by Anna Lewis
Tasha’s tears finally fell. She brushed them away.
Carter let her hand go. He stood up and went inside the cottage, leaving her to cry and release all the agony of the years, the loss of love, and their broken dreams.
She didn’t know how long it was before she finally went in. He was in the dining room, sitting in front of a mini feast illuminated by romantic candles.
“Tasha, please join me for dinner,” he said.
She stared at him for a long time before sitting down across from him.
“Thank you,” he said. “I, uh, cooked the chicken and the pasta.”
“You cook?” She whispered in surprise. If not for the current situation they were in, she would have laughed. He was the worst in the kitchen.
“I learned how to over the years,” he answered vaguely. “I hope you like the food.”
Her stomach growled. She took a bite of the roasted chicken and savored it. She also had a spoonful of the white sauce pasta.
“Interesting,” she murmured, avoiding his eyes as she ate.
“Does that mean it’s good?” He said, looking worried.
She nodded.
They ate in awkward silence.
After a few minutes, he took out his cellphone to play some music. When the first few notes of the song played, she teared up again. He was playing their song. The soft, familiar melody gripped her heart tightly and triggered a lot of memories to be unleashed.
She put down her spoon and fork, and looked at him in the eye. “Why are you doing this?” She asked in a sharp tone.
“I bring that song with me wherever I go,” he said. “I play it when I’m feeling down or uncertain or worried. It relaxes me. It reminds me of wonderful memories that I want to treasure forever.”
She looked away as tears rolled down her cheeks.
He leaned forward and took her hands. “I want peace, just like you do. Is there a chance for us to be friends? Can you ever forgive me?”
Tasha looked at him sadly. “I forgave you a long time ago, Carter. But that doesn’t mean it would be easy to forget.”
“I understand,” he said. He retracted his hands and stood up from the table. For a while, he was frozen in place. But then, he went toward her and embraced her from behind.
She sobbed. She let him just hug her as she wept. Her shoulders racked and her body quivered. She let it all go.
* * *
A noise from outside the bedroom window woke her up. She sat up in bed, her bright blue eyes wide awake, her heart beating fast.
Tasha carefully rose on her knees to peek out the window. It was very, very dark outside. The deafening silence and the cold mountain breeze made her shiver.
It’s nothing, Tasha, she told herself, trying to calm down. But her mind was racing with images of the mysterious bald guy. Had he followed her there too? The thought scared her.
She couldn’t sleep anymore. Looking at her watch, she saw that it was already four in the morning.
With her hair wildly cascading past her shoulders, she zipped her jacket over her now crumpled dress and went out. Seeing her beloved Carter sprawled on the sofa with his legs hanging out from one side and a peaceful expression on his handsome face, she couldn’t help but bend over and gaze at him. We were so good together, Carter.
She was about to walk away after a while when something caught her eye– a shiny thing on his upper chest, hanging from a gold chain. She hadn’t noticed it before, perhaps because it had always been kept under his shirt. This time, though, it was on top of his clothes.
She moved closer, her heart pounding, as she recognized the simple gold round pendant. The etched monogram in the center showed an intertwined C and T, which stood for their initials. She had the exact same pendant, but she’d stored it in the attic along with all the other things she wasn’t using anymore.
Suddenly, to her astonishment, he opened his eyes and met her gaze. For a short time, he seemed stunned and confused. Their faces were inches apart.
Without thinking, she leaned forward and closed her eyes. He closed the gap and kissed her on the lips. It was a sweet reunion, their hearts soaring together, their souls reconnected.
They kissed passionately, desire rising within their bodies, as she sat in front of the sofa and he lay down on it. His hand caressed her cheek as the kiss deepened.
Tasha pushed away gently and looked into his eyes, exploring, questioning…
“Oh, God, I’ve missed you…” he breathed before kissing her again. This time, the two of them didn’t hold back anymore.
He pulled her up and positioned her on top of him. With their lips locked and their hearts beating as one, he reached beneath her skirt and started stroking her between her legs.
She moaned, her lips moving toward his bare neck and soon his bulky chest.
In a swift motion, he took off her underwear and inserted his fingers into her, moving them in a circular motion at first and then gradually pushing further and touching her soft spot. As she came to her climax, she gave out a soft scream which gave him great satisfaction.
Carter sat up afterward, bringing Tasha with him. She was breathing rapidly, not over the amazing pleasure yet. But she wanted to return the favor, so she kneeled between his knees and took off his pants. Slowly she put his hardness into her mouth and licked and sucked, making him groan and moan over and over again.
His burning desire could no longer be contained. She could feel both of them heating up even more. She raised her arms over her head as he took off her dress and threw it to the side, leaving her stark naked.
“You’re even more beautiful now, Tasha,” he whispered in the dark.
She smiled, her eyes flashing with immense longing as she also took in his naked features. She straddled him, her hands caressing his face and neck.
He licked and stroked her breasts while holding her waist, his rock-hard penis touching and teasing her wetness. She looked at him imploringly.
He brought her down slowly, his enlarged manhood filling her copiously. His fiery kisses seemed to scorch her electrified body as he helped her move up and down on top of him.
