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What else can I say? That’s the truth because I know that being with Marco isn’t an option. Yes, I’ve fucked things up, but I can’t have what my heart wants. I allowed myself to become lost in the tsunami known as Marco, but reality has hit.
The waves of lust have receded, and the winds of passion have settled down. Now when I look around, all I see is the devastation left by the storm. It’s not the first time; if I keep returning, it won’t be the last. It’s time for me to call in the troops and do a major cleanup after the storm.
Kenneth’s jaw clenches, and he pinches the bridge of his nose.
When he looks at me again, I get a glimpse of what he must look like in the courtroom when he’s faced with defending a challenging case or in city hall when faced with a problem. His eyes are clear, his mouth is drawn tightly, and his shoulders are set back.
“Who knows about your past with him?”
“Rashida and my parents.”
I see the ugly sneer that crosses his face, but it doesn’t stay in place for long before he has the mask back in place.
“Anyone else?”
“His brothers.”
“Who knows what’s happened between you two since we’ve been involved?”
“No one. I haven’t told anyone about what’s happened, not even Rashida.”
He nods and walks to my balcony doors, leaving me alone. I stand watching him for several minutes before I return to the pictures.
Marco’s face is so open, and every emotion is played out on the planes of his face in each picture. He’s never been an open book to the world, but he is in these pictures with me. I see passion, love, protection, and pain.
Am I making a mistake pushing him out of my life again?
I don’t know, but I must focus on the future and let go of the past.
I drop the pictures when I hear the door sliding open behind me, and Kenneth is upon me in no time. He grabs the photos from the table and walks to my fireplace. My heart clenches in my chest as I watch him turn on the electric fireplace and toss them into the fire to burn.
The flames crackle and spit as they eat up the photograph paper, contorting the images into something twisted and horrible, making our beautiful exchange unrecognizable. I look at Kenneth’s face and wonder what he thinks and feels.
When the last picture is destroyed, he turns to me with a glare of anger in his eyes. Jabbing a finger at the pictures, he says, “That never happened. No one knows about it, and from this moment on, we will never discuss it again. Is that understood?”
Relief and confusion flood me at the same time. “Yes.”
“What?”
“What about the person that took the pictures?”
“It was me.”
“You...you took those?”
“I knew something wasn’t right about you two that night. I followed my instincts, and while it didn’t happen immediately, I eventually found what I was looking for. I’m working on a plan for my life, Piper. You’re supposed to be a part of that plan, and I have no time to start over or create another plan. My circle of influence and power in this city is growing. My plan is to have you at my right hand. I love you, but I won’t be your damn fool. If you ever do something like this again, I swear you’ll regret it.”
I want to argue against what he’s saying, but he glares at me when I open my mouth.
“Do you know how it felt watching another man grope the woman I plan to pledge my life to?”
Sadness fills me as I wonder what he must have felt sitting there watching us. I feel like such a bitch right now, and I know I don’t deserve Kenneth.
“By the way, I think that you should know that I’ve been working on looking for new business opportunities for you.”
“Excuse me?” I say, remembering the document that I’d come across.
We hadn’t had a chance to discuss it because he’s been extremely busy with city business lately, and I have been in a slump of depression since Marco left.
