by T. K. Leigh
SLAYING THE DRAGON
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or, if an actual place, are used fictitiously and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
Published by Carpe Per Diem, Inc / Tracy Kellam, 25852 McBean Parkway # 806, Santa Clarita, CA 91355
Edited by Kim Young, Kim’s Editing Services
Cover Design: Cat Head Biscuit, Inc., Santa Clarita, CA
Front Cover Image Copyright 2015 Denis Mirinov
Back Cover Image Copyright 2015 Wallenrock
Used under license from Shutterstock.com
Copyright © 2015 T.K. Leigh / Tracy Kellam
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 0990739945
ISBN-13: 978-0-9907399-4-4
Slaying The Dragon
Chapter One - Ghost
Chapter Two - Kernel Of Truth
Chapter Three - Nothing
Chapter Four - Skeletons
Chapter Five - Second Nature
Chapter Six - Listen
Chapter Seven - Forgiveness
Chapter Eight - Through
Chapter Nine - Second Chances
Chapter Ten - The Past
Chapter Eleven - Full Disclosure
Chapter Twelve - Good Things
Chapter Thirteen - Love Happens
Chapter Fourteen - Sign
Chapter Fifteen - About A Girl
Chapter Sixteen - One More Time
Chapter Seventeen - Start Again
Chapter Eighteen - Worth The Wait
Chapter Nineteen - Scared
Chapter Twenty - New Course
Chapter Twenty-One - My Truth
Chapter Twenty-Two - With You
Chapter Twenty-Three - A Decision
Chapter Twenty-Four - Tripwire
Chapter Twenty-Five - Change
Chapter Twenty-Six - Regret
Chapter Twenty-Seven - Apologies
Chapter Twenty-Eight - Forever
Chapter Twenty-Nine - No Guarantee
Chapter Thirty - Us
Chapter Thirty-One - Goodbye
Chapter Thirty-Two - Grief
Chapter Thirty-Three - Giving Up
Chapter Thirty-Four - Set Up
Chapter Thirty-Five - Puzzle Pieces
Chapter Thirty-Six - Vindication
Chapter Thirty-Seven - Every Time We Say Goodbye
Chapter Thirty-Eight - Over
Chapter Thirty-Nine - New Orders
Epilogue
Playlist
Books By T.K. Leigh
Vanished
The Other Side Of Someday
Acknowledgements
About The Author
To Stan and little #Tinkerbump… The irony is not lost on me.
Slaying The Dragon: /slang/ A common literary motif used in fairytales whereby a dragon held a young princess hostage. Many would try to slay the beast, but none would prevail…until a handsome young knight came on the scene and defied the odds, rescuing the princess from her prison. Today, the phrase has been broadened to mean overcoming a seemingly insurmountable obstacle, either internal or external.
We all have dragons that need slaying…
What’s yours?
Mackenzie
BREATHE, I TOLD MYSELF, using my trembling hands to lift the parking brake on my Mercedes convertible. I stared at the two-story cream-colored stucco house, ghosts of what was for a brief period of time dancing in my mind. It had been a week since I ordered Tyler to let me go, leaving him alone and heartbroken on the streets of Boston.
But not as heartbroken as I was.
I had so many questions…questions I desperately needed answers to. Despite his lies, I still woke up each morning with an emptiness in my heart because another day had passed that I didn’t get to feel his skin on mine, his lips brushing mine, his heart beating in time with mine.
I didn’t want to feel this way anymore.
I needed to wash my life of his existence so I could return to the old Mackenzie, the one who maintained complete control over her feelings, but I knew I couldn’t do that until I finally confronted him and said the things I needed to say. Only then could I finally move on and forget about Tyler Burnham.
Walking up the cobblestone driveway on unsteady legs, I tried to focus on simply putting one foot in front of the other. If I thought of anything else – why Tyler lied to me, why he used me, why he didn’t come after me even when I told him to let me go – I would lose the small amount of nerve I finally had. I had driven to this same house every day since I had gotten back to South Padre. Each time, I sat in my car, never having the courage to walk those fifty steps up to the front door. I had walked fifty steps countless times, but nothing seemed as daunting and insurmountable as the path that lay before me today.
I didn’t know what I hoped to get out of finally confronting Tyler. Closure? Answers? The truth? Maybe I just wanted to look into his eyes and see that it was real for him, like he had begged me to believe. My brain never wanted to see him again, but my heart wanted it to be real because, for that brief moment in time, it was so real for me.
Step one, I thought to myself, my hands growing clammy as I timidly began the short journey that seemed akin to mounting the tallest peak. My eyes fell on Tyler’s Bronco parked beside his Jaguar and the memories began to pour in. Memories I had tried to suppress. Even though our two-week romance was short in the grand scheme of things, it felt as if it lasted so much longer, our connection stronger than any I’d ever had with another human.
