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miss-celestia13 · 11 months

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I Can See You

Jake x OFMC Forbidden Romance

Words: 6.6k

This is entirely inspired by the song, I Can See You by Taylor Swift. I wasn't expecting lusty Taylor on Speak Now TV, but I was well-fed! Many other Swiftie references are included in the story because I can't help myself! And smut, because that’s what I like🤭 no knowledge of the game is needed to read. It’s a complete AU. Thank you so much to the wonderful @rafa-elle for reading over parts of this to ensure I had the emotion right. Check her amazing stories out of you haven’t already!❤️

Kenzi lives a glittering life. Full of cameras, music and fame so dizzying it had the power to repel most from sticking around once it turned on her. Her newest bodyguard, Jake, has caught her eye, and sent her thoughts spinning with filthy daydreams. The reality would prove far more complicated. Secrets, pining and intoxicating lust.

Kenzi’s life is heavily inspired by Taylor Swift, if that wasn’t obvious. I’m not clever 😂❤️

Kenzi

For weeks, she had stolen glances and tried to engage him in conversation, and when that didn’t work, she pointedly ignored him. Her new bodyguard was rather impervious to her usual tricks. He looked at her to ensure she followed, only touching her to help her into or out of the myriad of vehicles she found herself inside. He would sit across from her, crystal eyes locked on the window as she scrolled through her phone and pretended she wasn’t watching him. He was tall and well-built, filling out the black suit most delightfully. And those goddamn eyes. She felt she was being pinned in place every time they met hers. She knew his first name, Jake, hadn’t asked for his last name as she wanted him to tell her. He hadn’t as of yet, much to her dismay.

Last night, she had performed the final show of her tour, and he had been in her line of sight during the after-party. She still wore the skimpy leotard she’d worn for her closing song, dancing and drinking with her tourmates while he watched her every move like a hawk. His gaze had been a scalding brand on her back, her face, and when she’d gone to the bathroom, he’d shadowed her every step and her ill advised lust had run rampant. All she could hear was her heartbeat in her ears, their thunderous footsteps as they walked down a dim hallway, and the leash she had kept on her wandering mind snapped.

The things she saw inside her head had almost taken her legs out from under her. He had brushed past her to check the bathroom was empty; in her mind, he turned, grabbed her by the throat, and shoved her up against the wall, mask pulled down before he kissed her stupidly. She was almost gasping for breath when he did, in fact, turn to her, but all he did was nod and hold the door open for her. She’d ducked under his arm, slammed the door, locked it, and spent frantic minutes trying to calm herself down. He had smelled like spice, heat, and something smoky that did nothing to cool the embers burning low in her stomach. The party after that had been a blur of nothing until she’d collapsed into bed.

It had been a highly frustrating time for Kenzi, and she had resorted to daydreaming, which had soon turned into the filthiest dreams she’d ever had. He was always faceless in her dreams. A blur with sapphire eyes that could have devoured worlds with the burn in them. The one from the night before had left her flustered and on edge all day. And it was all made worse by the fact that he was her solo guard tonight and would be haunting her house while she failed to sleep. The rest were stationed around the property and guarding her mother while she carried out some of the trickier aspects of her daughter’s fame. She had eaten a lonely dinner while he had checked the house was intruder free.

As she curled up on the couch, mindless reality TV shows playing to drown out the thoughts racing in her head, he appeared in the doorway and spoke some of the few words he was willing to give her. She idly wondered what he would do if she touched him.

“All is secure. I’ll do another check while you sleep.”

She nodded, forcing a smile as his eyes skipped over everything in the room but her, “Thank you. If you need anything to eat or drink, take it.” She always offered, and he always shook his head and said...

“Thanks. I have all that I need.”

Biting back a sigh, she nodded again and turned back to the TV just before her fake smile slid off her face, and she was back to scowling at her phone.

Jessy: How’s it going with Jake? ;-) Have you seen what’s under that suit yet?

She had only told Jessy about her silly little crush and trusted the woman with her life, as she’d been there long before the world had known Kenzi’s name. Chuckling bitterly, she tapped out a short reply and snorted at her answer before she tossed the phone aside.

Jessy: Just grab him by the tie, use it to lead him straight to your bed... then call me in the morning to tell me EVERYTHING!!!

