She was setting me on the apex. If I fell, everything would equally fall apart. This was a great responsibility, and I didn’t want to let her down, I didn’t want to be remembered as that girl who’d missed out on a great opportunity.
If I played my cards well, I would not just bring Daybreak back into the limelight, I would be announcing my own strength as a writer and a reporter.
“Promise you will not let me down?” She peered into my eyes.
I knew the power of vows and the sacredness in promises; it was a holy covenant that was meant to be kept no matter what happened.
Fear welled up inside me. I had never been placed in the spotlight. What if I failed? What if I let Penny down? This was more than Penny; the jobs of a hundred people were dependent on my ability to handle this responsibility well. If I failed, then half of those people who had families and needs would lose their jobs, and that would be on me.
Could I do this? There was still time to back out, there was still time to give up the fight for progress. I had time…it was ticking. Different emotions ran through me as I stared into Penny’s eyes. She appeared eager to hear my answer.
“I promise…I will not let you down.” I nodded.
The night before had taught me a great lesson. It was the lesson of conquering, becoming, and transformation. I’d been so afraid of walking into the club, and when I’d forced myself, I’d almost ruined my relationship with Edel, but I’d risen and fought back. I’d faced my innermost fears, I’d battled my demons, and had taken control of my life. Though I’d ended up in a stranger’s bed, my purpose had been driven, and my faith had been renewed.
I could do anything. I could surpass the limits set by others for me. I could soar above human expectation. I was brand new; I was Kira Martin.
“I’ve handled worse things, I will do this.” I was speaking of Blade Benefield right now. If I could muster up courage and walk out on a man who earned millions from a show, missing out on the opportunity to be with a man who was both rich and famous, then I could handle anything.
“Very well then, everything is yours. Here’s what I’ve prepared.” She handed me a file she’d been working on. “That’s like clay, do whatever you want with it.”
“Thanks.” I caressed the wrinkled edges of the file. I was about to open the data when there was a knock on the door.
“Come in,” Penny called out. “Oh! Kira, our guest is here.” Penny had a happy look on her face, then got up to receive him.
I dropped the file immediately, then rose to welcome my new boss. I swirled and faced him. My heart jolted then stopped as I stood face to face with the man who had broken my heart.
“Hello there, Kira… Penny has told me a lot of things about you.”
I was dumbfounded and terribly confused. What did he think he was doing? I was annoyed that Blade would trespass. Why would he pay me a visit at my workplace and feed my boss with what…more lies? I was enraged! Did Blade think he could fix everything with his money?
“Say something, Kira, don’t just stare. I knew you would love Blade. He is one of the Trash Monkeys you met. I deliberately left that part out, so you’ll be thrilled.” Penny giggled excitedly like a schoolgirl who’d been offered a trip to Disney World.
I felt sorry for Penny. I was going to disappoint her after all. I just couldn’t stand to work with Blade. I just couldn’t be around him.
I opened my mouth to say something, but it felt dry. What magic spell had he cast on me? Tears burned my eyes as I looked at him. Why couldn’t he just leave me the hell alone?
“I am sorry…I can’t do this. I can’t work with him,” I mumbled, then rushed out of Penny’s office.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
BLADE
As always, I was filled with joy when our eyes had met in Penny’s office before Kira had taken off. I had prepared myself already for her rejection because I knew it was going to come. What I’d put Kira through was horrible, and I understood why she was treating me that way.
I was not going to give her up that easily, contrary to what Starburst had advised. I had decided to go ahead and fight for her. What was the point of waiting? The point of giving her more time?
You see, my greatest fear was her going further apart from me. I feared she could find herself another man, a better man who would fulfill her heart’s desires. I was not ready to give Kira to another man; I loved her too much to share. In fact, the very thought of her with another made me jealous.
After Essie had given me details about Kira’s workplace, I had come up with a plan that would make her keep her job and draw us closer. It was the perfect plan, and if Kira participated, everyone was going back home happy.
I loved Kira. I appreciated her more after our breakup. When I got sober and finally took a decision to stay off booze and drugs, I realized how my days passed quickly, empty and meaningless. I felt like a total wreck. I felt my whole world had crashed, but whenever I took a look at her pretty face, I convinced myself that this was just a phase and I could work through it.
“Um, I don’t know what came over Kira. I think she is just overwhelmed to see someone like you. I apologize for her strange behavior,” Penny said to me.
I’d noticed a glimpse of fear in Kira’s eyes. I realized it would take some time for her to trust me again. I wanted to tell Penny to stay calm but decided to stay out of it. I needed Kira badly, so if Penny could pressure her to work with me, that wouldn’t be such a bad thing.
I know I sounded selfish right now, but once I’d lost my heart to Kira, I found myself willing to do anything to keep her in my life. I would move the world for the woman my heart had chosen.
“You’ll excuse me, Mr. Benefield, I need to go speak to Kira.” Penny rushed towards the door.
I released the breath I held and stopped her. “Wait…please.”
Penny paused and looked at me.
“I will go. I will talk to Kira myself,” I said to her.
