Chapter 7
I survived my first week and was looking forward to two days when I didn’t have to avoid Phyre.
The amount of effort it took to make sure we were never alone, or that he didn’t catch me staring, or that I didn’t laugh at one of his jokes, and a host of other things, was exhausting.
I didn’t have any plans for the weekend aside from hitting up a few stores to get groceries and essentials.
As soon as I arrived home, I stripped out of my scrubs, crawled into bed, and slept for a little over two hours.
When I woke up, I found some cleaning products at the bottom of the pantry.
After cleaning the tub, I filled it with water as hot as I could stand and added some shower gel to create bubbles.
I was glad I’d packed two of my favorite scented candles from home. Once they were lit, I turned on my Bluetooth speaker, gathered everything else I needed, including my vibrator, and submerged myself in my little piece of heaven.
“God, this feels amazing,” I whispered, closing my eyes.
For the past week, whenever I closed my eyes, Phyre would appear. Since Monday night, I’d dreamed of him and the life we could’ve had if he hadn’t been a lying and conniving asshole. I woke up horny and pissed off because out of all the men I’d had sex with, he was by far the best.
No other man had ever made love to me like Phyre, and I couldn’t express how much I missed his touch.
As my body relaxed, I began to reminisce, imagining his hands caressing my breasts and slowly moving down to my honeypot.
I opened my legs and gently massaged my clit with one hand while using the other to tickle my nipple.
“Mmm, shit.”
I grabbed my vibrator from the ledge of the tub, turned it on, and slid it into my pussy.
“Oh, God.”
I let my head fall back as I flicked my thumb over my nipple.
I was so sex deprived that if the right man blew on me, I’d cum.
This vibrator came in handy when I needed a release, but I refused to become heavily dependent on it.
A long, thick dick would always be my preference, but I also enjoyed the intimacy of being with a man, and that was something this vibrator couldn’t provide.
My pussy began to contract, and I lifted my breast to my mouth, swirling my tongue around my nipple.
I pressed the button on the vibrator twice to increase the intensity, and it sent me over the edge.
My body stiffened as I released a week’s worth of tension through my orgasm, . . . and it felt amazing.
“Whew, shit! Damn.”
I breathed heavily as I came down from my high. Eventually, I’d gathered enough energy to remove the vibrator from my sacred place and return it to the ledge of the bathtub. I’d honestly planned to stay in the bath longer, but that orgasm made me hungry.
After emptying the water from the tub, I went to the shower and spent the next twenty minutes washing my hair and body.
When I finished drying off, I put my wet hair in a bun on the top of my head, lathered my body with my favorite body butter, wrapped myself in my plush robe, and scrolled through my food apps to figure out what I would have for dinner.
I decided on Korean barbecue, and after placing my order, I went to the living room to wait.
Once I was comfy on the couch, I turned on the television and went to my favorite streaming app to find something to binge-watch.
After choosing Living Single, I locked in on season one until the buzzer startled me about thirty minutes later.
I confirmed it was my food on the monitor before pressing the button, allowing her to enter.
“Here you go, ma’am,” the young lady said when she reached my door.
“Thank you.”
“No problem. Oh, this is for you too.”
She reached into her pocket, pulled out an envelope, and gave it to me, although I was hesitant to take it at first.
“What’s this?”
She shrugged. “A man asked me to bring it to Unit 3, and since that’s where I was headed, I agreed.”
“A man?”
“Yes. I’m sorry. I gotta get going.”
“It’s fine. Thank you.”
I closed and locked the door, then looked at the envelope. Nothing was written on the outside, and it wasn’t sealed, but the flap was tucked inside. Weary of what might be inside, I decided to wait until I finished eating to indulge.
Although the envelope taunted me while I ate, I thoroughly enjoyed my dinner and two glasses of wine. I FaceTimed Devyn just in case I needed moral support for whatever the envelope contained.
“Hey, sis!” she greeted with excitement.
“Hey. Are you busy?”
“No. We just got home from a late dinner. Tariq is giving Bubba a bath. What’s up?”
“By the grace of God, I made it through the week.”
“And it looks like you’re in one piece,” she teased.
“Barely.”