It wasn’t that simple, though she dearly wished it was. He worked for her, his job was to protect her, and she knew the many reasons why she shouldn’t even try it, but still, she wanted him. A bodyguard’s duty was taken seriously. They were to ensure she remained amongst the living, even if that cost them their lives, a fact she did not take lightly and did all she could to make up for that risk. Once before, she had given in when attraction bloomed between her and a guard, it had ended in disaster, and he still liked to tell the tale of their short time together to news outlets. Her life was one giant fishbowl, and everything had to be kept secret until she was ready to deal with the world interfering.

He would either reject her and look for a new client, or he’d accept, and she’d go through all the shit again and become a national lightning rod for slut shaming. Still, she could sense him behind her. Like her entire nervous system had attuned to his, sparking alight whenever he drew close, her mind filled with maroon smoke once more. The night outside her window was black velvet, and though she couldn’t see anything, she knew her guards were out patrolling and would glance through the windows to ensure she was okay. She had decided to call it a night when Jake called her name for the first time, and her heart jumped into her throat, very much enjoying the way it rolled off his rusty tongue.

“Kenzi, James needs me for a moment. I won’t be gone long. You have your pepper spray?”

She rolled her eyes before she could stop herself, her heart sinking a little at him leaving even for a little while, and hurried to cover it, “Yes. That’s fine. I’ll see you in the morning.”

There was a snappish tone to her voice, and she cringed internally as his eyes filled with confusion, but she walked off before he could question her. She felt his stare until she climbed the stairs and bolted inside her bedroom, face burning red. Slumping against the door, heart rattling and head shaking, she cursed her hormones and thought she would have to fuck some sense back into herself one night when he wasn’t on Kenzi duty. Maybe it would take the edge off, and she would realize how stupid she was acting. He watched her like he was memorizing her, and it kept confusing her. None of the guards mentioned him except to say he was highly recommended and overqualified; he was a phantom, even amongst his own kind.

Throwing herself down on the bed, she muffled her groan into her pillow and willed her face to cool down. Idiot she was an absolute idiot to think she had the right to be mad at him for doing his job well. Repeating it in her head did nothing to stifle the shit in her thoughts. For weeks she had observed him, imagining all the ways he could take her apart and put her back together, desperately trying not to feel what she was feeling. But it was useless. He was in her head and wouldn’t leave. She wasn’t sure she wanted him out. No, she wanted him in, in so deep she forgot her own name and could only call his. So deep she would forget what a terrible idea it was, and skin and teeth and grasping hands erased the fear of being caught.

Maddening, that’s what it was, and she rolled onto her back with a huff as flame flared in her core, and she heard him returning to the house. She fancifully thought she could feel him moving around, silent and purposeful as he combed the house for threats to her, and she pressed her thighs together, annoyed with the constant burn. Her heart kicked up a racing beat as she heard him slowly climb the stairs. He didn’t usually come up until she was asleep, tried to give her as much privacy as he could, and it only endeared her to him more. She sat bolt upright as his steps came toward her door. This was new. She wasn’t entirely sure what to do when he knocked on her door.

Panic bloomed wild, and her hands shook, eyes burning holes through the door like she would see through it if she looked hard enough. Holding her breath, sure she had imagined it, she bit down a squeal as he knocked again, harder this time. Before she could stop herself, she spoke the words that sealed her fate.

“Come in, Jake.”

With a weighted pause, the floorboards outside her door creaked as he shifted on his feet, and her chest was screaming for air as the door slowly slid open, and he darkened her doorway. Scrambling to her feet, Kenzi eyed him warily as he came inside and left the door open. She wasn’t sure how she knew, but something was different; his usual cold aloofness was gone, and he almost looked nervous; she liked it. It put him on similar ground to her and made her brave.

“Is everything okay? You look worried.” She said, arching a brow and waiting him out as he seemed to struggle for words behind the mask.

He looked away from her, a hand lifting to scratch at the back of his neck, and she had to bite her tongue to keep from snapping at him to hurry. She hated feeling so unsure and had never felt so unhinged around a man despite what the media claimed. It annoyed and picked at her pride that he was so quiet and immovable. But tonight, she felt in the air that something had changed, and her skin buzzed slightly like a current ran through as he finally gave voice to whatever it was he’d been thinking about. And her flimsy hope died a bloody death.

“You seemed upset earlier. Do you have any complaints about my service?”

Sighing, she shook her head and looked away, breaking the intense eye contact he’d reeled her in with, “I’m not upset. You do a fine job. Don’t worry about that...” She trailed off, glanced at him again, and found him frowning, but there was a spark of something she didn’t recognize in his lovely eyes. Then he had to open his mouth again.

“You sound upset. Is there something I should know? Something you’re worried about?”