Penny stared at me. She seemed like she was bewildered at my offer. I knew Kira was not a complicated person, I just needed to convince her to work with me first…then we’d talk about the rest later.
“Um, are you sure that is a good idea?” Penny asked.
“Don’t worry, I’ll handle this business matter,” I assured her.
“Okay.” Penny returned my smile. “One more thing, Mr. Benefield. You have to be careful. Kira hasn’t been herself lately. I’m sure the ladies can quickly become enamored by your superstar status.” She batted her eyes and flipped her hair over her shoulder. Her gaze raked slowly over my body.
“Thanks, Penny. I will take your advice into consideration, but Kira has nothing to fear from me.” I wondered: was Penny talking about herself or other women in general?
I walked briskly, as fast as my long legs could carry me. I saw the shock on the faces of people as I strolled out of Penny’s office.
“Are you fucking kidding me? It’s Blade Benefield!” a voice screamed, and before I could tell what was happening, people were rushing in my direction.
“God.” I rolled my eyes. I’d forgotten to put on my shades and now I had gotten myself in a fix. I needed to escape more than fifty people all running towards me at the same time.
My thoughts were no longer on Kira. I thought of saving my ass before I became bombarded with requests for autographs. There would be time for that later.
“For fuck’s sake,” I swore under my breath as they got closer to where I stood.
People were already taking pictures of me.
I took a deep breath and stood my ground, but a miracle happened just like a flash of lightning.
“Hey! Blade, come over here. I know a secret door that could lead us to a safe room,” someone called to me.
The voice belonged to a woman who had a thick German accent. She was casually dressed in a blue skirt and a polka dot blouse. She was cute and seemed friendly. I felt I could trust her.
“Good looking out.” I nodded m
y thanks and hurried her way.
She grabbed my hand immediately and led me down a corridor which was just below Penny’s office.
People screamed and jeered at me, but I didn’t pay them any attention. I was happy to get away from them.
“Get back to work!” Penny screamed at the workers.
That was the last thing I had heard before the unfamiliar lady led me into a room filled with several computers, tables, and chairs.
“This is our conference room where we brainstorm and stuff, you’ll be all right here,” she said to me.
I released the breath I had been holding, “Um, thank you… And you are?”
“Edel, Edel’s the name.” She smiled.
“Thanks, I am Blade.”
“Are you for real? I know who you are. Who doesn’t know the hottest Trash Monkey alive?”
Okay, I was tired of hearing that. “Come on, I think Trisha would think different. I think some of the other members would, too,” I teased Edel.
“The other band members are indeed cute, but you, Blade Benefield, are on another level, I mean it.” She smiled then took out her cell phone. “Excuse me for a minute,” she said just before turning her back on me. “Get your ass in the conference room, ASAP!” she muttered then ended the call.
While she was on the call, I decided to alert security about the security problem. I sent them a message then took pictures of the room so they could locate me easily. The label had recently added a security team for the band members since our latest album went platinum.
“Why did you do that?” Edel asked.
“‘Um, sorry, I just wanted to tell my security team that I’m safe,” I replied.
“Okay, don’t be offended, Blade. I want to ask you a personal question.” She licked her lips.
“Yeah, go ahead.” I nodded.
“How do you know my friend Kira Martin?”
I was dumbfounded. I had not expected that question. I had a feeling she’d known about my relationship with Kira, but I wasn’t sure, so I feigned ignorance.
“I don’t understand,” I replied.
Edel laughed. “I know you may feel reluctant to talk to a stranger, but…I am Kira’s friend, we’ve been friends for years, and you can trust me. Here.” She offered me her phone.
I didn’t want to take it.
“Come on, Blade, there’s the evidence that you need.” She pushed the phone closer to my face.
I saw a picture of her and Kira at the beach. They must have gone swimming because both were in swimming suits. I got hard looking at Kira. Her bathing suit wasn’t all that revealing, but her curves made me crave her. I missed having her in my arms. Shit, it had been too fucking long.
“I believe you, Edel, but—” I just didn’t know the appropriate answer to give to her.
Edel was a journalist; in fact, most people in this building would kill for a big story. I just didn’t want to give them something to talk about. This was not about me as a rock star, it was about my love for Kira, and that was personal.
“I saw Kira speaking to a man a couple of days ago and I knew there was something oddly familiar about that stranger. But I had refused to confront her. I noticed you had on shades to shield your eyes, but anyone with a keen eye can always spot that Blade Benefield look, no matter how much you try to hide it.” She said this so confidently, that if I wasn’t careful, I would spill the truth.
“I still don’t know what you’re talking about, Edel.” I maintained my stand.
“Kira is hurting. I knew she was keeping something from me. I never knew you were the guy who broke her heart.” She was taking another angle now, and this made me feel guilty.
A surge of power filled me. I wanted to defend myself. I wanted to tell Edel that I was a better man and I was changed but I clipped my tongue. I needed her to lead me into Kira’s pain so I could gain some insight on the next step to take.
“You’re drawing straws, Edel. I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I insisted.
“I bet you do. I am not stupid, Blade.”
“Good journalists like you are rarely stupid,” I chipped in.
