The Virgin Duet

“Fine. Just don’t hurt him,” I say, but no way am I going to let Nico have me. Maybe I can get Sam out of jail and we can run. I have the five grand. We can start over somewhere else.

“Good. Come to the club tonight,” he says before the line goes dead. Typical Nico, he doesn’t question if I’ll be there because he thinks I will be, and maybe I will if I can’t get to Sam first.

Dropping the cell phone onto the nightstand, I look around to see if I’m forgetting anything. My bracelet is lying next to the phone but for some reason I want to leave it. Bray said he liked it. I want something of me to stay with him, because I’ll always keep a piece of him with me.

Sliding my backpack on, I make my way to the front door. The call only confirms that it’s better that I leave Bray behind. If he found out about Sam and Nico he would never let me go. It’s time to stop pretending like Bray’s world is mine. No that’s not true, he didn’t let me pretend to be a part of his world. We can’t stop the real world from seeping in anymore. It’s time to face reality.

BRAY

I slide into the back of the town car and Hank pulls away from the curb. I look back at the building and touch my finger to my lips.

I have a lot happening today, and my mental checklist is full. I start to go through my day, but my little fairy keeps coming to mind. By the time I’m at the office, I’m annoyed with my inability to concentrate around thoughts of her. I can’t get Rebecca out of my mind, and I have this overwhelming feeling that I need to go back to her.

My job is demanding and it’s all I’ve been able to do to spend the hours I can with her. I hate every second I’m apart from my fairy, and I’m realizing that work isn’t as important as it once was. The drive I once had for it isn’t as strong.

Cindy has been in and out a dozen times with files and notes and reminders of meetings. I know I should have all this already mentally prepared, but I can’t focus on anything but my Tink. The last time she walked in I just snapped at her to get out, not even letting her finish her sentence.

I lean back in my chair and look out the window to the city below.

“What am I doing?” I ask myself. The only place I want to be is by Rebecca’s side. I saw the pleading look in her eyes this morning, but I was selfish and could only think about my meetings. Nothing in the world is more important to me than my Tinkerbell, and I made the mistake of not showing her. In my quest to try to control my feelings for her, I’ve distanced myself, and that’s not what I want. I’m scared to death I’ll end up obsessed like my father was, but I have to let her know how I feel. I have to tell her I love her.

I’ve already made more money than I could spend in a lifetime, and I have enough staff to take over my responsibilities. Frankly, it’s time. My obsessive behavior has created a controlling monster and I’m ready to let it go.

Spinning my chair around, I get back on my computer to send some emails. I create a memo and send it to all my project managers, letting them know I’ll be out of the office for an extended amount of time and informing them of who they need to report to. It only takes me about an hour to get all my ducks in a row, and then suddenly my to-do list for the day contains one task: Rebecca.

I grab my suit coat and leave my office. On the way out, I hear Cindy behind me asking questions about the email she just received from me, letting her know she’s being relocated to another manager. I don’t take the time to explain everything to her, because it’s in the email, so I just redirect her to my second in command. The doors to the elevator close as she’s still speaking, but the only thing I hear is the beat of my heart. For the first time in my life, I feel alive.

When I step outside and Hank is waiting on me, I’m bouncing with excitement. As I climb in the back seat, I get the urge to check Rebecca’s GPS on her phone. I don’t know why the feeling has come over me, but when I see that it hasn’t moved I relax a little.

I have Hank stop on the way home so I can buy Tink flowers. Then we make another stop at the drugstore and I buy her boxes of the hair dye she uses.

I can feel the smile on my face as I enter the building and head up to the penthouse. I’m going to find her and tell her I love her the second I see her. And before I lose the nerve. I can do this. I can give my heart to her. I can make up for every hour I was away from her, and never leave her side again. I can tell her how perfect she is, and how scared I am of these feelings. I will tell her everything about my past. Everything.

I burst through the elevator and feel elated. “Rebecca!” I shout and go to the master bedroom.

“Tink! Where are you?” I sing and start to walk around the house. I walk through every room, even the gym, and my panic starts to rise.

“Rebecca!” I shout again, but this time it’s angry.

I walk back to the master bedroom again and go to the closet, looking around for her things. Her clothes are gone. I go to the bed, and when I spot her cellphone and bracelet on the nightstand, my heart starts to beat out of my chest with panic. I pick up her phone and look through the call log, seeing she called her brother an hour ago. I hold the phone in a death grip and all my anger comes to the surface.