Chapter 15
King
We stayed in her bed for a long time talking. I told her about my past, the trouble I got into, and more about Nico.
She said, “Wow. The guy from the coffee shop with the tattoos. So, he was there for you?”
“Yeah, he was there for me. He almost ruined my life, so I left. He was looking for me in Cupid City, but he found you in the process. I’m sorry about that. I would never knowingly put you in any danger. He’s gone now. I made that clear.”
Serayah was lying on her back and stared at the ceiling. “Wow, that’s crazy, King. But it’s the past. You have a new life here now.”
“I do. Heartline Security was a second chance for me. An opportunity at redemption for all the terrible things I’ve done in my life. It’s why I didn’t want to risk anything happening with this job. And then…” I paused. I didn’t want to make her feel bad.
She sat up again and leaned into me. “And then I happened…” She ran her finger down my chest to my lower abs, where she drew little circles in my hair.
I admitted, “And then you happened. You little seductress. Vixen. Temptress.” She laughed loudly, and it was such a beautiful sound.
It was almost painful because I wanted to hear it all the time, and I couldn’t.
While I loved being with her, completely, I still needed to wait until the job was done.
I patted her hand and then started to move to get out of bed and get dressed. Serayah watched me as I got up and asked, “What? What’s wrong?”
I was pulling my pants up and fixing my belt when I said, “Nothing. I just… we can’t…”
She sat up quickly, pulling the sheet up with her and hopped out of bed. “Don’t say it, King. Don’t say we can’t do this.”
I pulled my shirt over my head. “We can’t, Serayah. It’s against the rules, and I could lose my job. I can’t lose my job.”
“Bullshit.” She said.
“Serayah, calm down. I’ve made so many mistakes in my life.”
She walked up to me and playfully pushed me, making me growl at her. She asked, “Mistakes? So now I’m a mistake?”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“I hate you,” she tried to say seriously, but with those warm brown eyes that softened the intensity of the moment.
I replied, “Yeah? I hate you too, baby, but it still doesn’t change the fact that we can’t be together right now.”
She side-eyed me. “You know you want to be with me, though.”
“Serayah, it doesn’t matter.” I put my watch and shoes on. “I have to go.”
Then she pouted, “Don’t leave. Really, don’t leave me.” Her eyes were pooling, and it was breaking my heart. I had to leave. She stood there, staring at me, begging me with her sad eyes to stay, to choose her, and I just couldn’t.
I left her in the bedroom and walked out to the living room, ready to leave and not come back until the assignment was over.
She followed me, so I said, “I have to go. Chase is outside if you need anything, and Mack is downstairs.” Then, I turned to her and added, “Maybe in another life, we could be together right now, in this moment, but in this one, I’m still atoning for my sins. ”
I wanted to tell her I was hers, but instead, I walked up to her, kissed her on her forehead, and walked out.