Maya
I had finished my shift a little earlier than planned. It has been a quiet day. We don’t have any more check-ins today, and the next meal isn’t until dinner time, but I will not be on the back shift tonight.
I made myself a coffee and am now enjoying the beautiful view from the window as I drink it and do a little reading before disappearing to my room for the night. I am going to email Conrad and see if he would like to video call. I needed badly to see him and talk to him again.
“Maya.”
A familiar voice from behind me makes me freeze. No, I am hearing things. There is no way he can be here. He has no idea where I am. I shake it off and get back to my book.
“Maya, sweetheart.”
The voice sounded closer, and I knew that I was not imagining things the second the word sweetheart was used. I fling myself around, and he is right in front of me. He was looking handsome and worried.
“C-C-Conrad.” I whimper.
He smiles, “Hey, beautiful. Did you miss me?”
I get to my feet and jump straight into his arm; luckily, he catches me, “Conrad, what are you doing here?” I sob, my arms tightly around his neck.
“I couldn’t stand being apart from you anymore. Angel, it is so good to see you. Hold you.”
His voice is shaky. I am not the only one crying. I bury my face in his neck and cling to him as I cry, “I miss you so much. I am so sorry I left you.”
He hugged me tightly, “Please, don’t ever leave me again, Maya.”
I reach up and kiss him. I whimper instantly at the contact. I have missed his lips. He smiles against my lips, kissing back. I can’t believe he is here. I am expecting to wake up and for it all to be a dream. The tears won’t stop falling from my eyes, and my heart is racing in my chest. When we part from the kiss, he puts me back down on my feet.
“Conrad, I am happy you are here, but I am worried he will find out and start again,” I whisper.
“I don’t care about him. He is done with his bullshit and keeping us apart. He doesn’t know I am here, and he won’t.” he says softly, wiping my tears away.
“How did you find me?”
“Adrian got someone from his work to track your IP address. It narrowed it down, but I found out you worked here from Margaret.”
“You did all of that for me?” I smile.
“Come on now, sweetheart, you know I would do anything for you and anything to find you. Are you mad at me for being here?”
I can hear the worry in his voice, and he stares at me intensely, waiting for my answer.
I shake my head, “No. I could never be mad at you, Conrad. I am worried, is all.” I answer honestly.
“You have nothing to worry about. I promise.”
He pulls me tightly to his chest, hugging me again. I bury my face in his firm chest. A familiar feeling of security takes over me. I close my eyes, take in his scent, and feel his heartbeat.
“I can’t believe you are,” I whisper.
“I haven’t stopped looking for you, beautiful, not even for a second. And when I found out you were in Scotland while in London, I came as quickly as I could.” He says, kissing the top of my head.
I didn’t even think about the IP address when I reached out to him.
“I really am sorry I ran away and left you, Conrad. I didn’t want to leave or hurt you, but I had no choice.” I whimper.
“Hey, now, my love, it is okay. I understand, but we are together now.”
I step back and offer my hand to his, “Come on, we can go to my room and talk somewhere more private.”
He nods, and I lead him up to my room, “It is beautiful here.”
“It is. I have fallen in love with the place and the people.”
“I can understand why.” He smiles.
We arrive in my room and get comfortable on my bed. I lie down, snuggling into him, and he wraps his arm firmly around me.
“Conrad, I still can’t come home. Not until he is out of the way.” I sigh, my heart hurting at the thought of having to part again.
He can’t stay here. He needs to be in New York.
Conrad sighs and strokes my hair, “I know. I thought maybe I could stay here with you, or we could go to London with Chelsea and Adrian.”
I roll onto my stomach, “Don’t you need to get back home to work and things?”
He shakes his head, “No. I am not going back without you. There is someone taking care of the office, and I can work remotely. I am not leaving here without you, Maya. No matter what.” He states firmly.
“Really? You can stay with me?” I whisper.
He nods, “Yes, for as long as you need me to until we can return home. If you want to stay here, I can rent us somewhere short-term?” he suggests, stroking the hair from my face.
“Yes, can we do that? You would love it here, Conrad. I still have just over a month left of my work contract. Hopefully, by the time that is up, Callum will have been caught, and if not, we can go to London until he is.”
“Then that is what we will do, my love. I will rent somewhere for two months, and we can take it from there. I don’t mind what we do or where we are as long as we are together. It is the important thing.” He says and kisses me.
I moan, kissing back. I climb on top of him, needing to be closer and wanting better access to his lips. He groans, gripping my hips. I have missed the closeness. It doesn’t take long for the kiss to become heated.
Suddenly, he pulls away. I sit up on his stomach, looking down at him, confused.
“Before we go any further, I have something for you.” He says, circling his fingers on my hips.
“What do you have for me?”
“It is in my coat pocket.”
I remove myself from on top of him and sit on the bed. He heads over and takes something from his coat pocket. He returns to the bed, and I realise what he has in his hand. It is a small box.
“I would really love it if you would put this back on.” He smiles and opens the box.
“You brought my ring with you?” I gush.
“Yes. I have kept it on me, no matter where I go. I didn’t want to let it out of my sight until I could put it on your finger again. Will you accept it? Or do you need some time?”
I hold my hand out to him, “I want it back now, please.”
He grins and slips the ring back onto my finger, “Perfect and exactly where it belongs.”
I admire it. My finger has been empty without it. “Yes, perfect. I still can’t believe you are, Conrad. I honestly didn’t know when I would see you again. It killed me being apart from you. It was the hardest thing I have ever experienced in my entire life.”
I can feel the tears start again. Conrad wipes them away, “No more tears, sweetheart.”
I don’t have a chance to say anything before his lips claim mine once again. I am more than ready for him to make love to me again.