Page 107 of Taste of Forever
I wanted forever with her because she washer. Heather. My Science Barbie.
My gloved hand remained over both of hers, fingers interlaced on my stomach while I drove the bike one-hand. Heather’s chest rested against my back, her body relaxed and at ease.
The covered space in front of her old unit was empty, so I parked the bike there and turned it off. Heather slid out of her seat first and started up the walk, but I kept one of her hands clasped in mine.
“Wait for me. I don’t want you out of my sight.”
She rolled her eyes but obeyed. We both took off our helmets and I opened my senses to the surroundings. The night was cool and relatively calm. Next to me, Heather’s heartbeat was the loudest and clearest. I could sense other heartbeats further away, steady echoes of blood pumping through arteries in the people sleeping in nearby units. Sounds of traffic and typical nighttime activity came through outside of the complex, but everything nearby felt quiet and asleep.
“Okay, let’s go.”
I remained vigilant while Heather and I walked up to the front door and she unlocked it. Aside from the gentle hum of nearby electrical towers, I didn’t sense anything odd in the air. But I wasn’t about to let my guard down for a moment.
“Is it okay if I turn on a light?” Heather asked.
“Go for it.”
She flipped a switch and the main area of the apartment came into view. The only thing that looked strange was the empty desk with a distinct dust-free rectangle on it’s surface.
“Guess Justin left with his computer.” Heather rounded the furniture, heading for the mantle of photos against a far wall. “He better not have taken any of my stuff with him.”
“I’ll replace anything you need,” I reminded her. “You can give me a shopping list.”
She tossed me a suggestive look over her shoulder. “Sounds like you want to spoil me.”
“I mean, that’s a given.”
“It’ll take me a while to get used to that.” She returned to looking at the photos on the mantle.
“You’ll have all the time in the world.” I approached her from behind and slid a hand from the small of her back to her waist. She visibly melted at my touch, and because I couldn’t resist, I moved her hair aside to nibble at her neck.
“What the hell?” Heather muttered, irritated. “It’s not here.”
I lifted my head, noticing the empty spot where her hand rested on the mantle. “Maybe it fell?”
Together, we searched the surrounding area. It was a small space without much clutter, so we figured out quickly that the photo hadn’t fallen.
“That asshole.” Heather stabbed her fingers through her hair with an angry huff. “I bet he took it. Or moved it somewhere just to fuck with me.”
“Justin?” I asked. “Or the government guy?”
“Justin,” she confirmed. “He knew what that picture meant to me. That it would be one thing I’d save in a house fire.” Her lip wobbled, eyes shining with unshed tears. “Soren probably dug up my family history, but he doesn’t actually know me. Justinknew, and…” She let out a shaky breath, continuing, “he always had to have to last word. Always knew what to do or say to hurt me the most.”
“Hey.” I took her face in my hands and kissed her forehead, then her nose bridge. “Fuck him. We’ll find the picture. If I haveto hunt him down and take it back, I will do so happily. I’m not fucking kidding.”
Heather forced a sad smile, leaning her face into my hands as my thumb caught a tear. “I know you’re not.”
I brought her into my chest and kissed the top of her head. “Let’s keep looking. I won’t confront him unless absolutely necessary.”
“Okay.” She blinked away the remaining tears, determination in her gaze. “Thank you.”
“Always.” I kissed her mouth once before releasing her. “Should we start with the kitchen? Maybe he hid it in a cabinet.”
“Good idea.”
The two of us got to work, opening drawers and cabinets and emptying the contents on the floor. In ten minutes, we searched every nook and cranny of that small kitchen with no luck. We moved to the living area next, moving furniture to search underneath and pulling up couch cushions to no avail. Once we finished there, only the bedroom and bathroom were left.
There was a discomforting ball in the pit of my stomach at the sight of Heather’s old bed. I hated that Justin slept next to her, even if they hadn’t touched intimately for months. This room was a time capsule of Heather’s life before me, where she stared at the ceiling feeling rejected and unwanted. If only she knew how much her life would change, how loved and adored she would be.
