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Chapter TWENTY-ONE ~ Long Awaited Confession
“This one’s gorgeousand just the right fit.” Amelia said as she tapped the screen and I edited the photo slightly. “It shows off what she’s modelling and makes it pop.”
“Yes, I definitely agree with you, but it needs a slight change.” I admitted as I clicked the mouse and changed the brightness of the image, smiling with pride. “That’s better and now it really makes her pop.”
“Brilliant, Becca!” Amelia exclaimed and tapped me on the shoulder. “You always have just the right touch. It’s like magic.”
“Thanks, Amelia, but I only learned from the best.” I said and beamed up at her sweet face. When I first started working for Amelia, she’d taught me so much. One of those talents was editing photos. I never knew what I was missing until I started working here. It has made my photography journey that much more rewarding. “You’re an outstanding teacher and I hope you know that.”
“Oh, stop it, girl, you’re making me blush.” Amelia said, as she walked over to her coffee and took a sip. “Besides, you needed little teaching after working for your hot boss, Mr. Bennett, now, didn’t you? It’s recently come to my attention that he’s taught you more than I ever could.”
“Amelia, I thought we wouldn't talk about that anymore.” I blushed with embarrassment and went to the printer to grab the photo. “Don’t even joke about it with me, okay? I need to forget it even happened because there’s more at stake here.”
It’s been days since the Young Model fundraising event where I had my surprise encounter with Grant and I wanted to forget it even happened, but I couldn’t. Amelia keeps bringing him up whenever she can and I wish she would just drop it. I thought about him enough as it was and couldn’t stop it. I could’ve sworn from the look on his face that he’d come to find me, but now I wondered why he hadn’t. A part of me wanted him too, just to know that he’s wanted me just as much as I’ve wanted him. That he’s longed for me just as much as I’ve longed for him. That he even could love me just as much as I’ve always loved him, but then there’s the other part. The part that knew he needed to stay away, and I needed to keep my daughter as far away from the truth as possible. Not just for her, but for Grant and his career. His career ruined and his life forever changed, but then again, he would have his gorgeous wife there to pick up the pieces for him.
“Okay, okay, I will back off, for now.” Amelia muttered, and her eyes twinkled with wickedness. “But I said nothing about tomorrow and that may be another story.”
I let out a lengthy sigh and rolled my eyes at her because I knew she was telling the truth. She will not lay off of this and not by a long shot. I’m doomed to hear about Grant for the rest of my days and I’m not sure how to feel about it, but right now I feel annoyed. “All right, that’s it, lady. Get the hell out of my office. I’ve got work to do and if you want these photos to be flawless, then you better leave.”
“There’s my fearless girlfriend!” Amelia announced as she grinned and exited my office as she closed the door behind her.
I chuckled as I got to work and dove right into what needed to be done. These photos had to be amazing, and I had a big job ahead of me. Time seemed to go by fast as I glanced outside, and the sunlight from the day faded. Getting lost in my work and not even realizing it’s almost time to leave. I needed to get home so I could relieve Annette at the end of her shift. Annette would tuck Gabriella and her sweet little face in bed by the time I arrived home this evening.
Suddenly, there’s a knock at the door that made me look up and peer right into the gorgeous face of the one person I shouldn’t see again. Wanting to see him so badly that my heart aches for him, but knowing I shouldn’t on so many levels. His green eyes pierced into my soul as his head poked around the door with curiosity and appeared anxious. All I could do was stare at him with disbelief that he’s even here at my office. I would never have expected it after all this time and now that it’s finally here, I don’t know what to do.
“Can I come in to talk, Becca?” Grant asked and his voice sounded like honey. The tone that I’d missed so much and wished with all my heart I could hear again. “If not, I can go, but I just figured we have a lot to discuss.”
My mind screamed at me to speak, but my body wouldn’t react. My mouth couldn’t form the words, but it wanted to, and I couldn’t move. All I could do was sit there and stare at him in silence.
“All right, I will take that as a no and be on my way. I’m sorry to have bothered you and I will let myself out.” Grant sighed as his voice trailed off and his face disappeared behind the door.
“Grant, wait, please wait!” I cried out as my body leaped into action and broke out of the trance it was once in. Grant’s face reappeared, and I felt relief spread throughout my body. “I’m sorry, but I’m not sure why I didn’t answer you. It’s just been so long since we’ve seen one another and I’m just... I’m just shocked to see you here.”