Then he pushed her down the sofa and reentered her, this time with great animalistic desire. He shoved into her harder and deeper, which made her lose it completely. She was wrapped in heavenly bliss, her thoughts lost in the pleasurable indulgence.
“I want you so badly, Tasha,” he whispered as they both escalated toward immeasurable delight.
Together they reached ecstasy, their bodies fervent with carnal pleasure and their hearts bursting with extreme emotions.
They lay spent in each other’s arms, Tasha’s head resting on his chest and hearing his running heartbeat that seemed to be sending a message to her.
A few seconds of silence followed, neither of them wanting to move or say anything that could ruin the moment.
Through the flimsy material of the curtains, they could see the darkness outside softly dissipating.
“Sunrise,” Tasha whispered, getting up and quickly dressing.
Carter put on his boxers and followed her to the door.
A breathtaking amalgam of colors was splashed across the sky, changing the tone of the environment.
The birds chirped as the sun seemed to burst out of the clouds, spreading its light all around the town below the hilltop where they stood.
To Tasha’s surprise, Carter placed an arm around her and gave her a sweet peck on the forehead. She automatically rested her head on his shoulder, just as she had been used to do before.
In peaceful silence, they watched the sunrise. It signified hope and rebirth, perfect for their situation.
Nobody said anything about the past or about what had happened. Perhaps they were both afraid or baffled by the whole thing. Nevertheless, they ended up making love again in the shower and laughing together over coffee and breakfast.
Carter stifled a yawn as he washed the dishes. He had insisted on cooking and cleaning up afterward. He was
treating her as if she was the billionaire and not the other way around. She knew he was doing it as an apologetic gesture. But it was still sweet, and she could not deny the fact that it made all her remaining walls and negative emotions melt away.
“Good thing it’s a Sunday,” Carter said.
“So what do billionaires like you do on Sundays?” Tasha asked teasingly.
Carter laughed. “I do what regular people do: sleep, rest, sometimes go fishing, hang out like a couch potato too…”
God, how I’ve missed you! She thought wistfully as she felt the old Carter returning. And God knows how I miss us.
“Still the same Sunday habits, huh?” She commented without thinking.
“Yes, except you’re not in my Sundays anymore,” he answered with a smile. But his eyes, taking on a distant look, registered sadness. “It’s still the same old me, Tasha.”
Tasha’s breath caught in her throat. She wanted to cry and laugh and lash out at him all at the same time. But there was a bigger part of her that cared so much for him that all she wanted for them right then was peace and hope for friendship. She held back and took a deep breath.
“I’m here today,” she whispered.
His smile widened. “I know… and I’m glad.” He went closer and embraced her with great passion. “Will you spend the rest of this Sunday with me?” He asked.
She hesitated.
“Please, just this once?”
Slowly she nodded. He gave a sigh of relief and joy, and hugged her tighter.
That day, they made a pact not to mention anything about the past but just to enjoy one another’s company, as friends.
Unlike Bret who preferred social gatherings and modern amenities, Carter had a thing for nature and outdoor activities. He and Tasha were fond of “roughing it”.
They spent the afternoon biking across the countryside, picking apples in an orchard, and boating on a lake. It was the best day of Tasha’s life since she’d moved to Solvang.
* * *
As the days went by, Tasha found herself thinking more and more about Carter. She didn’t even notice that almost a week had gone by without hearing from Bret.
She received a call from Bret’s assistant, Millie. “Miss Winters, how are you?”
“I’m good, Millie, thanks for asking. How about you?”
“Great, thank you. I was just calling to request some final changes to the local websites your team has completed. Then we can move on to the websites for other countries. We have new photographs of the hotels we’ve recently acquired and renovated in Europe and Asia.”
“Oh… right!” Tasha said. She’d been so caught up in the project for MileRun that she hasn’t been monitoring the progress for Walton Enterprises as closely anymore. “Thanks for calling, Millie. What changes would you like done?”
“I’ll email it to you now, Miss Winters.”
“Sure, no problem. I’ll get to it at once and then give you feedback, alright?”
“Okay, thank you. The team’s doing a wonderful job, by the way.”
“I’m glad.”
When Tasha put the phone down, she got to thinking about Bret. She wondered how his conference had gone and where he was. She sent him a chat message to ask. To her surprise, he answered at once, saying that he was in the middle of another series of meetings with new prospective partners in New Zealand.
She sighed, her heart feeling heavy. She honestly didn’t know what they had. She felt guilty for sleeping with Carter and pining for him, simply because Bret had been so good to her all this time. But as Alex had been telling her, they had no commitment or weren’t even exclusively dating officially.
“For all you know, he’s been sleeping with all these women abroad!” Alex had told her.
Her best friend was right. That was certainly possible. No, it was likely. But what bothered Tasha the most was the fact that it didn’t affect her. If she was honest with herself, she would say she didn’t care at all.
“Earth to Tasha!” Amy’s singsong voice came. She placed a giftwrapped box on top of Tasha’s desk inside the MileRun office. “I heard it’s someone’s birthday today. Is that why you’re lost in your thoughts?”
