Courage. Loyalty. Selflessness.

These are just some of the traits that made me a Marine, yet I ditched every single one of them the day I set foot back on American soil. I wasn’t brave. I was a coward, a disappointment, a … killer. Unable to face my family and friends, I did what any person in my state of despair would do and left town, allowing the darkness building within my soul to consume me.

Four years have since passed, and even though the memories of what can’t be changed continue to haunt me, the thoughts of what I can change haunt me more. My feelings for Jenna have never faltered. And I don’t know if she’ll be able to forgive me for the things I’ve done, but that’s a chance I have to take. She’s my saving grace—the reason I’m alive. I owe her more than I’ll ever be able to give … but if she’ll take it, she can have what’s left of me.