“I can understand that and you should understand my surprise when I saw you the other day at my fundraising event.” Grant breathed as he closed the door behind him, and it clicked in response. The room suddenly felt much smaller than it normally does as he stepped closer towards me, and my heartbeat quickened. “What a surprise it was seeing you for the first time in years and having you faint in my arms. I never thought I’d ever see you again, but there you were in my arms. Looking as beautiful as ever, but then that beauty's gone just as quickly as it came and you left.”
“I-I couldn’t stay and needed to get home.” I stammered as I blushed, and he inched closer still. “W-why are you here, Grant?”
“Why do you think I’m here? I’m here because of you, Becca, and you left me with no explanation of why. You just took off and I’m here because I need to know why?” Grant pleaded as his eyes gazed at me with a million questions swirling through their gorgeous depths. “How could you just leave me? How could you just leave what we’d just started all those years ago?”
“I-I don’t know what to say. I-I thought you were with Flow and I thought you were getting married or you should be.” I stuttered as I looked down at his hands and saw no wedding band. Peering up into his eyes as they shine down at me and I could feel his body heat mingle with mine. “I-I don’t understand. Merlin told me you were marrying her? He told me you were together, and that’s why I left.”
“What? Why on earth would I marry her when all I could think about was you? All I ever wanted was you and all I ever needed was you.” Grant breathed as he closed the distance between us, and his nose touched mine.
His hands caressed my hair with such passion that my body sizzled with desire, and that’s when it hit me. That’s when I knew it had all been a lie. Merlin had lied to keep me away once again, and it had worked. I’d fallen for it and so much had changed. I couldn’t afford to let this go any further and needed to keep a distance between us, because Grant could never know about Gabriella. He wouldn’t forgive me, and I couldn’t forgive myself for keeping her from him. He would hate me if he found out the truth, and I needed to make sure he never knew.
“I-I’m sorry, but too much time has passed and I don’t feel like that anymore. That was years ago, and even if Merlin didn't lie, it changes nothing. I was still leaving town because your career would’ve been ruined if it ever got out we were together. You and I both know it would’ve never worked.” I stammered as I lied through my teeth and prayed he couldn’t see right through it.
“Bullshit, Becca. I don’t believe you for one second. I know you felt exactly what I did. That creative spark we both shared and that passion that brought us together as soon as we first met.” Grant announced as he closed the distance once more and grabbed my hand. He placed it on his chest, over his wildly beating heart, and my body sizzled with desire. “I know you can still feel it, but what I don’t understand is why you’re fighting it. Our lives have collided again and I want you in my life, beauty.”
My heart pounded wildly in my ears as I looked upon his beautiful face and so badly wanted to fall into his words. To take him into my world once again and fall into creative passion. To tell him how much I love him and couldn’t let go. I could never let go, but he shouldn’t know that. I knew that once he learned the truth, I’d lose him all over again and I couldn’t take it.
“No, Grant I felt nothing for you and you need to stop this, please.” I begged as my voice shook and let my hand fall from his chest. I walked away from him and it was the hardest thing to do. Reaching for the doorknob and opening the door to my office. “Please, Grant, please just leave.”
Grant just stood there for what felt like an eternity with his back turned to me. I watched as his shoulders rose and fell with every breath he took. He looked defeated as he turned around and faced me. He ran his hand through his gorgeous hair and tousled it to the side. “I will go, but I’m not giving up. I don’t know why you won’t tell me the truth, but I will be back and I won’t give up on us.”
He strode up towards me as the defeat left his body, and confidence took hold. That confidence that I loved so much about this magnificent man, and I wanted to hold him. I wanted to reach out for him as he walked by me, have him consume and never let me go, but I bit my tongue. Instead, I watched him gaze down at me as I held my breath, and he sweetly caressed my cheek before he walked out of sight. I exhaled as soon as he departed and closed my office door once more. Stumbling over to my chair and falling into it as my head fell into my hands. My heart raced and my mind swirled as I remembered every word he spoke. This isn’t the end and not by a long shot. Grant would be back because he’s confident in us and that’s everything I’ve ever wanted. He’s everything I’ve ever needed, but not like this. Too much time has passed and so much has changed, but Grant just doesn’t know it yet. If he ever found out, he’d hate me forever and I could never live with myself.