“Oh God. Yesterday was the only day we didn’t talk. What happened?”
“Nothing, but I might not have made it if it weren’t for you and my family.”
“You never did tell me what they said when you told them you were working with Phyre.”
“You know they couldn’t pass up a chance to say they told me so, but once they got that off their chest, they were supportive.
My parents told me to leave if I’m uncomfortable working with him, especially if he keeps pressuring me to discuss things that don’t pertain to my job.
TJ thinks leaving is the easy way out and would make me look soft.
He’s also prepared to square up if necessary. ”
“I think they all have a point. How are you feeling now that the first week is over?”
“Like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders, but as soon as I go back to work on Monday, the weight will be back. Whenever I’m in his presence, I can’t relax.”
“What do you think is the reason?”
“Being angry with him is exhausting.”
“Then stop being angry. It’s not good for you anyway.”
“I can’t.”
“If you’re over him, you shouldn’t be angry. Let it go.”
I sighed and didn’t respond for a moment.
“I thought I was over him. It was much easier to believe that when we were thousands of miles apart.”
“You decided not to run, so now it’s time to face your fears. Listen to what he has to say and share your feelings with him.”
Again, I was quiet as I mulled over her words. My eyes landed on the letter, reminding me of why I’d called Devyn in the first place.
“So, I ordered food, and the girl who delivered it gave me an envelope. She said a man asked her to bring it to my apartment.”
Devyn’s eyes widened with intrigue. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
“If you’re thinking it’s from Phyre, then yes.”
“Open it.”
“I’m scared.”
“Open the damn letter, Ginae.”
I propped my phone up on the arm of the couch, picked up the envelope, and held it in front of my phone.
“There’s no name on it,” I said, stalling.
“Ginae.”
“Fine.”
I quickly opened the envelope and removed the folded pieces of paper. I closed my eyes and took several deep breaths before unfolding the papers.
“You don’t have to read it out loud. I’ll be here regardless,” Devyn assured me.
“I’ll read it aloud. It’s from Phyre. I’d recognize his handwriting anywhere.”
“Wow. He took the time to write it by hand? That’s impressive.”
“Tuh. You’re easily impressed, sis.”
“Whatever. You know people don’t handwrite letters anymore. Just read the damn thing.”
My Sweetness,
This may sound crazy, but I love you more today than I ever have. I think about you daily, and you are the shining star in my dreams every single night. I am deeply in love with you, and that will never change.
Every day since the last time I saw you, I’ve prayed for God to bring you back to me. It took longer than I wanted, but I would’ve waited the rest of my life. You being here is no coincidence. It’s answered prayers, and I don’t take it lightly.
Before I continue, I want to apologize. There aren’t enough words to express how sorry I am for hurting you. Please know that it wasn’t intentional, and if allowed, I’ll spend the rest of my days making it up to you.
As you know, I come from a wealthy family, and while I’m grateful to have grown up without financial worries, many sacrifices were made. My parents chose the woman they wanted me to marry when I was a child, and along with her parents, curated almost every key moment of the relationship.
It didn’t seem so bad in my adolescent years. There was an expectation from our families that we’d do certain things as a couple. She was always my date for the hundreds of social events I was required to attend, and it took the pressure off me to ask someone else.
By the time we graduated from high school, I no longer wanted to play the game.
I wanted to be free to date whoever I wanted.
When I told my parents, they agreed to let me have my fun, but I had to promise to be discreet.
They warned me not to fall in love with anyone because Kavia would eventually be my wife.
I should’ve taken them more seriously, but in the moment, I just wanted to do what I wanted to do. Kavia and I still made appearances together when our families required it, but outside of that, we rarely communicated and were free to do our own thing as long as we were discreet.
When I began to fall in love with you, I went to my parents on a few occasions and told them I didn’t want to marry Kavia.
The conversation never went well, and I’d leave more frustrated than when I arrived.
Our last discussion about it ended with my father threatening to stop paying for medical school if I didn’t go through with it.
It came down to me having to choose between you and becoming a doctor. I only had to think about it for a moment, and I chose you, but I had to figure out a way to pay for school. For the next few weeks, I researched and applied for scholarships and loans.