Where to start?

I should probably start from the beginning.

I was 18. It was May 2002 and we only had about a month and a half left of our senior year of high school. I had just started dating a guy I that I met earlier during my freshmen year. We had a lot of fun together while we were dating, but I knew he wasn't The One. We both had plans to join the Marine Corps. He was leaving in July and I was leaving next January. During our brief relationship he introduced me to his friend's older brother, Ronnie. Ronnie was constantly flirting with me when we were hanging out at my boyfriend's house. I was attracted to him and really wanted to get to know him better, but I was still with someone else. My boyfriend had started to distance himself from me because he was preparing to leave for boot camp. At the time I didn't understand why. I now realize that's their way to deal with leaving... to make it easier on themselves. Ronnie was giving me the attention I craved.

My boyfriend left for boot camp on July 15th, 2002. He was cold and distant that day. His way to deal with leaving. I was crying. We said our good-byes at the recruiter's office and left it at that. We never officially broke up. That was the last time I saw him. (A year later he died while in Iraq... I still feel guilty for how we left things.)

That night I got a call from Ronnie. He wanted to know how I was doing and if he could take me out to dinner. I had a big crush on him by this time and decided no harm would be done by going out with him... just this once.

To be continued...