Tasha looked at her blankly.
“Happy birthday, Tasha!” Amy exclaimed, giving her a quick hug.
“Oh, yeah, it is my birthday,” Tasha realized with a laugh. With everything that had been going on, she’d actually forgotten. She hadn’t seen Alex that morning nor gotten any greeting from her yet.
Eyeing the present on the table, she said, “You didn’t have to get me a gift, Amy. But thanks, anyway! I really appreciate it.”
“Oh, it’s not from me,” Amy said with a grin. She leaned forward and dropped her voice to a whisper. “It’s from our boss.”
“Oh.”
“So what’s the real score between you two?” Amy said in a teasing tone. “I haven’t seen him smiling that much since that photo shoot on the hilltop.”
Tasha blushed and looked away.
Amy was persistent, though. “I haven’t seen him this cheerful since I started working for him. And he hasn’t left Solvang since that day. Plus my sources tell me you two have been seen roaming the countryside every Sunday.”
Tasha laughed. “You’d make a great detective, Amy. Thinking of changing careers?”
Amy laughed too. “Hhhmmm it’s a thought. But hey, don’t change the subject. What’s going on? If I didn’t know better, I’d say you two were in love!”
“Don’t jump to conclusions,” Tasha said with a giggle. “We’re just friends.”
“Friends with benefits, perhaps?” Amy probed.
“No!” Tasha quickly said. She hoped her face didn’t give away her guilt.
Fortunately, they were the only ones in the large office room. No one else could hear the conversation.
“What’s the deal?” Amy said. “Come on, you can trust me. I mean, I’d be one of the first to be happy for you both! Really, I think you guys make the cutest, sweetest couple!”
Tasha knew she could trust Amy. And because her friend was being so stubborn, she finally gave in. “Okay, fine. I’ll tell you.”
Amy looked excited. “I’m all ears.”
“Carter is my… ex-boyfriend.”
“What?!” Amy exploded, her eyes wide.
Tasha nodded. “It was a long time ago, about 8 years back when we broke up. We were planning to get married. Unfortunately, things didn’t go according to plan.”
“Oh, my God!” Amy said in shock. “So you’re the one that got away!”
Tasha almost choked. “Don’t go corny on me now, Amy.”
“When he’d started this company way, way back, he was so miserable,” Amy explained. “All of us employees thought there was no hope for MileRun simply because its CEO was depressed and lost. He looked like he’d lost his entire world. He didn’t have family or friends, and didn’t have a social life either. All he wanted to do was work his ass off!”
“Wait,” Tasha said, looking puzzled. “What do you mean he didn’t have family?”
“You didn’t know? His dad got imprisoned and his mom died of depression. It’s really sad.”
Tears began to form in Tasha’s eyes. Her heart constricted as she pictured the happy family they’d once been back then. “I never knew,” she whispered, blinking back tears. “Why did his dad go to prison?”
Amy shrugged. “No one knows. Mr. Crawford has always been secretive about his past and his personal life.”
It’s probably why he changed his last name, Tasha thought.
Tasha turned the box in her hands nervously. She hadn’t wanted to open the gift in front of Amy. That afternoon, she sat on a bench in her favorite park, holding Carter’s present.
Upon opening it, she was surprised to find a framed photo of the two of them in Solvang. They were hugging each other, looking silly with their funny faces. She remembered it clearly, as if it had happened just yesterday.
A tear rolled down her cheek as she clutched the photo to her chest. Was it too late for them already? He had been treating her so wonderfully the past weeks, showing her how much he cared. But somehow both of them were still holding back. She had no idea where it was going to lead them.
There were eight envelopes in the box too. She picked up the first one. It had a written date in Carter’s handwriting, dated on the first December after he’d disappeared.
With trembling hands, she began to read…
Dear Tasha,
I’m in a foreign country. I don’t know anyone here, but I’m striving to make it. It would have been so much easier if you were here. I’m sorry I couldn’t bring you along.
I’ve lost everybody I love. It makes me wonder what else is left for me to continue living. But there’s this fire deep within me that keeps rising to the surface. It’s a fire that you ignited in me. You taught me to dream and to believe in myself. And so I’m planning this business while working as a clerk in a small office. No matter what, I’m going to keep pushing.
It’s going to be a lonely Christmas. Wherever you are, I know you are better off without me. I love you so much, Tasha. I will never, ever forget you.
Love, Carter
Tasha couldn’t help sobbing as she read the letter in Carter’s handwriting. She went on to open the second one.
Hi Tasha,
I haven’t forgotten you. Day in and day out, through all the struggles of living on my own and trying to put up a business, your memory is the only thing I have that keeps me sane.
I think I’ve finally struck gold this time. After failing six times in business, I’ve built something that has big potential. I guess it’s true what they say that we must focus on our core gift and interest. I’m going to keep fighting.
You must hate me now. But that’s a lot better than if I had stayed and gotten you in trouble. I wouldn’t have been able to live with that. I want you to have the best life you deserve. Even if it hurts me to think of you with someone else, I know it will be better for you. I hope you find that someone who will truly take care of you for the rest of your life.