Page 51 of Grand Master

MISSING YOU…

Yvette’s apartment was cozy and warm. It smelled like the cocoa butter that Yvette rubbed on her body briskly after getting out of the shower.

Today, she had to get up early to meet with her new boss Bleu.

She left at six am and told me that she would be back later on.

I had no idea what I would do with myself, so I laid curled up in the corner of her oversized sectional couch.

I downloaded the kindle app to my phone and started a new book called “ Forever More ” by a new to me author by the name of Masterpiece.

My entire body felt sluggish, I hadn’t slept since the phone call with Kenric.

His breakdown yesterday haunted my mind.

I felt it through the phone and desperately wanted to stand on my tippy toes just to wrap my arms around his neck and bring his face to the crook of my neck.

I jumped at the three solid taps to Yvette’s front door.

I sat up straight; my stomach tightened in a way that I hated.

It wasn’t fear, it was high anticipation and excitement.

I rose from the couch and frowned at my wrinkled clothes.

Yvette left me a couple of dollars to go out later today and buy myself some clothes from the Walmart down the street from her house.

Soon as I opened the door, my breath caught, then disappointment slowly seeped in.

It was Tone, standing right in the center of the door.

His shoulders were squared with a mean mug covering his face.

I took note of the new fresh haircut and swallowed down my compliment.

He actually looked good with the new fade; it brought out his handsome features.

He stared at me for what felt like forever then without a word, he extended his hand. My eyes bulged in shock; it was my violin in a new black leather case. I grabbed it with shaky hands, still trying to choose my next set of words.

“There’s an envelope inside of the case… A hundred thousand dollars to be exact with an audition invitation form that Kenric expects you to fill out for the Avalon Prime’s. Your car is parked out front, the keys to it is inside the case as well.” He uttered unenthused.

I stared at him confused, my heart thumped hard in my chest as I started to panic.

It felt like this was a farewell, Kenric giving me my violin, tons of money and setting me up with an audition with a company bigger than life. He even had my car delivered which extended my freedom.

“Where’s Kenric?” I placed the violin case inside against the door then stepped to the side for Tone to come inside of Yvette’s apartment.

He stepped inside then closed the door behind him. An awkward amount of silence stretched between us as I crossed my arms in front of me.

“Kenric is where you last left him, Mira. You have his number, feel free to call him. I think he’ll love hearing from you…from time to time.” He offered me a half smile.

“From time to time?” I whispered.

“You look tired,” he eyed me closely.

I laughed weakly then looked away trying my hardest to fight away my emotions.

“I haven’t slept, Tone…I didn’t think I would miss him so badly in a short amount of time... I’m worried about him, then there’s these conflicting feelings that tells me I’m crazy because maybe ? —”

“Kenric loves you, it started as obsession and him needing you in his possession, but he’s fallen in love…regular people call it love at first sight. Kenric’s language is a little different concerning that…”

Tone looked deeply into my eyes; I could see the sadness behind his slightly tight eyes.

“I was against everything in the beginning when he first laid eyes on you Mira. Kenric is my brother, and I’m his keeper.

It doesn’t matter to me if he accepts that or not.

I love him. I even understand him well. I want him to experience whatever this is with you because I know it will help him feel more than the empty darkness that he navigates through.

Staress says she believes that the universe aligned the two of you together…

I’m starting to believe that especially now since Kenric is stepping away from you to let you have space.

” He chuckled then flicked his index finger across his nose.

“What does that mean?” I asked failing to hide the panic in my tone of voice.

I didn’t want Kenric to pull fully away from me. I just needed space and a little bit of time to process everything that took place within the six weeks of me being at Grand Corp with him.

“It means that it’s a small start to a little bit of change in him, Mira.

Accept it and let it be what it’s going to be.

The old Kenric would have had you captured back in his presence the first hour you went missing…

he has the muscle and the army to make it happen.

I saw him struggle with it too, but he decided this.

” Tone smile reached his eyes, his shoulders relaxed.