A breeze blew my dark hair in front of my face as I ran my finger against the metal of the Bronco, dust settling on my skin. I stopped in my tracks, recalling the first time I sat in this very car. I had been shocked he would drive a Bronco, throwing all my preconceived notions of the ridiculously wealthy and handsome Tyler Burnham out the window. He was worth more than the operating budget of several small countries, yet he drove around in a vintage Bronco with an engine that made an obnoxious amount of noise. That was one of the things that had attracted me to him, and it was one of the things I missed. I missed never knowing what each day would bring with him in my life. I actually missed the unexpected, even though it had brought me nothing but grief and regret.
My hand resting on the hood of the Bronco, I closed my eyes, wishing I could turn back the clock and return to that first lunch date, every little detail still ingrained in my memory. It had been unseasonably hot and humid for the middle of March, and I was a bundle of nerves as Tyler led me to his car. His hand had lingered on the small of my back, sending an electrifying tingle through me. I had done everything I could to remain the poised woman I wanted him to think I was. In reality, I couldn’t remember ever being as nervous in the presence of a member of the opposite sex as I was around Tyler.
He had done everything right, making it impossible for me to imagine my life without him. He had become my lightning strike, just as he had sworn I was his. But lightning burns, and with each day that had passed since I learned the truth, I welcomed back another p
iece of my heart. Soon, it would be whole again, the wall around it rebuilt, and my life would go back to the way it was.
Soon, I would forget the sound of his voice, his musky scent, his dominating presence.
Soon, I would no longer be haunted with the memory of his arms wrapped around me, shielding me from the demons of my past.
Soon, he would just be another reminder of why life was better when planned.
Approaching the front door, I lost the few nerves I had and spun around quickly, ready to bolt. My chest heaved, a sick feeling settling in my stomach. Swallowing hard, I took a moment and leaned on the railing. I had no idea why I was as terrified as I was. I had been through much more challenging situations – losing my first love to what I thought was mental illness, burying my mother, losing my father – but I was petrified of what awaited me on the other side of that door.
Maybe I was scared to learn the truth. Maybe I was scared to learn I had put my faith and trust in another human and my instincts had faltered…again. Maybe it was because I didn’t want to be faced with the reminder that life was better if I kept my heart guarded. Maybe it was because Tyler had done what no man had ever done before… He made me feel. Maybe it was because once he opened that door and I finally got the closure I needed, this chapter in my life would come to an end. Maybe it was because I wasn’t ready to say goodbye, despite what my brain was telling me.
Turning back around, I composed myself, drawing in a deep breath. My arm seemed to weigh a ton as I raised it and rang the doorbell. The sound of a dog barking echoed, followed by approaching footsteps. Shifting from foot to foot, I fidgeted with the hem of my dress, tugging at it. My jaw tightened as I braced myself for the impending conversation.
Everything seemed to play in slow motion as the door opened and a built man with short dark hair stared back at me. He wore a black t-shirt and cargo pants, his breathtaking smile able to light up a room. But instead of striking green eyes, the eyes that gazed back at me were blue and foreign.
“Mackenzie,” he said in a way that gave off the impression we had met before, although I couldn’t place him for the life of me. I combed through my memory for how we could have known each other. He couldn’t have been more than thirty-five, his jaw square and distinguished. His cheekbones were defined, his brow strong. Months ago, he was exactly the type of guy I’d spend a week with before he returned home to wherever he came, but I’d remember him. There was only one explanation that made sense, and my blood began to boil once again.
“So you’re working with Tyler, too, aren’t you?!” I asked with ice in my voice.
He scrunched his eyebrows, clearly taken aback. “Tyler? Tyler who? What are you talking about, Mackenzie?”
“I don’t know who the hell you are or what you’re doing here, but if this is another one of his mind games, you can tell him I’m not amused. Better yet,” I said, pushing into the foyer, “I’ll tell him myself. Where is he?”
“Where is who?” he asked, his voice soft, almost concerned.
“Tyler!” I exclaimed, becoming irritated. I strode down the hallway, peeking my head into each room for any sign of him. His large waterfront house was exactly as I remembered – the furniture modern, the art lacking personality. I should have known something was amiss when I first saw his décor. It was frigid, cold, and heartless, just like Tyler.
“There is no one named Tyler here,” the man insisted, following me as I tore through the house.
Refusing to believe his words, I ignored him. “Tyler!” I shouted, throwing open door after door, only to be met with emptiness. “Eli?” I choked out, my voice strained. There was no sign of either of them. Worse, there was no indication they had ever been here.
Feeling my world spin out of control, desperation took over and I ran toward the back door. “He must be on his boat,” I muttered to myself, feeling a pair of confused eyes on me as I bolted down the stairs toward the back gate leading to the dock. I pulled on it, but it was locked.
“Mackenzie, I know things have been hectic for you, what with the opening of the restaurant and the eighty-hour work weeks…”
I reeled around and met his sympathetic eyes. “How do you know who I am?”
“It’s me,” he said, urging me to recognize him. I prayed this was all a dream and I would wake up, open my eyes, and see Tyler standing in front of me. “Jeremiah. I own a club on the island. You reached out to me for advice about opening up your own place several months ago.”
