Chapter 34: Now You’re Mine: Chapter 34

My phone chimes with a text from an unknown number. I’m tempted to delete it until I glimpse Calista’s name on it.

Finally, after two fucking months, she’s ready to talk.

Not without a little push from me. It’s no coincidence that she’s contacting me right after I ordered Zack to hack into her professor’s laptop. But when it comes to her, I’ll win no matter what it takes.

After texting her back and agreeing to meet at my penthouse, I set down my phone and put the vehicle in drive. The entire ride to my destination is filled with thoughts of Calista. Like it’s been since she disappeared on me.

The worst time of my life.

I vacillated between extreme fear on her behalf and an all-consuming anger that she betrayed me after promising not to run. To be fair, she gave me her word before she learned about the part I played in her father’s murder, but still.

If she can understand that I did it to protect others, she might forgive me. If she doesn’t, I don’t know how I’m going to survive it. I’ll probably kidnap her again and keep her under lock and key until she changes her mind…

After I’ve parked my vehicle, I make my way to the elevators in the lobby. As soon as the metal doors shut, visions of me tasting Calista’s pussy rise in my mind. I groan.

The memory of her is enough to ruin me.

I push the button for the ground floor, several times, my charged energy spilling from my fingertips. I can’t wait to see her again. The pain of waiting is so real that I can’t even summon the patience to wait for her in my penthouse.

Every night since I discovered her whereabouts, I’ve tried to picture how this reunion is going to play out, but with little success. Will she cry and apologize for leaving? Plead with me?

I shake my head at my idiotic thoughts. If anyone is going to beg, it’ll be me. I’ve made my peace with that. When I said I was willing to do anything to have her, it included swallowing my pride.

The time drags until Calista appears. The second my gaze lands on her it’s as though all the air is sucked from my lungs, making it difficult for me to breathe. I can’t take my eyes off her. Not only because she’s beautiful, but I’m worried she’ll disappear again.

I follow her every movement from where I stand by the elevators. Although my expression is calm, my heart pounds wildly in my chest as if it wants to place itself in her palm. Would she accept it?

Or crush it?

After her gaze lands on me, I make my way over to her, my focus never wavering. When our eyes meet, I catch a glimpse of the emotions swirling in hers. Along with sadness and regret is a hardened resolve. She’s steeled herself for this encounter.

While I’m dying to touch her.

To kiss her.

It takes all of my willpower not to pull Calista into my arms when I stop in front of her. That doesn’t mean I don’t inhale deeply to pull the scent of her into my lungs.

“Calista,” I greet.

She gives me a curt nod. “Hayden.”

I scrutinize her face, desperately searching for a hint of warmth that used to be there when she looked at me. Some faint ember in her hazel eyes that tells me she doesn’t hate me completely.

“Why did you leave?” I ask.

That is the question that’s invaded my mind every day without fail. Now that I’m about to receive that answer, I’m not certain I’m ready for the truth. What will I do if Calista doesn’t care about me anymore?

I’ll lose my fucking mind.

“I don’t want to do this in public,” she says quietly.

After jerking her chin in the direction of the elevators, Calista starts walking. I pivot on my heel to trail after her. If this isn’t indicative of our power dynamic, I don’t know what is.

I’ll follow this woman to the depths of hell or to the heights of heaven. Wherever she goes, I go. Calista can run, but I’ll always chase her.

We step inside the elevator and I fist my hand to refrain from grabbing her. The urge is so strong it races through every tendon, every muscle until I’m shaking.

She folds her hands, her expression guarded. “I left because of everything that happened. I had to get away to think, and I knew you wouldn’t let me do that in peace.”

“So, you ran and scared the shit out of me?” I narrow my eyes at her, silently accusing her for torturing me these past months. “Do you know how worried I’ve been, the number of sleepless nights I’ve experienced? I couldn’t rest without knowing whether or not you were alive.”

“With all that happened, you have to understand that I was falling apart,” she says. After folding her arms, she gives me a hard look. “I’ll never condone what you did to my father, but the truth is, he killed people. Maybe not directly, but his actions certainly led to a number of deaths. It’s taken me months to finally wrap my head around that.”

“I never would’ve taken his life if I had known the truth.”

She nods slowly. “I know that now, but only because I’ve had time to myself.”

“And now? Where does that leave us?” I hear the desperation in my voice the second the words leave my mouth.

She averts her gaze. “How did you find me?”

My mouth thins at her attempt to change the subject. “I couldn’t at first. Worst fucking weeks of my life. Finally, Zack noticed that all of your professors recorded grades for you after the first six-weeks quiz. Then it wasn’t hard to figure out where you were and what you were doing.”

“Oh.” She scrunches her face. “I’m surprised you didn’t contact me sooner.”

“You said you wanted time, and I gave you that. But I got tired of waiting. I miss you, Calista. So fucking much.”

“Oh.” She repeats the word, but this time it’s breathy. There’s a softening in her gaze, the icy detachment thawing. Her reaction gives me a flicker of hope.

“I’m sorry about everything,” I say. “I don’t know what else you want me to say. The only thing I can do is prove it to you.”

Her gaze travels over my face, gauging the sincerity of my words. I meet her eyes unflinchingly. I mean everything I’ve said.

After a moment, she drops her head, breaking eye contact with me. “I’m pregnant.”

This tiny whisper hits me with the force of a hurricane. I can only stare at her. My mind is reeling, trying to process the news as I stand there in silence.

If this is true… I might literally die from happiness.

“Say something, Hayden,” she snaps. “I’m kind of freaking out over here.”

“Let’s go.”