am not interested.”
He stepped in front of me, blocking my escape. “I am not playing anything,
Caitlyn. I want nothing from you but to show you your worth.”
“What do you know about my worth?”
“I can tell you have been deeply hurt, and you have never truly been loved
by a man.” He rested his hand on my shoulder. “There is a scared little girl inside you. Let her grow up.”
Emotions flooded me. I had tried to forget the evening with Christopher. I even convinced myself that I was in control. All the men that I had used to forget what happened were supposed to make me better. They didn’t. He was right. I was just a scared little girl.
I collapsed on the loveseat and buried my face in my hands. It felt like I had
been transported to five years earlier, and I was still trapped in the beach house.
The degradation. The pain. The guilt. It all washed over me. The memories I buried were torn wide open.
I cringed as I felt his arm around me. “You owe no man, Caitlyn. Free yourself from the burden. You’re not inferior. You’re a treasure waiting to bloom.”
My instincts kicked in, and I kissed Nick.
Gently, he pulled away. “Your body should not be payment for a kind
gesture. The pleasure of the flesh will not heal what is broken.”
I moved away feeling rejected.
“Do not feel hurt. Talk to me. Show me the real Caitlyn.” He took my hand.
We sat in silence as the night sky grew darker. Finally, as the twilight sky began to lighten in preparation for the sunrise, I told him the story of how this broken girl before him was formed. I confessed all my sins, my guilt, and my fears as if I was in a church confessional.
He silently listened, only touching my hand to comfort me. When the sun began to rise, I had bared my soul. I was exposed and raw, but I felt released from the prison I had trapped myself in.
“Caitlyn, I would like to sleep with you,” Nick said.
I cringed at his words. I told him my darkest secret. The things I had done.
Was he turned on by this?
“You misunderstand.” He touched my cheek. “Fully clothed, nothing more
than a warm body holding you as you heal from your cleansing. When you wake, the broken girl you have been holding so tightly to will be gone. She will
be free.”
Exhausted, I wanted nothing more than for his words to be true. I followed
him to the master suite and climbed under the covers after removing only my shoes. I watched as Nick removed his shoes, suit jacket, and tie, but nothing more. He slipped under the covers and opened his arms. Without hesitation, I snuggled against him.
I trusted him. Naïve or not, I was in his arms, hoping it wasn’t a lie. When I
heard the soft breath of sleep from him, I relaxed and allowed myself to drift to sleep.
In the morning, I woke to an empty bed. My heart fell. Disappointed, I gathered
my items and began to leave. I was met by Nick. He had showered and changed
into a pair of khakis and a crisp white short-sleeved shirt.
“Good morning, sleepyhead. Would you like breakfast? A shower?” He
greeted me with a kiss on the cheek. A knock on the door sounded, and Nick beamed. “Perfect timing.”
The door opened, and a silver tray of food was wheeled in. “Would you like
this placed on the dining room table, Mr. Fisher?”
“Yes, and has my order arrived yet?”
The bellhop reached into the dumbwaiter and pulled out two bags with
Macy’s written on them.
“Good.” Nick smiled. He signed the check and sent the man on his way.
