50 Shades of Drake 3 and 4

Torn: Chapter Eighty-Five

    The limousine pulled up to Aubrey's condo complex, and a feeling of dread hit the pit of Destiny's stomach. She stared out of the window, stared up at the towering condo building that loomed over them.

    Brian gently touched her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

    I'm fine...I just don't want to go in there. "I'm okay," she told him, still staring up at the building. How was it that Sunday night had come so quickly? They'd spent the day sailing on his yacht, a hobby she was growing quite fond of. While out there on the water with him, her life with Aubrey had seemed so distant, so far. It had seemed so out of reach, and yet here she was.

    "We can drive around the block a few times, if you want," Brian offered.

    She lowered her gaze and shook her head. "No, that would be silly."

    "If you don't want to go back, you don't have to go back," he told her. "You can...call an end to this whole thing and come back home with me."

    She turned her head and looked at him. She raised a hand to his cheek and smiled.

    "You don't have to say anything. I know." He shrugged one shoulder. "I just figured I'd give it a shot, after the talk we had last night."

    "A part of me wants to call an end to it," she said. "A very large part, actually. But..."

    "You have to hear him out, after how he acted at the gala," Brian guessed.

    "I owe that to him. Yes."

    He nodded. "I understand."

    The driver got out of the car and opened the door for her.

    She stood out of the car slowly as the driver went to the trunk of the car to fetch her luggage. Smoothing down her crimson silk blouse and Capris, she turned at the sound of another car door opening.

    Brian rose out of the limo and walked around it. "I can walk you up."

    "That would be...weird," she said softly.

    He laughed and dropped his gaze. "I guess it would be."

    She slid her arms around his waist. "I'm going to miss you tonight."

    He kissed her lightly on the lips. "You don't know how much I'm going to miss you."

    "Not nearly as much as I'm going to miss you," she said, knowing that she was stalling, attempting to prolong the inevitable.

    "Are you sure you don't want me to walk you up?"

    "I'm a big girl. I don't need to be walked up."

    "All right. Well...I guess I'll see you at work tomorrow, then.

    She nodded and kissed him again before taking a step back and turning towards the condo.

    The driver approached with her luggage.

    After digging in her purse for her keys, she relieved him of her luggage and took a few uncertain steps towards the door. Just shy of forty-eight hours ago, she'd seen Aubrey standing on this very pavement, kissing Bernice. Remembering that gave her the courage to unlock and enter the condo building. She turned and stared through the clear glass at Brian, who was still standing near the limousine. He somehow managed to look dapper, even when dressed in a button-down shirt and jeans.

    He stared back at her, sliding a hand into the pocket of his jeans, but didn't make a move to get back into the car. He probably wouldn't until she was long gone, out of sight. That was the kind of guy he was; he wanted to make sure she got to her destination safely.

    With a small smile, she turned and crossed the lobby floor. She pressed the elevator button and stepped in after the doors opened, pulling the handle of her luggage so it rolled in behind her. Even from here, inside of the elevator, she could still see Brian standing beside the limousine. She could see him until the elevator doors closed.

    The elevator doors may have shielded him from view, but they didn't stop her from thinking about Brian and remembering the things he'd said to her, the way he'd touched her. She leaned her head back against the elevator wall, smiling at memories from this weekend. Dancing with him, riding in the boat with him the night of the gala. Swimming with him, and making love to him shortly after. Playing in his hair while he slept, and waking up beside him the following morning. Grocery shopping with him, then being manhandled by him in front of the washing machine. Her hand slid into the top of her blouse at the memory of his hand tugging on her hair.

    A dinging sound chimed and the elevator doors slid open.

    She blinked out of her memories and stared down a hall that, while familiar to her, also seemed quite unfamiliar. It had only been a few days since she'd walked this hall, but it felt like it had been months. Taking a deep breath, she stepped off of the elevator. Why don't I just call everything off? I have the power to end the entire arrangement, if I come to a decision before the contract period ends. I had the most amazing weekend with Brian. All of the time I've spent with him has been amazing. What is holding me back from choosing him right now? Tonight? What is stopping me from walking into that condo and telling Aubrey that Brian is the man I want to be with? She walked down the hallway, her steps slow.

    Her steps brought her to the door of Aubrey's condo unit. She slid her key in the lock, but didn't turn it. Other memories assailed her, memories of seeing Aubrey at the gala. Memories of the conversation they'd had. Memories of Aubrey and Bernice standing outside of his condo building. Tilting her chin up, Destiny twisted the key in the lock and pushed the door open.

    The lights in the condo were off. She'd expected to find Aubrey sitting in the living room, but he was nowhere in sight. What she did find was a nice, new dining room table in pristine condition.

    She rolled her luggage inside of the condo and closed the door behind her. After locking the door, she walked further into the condo and strained, trying to hear any sounds of life inside of the residence. There were none. No music being played, no television. No sound of footsteps. It was so quiet, it felt like she was the only one in the condo. Maybe I am, she thought. Aubrey could be off somewhere with Bernice, for all I know.

~~~~~~

    Aubrey sat on the edge of his bed. He heard the door to the condo open and also heard it close. He sat on his bed and waited for Destiny to come to him. He waited...and waited...and waited some more. For awhile, he thought that maybe he'd imagined the sound of the door opening and closing, because no other sounds followed. But then he heard it: the sound of heeled footsteps clicking on his hardwood floors. The footsteps became nearer, and he sat up straighter. The footsteps stopped outside of the bedroom door.

    Seated in the dark, he stared towards the door expectantly, waiting for her to open it.

    She never did. Instead, he heard the sound of retreating footsteps, and then heard another door opening. Most likely, she was opening the door to the guest bedroom.

    He dropped his head down in disappointment, and closed his eyes at the sound of the guest bedroom door closing.

    "Don't lose me," Destiny had said in his dream.

    "I'm trying not to," he whispered in the dark. "But...I might be too late."