“I’m not upset!” she cursed inwardly; her high-pitched shout only made his eyes darker, and they shimmered with humor at her expense. Backtracking, blaming him, she went on, “I wasn’t upset until you came in and said I was! Everything is fine, you are doing fine, and I think I’ll sleep upstairs tonight.”

She grabbed her robe and pulled it on, feeling too exposed in her shorts and tank top, before she pushed past his towering frame and left the room, practically running for the stairs when he followed. The upstairs suite was mainly for guests, but she slept there when the weather was wild, but tonight it was her that was out of control, and she needed to lock herself in and get over this stupidity so she could look him in the eye again. She was halfway down the dark hallway when a firm hand wrapped around her upper arm and hauled her to a stop. Whirling, long blonde hair flying around her face, she glared at him and immediately stopped at what she saw. Her body tensed as her eyes took in his maskless face.

His eyes glinted in the frail light filtering through the window, and she hadn’t pictured him with a neat beard, but it suited him, and she suddenly wanted to scratch her nails through it. She curled her hands into fists to keep from doing that as he crowded her and raked his eyes over her face. The blood in her veins stilled as he lowered his head and breathed deeply, restarting again when he tilted his pretty head. Her temper sparked at his ongoing silence, and she tried to tug her arm out of his grip, but he only held her harder until she gave in and huffed.

“What? This isn’t part of your job description, Jake.”

He wasn’t afraid of her, she knew that, and when she met his eye, a spark caught in their azure depths, quick and hot, and she relaxed an inch.

“I want you to tell me why you’re upset. I’m not leaving until you do. I take my job very seriously, Kenzi.”

Oh, fuck her gently. Tomorrow, she was issuing a PR statement to inform the world that only he could call her by her name. The sound was rich and rough, smooth and harsh all at the same time. It lifted the hair on her nape, sending butterflies flying in her stomach. She registered his comment once the butterflies calmed, and her emotions shifted back to outrage.

“I don’t have to tell you anything. I’d like to sleep, and you’re keeping me from it.”

He sighed, a shake of his head as his mouth curled into a smirk so sensual she wanted to whimper as her dirty dreams played in her mind with vivid clarity.

“No, you’re lying. Tell me the real reason, Kenzi. I’m not leaving until you do.”

She was so close, the heat radiating from him was adding to her mind, and his scent had invaded her nose; she doubted she would ever get it out. Feeling trapped, cornered like prey, she turned it back on him.

“Why don’t you tell me why you care so much?”

Lifting her chin to glare at him, she didn’t have a chance to do more than hold on as he cursed, “Infuriating woman,” and she was suddenly pressed up against the wall, his mouth on hers before her mind could catch up, and then she didn’t care.

The cold wall seeped through her skimpy attire, the robe slipping off her shoulders to pool at her elbows as he kissed her hungrily. It was clumsy, a clash of teeth and tongue when she let him in that soon turned into a kiss so consuming that it burned. The scrape of his beard, the nervy brush of his tongue as she clung to his jacket, and heat pooled thick and fast between her thighs. She moaned into it, giving herself away, and the seal on her mouth was broken. He stepped back, panting as fear flashed in his eyes, and she knew he would leave and never return if she didn’t do something fast.

Pushing up her toes, she looped her arms around his neck and nipped at his bottom lip, rubbing herself against his chest until he took the hint. Whatever had kept him away from her had evidently vanished as he retook control, and all she knew was heat. It built rapidly, sweat prickling over her skin as he shoved a knee between her thighs and again pinned her against the wall. It was the only thing holding her up as he plundered her mouth and stole her wits right out of her. It had been so long since she’d been kissed like this. Like the world could end right outside, and he still wouldn’t stop. Her knees were water as her hands pulled his hair, and she ground down on his muscled thigh. She wasn’t entirely aware of them moving until she was picked up and instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist as he let her go to open the bedroom door. How he managed to lock it behind him, she’d never find out but heard it click into place as they kept moving.

Her breath was his as he maneuvered them so she was straddling his lap on the edge of the bed. She whimpered as he bit her lips and she felt how hard he was under her; wetness soaked her shorts as she arched in a slow slide and smiled when he shuddered. In all her wildest dreams, kissing him had never felt this good. She was lost in it as he gripped her hips on her next grind down, and he jerked up into her, making them both shiver. Too many clothes irritated her as her greedy fingers sought bare skin and could find none. He must have sensed her need, breaking free of her mouth so he could roughly tug her robe off, and she leaned back to allow him to take off his suit jacket.

