Chapter 32
KYRA
My alarm is blaring, and before I even open my eyes, I know it’s going to be a rough morning.
My head is pounding from crying myself to sleep again last night.
Nyx had to work the night shift, so she wasn’t able to sleep with me.
It’s been a few weeks since I told Cal I couldn’t do this with him anymore.
Whenever they say that grief gets better with time, they’re lying. Can we even call this grief?
Does breaking up with your not-boyfriend give you a reason to mourn?
Nyx will tell me yes, but is she just appeasing me?
I am almost positive that if I don’t give Graham and Dee their Nyx back, they will come into the guest house and steal her from my bed. They are reasonable men, and they completely understand why she has been here, but I also know they miss their woman as much as she probably misses them.
Without Nyx, I’m not sure I would have made it through this, and I can’t even say I’m through this.
There is a hole in my chest that just will not go away.
No amount of ice cream and pizza will fill it.
I can laugh with the girls, but as soon as I am alone, I will cry myself to sleep again.
I hardly know this man, and I feel like someone ripped my soul from my body.
I’m going to blame the stress of everything.
I was fucking kidnapped, finally saw how god-awful my ex was, and then decided to just leave Cal because I was afraid.
Yup, we will just say it’s a mix of everything causing this.
Dumb girl. You know that’s not why you feel this way.
Ignoring the annoying voice in my head, which has only gotten meaner since everything has happened, I climb out of my nest of fuzzy blankets on my bed.
The snow on the ground looks gorgeous from outside my window.
That’s when I remember that Nyx is still at work, who’s going to take me to work this morning?
Running out to the kitchen to grab my phone off the island, where Nyx probably plugged it in for me before she left. Next to my phone, I see a note, not in Nyx’s handwriting…with a set of keys.
Hey Sunflower,
I’ve been trying to figure out how to give these to you, and I can’t come up with anything better than a note snuck in by Nyx. Which, by the way, I’m so thankful you have her.
Your jeep is parked in my spot in the garage. I found the person who bought it off Mike and got it back for you. I took it to a garage, made sure all the upkeep was good on her for a while, and got the oil changed.
Here’s your independence back.
Love,
Cal
Before my brain can process what is happening, my knees give out, and I end up on the floor of my kitchen. He found my jeep? How? Why?
Because he loves you, and you love that Jeep.
I pull myself off the ground and force myself to go get in the shower. Now that I know how I’m getting to work, I have to actually get ready.
Taking my time in the shower to collect myself, I wash my hair and run conditioner through it with my wide-toothed comb then take a few minutes to shave my legs. Climbing out of the shower, I shiver with cold, making a run for my closet to get dressed quickly.
“Holy fuck.” I whisper out loud to myself.
The pants that barely fit a few months ago are now almost falling off my hips.
I guess a lack of appetite will do that to a girl.
Nyx has shoved some bites down my throat to keep me from passing out, but it is not much.
Mostly a protein shake here and there. Occasionally, Dee or Graham will make me food, and they will not leave until I eat what they deem is enough.
Quickly, I throw myself together. My hair is styled, and a few dabs of makeup on my face make me look like I am not the walking dead. Before I grab a few snacks out of the pantry to throw in my tote bag for the day, and head out of the house.
Walking to the garage, I damn near slip on some ice, but I manage to catch myself before I fall.
Recovering quickly, I continue my way to the garage.
I slide in the side door after scanning my fingerprint.
Before I am even able to look up, I catch the bright blue of my baby out of the corner of my eye.
Instantly, the tears start to flow again.
“God damn it, I’m going to be a mess before I even make it to work.” I dab under my eyes quickly and climb in to start her up.
The drive to work is fairly uneventful. The roads were wet but not too slick. It feels good to be able to drive myself again. I won’t be trapped at work. If I need to leave, I can. Hopefully, this is the start of everything turning around.
Now to get over Callum.
“Kyra!” I hear a voice call from the service department.
My office is in the back office area. I am usually back here by myself unless I am out filming social media or filming content with the salespeople.
