“I love you, Sophia. I don’t know what I did to deserve such a wonderful woman in my life,” he said as a tear slid down his cheek.
My heart melted with his words. I kissed his lips and wrapped my arms tighter around his neck. Kayden had been lost for months—always there for me physically, but his mind was elsewhere. He needed a purpose in life.
“Kayden, I’m blessed to have you in my life. You’ve definitely brought excitement and new experiences,” I said into his shirt. I thought about all the possibilities he had now that he was clear of the charges. It meant he could go back to New Orleans. The thought of losing him caused my stomach to twist in knots. Would he go back to that glorious city and the work he loved so much, or would he stay with me and start a new beginning?
“Kayden, you know that means you can go back to NOLA and your old job. Do you want to go back?” I said to him as I backed away so I could see his face when he answered.
“Sophia, I’m not going anywhere. I can’t be without you for a couple hours, let alone weeks. How could you even think I could just pack up and leave you behind?” he asked as he stroked my cheek with his hand, looking like I just stabbed him in the heart.
“I know you loved that job and you miss New Orleans. I just thought maybe—” His finger touched my lips, stopping me from finishing the rest of the sentence.
“Yes, I love New Orleans, and maybe we can move there someday. But you’re my home, Sophia. I need to be with you. I want to be with you. I need you to sleep in my arms each night and make love to you each day,” Kayden said as he stepped closer and embraced me. I exhaled, not realizing I had held my breath waiting for his answer.
“I just want you happy, Kayden. I want you to be at peace. I know you’ve struggled with happiness over the last few months.” Concern and worry filled my voice, and the feeling nearly suffocated me. He had become my world. We did everything together. I didn’t know if I could even function without him anymore. Could I go back to evening web chats and text messages as our main form of communication? I didn’t want to find out the answer to that question.
“I’m staying. End of discussion. I’d never leave you. You’re the most important thing in my life,” he whispered against my lips before he kissed me. My knees grew weak from the passion and emotion he conveyed with his kiss.
35
Sophia
The Shadows
Anoise startled me, waking me from my dream. My heart pounded in my chest. I felt someone staring at me. I had drifted off to sleep hours ago. I could see a fuzzy black figure standing at the end of our bed. My breath came faster, knowing the person had been watching me sleep. My heart pounded so hard I could almost hear it.
“Hello?” I said in a whisper, my hands shaking. I didn’t know what else to do. I had nowhere to run. The doorway was behind them, and I was naked.
“He’s mine, Sophia,” she said in a calm, even tone.
I covered my mouth with my hands as alarms went off in my head—Lisa. She was batshit crazy, and I was alone with her. I squinted, trying to get a better look. I could see something in her hand, but I couldn’t make it out. A lump formed in my throat as I lay in the dark waiting for her to act.
“He doesn’t want you, Lisa,” I said through trembling lips.
“You bitch! What makes you think you can take Kayden from me?” she said in an acidic tone. I could see her figure start to sway a bit.
“Lisa, you threw Kayden away a long time ago. I didn’t take him from you.” Butterflies formed in my stomach. Should I have told her she could have him?
“I didn’t throw Kayden away, Sophia. I was seeing him until you came into his life. I went to New Orleans and spent time with him.” Lisa started to move from the foot of the bed.
“Lisa, you had him arrested. You ruined his life. He loves me,” I said as I started to shift in the bed. I needed to get away from her.Think.
“He’ll always love me. Kayden and I were meant to be together. You just occupied his time. You were his bank. He used you,” Lisa said, moving closer to my side. She switched on the light and momentarily blinded me. I reached for my glasses, and she swatted my hand. “I didn’t tell you to move,” she said as I whimpered from the sting.
“I just wanted to grab my glasses,” I replied.
She grabbed my glasses off the nightstand and tossed them on the bed and into my lap. I grabbed them and pulled the sheets up over my chest. I sat up slowly, sliding on my glasses. I saw a gun in her hand—she didn’t want to talk.
Was she going to kill me?
“Kayden and I have a long history. He loves me and always will. He begged for my forgiveness. He said he couldn’t live without me. Kayden always comes back to me,” she said as she sat down next to me on the bed. I shook my head as she spoke. They were like fire and gasoline when together. But now, Kayden loved me. He picked me. I didn’t believe a word that was spewing from her mouth.
“He’s not coming back to you. He’s erased you from his heart,” I said through a clenched jaw, unable to hold my tongue.
I saw her hand move quickly, and then everything went blurry. I felt a searing pain in my cheek and heard a loud crack. I winced in pain, and my heart began to thump so fast I thought it would burst from my chest.
“Kayden isn’t here with you right now. He doesn’t want to be with you. Where is he?” she asked.
I sat back up, gathering my hand into a fist. “He went out with friends after work,” I said through tears. The pain had faded, but I didn’t want her to know.
