50 Shades of Drake 1 and 2

Chapter Sixty-Four

    The condo was quiet. Aubrey raised up on his elbows and shifted a glance down at the sleeping female figure beside him. At first glance, he thought it was Destiny. Same spill of dark hair, similar complexion. Hair falling across her face. But it didn't take long for the scenes from the previous night to come rushing at him. He placed the flat of one hand to his forehead. He'd been a complete and utter dick to Destiny last night.

    Granted, he'd had his reasons. He'd seen the looks she'd given him while he was holding her baby cousin. There had been hope in her eyes, hope and wishes. Wishes and hopes for a future with him. And he wouldn't be opposed to a future with her. She was an amazing girl that he'd grown very fond of. But the future he saw for himself did not include children. She wanted children, and from what he'd seen, she'd be a great mother. He didn't want to stand in the way of that, and that meant that their time together would be abbreviated.

    He sat up, twisted around, and planted his feet on the floor. His intentions had been to discourage her from falling in love with him, but he'd taken things a bit too far. He glanced over his shoulder at Bernice, who was murmuring in her sleep in Spanish. A habit she'd had since he'd known her.

    He stood up from the bed, pulled on a pair of pajama pants, and left his bedroom. He closed the door as quietly as he could. He walked down the hall and opened the door to the guest bedroom. Then, he frowned in confusion. The bed was perfectly made and perfectly empty. A lump formed in his throat. He closed the door, closed his eyes, counted to three, and opened the door again. He opened his eyes. His eyes hadn't been playing tricks on him. The bed was empty. He closed the door. His hand trembled on the doorknob.

    He continued walking down the hall. He checked the living room couch. Also empty. He turned his head towards the entrance door to his condo. Destiny sat with her back against the door, with her head resting between her knees and her arms covering her eyes. Relief filled every inch of his body as he walked over to her. He knelt down to the floor and wrapped his arms around her. Kissed the top of her head and lifted her up into his arms. He stood up and carried her into the guest bedroom. He kicked the door closed with a bare foot and crossed the room, stopping only when he reached the bed. Holding onto her with one arm, he drew back the covers.

    She curled against his chest.

    Emotion welled up in him. He'd invited Bernice over to help get rid of the feelings that were developing in him, feelings he had for Destiny. That tactic hadn't worked. He was starting to believe that nothing would. Nothing would stop the feelings that he had for her. That thought frightened him, but he shoved those thoughts to the back of his mind. He was hesitant to lay her down; he liked the feel of her curled up against his chest. Realizing that he was getting entirely too sentimental, he laid her on the bed. He wiped at the dried tear tracks marking her cheeks.

    She rolled onto her side and her eyes fluttered open. She stared up at him. Her brows furrowed.

    He wanted to greet her, but he didn't know what to say. A strange feeling was taking a hold of him. What was it? Shame? Guilt?

    She stared up at him with judgment in her eyes. Memories must have flashed behind her eyes, because she closed her eyes and turned away from him.

    "Destiny," he said softly.

    "Don't talk to me," she croaked in a sleepy sounding voice.

    He walked around the bed so he could see her face. He sat on the edge of the bed. "Destiny."

    She opened her eyes. When she did, her beautiful brown eyes were filled with tears. "You're a monster," she whispered vehemently.

    The words surprised him. He didn't know why he was surprised. He knew that she was angry with him. "That is a disrespectful thing to say," he said quietly, trying to regain his composure and control of the situation.

    "What you did last night was disrespectful to me," she threw back at him.

    "You were aware that I would be free to sleep with other women."

    "You came with me to spend time with my family," she spat. "You didn't even wait a week after we got back to Toronto before inviting her over here. We just came back from seeing my family. My family, Aubrey."

    His expression turned hard.

    "Don't tell me to call you Sir," she said, pointing at him. "Not after you bring that...that...girl in here. Not after you let her call you by your first name. She's different. She's not one of your little sex slaves. You're...different with her."

    "I've known her for a long time," he explained in a quiet voice. "Since before the lifestyle."

    Destiny sat up slowly. "Oh?" She shook her head and looked away from him. "So you...have normal sex with her. She's allowed to be normal with you because she knew you first?"

    "We will talk about this later," he said, standing.

    "No, we'll talk about this now," she argued.   

    "We'll talk about this after she leaves," he said, his voice firm and leaving no room for argument.

    "You're a monster," she repeated. "A monster of the worst kind." She curled herself around one of the pillows, turning her back to him.

    He could feel his heart fracturing as he left the room. His life up to now had been so perfectly planned out. Routine. Habitual. He'd maintained a unique sense of control over everything that happened in his life, and now he could feel everything falling apart all around him. He leaned his back against the door. Tears started to form in his eyes, but he willed them away.

    His bedroom door opened and Bernice stood in the doorframe, completely naked. She leaned her head against the doorframe. "I guess this is my cue to leave?" she asked him.

    He slid his eyes over to her and nodded.

    She turned and proceeded to gather her clothes. She got dressed and went to kiss him goodbye.

    He turned his head to the side so that her kiss landed on his cheek.

    She pulled back with a confused look on her face.

    "Thank you for coming on such short notice," he told her.

    She laughed. "You're welcome, Mr. Aubrey Graham," she returned, mocking the formality in his voice.

    "Goodbye, Bernice."

    She tilted her head to the side and slid her purse strap onto her shoulder. She reached up and touched the side of his face. "I wish the best for you, Aubrey. I always have. I barely spent a night with you and even I can see that you have feelings for that girl in there. And if that's true, she has succeeded where the rest of us conquests haven't. She's gotten through to this...right here." She lowered her hand to his chest, indicating his heart.

    He closed his hand around hers and smiled. "I think...I think I fucked it up."

    "She has feelings for you too," Bernice told him. "She was ready to claw my eyes out last night. And yours. But she was only that angry because she cares so much. I'm the same way."

    He nodded knowingly. "I know."

    She laughed. "You know how I am, yes. Talk it out. Apologize, apologize, apologize. Then buy her Chanel. It works for me."

    He nodded again.

    She beamed at him. "You know that, too," she said. "I hope it works out, honey." She raised on tiptoe, kissed him on the cheek again, and then she was gone.