Beautiful temptation |18+

ONE

SABRINA

'Hey, this is Mike, and you've reached my voicemail; leave a message...'

I exhaled a shaky breath as I redialed his number, the sound barely audible over the hum of the car's engine. My gaze remained fixed on the road ahead as I listened to the ringtone.

'Hey, this is Mike, and you've reached my voicemail...'

"Son of a bitch." As I leaned over the car tablet, my fingers grazed the smooth surface of the red button, a nervous flutter stirring in my gut. With a firm press, I redirected my attention to the road ahead, my focus shifting away from the uneasy churning in my stomach as I accelerated down the highway.

Sure, it was weird for Mike not to pick up my call, but this wasn't in the realm of abnormal. He was probably just busy with his news piece that he was tasked with three weeks ago. Ever since he got that piece, we haven't gotten the chance to spend time together like we used to.

If we ever did.

But part of that was also my fault.

When I was considered for the promotion of my dream five months ago, I was overjoyed. This was the one thing I've been striving for since I got back in town three years ago, and Mike has supported and pushed me to get it, so I did.

We understood that if I got this promotion, I wouldn't have to work so hard, and we could finally settle down. Get an apartment, maybe downtown with a little less noise, and we will focus on strengthening our relationship.

I poured my soul into getting that promotion, drilling my time and energy into my project that I was sure was going to get me that promotion. barely having time for myself, much less him or my family, but Mike understood.

Mike has always been so supportive of me from the moment we met, and that is one of the things that drew me to him. It took me a long time to come out of my shell around him, and I was afraid he wasn't going to stick around for that, but he did.

He stayed because he loves me, unlike the people in my life.

Every fiber of my being gravitated towards him, like a magnetic force pulling me closer with each passing moment. It wasn't just a feeling; it was an overwhelming flood of emotions, a connection that I felt deeply.

But for the past few weeks, he hasn't been the same. There aren't any dramatic changes, but it still bugs me.

Like him being unavailable for me to call.

Plus, we haven't seen each other for almost two weeks, but I just summed it up to the fact that we're too busy for each other.

I let out a grasp when a red Jeep cut in front of me and swung to the left to avoid bumping into his bumper. Annoyed, I honked at the person, but the person ignored me and just drove off.

People.

I turned off the highway at the intersection, my eyes dashing to my phone beside me. I wanted to call him again, but I knew it was just going straight to voicemail again, so I didn't bother.

This news was too big to tell on the phone anyway.

A smile found its way to my lips as I remembered why I was going to see him. The queasiness in my stomach dissolved into a whirlwind of excitement, a rush of adrenaline replacing the discomfort I had been experiencing.

Mike was always the one who didn't like things going out of schedule. Planning things months ahead and showing up to his house without any announcement is going to set him off, especially when he's not there, but he's not picking up his phone, and I can't wait.