Confirming my realization of his thoughts, he said my name. “Sophie?”
“Yeah, I’m here,” I assured.
“It’s my turn,” he said.
I wanted to question what he meant, but I already knew, and what could I say to that? Nothing.
“Did you hear me, Sophie?”
“Yes,” I whispered.
“I mean it. I meant what I said in Virginia. I love you. You’ve taken care of me more than I deserve and now it’s my turn.”
I went to reply, but my lip quivered and I had to take a deep breath and suck in the tears just to speak clearly. I said the only thing I knew he wanted to hear and the only thing I wanted to say.
“Okay. I love you, too.” And with that, the quiet sniffles started, no matter how much I’d fought them. I tilted the phone away from my mouth, hoping he couldn’t hear.
I heard him say my name, so I pressed my ear back to the phone.
“Don’t cry,” he said, “Everything’s going to be okay.”
Chapter 14
MATURITY
The following two hours were like the night before Christmas when you’re five, only times it by a thousand. My nerves were tingly all over, and I couldn’t sit still. I wanted to run outside, jump around, and drive to the airport at a hundred miles an hour, but Wes had told me to stay put.
For some reason, he’d said he didn’t want me leaving the house for even a second until he got there. He even asked me to call in sick to work, assuring me it was nothing major. He just wanted to make sure things settled down while he was on his way. He also gave me the heads up that his cell phone had been taken, so if I needed him, I’d have to call Dr. Lyon’s phone.
I acted like the cell phone being taken was the worst crime in the world, but he wasn’t concerned. He said it was password protected and anyone trying the wrong password three times would cause everything to be wiped out. He wasn’t worried about personal contacts or emails being stolen. He just wanted to come home and start over.
I, on the other hand, wanted to know what was going on. Where had he been, who had taken him, and on what terms had he been allowed to leave, and why wouldn’t they return his personal items?
I had so many questions, but most importantly, I had a blinding desire to wrap myself in him and not come out.
To pass the time, I cleaned my room, and the kitchen. And then I took a shower and put on a decent pair of jeans and a white tank top. Then, like an anxious puppy, I sat in the living room’s bay window, waiting for Wes to arrive.
After thirty minutes of impatience, a champagne-colored Cadillac sedan pulled into my driveway, flanked by two black Chevy Tahoes. At first I tensed, concerned that the unfamiliar vehicles held a threat. I pulled out my cell phone, prepared to dial 911, when Wes raised himself out of the backseat.
The sight of him strong and unharmed gave me a head rush. I jumped off the windowsill and ran out of the house, unable to contain my excitement and relief. I met him halfway up my walkway and folded myself in his outstretched arms, becoming part of him again. Our bodies pressed together like a lock and key as he held me in uninterrupted, silent bliss.
As the moments passed, he held me tighter than he ever had, and I soaked him up, reveling in the overdue encounter. Eventually, he broke the silence.
“Is your mom home?”
I shook my head quickly and squeezed even tighter. With my answer, he lifted me off the ground and carried me back into the house, closing the door behind us. Inside the confines of my foyer, he backed me up against the wall and kissed me with so much urgency that I couldn’t believe how aggressive he was being. My face in his palm, then my hair tightly clasped in one hand, then his body . . . all of his body . . . pressed against me. I felt my eyes roll lazily behind my lids.
Sensations I never knew existed swept through me, making me feel like he wasn’t close enough, only that wasn’t possible . . . unless. Desire caused my knees to buckle and my body to sink. For a moment he slid down the wall with me and when we had gone too far, he put his arms under my bottom and picked me up, pressing my back up against the wall.
“Wes, stop!” I panted desperately.
“I don’t think I can,” he said still kissing my neck.
“Oh, my gosh, please, I can’t take it.”
“Me, either,” he said still kissing.
I pushed his chest, seriously feeling like I was going to pass out.
My feet settled back on the floor as he buried his face in my neck.
“Okay,” he said.
“Okay,” I said back.
“Okay,” he whispered again, accompanied by a small laugh.
Feeling his chest vibrate caused me to laugh too. “What was that?” I asked.
Pulling back only enough to put his forehead to mine, he said, “I don’t know.”
“You attacked me,” I said.
Still leaning into me, he replied unashamedly, “I know.”
I was still laughing slightly at the surprise fit of passion. “Do it again,” I said.
He laughed louder. “No.” Then he pulled back to reveal that perfect face and smile I had missed so much. “At least not right now. I just had to get that out of the way. I thought about being close to you every second of every day.” He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Wow, I needed that . . . I needed you.”
I leaned back into him for another hug. Feeling his hands wrap around my waist replaced every last nook and cranny of worry in my soul with a sense of peace and joy.
“I missed you so much,” I said.
“I know, me too.”
He pulled back and gazed into my eyes with what looked like pride. “You’re so perfect.”
I smiled softly, thinking the same thing about him.
Once our coveted reunion was satisfying enough to both of us, he got right down to business.
“I have to go to the lab. We have to hold an emergency meeting.”
