Chapter 34

*IRIS*

When the text came in, I was still half drowsy. I picked up my phone and stared at the screen until my eyes focused. It was from my mother. Someone had called her, from California, asking questions about me. I sat up quickly. I wanted to shake Ryker, to wake him, I was frightened that someone had found my mom in Ohio. He hadn't slept well, tossing and turning most of the remainder of the night. I walked quietly to the kitchen and called Deacon. "Someone called my mom Deacon. Why would they do that? They were asking about me?" I said scared one of these crazy assasans was looking for a way to retaliate. Deacon was quiet. "Hello? Do I need to wake Ryker? What do I need to do?" I said again, with no response. "Iris, I.." He hesitated. "What?" I said getting impatient. "I called your mother." My mouth must have dropped to the floor, I couldn't say anything. Why would he do that? Why would they be asking my mom anything about me? Why not just ask me? "How did you get her number?" I asked feeling the fire and darkness stirring in my belly. "I have had it for a long time. We looked into you a while ago, you knew that." He said, his voice low now. He knew I was angry. I sat down at the table, shaking, and confused. "But why did you call her?" He didn't speak right away, so I continued, "Neither of you has a right to speak with my mother or anyone about me. Why not just ask me?" I took a deep breath, knowing Deacon was probably only following orders. "I am sorry Iris, but I was only.." He started, but I finished for him, "Following orders." He didn't respond. I hung up. Why would they want to ask my mother anything? That woman barely knows anything about herself, let alone me. I started to pace from one side of the room to the other. They took invading my privacy to a whole new level. I grabbed my bag and pulled out a notebook. I was leaving, going back to school where I should be anyway. I sat back down at the table with my paper and pen to write him a goodbye. I can't do it anymore. Being exposed, and now investigated.

Dear Ryker,

I want you to know I haven't disappeared, not like Ivy. I am leaving, and going back to school, where I need to be.

I took a deep breath, rereading the first sentence at least seven times. I didn't want to leave him, but he couldn't dig into my life. I couldn't be that exposed. I didn't want to be. I had to go back to school and move on. I needed to let him do what he needed to do and not worry about me. I dont want to tell my story which is why I left Ohio and the whole damn book behind me. I started a new book. I continued to write.

I know your instinct will be to follow me, but please don't worry about me. I am not a challenge or a problem for you to solve. You have enough of those. You know a few weeks doesn't give you the right to look into my past, looking into my life before here is not what I signed up for here. I care for you greatly, amazingly, in such a short time, Ryker. I want you to be safe, happy, and alive. Please be safe in all your future endeavors. I won't speak of what has happened with my time here. I can't be a puzzle for you to solve or a damsel for you to have to save. I left Ohio in the past for a reason. I find it invasive, and disrespectful that you found it okay to just investigate what I have left there. You didn't have a right to do that. I think I made it pretty obvious I didn't want to talk about it. The nightmare didn't mean anything. You know it could have been just a bad man, in a dream, that never really happened. Residual horror movie, or terrified of assassins coming into your house.

I was getting angry so I decided to stop the letter abruptly and take a shower, get my stuff together, and take a cab back to campus.

You have made these last few weeks special for me, and I will treasure the good memories. The lesson. The firsts. I will miss you, but please let me go.

Always, Iris.

I walked to the bedroom, quietly walking to take a shower. I slowly closed the door and moved around like a church mouse while I started the shower. If he woke up, if his eyes met mine, I wouldn't be able to go. I stood in the hot shower and felt tears creeping down my face. I know no one will make me feel this way again. I said goodbye to the memories, in the shower, and on the bed. As angry and invaded as I felt, I wanted to kiss him goodbye. I walked to the edge of the bed and watched his breathing. He was comfortable and secure. I know when he wakes, he will be upset. Why couldn't he just respect my privacy? I leaned down and gently pressed my lips to his. He moved but didn't open his eyes. I turned and walked out of the room. When I got to the kitchen, I called for a cab. I turned to the front door and jumped. Deacon was standing there watching me, which startled me. "Iris, please don't go." He said as soon as I noticed him. "I have to," I said walking towards him. "He needs you here. Sometimes he doesn't realize what his power in the city does to people. He doesn't see it because he was raised in a world where it was normal. He is gonna need you." Deacon pleaded, and my heart sank. I didn't want to abandon him. "Deacon, I need to go back to school. Just tell him to give me a day or two and I will email him. I need to get out of here." I felt the tears coming again and didn't want anyone to see them. I gathered all my things and pushed past Deacon through the front door. "Let me drive you, so we know you are safe." He yelled but I didn't want him to. I just wanted to get away as fast as I could. "I called a cab," I said walking down the sidewalk to the gates. I looked around waiting for someone to open it. No one did. I watched my cab pull up through the app on my phone. "Open the fucking gate!" I yelled towards the little building I knew his security was standing in. Nothing. I spun around and gave Deacon a look, raising my arms as if to say why? He spoke seemingly to no one, and the gates started to open. "Finally!" I yelled walking through them frustrated more than when I left the house.

The cab had pulled a little down from the gates. I assume intimidated by the security surrounding them. I walked to the cab, opened the back door, and plopped inside. "Sorry about that, the gates wouldn't open." The man driving nodded but didn't speak. I reached him with my student ID which had the address to my dorm across the front. The man nodded again, still not speaking. I heard the buzzing of a cell phone, but surprisingly it wasn't mine. I looked towards the man, who seemed to just ignore the phone ringing in his cup holder. My nerves were raw, and I could not ignore it. "You can answer that, I don't mind." This time he shot a look in the rearview as if to tell me that it wasn't my business. I looked down at my phone, Stephen had messaged me, and I had emails from Adam. I assume school updates and notes. As much as I was going to miss him, I was excited to return to school. I was going to have so much work to make up, but I was ready. I would need something to focus my energy on. Stephen was asking me if I still wanted to attend the photography club. I did, and I told him I would be back on campus in hours. I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths. My mind and body were overwhelmed with emotion. When I opened my eyes we were going through a tunnel. I didn't remember a tunnel. "Are you sure we are going the right way?" I asked the man driving the cab, who didn't speak. "Hello?" I said louder, thinking maybe he didn't hear me. He smiled. "No worry, Miss Iris, we will arrive shortly." I let out a long breath, not realizing I had been holding it in. "Where? My dorm is not through this tunnel, fuck, where are you taking me?" I grabbed my phone to call Deacon, 911, or someone to help. No service. "What did you do to my phone?" I screamed out. "It probably won't work for a while, but no worries, you don't need it." He said smiling still. I couldn't breathe, I wanted to cry but wouldn't give them satisfaction. All I wanted was to be safe in his bed again. I felt foolish for leaving. The car came to a stop, and my door unlocked, "Hello baby doll."