She laughed, but the fire in her eyes immediately died as she spoke again. “I knew Kira was in a relationship long before the heartbreak. She was always missing from work and using Penny’s request for a big story to ask for time away from the office.” Edel gestured with her hands.
“I don’t see what that has to do with me,” I responded. I needed to catch up to Kira. I didn’t have time to stand around chewing the fat.
“Listen up, Mr. Rock Star, you may learn something. As I was saying…” She huffed. “The Kira I know is now a shadow of the young, energetic, assured woman she used to be. She metamorphosed into this woman with uncertainty. Sometimes, she would look happy, and other times, she appeared to be sad. I knew something was going on with her but I never pried. I wanted her to come to me first. Then, that fateful night, she called me really late. Her voice was broken, and I could tell she had been crying. I rushed over there as soon as I could, and we spent the night watching movies on Netflix, overeating ice cream, and eating popcorn. She didn’t open up but she shared a bit of the pain. It was the pain of the heart, and I knew somehow that there was a man in her life. I just didn’t know she had found you at the concert all those weeks ago.” Edel gave me a hard look.
I tore my eyes away from her piercing gaze. She seemed to reach into the depths of my soul; she seemed to find the walls of my thoughts—she’d breached them, and I let her in.
I felt terrible knowing that I had caused such a beautiful angel like Kira to experience such sorrow.
“I know you are a star. I am exercising a tremendous amount of self-control here but I am not afraid to tell you that you did wrong to Kira. I don’t know what happened between you two, but I know Kira. She is a beautiful soul and would never hurt someone deliberately, and don’t even try to deny this. Why would you just walk into Daybreak Journal with a plan to buy it from Penny if you don’t have a hidden agenda?”
Her false accusation made me laugh. “Okay, enough, Edel. You found me out. I am buying Daybreak Journal. I only want to be part of this place for the sake of Kira.” I released a long breath.
I just wished I could see Kira now. I wanted to rake my fingers through her thick hair, feel her heart beat against my chest, and tell her how sorry I am. I want her to know without an inkling of a doubt that I love her and I’ll love her even after my last breath on this earth. Would she believe me if I bared my heart?
“I just knew it!” Edel sounded excited.
I laughed, the sound of it uneasy. “Come on, Edel, I think the coast is clear. I need to get going.”
“Wait…” Edel started to say something else when the door pushed open, and my breath stopped as Kira marched in.
“You again? Is this why you called me, Edel?” She attempted to walk away.
“Wait…please don’t leave, just hear me out, sweetheart,” I pleaded.
“Hear you out? Seriously?” Kira rolled her eyes and made a move away from the door, but Edel came to my rescue.
“I don’t know what the problem is with you two, but you should settle it.” She marched towards the door and pushed Kira into the room. “Neither one of you will leave this room until you make peace,” she muttered, walking out and slamming the door behind her.
Kira reached for the doorknob but found it locked from the outside. There is no escaping me now, Kira. We were stuck with each other, and my heart rejoiced.
“Kira…just give me fifteen minutes. Just hear me out.”
“There’s nothing to talk about, Blade. You ruined what we had with your lies. I am no longer interested in you, and if you stay far from me, I would much appreciate that.”
She moved away from me as I sauntered closer to her.
“I know, I accept all my faults. I stand guilty before you, but what happened to giving a fallen man another chance?”
Kira scoffed and glared
at me. “You really take me for granted, don’t you? I gave you a second chance, I let you back into my life, but what did you do? You showed me how valueless I was to you. Let me tell you something you don’t know about me, Blade. I am not the type of woman who gets devalued and dumped. I gave you a second chance. What makes you think you’d get a third?”
I choked up on my words and fell silent after as I didn’t find any suitable words for the next moment.
“I can’t believe you’d come up with something this cheap, Blade. I never knew you had a stalker tendency. My ‘no’ should be enough. You think just because you live in a glass castle, get to drive the best cars, get to throw money around just the way you like, that I am one of those things? You feel like some Messiah because you walked in here and managed to get Penny on your side, you think you can buy my love? You just insulted me all the more.” She scoffed.
I knew she would not give in easily, I knew she would take offense. I realized Kira was proud of her job and held her dignity high. The way she carried herself made me love her even more. She was a puzzle I couldn’t understand; she had layers that were still unfolding before my eyes.
Most women would have put up with my crap just to get the money or be in the spotlight, but Kira didn’t do any of those things. She’d never asked me for anything—that’s why I would give her anything in my ability to do so.
“I know I was wrong, and you are right, but I just wanted to save you from losing your job. We both know what’s going down here, and I figured you are happy with your responsibilities at Daybreak Journal. I wanted you to be satisfied, that’s why I came up with this plan. I know you may never love me the same, but just don’t throw away this opportunity because of me.” I had to convince her somehow to consider the offer.
“I don’t need you saving my job, Blade. Nothing good comes from being around you,” she replied.
“Hey, don’t you think I know that by now?” I went closer to her, then grabbed her shoulders. I thought she would flinch, push me away or punch me in the face, but she stayed calm.
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