“Who’s here?” I call back. I’m in the middle of working on something and don’t want to go out there for nothing.
“Some guy.” The service advisor shouts back.
Some guy? Who the fuck is here for me? Callum wouldn’t show up here, right?
Locking my computer screen, I head up to the service lane to see who could be here for me. Do I want it to be Callum? No, it would just hurt to see him. But it would soothe the ache in my chest.
When I spot him through the window of his bedroom, I instantly feel a little more at ease.
The ache soothes even for just a second.
I have been invited to the house for dinner on a few occasions, but I have declined.
I know being in his presence will help, but I also know I can’t heal and move on if I continue to be around Cal.
Rounding the corner, I spot the man standing in the service center waiting for me. Surprisingly, he appears to have taken a shower and shaved; he has even gotten a haircut. Unfortunately, he is still Mike.
“Ahh, there is my future wifey.” He smiles so sweetly. I could almost forget that he is an abusive asshole.
“I thought I made myself clear, Mike. We are no longer together.” I sneer at him.
“A little birdy told me you aren’t fucking that tall blonde fuck anymore. So I was hoping that we could have dinner and talk things over.” He tries to put on his sweetest face, but his comments about Cal show his true intentions.
“Mike, get the fuck out and don’t come back to my place of work again.” I turn around, and before I know it, he’s got a hold of my hand, spinning me back around to face him.
“Ah, ah, ah, little bitch.” His chewing tobacco breath makes my stomach turn. How did I deal with him for so long?
“Oh, wow. Such an original nickname, dipshit.”
“You are a fiery one, now ain’t cha? Where was this when we were together?” He proceeds to brush my hair back away from my face and then runs his fingers through it.
I cringe at every single touch. His flesh on mine is no longer a welcome feeling. Now that I have realized how horribly he treated me. I may not be able to say no to Cal if he were to come barging in here, but I will put my foot down for this asshole.
“I had to learn to take care of my damn self since my fiancé wasn’t capable.” I turn to the receptionist. “Please ensure Mr. Ashman finds his way back to his truck.”
Mike refuses to let me go; his arm is banded around my waist. His mouth is right against my ear, so I can hear every single breath he takes. Reaching around with his other hand to grasp my breast. I bite my cheek so hard to keep myself from screaming. I don’t want to make a scene.
“Let’s go back to my office, what do you say?”
My heart beats out of my chest. I am not sure what my plan is when I get to my office. I knew I needed to get him out of the main lobby. We enter the office, and I round my desk, offering him the seat across from me.
“Have a seat.” I point to the chair.
“Nah, I think I’d rather be close to you.” Mike tries to round to my side of the desk.
“Mike, take a fucking seat. We can discuss whatever it is you hoped to accomplish by coming here.”
I slide my desk drawer out slowly and sneak my phone out. Placing it in my lap face up. I manage to unlock it, open the phone app, and quickly hit Nyx’s number. Turning the volume down so we can’t hear her side, but she can hear us.
“I want you to come home.” He growls out.
“But why? We both know neither of us was really happy.”
“Because you are mine and you will come home now.” His voice is commanding.
“Well, first of all, I’m at work, and I can’t come home right now. Second of all, that dump isn’t my home anymore.” His face instantly turns red when I call his trailer a dump.
I know I’m messing with a ticking time bomb, but I have to keep him talking, and his yelling will give someone a chance to get to us. There are muted voices outside my office door, so I know that there are people close by if his temper takes over.
“You are a little bitch now. What did that boy do to you? Do you let him inside your sweet little cunt? Does he make you come?” His words are coming out between ragged breaths, and spittle is flying from his mouth.
“He can fuck me better than you ever could. At least I come when he sticks his dick in me.”
Girl, are you trying to get yourself killed?
He won’t kill me out in public, right? Fuck. What am I doing?
Mike stands from the chair across from my desk and stalks around the furniture between us. A split second before he can reach me, my office door flies open, and there he stands.