My face must have shown concern. “It’s nothing big. Don’t worry. But we have to make sure the labs and the employees are protected from future attempts to breach security. It won’t take long, but I don’t want you here by yourself. Can we take you to my house? My security system is top notch and I—”
“Wes, I’m not separating from you again. Forget it.”
He looked at me for only a second and agreed. I grabbed my purse and took his hand and he led me out of the house with no intention of letting it go. Ever.
As we approached the Cadillac, I saw that Dr. Lyon was driving. He got out of the car to greet me.
“Sophie,” he nodded with an appreciative smile.
“Dr. Lyon.”
“Well, I’d tell you nice work, but I’m sure you know that already.”
I had so many questions about how my information got Wes back and what role Dr. Lyon had played in it, but I knew that standing here in my driveway was neither the time nor the place, so I smiled and thanked him in return.
Wes opened the rear passenger door for us, but before I could slide in, I heard another car approaching. I turned my head to see a police cruiser rolling up at a snail’s pace.
Inside were Officers Wright and Petty. The car stopped right at the foot of my driveway, blocking any attempt on our part to back up.
Wes looked at me, confused, so I turned to attempt the only plausible explanation I could come up with. “It’s a long story, but I told them I needed to visit Tim in jail because I couldn’t find you and only Tim knew. Then, I told them I could find you after all. I think they’re just checking.”
Instead of showing concern that they were there possibly looking for him, he leaned down, ignoring their approach altogether.
“You went to see Tim?”
I shrugged, “I’ll explain later.”
“Good afternoon, Sophie.” I turned back to face Officer Wright’s greeting.
“Hi, Officer.”
“So, it looks like Weston is here. That’s good news.”
“Uh, yeah
, I told you everything was fine.”
Officer Petty came to stop in front of Wes, eyeing him suspiciously, “So, where were you again?”
“I was away on business.”
“I see,” he said.
Wes placed his hand on my back. “Is there a problem, Officer?”
Officer Wright had a much kinder approach, as always. “No, not anymore. Sophie here mentioned that you might be a missing person and then she retracted after her visit with an inmate. We decided to follow up to make sure things were all right. It looks like everything’s good to go.”
“Thank you,” Wes said appreciatively. I sure hoped my mention of him at the station the other night didn’t cause them to dig into his records and possibly find some discrepancies. I was starting to worry again, but Wes pulled me close. “Well, I just flew in, and we have to get some lunch before my next meeting.”
The officers nodded and took the cue to retreat back to their vehicle, noticeably scoping out the two black Tahoes parallel-parked in front of my house. I, too, became curious about their presence.
Once inside the car, Wes explained to me that they were security officers from the lab and Dr. Lyon thought it was a good idea to have them tail along for a while. I have to say, having them following us made me feel like an important person with a target on her life, but safe nonetheless, so I didn’t complain.
Besides, I really didn’t have time. Wes bombarded me with questions about Chase and Tim the whole way to his lab. And although I could sense some gratitude toward Chase for ratting on Tim, Wes was less sympathetic about his death than I was.
It didn’t take long to realize that I was the only one explaining events. By the time I was done, we were at the lab. I’m not sure if Wes did that on purpose or if the details surrounding Chase and Tim were that important. Regardless, I made a note to get the information I wanted as soon as we had alone time again.
I’d never been to the research facility and was sort of shocked at how intimidating it looked. I half expected to see a NASA sign or rocket launch pad off to the side.
For starters, it was gated with a black six-foot iron fence. The entryway was manned by a uniformed guard. Once past the gate, we traveled down a paved double-lined road along a freshly landscaped stretch of greenery and flowers.
The building itself was a plain, four story, white brick rectangular structure with very few windows. Surrounded by mulch and flowers was a blue sign with white letters that read, California Blood Research Lab.
Dr. Lyon pulled into the first reserved parking space, and the Tahoes parked a few spaces down.
The short walk to the front led us to a small lobby with two more uniformed guards sitting behind a small counter-height desk decorated with a matching blue and white California Blood Research Lab sign.
Upon our approach, the dark-skinned, bald guard stood, prompting Dr. Lyon to flash and swipe his badge.
Dr. Lyon broke the silence, “Gentlemen.”
The guard nodded and turned to Wes, clearly recognizing him but still looking for his badge.
Dr. Lyon spoke up again. “We do not have Weston’s today.”
“No problem.” He flashed a nice smile and then turned to me. “We’ll just need the guest to sign in and—”
Wes cut him off. “No. She’ll be fine. No need.”
“But the protocol—”
Unsure what was happening, I looked away from the suspicious guards while they debated. I focused my attention on the large plasma TVs, on each side of the lobby, playing a medical documentary, in unison.
Even as I focused on a cell diagram and the instructional voiceover, I heard Dr. Lyon speak up. “Stephen, Mr. Wilson is in charge of protocol here, and this young lady is his personal guest. He’ll account for her.”
Without further argument, he stepped back and diverted his attention to the guards from the Tahoes who satisfyingly flashed and swiped their badges as Wes led me past.
