Shattered Essence (20 page)

I didn’t want or wait for him to reply.
I walked into the bathroom shutting the door behind me. I looked at my
reflection in the mirror. My face and my eyes looked happy—they almost glowed.
I had to giggle at the way my hair looked. I could certainly use a brush. It
was more than bed head. It was mangy. There were strands sticking out in every
direction. What wasn’t sticking out was entwined in a tangled mess. I looked
ridiculous in the shirt and boxers I was wearing. They were so big on me I
resembled an oaf. I needed my clothes.

The memory of my dress being ripped
off flashed before me.
Well I guess I won’t be wearing my dress home.

“Do you mind if I wear your clothes
a little longer?” I hollered from behind the door.

“Let me get you some clean ones.” I
heard him say.

One thing was for sure, Drew wouldn’t
run out of dental supplies anytime soon. His sister Jessica was a dentist and
he had a drawer filled with toothbrushes, floss, samples of toothpaste, and
mouthwash. Thank goodness too. Otherwise I would have had left days earlier.

I took a quick shower and when I
finished untangling my hair I stepped out of the bathroom. Drew had fixed the
bed and lying on top was a clean T-shirt, a pair of boxers, and a pair of gym shorts.
I could hear water running and I knew he was showering in the bedroom down the
hall. I placed the dirty clothes I was wearing in the hamper, got dressed and
headed down stairs. I decided to write him a note before I left.

Drew,

Once again I had an amazing time. You blew my mind
in more ways than one.  :)

Give me a call later if you’re still interested in
coming over to my place tonight for dinner.

XOXOXO

I left the note on the kitchen table
and went in search of my belongings. I found my shoes in the living room along
with my dress. I picked up my panties from a stool in the kitchen and shoved
them in my purse. I retrieved my car keys from the bottom of my purse, slipped
on my shoes, and headed for the front door. Before I reached the doorknob I
felt his body against my back. He wrapped his arms around my midsection and
spoke into my neck.

“Were you going to leave without
saying goodbye?”

“I didn’t want to bother you so I
left you a note, see,” I explained as I pointed to the note on the table.

“A Dear John letter already?” he
said as he nibbled on my ear.

Succumbing to his touch, I
whispered, “No.”

“Good,” he turned me around to face
him.

“Back to the conversation we were
having before you shut the bathroom door on me.” He cupped my face in his hands
and said, “I can relate to what you were saying. I have felt the same way.
Everything that I am, everything that makes me, me, my essence, was shattered
without you. There was a part of me I never shared and never gave to Paige,
that part was you. I thought I would never see you again and it broke my heart.
I was broken. Every time I thought of you I hated myself for not fighting for
love. For not fighting for you.”

I just stood there like a zombie
staring into his eyes as he spoke.

Smiling at me he continued, “I told
you when I was eighteen that you owned my whole heart. It still belongs to you,
always has. I promised you I would never forget. I never did. You haunted my
dreams too. The more I think about it the more I am convinced that even though
we were apart, we were connected somehow. I want to spend the rest of my days
making up for lost time. I’ve spent so many years of my life in destitution. You
brought me back to life, Espe. And I’ll be damned if I let you walk out the door
without knowing how I feel.” He slid his hand beneath my hair, cradled my neck
in his hand, and then he kissed me.

Still holding on to my head he
whispered into my ear, “You know the very first time I saw you I knew you were
mine. Right from the start you captured my heart.”

“Ditto, I just didn’t think it would
take so long for me to claim you,” I said and pulled him in for another kiss.

Breaking the kiss he walked me backwards
into the kitchen. “Wait here for just one second. I’ll be right back.”

He opened the door to the basement
and ran down the stairs. I sat at the kitchen table wondering what he was up to.
When he returned he had a bottle of champagne in one hand and two champagne
flutes in the other. I raised my eyebrows in a questioning manner.

“Isn’t six o’clock in the morning a
little early to be drinking?”

“I want to make a toast,” he said as
he popped the cork.

He was standing in nothing but a
pair of dark blue jeans as he filled the champagne flutes. “Before this weekend
I have only known true happiness twice. The first time was the time I spent
with you in Colorado. The second time was when my daughter Megan was born.”

He handed me a flute and said, “If
the good lord decided to take me away right now I would be okay with it. I am
truly happy for the first time in years. Like you, I feel at home when I’m with
you. I feel peace. I can’t thank you enough for making me feel whole again.”

He raised his flute. “I would like to
toast to all we have lost throughout the years and to all we have yet to
experience. Together. Here is to finally being whole. Complete. No longer
living half a life, no more regrets, no more sleepless nights. To our kindred
spirits, may they always be connected.”

“
Para siempre
,” I said as I
tapped his champagne flute, taking a drink in unison with Drew.

He pulled me into his chest. “Yes—forever.
I belong to you. I have always belonged to you. I had you once then I lost you.
I was lucky enough to find you again. I have always been in love with you and I
swear by the grace of god I will never let go of you again.”

Brimming over with euphoria I
replied, “Copy that, Agent Malone.”

NK Morales was born and raised in the San Luis Valley, in
southern Colorado. She has always been a writer at heart. She loves happy
endings, laughing, and solving mysteries. She delivers excitement, tension,
humor, and mystery in her writing.

She is currently writing more on Latino kindred souls. Her
next book will be available in late Spring 2013.

She currently lives in Omaha, Nebraska with her loving
husband, her son, and her big lazy cat Jessica.