Page 39 of The Heart of a Capricorn
“Listen. I know I should have told you about my assignment when I came back from the meeting, but I didn’t know how to. We were doing so good, and I didn’t want to ruin it, but I did anyway. I also know why you reacted the way you did. You’re afraid that I won’t come back, and while I can’t a hundred percent assure you, I do trust that God isn’t through with ourstory yet. I promise, I will make it back in one piece, and we will talk for real. I have to go, but I’m coming back for you, Lyric, believe that. Can you do that for me?”
Water pooled in her eyes, and I wiped away the tear that had fallen.
“Please, Lyric. I need to know that we are okay before I leave. Please, baby, for my sanity.”
She looked away but then put her soft hand on the side of my face. When I looked into her eyes, I knew that no matter what, I had to make my way back to her.
“Chauncey, I swear that if you don’t make it back in one piece, I’m going to dig up your grave and kick your ass.”
I wrapped my arms around her waist as I chuckled.
“I don’t know why I believe you, but I do.” My phone vibrated in my pocket, and I knew it was Terrance. “I have to go, but I’ll talk to you soon. Don’t worry, okay?”
She nodded, but I could still see the fear in her eyes. I knew she wouldn’t fully be okay until I was back and safe. It made me wonder if she would react like that every time I had to work. It wasn’t the time to dwell on it, so I pushed it to the back of my mind.
“I need to hear you say that you aren’t going to worry.”
“I won’t worry, Chauncey.”
She and I both knew that was a lie.
I bent down to kiss her lips. “I’ll call you as soon as I can. I really have to go,” I reminded her as my phone rang again.
“Okay.”
The sadness in her tone bothered me. I kissed her a couple more times before I released her and left the room.
I couldn’t look at her for too long, because I would have ended up staying.
I felt better knowing we would be okay. I rubbed my hands together as I waited for the elevator.
Adrenaline pumped through me as I rode the elevator down. Shit was about to get real, but it was okay because Lyric was willing to work on things.
I prayed that this job would be quick and there wouldn’t be any casualties. The quicker it got done, the quicker I could get back to Lyric.
Five days had passedsince Chauncey had to leave on his assignment. I tried to keep busy with work so I didn’t worry myself to death. That was hard to do because it had been radio silence from Chauncey since he’d left. There hadn’t been anything on the news about it either, so I was completely in the dark. Every time I saw Ciara, I would look for any indication of news, but she didn’t give any, or she just didn’t have any.
The day after Chauncey left, Ciara and I had a conversation about the relationship between Chauncey and me, and she told me she was happy for both of us. She also tried to assure me that Chauncey would be okay, but until I laid eyes on him, I couldn’t feel secure.
The good thing about working practically nonstop for those days was that I was able to complete a lot of the work, and we had made significant progress toward finishing it.
While I worked, the rest of the girls were out exploring the city. I didn’t have the mental headspace to do that if I weren’t doing it with Chauncey.
When I was at work, I was good. When I got back to my room and was alone, that was when the sadness crept in. Only days passed, and I missed him like crazy. I had time to think about my true feelings for him and realized that I had fallen in love with him. It was crazy because it hadn’t been long, but still. I couldn’t stop my heart from hammering every time I thought of him.
I missed the sound of his voice. The feel of his hands on me. The way he felt when he was inside of me. I just missed him. The crossword puzzles weren’t enough. Nothing would be enough until I knew he was safe and sound. I knew that if things progressed once we left, I would have to deal with him leaving on potentially dangerous missions. But I also knew, or at least thought, that there weren’t that many unsafe flights. I believed that the majority of the flights were safe. If I knew all of that, why did I worry myself so much? That was a question that I couldn’t answer. Even the situation with Brice, yes, he died in a plane crash, but car accident rates were so much higher.
Maybe it was because it was the first time I had to deal with someone I cared about flying since Brice. I even managed to fly, but for some reason, I didn’t worry as much. It was something that I had no explanation for.
It was a Saturday, and I didn’t have work to distract me, so I stayed in my room all day. I’d ordered room service for each meal. I had a massage and tried my best to relax, but I couldn’t help thinking about Chauncey. I was afraid of watching the news and learning something bad had happened, so I found a stationthat showed old romantic comedies and watched those all day, curled up in my bed.
My parents and Katrina checked on me, but I wasn’t in the mood to talk, so I just sent them text messages to let them know that I was okay. I wanted to turn my phone off but kept it on in case Chauncey called. He promised me he would come back in one piece, and I held him to that.
I was in the middle of my movie marathon when my phone rang. I picked up from the nightstand, and my pulse raced when I saw Chauncey’s name scrolling across the screen.
“Hello.” I tried not to sound sad or anxious when I answered.
“Lyric.” He breathed a sigh of relief when he said my name. “I had to call to hear your voice.”
