•Prologue•

My family isn't normal.

Not that anyone's is, I guess. But mine is a special kind of fucked up.

The infamous Tenney's of Newport, Rhode Island.

On the outside, we looked like the picture of American happiness.

My father was a well-respected Four-Star Admiral in the Navy. He knew everybody in D.C., and was poised to become a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

He was also a cheating, lying, manipulative asshole.

My mom was the daughter of a former South Korean Ambassador. Beautiful and smart. Together they had four kids: Nora, Easton, Southron, and me... Westmore.

Or just West.

To this day, I swear I was only conceived to complete the cardinal direction naming scheme, because I was about as un-Tenney like as could be.

But all us kids, we were raised to be Naval Officers. Just like our dear old dad.

And when you come from a military family, there was no holiday celebrated with as much fervor as The Fourth of July. To be honest, I loved it. It was the one day I was actually proud to be a Tenney.

And this year was no exception. It was my brother South's first time back home after his most recent deployment with Seal Team Six.

Seal Team Six was elite, and what they did wasn't discussed.

I hadn't seen South in a year. He'd grown a scruffy beard I wasn't used to, and his black hair was longer than I remember. Out of all of us, South looked the most like our dad. Square jaw and hazel eyes. Thick arms and broad in the chest.

Every inch a combat hero.

I would've given anything for an ounce of his easy confidence. South was the kind of guy that girls lined up to talk to. All I wanted to do was convince the girl of my dreams to be with me instead of my best friend.

That sounds shitty of me, I know, but I swear this girl and I are it. We were meant to be. I just needed to find the right words to tell her how I felt.

I was sitting on a short dock, carefully avoiding everyone, when I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Who pissed in your Cheerios?"

"Probably you," I told South. Forcing a smile.

He let out a laugh, then plopped down beside me. "Same old West, I see. Brooding out on the dock. I guess old habits die hard."

Dusk was fading into darkness over the water, and stars were peeking through.

I looked up, thinking of Stella.

"What? No witty comeback? Seriously?"

I shrugged, not really knowing what to say. South and I hadn't talked in over a year. It was weird how I missed my brother even though he was sitting beside me.

I missed the asshole kid he'd been. I hardly knew this version of South.

"Do you ever want to get married? Like Easton or Nora?"

South shook his head before taking a long pull from his beer. "Nah. I'll let you and the other single ladies fight over the bouquet."

We were quiet for a time. The sounds of the backyard party behind growing louder as the anticipation of fireworks grew.

I turned to South, wondering if this man—who'd saved lives and done heroic things I'd never hear about—and I could be brothers again.

Because right now, I needed him.

"Do you think there's one woman out there for you?"

South said nothing at first, and I realized I didn't even know if he had a girlfriend.

"Girls hear you're a Navy SEAL and they think it's cool for a couple weeks. Then you leave. And you can't return their calls. And you're in danger 24/7. And they get lonely." He took another sip. "This lifestyle isn't cut out for girlfriends. And I'm not gonna put some chick through what ma went through."

Or what we went through.

South didn't have to say it. I knew he was thinking the same thing.

"But what if you found the one?" I asked. Hoping to get a better answer out of him. Something more inspiring, and less soul-crushing. "Would you give it all up for her?"

South shrugged. His attention shifting towards the water. "I don't think I believe in true love. Or soul mates. Or whatever the fuck you wanna call it. I mean, it sounds good in songs, but when it comes down to it, people are selfish. And they always look out for number one, you know?"

We sat together for a time, the silence building. And, as I watched the waves, I realized I felt bad for my brother. Our family and his career had him jaded in a way I never wanted to be.

"I think you're wrong. I think there is such a thing as soul mates."

"Oh really? You think you've found your missing half?"

My missing half? No.

Then the words came tumbling out of me, all the things I wanted to say to Stella.

"I mean, it's not about completing each other. Being in love is about inspiring the other person to be who they're meant to be. Supporting and encouraging them because they'd do the same for you. I'd do anything just to make this girl's dreams come true. Even if it meant giving up mine."

South gave me a look I remembered him wearing as a kid. He was about to dare me to do something stupid just to watch me fall.

"Prove me wrong then. Go tell your girl how you feel, and see what she says. Give her that line about making her dreams come true. Girls love that shit."

"I will."

Stella was my soulmate. I knew deep down no matter what happened in my life, whether she said yes or no, I'd always be tied to that girl.

Forever.

A/N

Thank you so much for reading the first chapter of Riding South! This book isn't a sequel to Sailing West (which is complete and available to binge read) but is a spin off.

I think South has one or two lines of dialogue in Sailing West, but I was captivated by his character and wanted to give him his own story.

I hope you enjoy!

xx
AJ

Copyright 2021 AJ Arnault. Riding South is exclusive to Wattpad. If you are reading it on any other site, it has been stolen by a pirating site like NovelHD and you are at risk of malware attack.