Page 14 of Wanted

After our conversation ended, I saved and closed the twospreadsheets I had open, grabbed my keys and headed out to meet Kael.

Arriving before him, I grabbed a private booth far from the restof the patrons. Billson’s was a really nice, casual yet elegant establishment. Ithad private sitting areas, as well as high-back tables and chairs. I’d been therebefore for business meetings and really enjoyed the food, the service alwaysbeing on point. Plus, the atmosphere was calming, which was a plus since I wasa bit on edge.

Lost in my own head, I almost missed Kael as he entered. I wavedhim over once I caught his attention.

“Have you been here long?” he asked as he took his seat at theother end of the small couch, throwing his keys on the table. Before I couldgive him an answer, he cut me off. “Sorry I’m late, but Adara and I sort of hada fight before, so…” He trailed off, obviously not wanting to finish hisstatement.

“Is everything okay? Is it serious?”

“It’ll be fine. And yes, I think it’s serious, but she doesn’t. Butthen again, what’s new, right?” He looked around for a waitress, anxious to placehis order. Thankfully, he didn’t have to wait long.

Once the waitress was close enough to see us, she blanched. Weknew the sort of reaction we obtained from women when we were by ourselves, butwhen we were together, it was almost too much. We knew we were blessed withgood looks, but we never flaunted it. Well, not since the day our women hadstolen our hearts, anyway.

After she’d composed herself enough to take our order, she leftus alone to talk.

Needing more time to figure out what I wanted to say to him aboutmy issue, I asked, “Do you want to talk about it?” I knew what it was like tohave my woman twist me up so badly I didn’t know which way was up. Hedefinitely had my sympathy.

“Thanks, but no thanks. I don’t want to think about it anymoretonight. All I want to do is drink and hang out.”

“Sounds good to me.”

It took two hours after we’d arrived before I was comfortableenough to bring up what was plaguing me, the multiple bourbons aiding thesituation.

“So…” I started, indicating there was something important Iwanted to talk about. And it worked, turning Kael’s attention on me.

“What’s up?”

“Well, you know everything that went down with Sara recently.”

“Yeah…” he answered, his curiosity piqued.

“I’ve been feeling a certain way about it. About her. I mean, Ilove her and everything; that hasn’t changed. Actually, I love her more eachday, but I just…I don’t know.” I didn’t know the best way to verbalize whateverit was I was thinking.

I was confused, plain and simple.

“If you love her, then what’s the problem? Is it because you endedup killing Samuel? Because you could speak to someone to try and work through it.”

“No, that’s not it at all.” My face scrunched in instantaggravation. I hated the mere sound of his name.

“Then what is, because you’re losing me here, man.” He was certainlyconfused. I was rambling, not really focusing on any one point.

The waitress came over asking if we wanted refills. I admittedlyanswered yes while Kael declined. I hadn’t started off wanting to drown mysorrows in alcohol, but it was where the night was leading. I knew I was goingto need to call my car service soon. There was no way I was going to drive toSara’s intoxicated. She would kill me. If she ever drove drunk, or even tipsy,I would be so angry with her I would never let her forget it.

Against my protests, Sara had stopped living with me after shecame home from the hospital. She said she didn’t want to rush anything, arguingour relationship was still being tested and she didn’t want to jeopardize theprogress we’d made so far. I knew the imminent threat was abolished so I didn’treally have a leg to stand on. I gave in, for the time being.

“I don’t really know. Well, I kind of know, sort of.” I tookanother sip of my drink, letting the ice cubes crash to the bottom of the glassbefore putting it back on the table. Finding Kael’s confused expression, I continuedon in my senseless ramble. “You know I’ve been watching Sara for close to adecade now, always trying to keep her safe. Well, it seems like ever since Ibarged into her life, up close and personal, I’ve been failing to protect her. Thingshave happened to her which wouldn’t have had I kept to the original plan, whichwas me off in the shadows, shielding her from afar.”

“You can’t really believe that. She’s the best thing to everhappen to you, and you to her. I see how you two look at each other when you’retogether.It’s as if no one else exists.I know, because it’s exactly what I have with Adara. It’s a rare thing to find inthis fucked-up world, Alek.” He knit his brows before he spoke again. “Don’ttell me you’re planning on breaking it off with her, because you think you’redoing more harm than good being in her life. Because it would be the stupidestthing you could ever do.”

He knew exactly where I was going with my conversation andbecause of it, I couldn’t even look him in the eye.I knew he would try and talk me out of it,telling me I was an idiot if I went through with what I was contemplating.

I loved Sara more than I could ever explain in words, but thethought of her being taken from this world because I was unable to protect herwas unbearable. I was too close. Her love, her very being, was distracting mefrom my ultimate goal, which was ensuring she was as safe as could be, each andevery minute of the day.I knew it was alot to put on someone, but it was a weight I was only too happy to carry.

Honestly, I didn’t know what I was going to do. The thought ofnot being able to see her, to touch her whenever I needed to feel her againstme, or to even hear her voice was torture. But I knew I had to make a decisioneither way because what I was tormenting myself with, over and over, wasdriving me to drink. Literally.

Before we left, Kael gave me his parting words of wisdom. “Listen,Alek, I know you love her and she loves you. I think you’re letting whathappened cloud your judgment. You need to take a step back and think everythingthrough before you make a rash, stupid mistake. Please, tell me you’ll thinkabout it before you make any decisions.” I stared at him, trying my best tocompute his words. The last drink really did me in. My brain was fuzzy, and thewords which spilled from his mouth sounded jumbled together. Kael broke thesilence with his persistence. “Promise me, Alek.”

“Fine, I promise I won’t do nuthin’ rush till I speak about it.”What did I just say?

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