A Life More Complete by Nikki Young

nearly gasps. He steps
back slightly and a smile builds as the shock of it all fades away.
    “You heard me.”
    “Say it again.”
    “I love you.” I smile and pull him to
me, kissing his neck.
    “God damn! Took you long enough!”
    “Six years. Why’d you wait on me?”
    “Krissy, I knew the moment I met you
that I loved you. I’m drawn to you like never before. My dad told me once that
I’d know, but I thought he was full of shit. He was so right.”
    “I’m sorry I made you wait.” I
breathe out.
    “It was worth every second,” he
mutters as he leans down to kiss me. His lips linger softly against mine before
pulling away. I tilt my head back exposing my neck to him and he follows my
cue. I stop breathing as the tip of his tongue traces my jaw and his lips glide
down my neck. I breathe in hard; my fingers ache to touch him as I pull him in
closer. “Not here,” he whispers in my ear and a shiver of pleasure fills my
body. He lifts me from the table, his hands gripping me tightly and I need this
more than anything. When his body covers mine, my need only grows. Ben’s hands
follow the curves of my body and with every touch his fingers leave my skin
aching for more. When he’s finally inside me, my body is so sensitive, so
acutely aware of his every movement that it takes only seconds for me to lose
myself in him. All the insecurities that plague my life fall away and I can’t
remember ever feeling this free, this safe…this loved.
    The months slip by and Ben and I fall
into an easy rhythm. Ben cooking me dinner on the nights I work late and us
eating together, laughing and sharing stories. He runs with me every morning
and brings me chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches in the evening. I’d buy
Ben’s favorite foods when I grocery shopped and I learned to make chicken tacos
from his grandma’s recipe. We’d play Wii for hours until Ben’s competitive
streak would show forcing us to quit before it turned ugly. We’d bust out my
college pawnshop purchase of the original Nintendo and he would laugh at my
ridiculous ability to kill him in Dr.
Mario and Mike Tyson’s Punch Out .
He was not only my boyfriend, but he’d become my best friend. It was perfect
and on the nights that we spent apart I had trouble sleeping, only finding
comfort on his side of the bed. The smell of his body lingered on my sheets
making it the only way I could sleep. I found such contentment in the simplicity
of our relationship.
    I pulled away from my job almost
immediately upon my return. I began to shuck my responsibilities onto interns
and other reps just so I could be home with Ben. I was surprised at how easy it
was to create a schedule Ben and I could both be happy with. I still traveled
regularly, but I made it a point to be home every Friday night. Ellie divvied
down my client list leaving me with only some of our more important ones. I
kept my personal life separate and it was working out perfectly.        

---Chapter 7---

 
 
    It’s around three o’clock in the
morning on a Monday when I notice my phone lighting up on my nightstand. I
promised Ben when I returned home from my trip to Gia’s that my phone would
remain on silent through the night, even though it wasn’t unusual for me to
receive multiple late night texts or phone calls. I’ve stood firm with my
promise now for months, but staying late at work as little as possible, that’s
a whole other story. I started out good, but old habits die-hard and I’m back
to working long hours and now, answering my phone in the middle of the night. I
glance at Ben as he sleeps soundlessly next to me in my bed. I reach for my
phone, covering the screen with my hand so I don’t disturb him. I creep into
the kitchen and scroll through the missed calls. Three missed calls and one
voice mail, all from the same number, and it’s one I don’t recognize. I enter
my password and as the message plays my mouth drops open and I gasp out loud,