A Broken Forever(127)

"Stefan, I … I have to stay away."

He shook his head, pressing his forehead to mine. "Who says? No one has ever understood us the way we get each other. And no one ever will. The only reason I've survived this week is the memory of you in my apartment. The smell of you on my pillow, the thought of you in my shower. I will never let you go, Greyson Rose. And I think in spite of people filling your head with every reason to-you're never going to let go either."

"Stefan … " I started my protest again but this time he silenced me with his lips over mine.

Standing there on the dance floor in the middle of a crowd of people, he kissed me. That single kiss was all it took to wake me from the fog my mind had been in this past week. As our lips moved together as one, and his hands spread across my back warming my skin by his simple touch. I poured my heart into that single moment and I knew right then that I could never let Stefan go.

He pulled back, smiling. Softly he brushed his nose over mine and sighed. "I am always going to love you."

Just as I was about to respond back, something near the door caught my attention. I turned and froze. Standing there in the outfit he left for work in, was Richard. He shook his head at the sight and I prayed he didn't cause a scene right here.

"Stefan, stay here."

I looked to him and noticed he saw Richard too. "Not a chance, pretty girl."

Stefan gave a nod to Richard to gain his attention, and pointed to a door across the room near the stage. It looked to be a back door which would at least let us get out without barreling through crowds of Stefan's clients. Stefan took my hand and walked toward the door with me with Richard close on our tail. Directly through the door was a long hallway but continuing straight ahead another door led us out to the back parking lot.

Stefan released my hand and turned at the sound of Richard's approach. Before any of us could get a single word out, Richard threw his fist directly at Stefan's jaw. He stumbled at the blow as I let out a shriek.

"That is for the ongoing affair you have had with my fiancée!" Richard was seething mad, and refused to look at me. I stood stuck in place, unsure of what to do.

Stefan straightened up, and ran his thumb along his lip to wipe away the drop of blood.

"I deserved that, and I'm not going to fight back. If the roles were reversed I would do the exact same thing. I know what it feels like to lose her and even if you beat me into oblivion it still wouldn't hurt as badly. I should have backed away and respected your relationship, but I just couldn't do that."

"No, you could have." Richard corrected.

"That's where you're wrong. I have been miserable every single day without her next to me. And I refuse to spend another moment away from her."

Richard's venomous rage leapt forward again to attack but I quickly got in the middle. My body flinched as I threw my hands against Richard's chest. Stefan's hands were around my arms to pull me back but Richard managed to stop in time.

"Stop, please! Don't take this out on him, Richard. It's me you should be mad at." He shook his fist free, as if it were burning his hand.



       
         
       
        

"You said you were done with him."

"I thought I was." I admitted.

"Apparently not." He looked from me to Stefan, shaking his head in absolute disgust.

"Stef, can you please go wait inside for a minute?"

"Nope. But I'll wait over here at my car." I watched over my shoulder as Stefan walked the fifty or so feet to his car, and leaned against the hood with his arms crossed over his chest.

Richard scoffed as he stared him down. I pressed my hands against his arms to bring his attention back to me.

"What are you doing here?"

"Well, I got off work and once again I couldn't find my fiancée at home. This time though I found this invitation on the ground by the door. I figured I'd find you here. I actually came home tonight to tell you that things just won't work between us."

"You did?"

He nodded his head, a forlorn expression covered his face. "Yeah, I just … I can't pretend none of that happened. And we've hardly been able to look at each other since that therapy session."

"You're right. I'm so incredibly sorry, Richard. I wanted to love you and give you everything."

"Looks like you already gave away all you had to give." He said, nodding towards Stefan.

"I did. But, I'm sorry I hurt you. That I lied to you and made you worry and question everything. That was wrong of me."