She was determined to find out what was wrong.

"Lieutenant Colonel?"

Isabel turned the opposite direction and quickened her pace. She had gone a few feet when she turned and stopped, her eyesfixed ahead. "I'm busy, Major," she said curtly, her voice devoid of warmth.

Drew's frustration grew, her emotions simmering just below the surface. "What's going on?" she demanded, her voice rising. “You're acting like a stranger, like nothing happened between us."

Isabel stopped abruptly, her eyes flashing with a warning. "Nothing did happen, Major," she said, her voice icy. "We've had our moments, yeah. But it was just a time of weakness. Let's just forget it, shall we?"

Drew felt like she had been slapped, her face stinging from the rejection. "Forget it? You can't just dismiss everything we shared like that."

Isabel's expression turned glacial. "I can, Major, and I am. Now, if you'll excuse me, we have work to do."

"Stop," she ordered. “Stop or I'll ask for a direct transfer out of the unit."

Drew knew she was being dramatic, but she couldn’t help herself. She needed to talk to Izzy alone,

This must have taken Isabel by surprise, and she shook for a moment before slowly turning around.

"Alright, let's talk," she said, resigned.

They went to the makeshift cafeteria in the base and had barely sat down when she started to press Isabel for answers. Their conversation grew more heated, and anyone who passed them could see that there was more tension between them. Even the other soldiers in the cafeteria noticed.

One of them, a burly sergeant, snickered and made a crude joke. "Hey, why don't you two lezzas just get a room already?" To which everyone laughed.

Isabel's face turned beet red with anger, her eyes blazing.

“Sergeant. My office 2pm. You’ll face a disciplinary.”

She spun to Drew, her voice low and venomous. "I can't do this anymore, Major. This is exactly what I was trying to avoid."

Drew felt her face flush with embarrassment, her eyes darting to the surrounding soldiers. "I'm just trying to talk to you."

But Isabel was having none of it. "No, you're not," she snapped. "You're making a spectacle of yourself. And me." She paused and looked around as if checking to make sure that no one was listening in. "Let's keep it professional from now on. I'll take my leave now."