50 Shades of Drake 3 and 4

Chapter Fifty-Four

    It was easy for Destiny to push all of her worries out of her mind while she was out in the open, surrounded by distractions. The moment Brian pulled the car into the driveway of his house, though, it was as if the weight of the world dropped back down onto her shoulders. After he turned off the car and opened the driver side door, she continued staring straight ahead. She didn't want to go back into that house, didn't want to remember the emotional trauma she'd been through recently.

    Brian turned towards her. "Hey."

    She remained quiet.

    "Are you okay?"

    She shook her head, feeling the furthest from "okay." Now, she was beginning to remember that not ten hours ago, she'd seen Aubrey with another woman clinging to his arm. She was beginning to remember that not twenty-four hours ago, she was standing in a lobby with a dead body three feet away from her. How was it possible that she'd managed to forget all of that and set it aside as if those events were trivial? It was probably something that I did subconsciously, just to help preserve my sanity, she thought, shifting her glance to Brian.

    "Everything is going to work out," he assured her.

    How can he still believe that, after everything that has happened? she wondered.

    "I'm going to come and get the door for you," he said. "Stay put."

    As if I can move anyway, she thought, turning to stare out of the passenger door window. The house he lived in was so beautiful, but ever since she'd come to stay here, it felt like nothing more than a glamorous prison. And of course, even that thought reminded her of Aubrey and a conversation she'd had with him about the concept of imprisonment.

    The passenger side door opened and she had to remind herself that Brian announced he would open it for her. He leaned in and helped her out, his eyes filled with concern.

    She plucked the collar of her shirt and sniffed it. "Oh God, I smell like outside in the worst way," she muttered.

    He laughed as he walked her to the front door. "We both do. Side effect of riding horses." Once they reached the front door, he inserted the house key into the lock and pushed open the door. "I say we both take a shower and change and meet back downstairs for dinner."

    "Okay."

    "Okay?"

    She nodded and headed up the stairs, but showering proved to be a much more difficult task than originally anticipated. Once in her room, she sat on the edge of the bed and stared into space.

~~~~~~

    "I want you to promise something to me."

    Aubrey grinned. "Is the submissive making a request?"

    "I am."

    He took his time in buttoning a crisp white dress shirt while his eyes were locked on hers. "What do you want me to promise?"

    "I want you to promise that you'll never leave me."

    He stared at her for a long time. "That's quite a big promise."

    "Yes, it is," she agreed. "But I still want you to make it."

    With his eyes still on her, his fingers nimbly worked on the top button. Then he turned to face the mirror and adjusted the collar.

    She rose up on her knees in the bed and stared at his reflection in the mirror.

    He stared back at her reflection , then proceeded to button the wrist cuffs of his shirt. "What brought this on?"

    "I don't know, I just...I woke up and saw you, and just thought to myself that I don't know what I'd do if I ever lost you."

    "You don't have to worry about that," he said, spinning on his heel and walking over to the bed. "I'm not going anywhere."

    She spread her arms open to embrace him. "Then promise me."

    He smiled and wrapped his arms around her. "I promise that I will never leave you."

    "Ever?"

    "Ever."

    "Not even to be with Bernice?" she persisted.

    He laughed. "I thought we left Bernice in the past."

    "You might have, but I still remember."

    He rolled his eyes heavenwards. "Not even to be with Bernice," he recited.

    "No matter what, you'll never leave me?"

    His brows furrowed and he lowered his gaze back to her. Brushing her hair back from her face, he searched her eyes. "Did you have a nightmare or something? Why are you so serious about this?"

    She shrugged her shoulders. "If I had a nightmare, I can't remember it. I just woke up with this feeling...I don't know what to call it. Like deja vu, but the opposite, if that makes sense."

    "It doesn't," he said. "Not at all."

    "You know what I mean. Instead of the familiar feeling from something that has happened already, I got this feeling about something that hasn't happened yet."

    He nodded with the corners of his mouth turned downward. "You're psychic now. Makes sense."

    "Mocking me. That makes sense." She tilted her head to the side and stared up at him. "All of those words and you still haven't answered me."

    "But I did," he argued.

    "No matter what...?" she prodded him.

    He laughed. "No matter what, I'll never leave you. Damn." He ducked his head down and kissed her on the nose. "Stop worrying."

    "I'll try, but I want you to know something."

    A single thick brow arched. "What is it?"

    "I was wrong."

    "About?"

    "The conversation we had last night about the cage...I don't care if I'm in a cage. As long as you're there with me, I don't consider the cage a prison. I don't care where I am, as long as you're there with me."

    Emotion burned in his eyes and his arms tightened around her. "You're the best submissive a Dominant could ask for."

    "I'm the best woman a man could ask for," she corrected him, sliding her arms around his neck.

    His lips stretched wide into the mode adorable boyish grin. "That too," he said softly.

~~~~~~

    You made a promise to me, Destinythought now with tears in her eyes. But you still left. And I don't care ifyou did it because you thought you were keeping me safe. You promised me thatyou wouldn't leave me no matter what. And what am I supposed to do now thatyou're gone? I have feelings for Brian, but they're nothing like what I feelfor you. Why? Why did you have to break the promise you made me?