I have no doubt Hank would take Nico out without a second thought. “What else could he want more than her?” I question, because I can’t think of one thing that would be more valuable than her. How often does one find a fairy?
“I don’t know. But if this gets ugly, you ready to go down that road?”
I nod my head, and it’s all the confirmation Hank needs. He grabs the envelope and puts everything back in his jacket and walks out. There’s no way I could let Nico, or anyone for that matter, get their hands on my Tinkerbell.
After he shuts the door behind him, I sit on the couch with my elbows on my knees and my fingers steepled against my lips. I think back to everything I’ve done to get to where I am now and what I would do in order to keep my life how I want it.
I sit like this until the sun sets and Cindy walks into my office telling me she’s leaving for the day.
“Goodnight,” I say, and check the time. It’s almost eight and I need to get home to my fairy.
“Tink?” I say as I walk through the penthouse. When I walk in the door the first thing I see is one of Rebecca’s paintings and it makes me smile. My home never felt bare before, but seeing her art on my walls makes it a happy place to come to at the end of the day. I want every inch of my walls bathed in her. The smile her painting gave me freezes on my face when I walk into the kitchen. I only see one place setting, and it’s on the breakfast bar, instead of two place settings together in the dining room where we normally eat.
I walk all over the penthouse looking for Rebecca and calling her name. I finally go to the gym as a last option, and I find her on the treadmill. She’s in tight yoga pants and a hot pink cropped shirt. I’m instantly hard looking at her sweaty body, and think of all the things I want to do to her.
“Are you not joining me for dinner?” I ask, but she doesn’t look at me.
“No.”
I’m surprised by her tone. “Is everything all right?”
“Everything is fine, Mr. Spencer,” she spits at me, but still doesn't make eye contact. She stomps on the treadmill like it personally offended her, and I have no idea what’s happened.
“Why are you calling me that? What’s happened Rebecca?” My anxiety ratchets up, and I go through my mind, trying to think of what’s happened since I last saw her.
Finally she glares at me and answers. “Nothing. Everything is just peachy. Go eat your dinner.”
A rage comes over me and I can’t take her attitude anymore, not when it’s pushing me away. I don’t think about my control or the fact that this situation is out of my hands. I just react. I reach around to the front of the machine and pull the emergency stop button.
For a second I panic, thinking she might fall, but she rights herself and gets off of the treadmill, pushing past me with her shoulder.
“Rebecca, don’t speak to me like that and don’t walk away from me.”
She turns around before she exits the room and gives me a look that would take lesser men to their knees.
“I won’t ever change for you, and I sure as hell won’t apologize for being who I am. If I’m not good enough to be yours in public, then I’m not good enough to be yours at night when your dick is hard.”
I walk over to touch her because the need to comfort her is consuming me, but she takes a step back.
“No! You don’t get the privilege of touching me ever again.” She turns and walks out of the gym, and I let out a frustrated grunt. What just happened?
I follow her to the master bedroom and see her coming out of the closet, carrying a bag.
“What are you doing?” I ask in a panic. My stress levels are peaking and I don’t know what to do. This can’t be happening.
“Moving my stuff to the guest room. Don’t worry, I’ll be out of your hair just as soon as I find another job.”
My panic spikes even higher and I’m in motion. I rush over and grab the bag out of her hands, throwing it on the ground. I wrap my arms around her waist and carry her over to the bed. I’ve finally allowed myself to touch her, and I did it without thinking. My anxiety isn’t grabbing ahold of me. Instead it feels natural to go to her and stop her from leaving by any means necessary.
“What are you doing, Bray? Put me down!” she yells while I carry her across the room, her arms and legs flailing.
“We are going to clear up whatever has gotten in your head. And we are going to do it right now.”
I throw her on the bed and then climb on top of her. I pin her arms and legs down, because she’s still trying to attack me, and I don’t want her hurting herself in the process. In the back of my mind, I tell myself over and over not to hurt her. I’m not my father and I will die before I ever punish my fairy that way.