Opening the door, he says, “Hey beautiful girl, ready for dinner?” His emerald eyes sparkle drinking me in.
Just like that, my frown turns into a smile, a genuine smile. Nick just knows me. He’s exactly what I need to forget my crappy day. Straightening out my head, I hold up my finger to let him know I’ll be ready soon. “Give me a few and we can head out.”
Giving my area a once over, I grab my purse and reach for the door handle. Liza is working late with a patient. They have another hour ahead of them. Knowing her boyfriend is coming to pick her up, I’m ready to go. With my hand on the door, the phone rings, and I ponder on whether to answer it or let it go to the recording. “What now.” I let go of the door handle to answer it.
“Noelridge Dental, can I help you?” My voice is marginally stressed.
An awkward pause follows.
“Elsa, is that you?”
“Yes, this is Elsa, can I help you?” I’m not paying much attention, because the file on my desk needs filing. Not thinking much else, I turn to do just that saying the alphabet in my head, to make sure the chart is filed correctly.
“Oh my God, this is you.” His voice softens to a whisper.
It’s then I freeze. A burst of adrenaline blasts my body like a locomotive My heart slams out of my chest and hits the floor.
HOLY SHIT. HOLY SHIT. HOLY SHIT.
“Micah.” Saying his name ignites a tingling sensation across my body.
Taking every ounce of strength I have in me, I whisper his name with my eyes squeezed shut. My racing heart feels like it might explode. Damn near knocking the wind out of me, my legs give out. Luckily, my chair catches me. Upon opening my eyes, the first thing I see is Nick standing in the doorway, staring right at me.
MY HEAD’S SPINNING, and the awkward silence is almost too much to bear. I’m clueless what to say to him, and by the lack of words coming from him, I can only guess he is feeling the same way. The shock on Nick’s face gives way to the look of horror on mine. This day is going to kill me yet. So many emotions are running through my mind. Holding my hand over my mouth, I can feel the tears threatening to escape.
Nick’s startled expression abruptly changes to a murderous stare. He’s watching me fall apart in front of his eyes. I know the more I crumble apart, the more his look transforms into hatred.
Clearing my mind and throat, I’m desperate to make Micah understand. He’s repeatedly asked me to talk with him. With him on the phone, and Nick breathing down my neck, all I want to do is escape.
Fiddling with my necklace, my voice trembles. “Micah, I’m not sure this is a good idea.” My hushed tone carries more like a whisper with every scorchingly hot tear that ebbs my cheeks. Streaming, each tear feels like hot lava, descending, just like my resolve.
Micah’s voice breaks into his own set of sobs. “Elsa, I need to talk to you. There are things you don’t know, and I need to tell you before you find out another way.”
I can hear the anxiety laced with his words. I’m sure he had no idea when he woke up today, he’d ever imagine he’d be talking to me, just like I had no clue I would ever speak to him again. But, here we are. Five years later.
Holding the phone next to my ear, I’m struggling to find the right words. Pinching my lower lip, I’m at a loss for words. A part of me just wants to hang up on him, shutting him out. But the other part is desperate to hold onto the phone just to hear his voice.
I simply can’t allow this.
“There is nothing you need to say, so please don’t contact me again Micah. You have no idea, so just please let it go.” I say timidly, as a loud sob escapes my throat. Clutching my chest, it feels like it’s split wide open. I’m rocking back and forth in my chair. I can faintly hear Nick insisting I hang up the phone over my shoulder.
Micah refuses to listen, he keeps on. “No El, you need to listen to me. For the love of God, please hear me out.”
His voice becomes muffled like his hand is covering his phone. “Jesus Christ, how the hell did this happen?” He is talking to someone, no idea who. It’s then another male voice speaks, and I conclude it’s Matt. Of course. Dammit.
Listening to them talk, I notice Nick is pacing the front room, he comes to my desk tapping his fingers on the counter.
He’s beyond mad, more like fuming mad. “Hang up El, there is no need to talk to him. Don’t you let him hurt you again.” Nick says in a tone the matches the look of his face. Cold, loud, hard and angry.
I disagree with him. “No, he can’t hurt me. Not anymore.” It’s then I realize he must have misinterpreted my notion because he is shouting at me now.
“Enough Elsa, tell him enough! You’re done with him, once and for all.”
My mouth hangs open, I’m surprised by his anger, and the fact he is shouting at my place of work. Holding the phone away from my face, I try to hush him using my hands. “I’m not letting him hurt me again, let me handle this, Nick.” I swear the look I’m giving him should alert him to the fact to just how difficult this is. It’s freaking natural that I’m shocked, but I don’t need him going off the deep end. I’m not stupid, I’m just shocked, surprised maybe, but never an idiot.
At the moment the only stupid thing is all I’ve shared with Nick about my past with Micah. He knows too much, enough to hurt me by hurting Micah. Nick knows all of my secrets. If he ever got a hold of Micah, I know he would tell him the one secret that would destroy Micah. His primary goal would be to hurt Micah, but in doing so, he would destroy me. I cannot let that happen. It’s as if my entire world is gradually falling apart. Knowing what power comes with knowing this secret, hell, I’ll protect it with everything I have. I won’t let anyone use it as a pawn to hurt someone else. I’ll defend it like a lioness protecting her cub. A mother protecting her child.
“Who is that? Is that Nick?” Micah says with pure venom.
Pulling the phone from my face, I stare at it. How the hell does he knows Nick’s name? Wait, I just said his name out loud. What the heck, my nerves are shot. I’m not thinking straight. Why the hell would I be? My past showed up today and is slowly chipping away at me. Not sure how much more of me there is to take, because once your heart is shattered, and your soul is shredded, there’s not much left. Doesn’t matter how strong of a person you are, there is only so much before the only thing left, is an empty shell.
Micah’s frantically trying to convince me to hear him out. “Meet me at least once. Please give me a chance to explain things before it becomes a huge mess. I’m begging you, Elsa.”
Micah’s voice shakes the last bit of my resolve. All of these years he’s haunted my dreams, and now he is on the phone begging me. How did this happen?
I need to end this. “No, please just go away. Live your life, I’m trying to do the same with mine.” It’s not the time nor the place to have this talk with him. Either that or I’m going to faint. Nick is going to smash the phone or better yet, Dr. Davis is going to walk up front. Any of those is not a good thing, the best option is to disconnect the call.
Determinated, I’m able to use a hushed, controlled tone. “I have to go, this is not the time or place. I’m at work. Bye!” Lowering the phone, I can hear his voice through the receiver.
“Elsa, please do not hang up on me.”
Oops…too late!
Nick and I come back to my place. I’m too worked up to eat or be anywhere in public. To say I’m out of my mind, would not be far from the truth, I’m a wreck. I have no idea what Micah was trying to hint at that he needed to talk about something. It’s lost on me, but Nick is beyond pissed. His incessant pacing in my living room is not helping my nerves or resolve.