Once through the lobby, we approached an area with two elevators on each side. Dr. Lyon pressed the button on the left wall. Watching Wes let Dr. Lyon take charge showed me how much Wes appreciated and welcomed his guidance.
After a silent minute, the doors opened and I reluctantly went in, realizing I was in an environment completely foreign to me.
It was overtly apparent that we were not headed to a classroom, library, or study hall. This was grown-up stuff, which had only recently begun to suit me. I’d only been eighteen for six months and during that time, I’d teetered between feeling like an adult and a minor. I think it was because becoming an adult brought me closer to nineteen and that’s not something I looked forward to. But now, it was time to grow up, like it or not.
I watched Dr. Lyon swipe his badge again and press the button for the fourth floor. The entire time, I was mentally preparing myself for what lay ahead.
I was no longer Sophie who had homework to do or Sophie who has a boyfriend, who had fallen in love for the first time, who is afraid to die, afraid of losing Wes. I was now a woman, a survivor, and a fiancée.
The fiancée of someone who had the ability to change the world. To be selfless. And being in his element made me painfully aware that life was not about me surviving past nineteen or getting to kiss him forever. It was about making a difference that would affect other people forever.
We stepped off that elevator and the hustle and bustle of lab techs, doctors, and more security solidified that the future should not be about me or whether Sophie and Wes live happily ever after.
Walking further, I was guided through white hallways with several closed and secured doors. I overheard Dr. Lyon, walking ahead of us, give a general update on the previous hours’ events to other lab personnel.
With Wes’ arm still around me, I listened intently as Dr. Lyon described how he’d called Dr. Carter and picked Wes up during the night. When he was finished with his account, he gave instructions to remain in lockdown. I felt my arms tighten around Wes at the mention of security, leading him to rub my back as we made our way through the last door.
Surprisingly, the room we entered was a rather large lounge area with modern leather sofas. Two couches sat perpendicular to each other and seemed to invite anyone to plop themselves into their plush cushions.
The walls were filled with abstract paintings. The more I looked around, the more I was reminded of Wes’ house. Nicely decorated, but without much of a female touch to it.
By the time I finished observing my surroundings, the men had begun to file into another room just off to the right. I peeked past their shoulders and could make out a long rectangular conference table surrounded by more plush leather seating.
Right about then, Dr. Lyon turned to Wes and told him that I needed to stay outside. Wes nodded and turned to me.
I felt myself leaning forward, waiting for an explanation.
“It’ll be all right,” he said. “I’ve got to sit in on this meeting, and they’ll only allow board members to enter. I’ll be right inside. You can call for me if you need anything.”
I looked around, not loving the idea of sitting alone, but I sucked up the disappointment of being the odd one out and nodded.
My lack of resistance sparked a small smile from Wes, and he leaned down to kiss my forehead with a gentle rub of my arms. “There are drinks in the fridge over there and snacks in the basket on the counter. I’ll be out soon.”
With that, he turned and followed Dr. Lyon into the boardroom. I spun around on my heels and took in the surroundings one more time. Zeroing in on the magazines, I made myself physically comfortable while trying to find entertainment in dozens of medical magazines.
I felt so naïve. I had always had an interest in the medical field, but everything I flipped through was over my head. If I were going to have any shot at a career at all, I’d have to get with the program. Start being more proactive.
By the time Wes and Dr. Lyon came out, my brain was crammed with information from arthritis to treating the common cold.
Relieved, I stood and found myself tucked under his protective arm. Indescribable feelings of contentment fluttered through me, in spite of the most unromantic surroundings. And I knew right then that even though life had just gotten a whole lot more complicated, the connection that made Wes and me so special was not going away.
Chapter 15
THE LITTLE GIVER
After we both thanked Dr. Lyon, Wes guided me toward the door with his hand on the small of my back.
“What was that all about?” I asked as we headed toward the elevator.
“The board just wanted to make sure the lab was secure.”
“They needed you to come all the way here for that?”
I turned myself square to him while we waited for the doors to open. “Well, sort of. We’re very close to launching a test study for some life-changing cures. It’s very important that nothing leaks yet. They want to make sure the people who were interested in my knowledge weren’t onto our real progress.”
I was oddly curious now, wanting to know what I was missing. “Real progress in what? What kind of cures?” I asked in a near whisper, feeling that we shouldn’t be talking about it.
“I can’t really say,” he whispered back, contorting his face in way that said he wished he could. Even though I knew everything regarding the lab was confidential, I still didn’t like Wes keeping secrets. Lab or no lab, it really bugged me.
“Wes. Are you really planning to keep secrets from me?” I frowned like the child I was so hoping not to be any more.
He studied me, and I watched as his gaze surveyed each crease in my face.
“Okay, fine,” he said turning me toward the elevator, so our backs were to anyone else filing in and out of the lounge from which we had come. “We’re very close to having a cure for HIV and leukemia. We’re almost ready to launch test studies, but they need to make sure our research doesn’t get into the wrong hands.”
The elevator finally dinged and we stepped inside, alone.
“What happens if it gets into the wrong hands?”