“But how do I remember this house? And I know I’ve been on that yacht.” I gestured toward the beautiful vessel anchored behind me, certain I had spent one of the best nights of my life on it just a few weeks ago.
“You’ve been here,” he said. “Hell, last fall, you were here at least once a week to pick my brain.”
“I was?” I asked, my breathing growing more ragged. I searched my brain for a memory of this man, but it just wouldn’t come. The last six months seemed to be a puzzle. Nothing of significance stood out in my mind…except meeting Tyler Burnham. And I was certain I had met him and that he lived here.
All the blood rushed from my face and I couldn’t help but feel as if the world was giving out from beneath me.
“Hey, hey,” he soothed, rushing toward me as I struggled to maintain my balance. “Let me call someone for you.” He placed his arm around my waist in an attempt to usher me back into the house.
The feel of his flesh on mine scalded me, setting me off. “Don’t touch me!” I bellowed, pushing him away. “And stop with the games! It’s not funny! Tell me where he is!”
“I’m not playing any games,” he insisted. “This is my house. I’ve lived here for years with my partner. There’s no one named Tyler here.”
Frantic, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and flipped through it, searching for proof I wasn’t crazy. “We met a few weeks ago! I just got back from Boston, where he’s from!”
“Then why are you here?” he asked, his gaze narrowed as he studied me with concern.
“Because he lives here!” I exclaimed. “Don’t you see?!” I continued searching my phone, my chin quivering as I scanned through photo after photo of me in Boston, on the waterfront, in the Commons, in the North End, eating oysters… But where Tyler was once in those photos, there was nothing. It was as if he had been erased.
The air was thick as I tried to make sense of it all. I was living in some sort of alternate reality. I prayed I would wake up and everything would turn out to have simply been a nightmare, that Tyler didn’t just date me to gather information about my father. I had always relied on what I knew to be real and true, and I thought Tyler was. Now, I felt as if I couldn’t trust any of my senses. Not sight, not sound, not touch…and I certainly couldn’t trust my heart.
Staring at the yacht on which I thought Tyler and I had spent our “one night”, I slowly turned around, my head fuzzy.
“Are you sure there’s no one I can call for you?” the man asked once more.
I raised my head and stared into his blue eyes, wishing I could see proof this was all part of some fucked up plan to mess with my memory, but they were stone cold, impenetrable.
Sighing, I shook my head. “No. I’m sorry,” I apologized flatly, my voice barely audible. “You’re right. I’ve been working too much. I must have…” I fought back the lump in my throat. “My mistake.”
My expression void of any emotion, I climbed the steps and walked back down the hallway, a lone tear falling down my cheek. I didn’t think I could ever feel any more pain than I did after learning the truth of who Tyler was and what he wanted from me, but I was wrong. This was the worst pain imaginable.
In a daze, I couldn’t remember getting in my car and driving back to my condo. All I could remember was questioning what was real and what wasn’t. Things I thought I touched and saw were now being presented to me as fake. It made me begin to question everything else in my life, too.
Pulling my Mercedes into its usual spot, I ran into
the building, ignoring Paul’s attempt to introduce me to the new security guard as I dashed into an open elevator. When it finally stopped at my floor, I couldn’t get to my condo fast enough, holding out one last ounce of hope that there would be some proof of Tyler’s existence within the four walls of my home…a home I was certain he had invaded so fully for a short time.
I ran to my kitchen, pulling open drawer after drawer, hoping to come across some lasting remnant of our time together, but I came up empty. Everything was how it was before I had met him. My silverware was just as I liked it. All my cooking utensils were in their precise location. There was barely a particle of dust on the counter, let alone a piece of Tyler’s hair. The vases containing the flowers he had sent me after opening night of my restaurant had mysteriously disappeared, if they had been there at all.
Feeling the walls closing in around me, I grabbed my cell phone and searched the contacts. I pressed the entry for Tyler, my heart racing as I waited for it to begin ringing. But it never did. All I received on the other end was a message that the phone number was no longer in service. My chin began to quiver as I hung up and tried Eli’s number, only to get the same message.
Screaming in frustration, I threw my phone on the ground, the screen shattering from the impact, and ran down the hallway into the master bedroom. I flung open the chest where I kept my father’s Victoria Cross, along with all the other keepsakes, recalling that I had placed the card Tyler sent with the extravagant flowers in it. As I rummaged through, the card was nowhere.
I let out a loud sob, starting to believe I had imagined it all. It was the only explanation that made sense. The realization was overwhelming and I darted into the master bathroom, heaving into the toilet, wishing Tyler was there to trace a pattern across my back and chase away my demons, just as I thought he had done for a short but remarkable time.
~~~~~~~~~~
AS THE WEEKS WORE on, I continued searching everywhere for some sort of proof that Tyler Burnham was real, but I found nothing. Not one piece of tangible proof he had entered my life in a whirlwind and flipped it upside down. There was nothing left, other than my memories…which I couldn’t help but question.