After Hours

Chapter 18: The Healing Process

Dear Alex,

By now you would've noticed I'm gone. I am fine though so don't worry about me. My sister and I are on a sister---

She crumpled the paper before her knowing she couldn't lie to him. Her sisters were both in Miami going about their everyday lives. She bit the cover of her pen looking out at the view of the beach before her. Fancying a swim, she changed off into her speckled bikini, deciding to write the letter before she forgot about it.

Dear Alex,

I apologize for the way I left but I knew you would only try to make me stay. I took this time away to work on myself since I feel like a part of me got destroyed when Jace kidnapped and abused me. I love you and I want you to focus on your daughter. I'll be back as soon as I can...hopefully I can find myself again and we can move forward together.

Love Dessie-girl

By the time she had written the letter, the postman who she had befriended knocked on the front door and after some friendly banter went on his way on his beat up motorcycle taking her letter with him. The air was crisp and clean and without wasting time, she slid her feet into her flip flops and walked down the path to the beach where young children were learning to surf. As the early morning sun hit the water, she couldn't help but admire the beauty around her wishing Alex could be here with her.

A shadow fell across her and she sighed looking up into the icy cold gaze of a man who looked as if he should be on the cover of GQ or Men's Fitness. "Good morning neighbour," She glanced sideways getting a good look at him without being too obvious. She looked down at her body. hoping she wasn't spilling out of her bikini as she was often famous for.

"Good morning," It was hard to not to salivate over the man. "I'm Destiny...Destiny Parker," She extended her hand to him, biting her lip nervously as he shook her hand firmly.

"Blake...Blake Harding," He smiled shaking her hand for a second too long without coming across as a horny male. "Well Ms Parker, what brings you to Atlantic Gardens?" He asked angling his body towards hers. She smirked remembering how she had almost lost it the first time that Alex had done the same to her, a few months after she began to work for him. She laughed as she remembered that it had been the first night she had dreamed of him. Unfortunately it had to go on for years before they had acted on their feelings.

"My sister-in-law owns a flat and I decided I needed to get away from the crazyness of my life," She revealed to him wondering on God's green earth she had let it slip that she was running from something... or someone.

"What about you?" She asked releasing her hair from her scrunchie, running her hands through her hair. "What brings you here?"

"Holiday. My work schedule keeps me pretty busy and I need some time before my wedding. This is like a pre-wedding holiday for me," He smirked and she scowled but realized it was silly to be territorial of a man who was not hers and who was taken. She then kicked herself for thinking of him in that way when she was taken by a man who loved her. Then she remembered that it had been a while since she was with Alex.

"What do you do?" He asked before she could ask him for herself. They already had a comfortable banter going on between them and she couldn't help laughing.

"I'm a psychiatrist," She nodded wondering where he kept his stash of drugs. She needed something to take the edge off and her doctor had ended her tequila of Lexapro and Renax for her depression.