Untangle Me (35 page)

“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, embracing me in his arms. I exhaled not realizing I 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 don’t know if I could even function without him anymore. Could I go back to evening web chats and text messages as the main form of communication? I didn’t want to find out the answer to that question.

“I’m staying, Sophia. 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.

Moving On

I’d almost given up hope, and but I am officially employed—a UPS man. My friends were never going to believe this shit, and it would take time for it to truly sink in for me too. “Can we start looking for an apartment?” I asked. “I want you all to myself, and we can afford it now.”

“I’d love that. We don’t have any furniture or anything, but we’ll figure it out,” she said, a smile creeping across her face.

I hung my head low, “I’m sorry, Sophia. You deserve nice things,” I said. I wanted to give her a beautiful home, but I lost everything and didn’t have a dime to my name. She stood by me and believed in me every second. I know I’d disappointed her in the past, but my life, our life, had turned around. Her hand grazed my cheek before grabbing my chin pulling my eyes to her deep brown eyes.

“Baby, they’re just things. I’ve had plenty of things in my life… they aren’t important. All I care about is having you in my life,” she said.

I slouched in my chair, looking around the apartment. We finally had a place of our own. I watched her move around the space, putting away our few items we owned, I felt like I was on cloud nine. “Why do you love me, Sophia?” I asked. I couldn’t understand why she loved me as hard as she did.

“Cause you’re hot,” she snorted; throwing a kitchen towel that hit me square in the face.

“Seriously, Sophia.” I tapped my foot against the tile floor looking around the empty space. “Why do you love me? I’m a fuck up. I’ve seen more than my fair share of trouble. I wasn’t entirely honest with you in the beginning and yet you stayed. Why?” I asked.

“I love you for so many reasons. I love you for all of your imperfections. I love the man you were, are, and will be. I love you for wanting to be a better man, the way you love me, the way you look at me even after all this time. I could go on forever Kayden,” she said blushing.

“Okay, go ahead. I have some time,” Kayden laughed.

“Smartass. I seem put together to some, but I’m a mess—a train wreck at times. We’ve all been there, Kayden. You brought more happiness in my life than I can even explain. I feel like my life is beginning again,” she said crawling into my lap.

The Shadows

A noise 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 know the person had been watching me sleep. My heart pounded so hard that 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’s bat shit crazy, and I’m 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 laid 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 that 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, tossing them on the bed into my lap. I grabbed my glasses 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.

“He’d rather be with friends than home with you. Don’t you see he’s not happy with you, Sophia.” The sound of pity was oozing out of her.

I punched her squarely in the jaw, my fist crunched against her bone. Her head flew to the side and I jumped from the bed heading towards the door. She grabbed my hair before both of my feet touched the floor. I continued to move forward my scalp throbbing, trying to resist her attempt to stop me. She hit me in the side of the head so hard that I saw different colors dance in my vision, more tears forming in my eyes. I fell back on the bed, dizzy from the impact.

I blinked a couple of times, but without my glasses, I couldn’t see worth a shit. My eyes adjusted slightly and the gun filled my line of sight. “I’m taking him with me. You’ll see who he chooses. Don’t move or try to fight me. I won’t hesitate to shoot you,” Lisa said to me, waving the gun in my face. My body trembled as I tried to slow my breathing.

I heard a key in the front door—Kayden.

“Sophia, are you still awake? You left the door unlocked,” Kayden said from the living room. My heart pounded as I heard his footsteps in the living room. I could see his figure enter the doorway and he froze. I held my breath, trying to feel around the bed for my glasses.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Kayden said in a seething tone, his veins popping out on his neck. All I could do was sit there and stare. Every muscle in my body felt like rubber.

“You’re mine. You belong to me and with me, not Sophia. We’re meant to be,” she said standing on the side of the bed.

“No, Lisa. We ended long ago,” Kayden replied.

“It can be like we were before. I know you still love me.” Her face grew red.

“I don’t love you anymore. I love Sophia,” he replied quickly as Lisa moved towards him. “Stop right there! You drove me mad, and had me arrested. You’ve ruined my life and played with my emotions for the last time!” Kayden yelled at Lisa.

She stepped closer to him, blocking my view.

“Lisa, please leave us alone... please. You have a boyfriend. You don’t want me or need me in your life,” Kayden said in a softer tone, probably seeing the gun for the first time.

“If I can’t have you, Kayden, than neither can she,” she yelled, pointing the gun at him.

“Lisa, this isn’t you. Put the gun down. Leave now and we won’t call the police,” Kayden said.