“Enjoy the gifts, I hope for the best between you two.” Tone continued, he bowed his head then turned toward the door.

Mira’s Birthday

A Month Later…

Beloved Mother. Resting but never forgotten.

“Hey Ma,” I whispered as I swallowed a painful lump that crawled up my throat.

I was feeling many things today, loneliness and sadness was at the top of my list. Today was my twenty-eighth birthday and I did what I did every year since losing my mom.

I wiped my hands over my legs and pulled my hoodie tighter around me.

I never kept track of the time whenever I did come but most likely I would be forced by security to leave once the cemetery closed.

I needed peace, and somehow this place always offered it. I glanced at my violin case again then back to the sky searching for something that I knew I wouldn’t find. The clouds shifted a little as a soft breeze caressed the side of my face instantly giving me the chills.

“It hurts sometimes to just sit here…it feels like you might walk up behind me and tell me that you changed your mind about leaving me.” I smiled through my tears.

“I really need you, ma… I don’t know what’s happening to me…” My words trailed off as I rocked myself to ease the sting of my heart thinking about Kenric.

He hadn’t called, I felt like a crazy fool calling him and texting him several times over the passing weeks just to get some sort of a response.

If I could remember where Grand Corp was, I probably would have driven my nice car that he given me over there.

I remembered it was downtown L.A. but couldn’t remember the building.

It all seemed like a bad dream that was ripped away by a decision that I made to leave.

I kept convincing myself that it was the logical thing to do.

I couldn’t get Kenric off of my mind though.

I thought about him throughout the day, I wondered what he had been up to and if he found another woman to obsess over the way that he did me.

Jealously crept inside of me and angered me all in one.

Maybe it was a sick game, but to what extent?

Things had started to look up for me in a major way after leaving.

I was now considered a chamber musician through Avalon’s Prime company.

It was guaranteeing good money, soon I’d be playing at big festivals, universities and other cultural events to show my skill.

I knew that Kenric called in favors for me to get accepted so fast, it was a dream of mine for years that I told him about.

Before getting accepted into Avalon’s Prime, Yvette helped me get my own apartment in the same building as her.

It was a nice one bedroom and cozy enough for just me.

I used some of the hundred thousand that Kenric gave me to move in and even furnished the place with him in mind.

It was odd but I was hopeful that he would come to visit me.

I ordered an expensive King size bed for his height.

I even took it a step further and decorated my apartment with the color themed as black and red.

I was in denial at first about me missing him, I was ashamed to admit to that.

But as days turned into weeks, I grew sick about it and overly anxious.

Although I had these small victories, the hollow ache in my chest refused to fade.

Yvette tried to pull me out, inviting me to dinners and sending cheerful text messages, but none of it filled the space my mother and Kenric left behind.

I kept wondering if I would ever experience some sort of happiness, or if I'd always be haunted by memories and what-ifs.

“I really need you today momma.” I simpered.

“I don’t know what’s happening to me. I fell in love with—” My voice cracked as I refused to finish the sentence.

Kenric kidnapped me, there was no doubt about how wrong it was. I forgiven him for it, gave him my body and opened my mind to him.

“He’s dangerous, I don’t know if you’d approve of him or try to love him through his pain like you did with our selfish family. Kenric is cold, unpredictable but he’s so broken, Ma.” The wind blew softly again; a leaf landed on my cheek seconds later it flew off.

“I think he needs love more than I do, and that scares me,” I admitted. “Because if I give it to him…I don’t know if I’ll survive what happens next… That’s if he even wants my love anymore.” I stated, sadly.

“I came to you about Darius, and I felt nothing from you as an answer…” I inhaled a deep breath and held it closing my eyes.

“You probably didn’t say anything because you knew Darius was a horrible person and not meant for me…” The breeze picked up causing some of my hair to shift and blow over my face.

“I feel you today, Ma… I want him to reach out to me; I want to see his face because…” I opened my tearful eyes and looked at her headstone in anguish.

“If I don’t give him love, I’m afraid no one will teach him how to be more than just pain.” I sobbed the last part of my words out.