Desirable Lies

Where Do Broken Hearts Go

~John~

The trip was a complete bust. I'd wasted the last several years of my life on someone who I now realize was never worth my time, and one weekend in her presence hadn't fixed a damn thing. I don't know why I'd thought it would.

With a woman like Katy in my life, someone so kind, generous and pure, it had opened my eyes to something more. What I'd had with Stella had never been the deep connection I was looking for. But something told me I might have finally found what I'd been seeking in Katy. She'd auctioned off herself to save her sister's life. Who does that? She's special and amazing in so many ways. And now I'm eager to get home to her.

I wonder, despite the strange master/slave start to our relationship if we have any shot at something real.

When my plane finally touches down, I get in my car and take off like a bullet. The only thing on my mind is clearing my thoughts of my disastrous weekend and getting home to Katy.

As my car drives down the highway, the desire to see Katy and to be near her rages through me. I could never have imagined that spending two nights alone after spending so many with her snuggled warmly beside me would have affected me so much. But I know that it has. My brothers would say I'm going soft, and they'd be right, but I don't care.

Tearing through the front door, I check the kitchen and den in search of her. Finding the downstairs empty of everyone except the household staff, I take the stairs two at a time and haul ass to my bedroom, deciding it's the best possible place I could find her anyway.

Empty.

Same with the master bath. She's not here. What the fuck?

I try Marta next. No answer. Has everyone just dropped off the face of the planet today?

Unable to temper my anxiety, I change into a pair of trunks and decide to swim laps and burn off this excess energy while I wait for her to get home.

I run into Beth on my way to the pool who confirms no one's seen Katy.

Several laps later my body's tired, but my mind races on. I climb from the pool, leaving a soaking wet trail and collapse onto a lounge chair to wait. She has to come home sometime, right? Unless she already found out and she... No. She'd give me a chance to explain at least. I have to believe that.

When I open my eyes sometime later, Katy's standing over me, her long hair falling like a wave past her shoulders .

"John? Wake up. You're going to burn out here."

I blink several times, the harsh sunlight causing spots to dance in my eyes.

~Katy~

John stares up at me, blinking to clear his vision. I hadn't expected him home in the middle of the day, figuring once he flew in from New York, he'd head to the office. But instead, he'd come straight home. It causes something to pinch in my chest. I want to leap into his arms, but he's still staring up at me and his mouth is tugged down into a frown.

He looks like he's been through hell and back. "What's wrong?" I ask.

He sits up and scrubs a hand across his face. "Where were you?"

"I went shopping with Marta." I point to the shopping bags I set down beside the glass patio doors.

He rises and knots the towel around his waist before stomping away.

"John?" I follow him. "What's wrong? Was your trip okay?" Considering he's told me absolutely nothing, the question feels fake. I hate it.

"It was fine."