She watched it flutter to the floor in slow motion, barely able to see it in the dark of the room, turning back to watch as he undid the tie. Her helpless little whine at the arresting sight would shame her later, but his smirk made it worth it as it was thrown away too. Her nipples hardened, heat spreading through her torso as he unbuttoned his shirt and revealed a chest carved from marble and littered with scars. She wanted to ask what happened, knew it was something terrible when she met his eye and noticed he was already pulling back. As if he expected her to be put off by them, she was anything but. Her pulse was a wild thrum in her throat, her ears a roar of blood pounding, and she knew she’d started something, but he was going to finish it. Kenzi swallowed hard, anticipation so thick she could taste it as she gave into the need to touch him.

Her hands traveled up his broad chest, fingers teasing the silken skin and watching as the muscles underneath jumped under her touch. His chest rose and fell rapidly as she latched onto his lips and smiled when he immediately opened for her. He tasted like mint, cold but familiar and something unique to him that she soon found addictive. Hands roamed, goosebumps spread in their wake, clothes hurriedly shed as they gave themselves over to desire and let it lead.

Soon, she was naked, spread out on the bed as he removed his shoes, socks, and trousers; his boxers were last. She wished they’d turned on a light so she could see all of him, but the darkness only made it feel more exciting, like she was doing something she had been warned against. Her mouth dried as he crawled over her and braced himself on his elbow; he held himself in his other hand, hard cock sliding through her saturated folds as she arched. His eyes met hers, a question there as he taunted her entrance, and she nodded, silent permission and he slowly filled her.

Her mind flashed between dream Jake and real Jake. She hadn’t even come close as he bottomed out and slumped over her, eyes staring into hers and so tense he was trembling. She gasped, overwhelmed and feeling as if she would burst from the seams from the fullness as he stretched her cunt. It was a tight fit; both struggled to move until her muscles relaxed, and her body went loose and pliant. There were two sides to her in her head. One wanted her to revel in him. The other wanted her to be cautious and wait. Both warred and she was tangled up in so many emotions she couldn’t give one a name. This was wrong; if anyone found out, he’d lose his livelihood, and she would be the wicked witch of the East Side.

Lust didn’t follow the rules, nor did she, and when he claimed her mouth and began to move, her doubts scattered to the winds as she moaned into his mouth. She had fucked him in her head countless times these weeks, but the incredible reality was something she couldn’t have fathomed. He was splitting her in two, letting her breathe, only to grab her leg and hook it around his waist, fingers bruising; he used it to give him more leverage, and his shallow movements turned deep and quick. Her hands clawed at the bed, his arms, his shoulders, and she clung to him as he ruined her. Rocking her hips into his thrusts, she was shameless as she urged him on. It wasn’t meant to feel like this, she had hoped they’d fizzle out after a quick tumble in the sheets, but she knew that she’d be chasing this high the rest of her life once he left her.

And he would leave; she could already feel him slipping away as he destroyed her long-held defenses, and she was begging him for more. He gave it to her, a growl of possession as he slid an arm under her and lifted her up, sitting back on his haunches so she could ride him. He helped her, meeting her every sinuous wriggle down, and the hands bruising her waist helped her every rise up. In this position, she could barely breathe; each time she bottomed out, the breath left her in a whoosh. He was gritting his teeth, tendons in his neck popping as her slippery inner walls held tight around his cock.

She kissed him as the pressure built within her. Her bones had been replaced with static as he hit that spot deep inside that made her cunt weep for him. The ache in her thighs only heightened it, and she was far from her stage persona as she cried out, and he swallowed it down. He smirked, making her feel helpless as his hips thrust up on her drop-down; her head hung as she caught her breath and tried to ignore the warning pulse of release already rippling through her. His mouth was at her ear, sensing her struggle, and she could only do as he said, whimpering and melting inside and out.

“Keep going. You’re doing so well. Just a little bit more, you can take it.”

No, she didn’t think she could. Her entire body quivered as she pushed up again, the luscious drag of his rigid cock against her sensitive flesh pulling a feral moan from her. His hand slid between their sticky bodies, fingers dipping into her wetness to find her clit and help her over that edge. The first clumsy brush of his fingers on that bundle of nerves made her jolt, hips lifting again as he urged her on. Her body was primed to explode, tense as a bowstring before the archer let the arrow fly and trembling violently as he bit her neck, sucking at her flickering pulse as she whined.

The tension snapped with an audible sound, a flick of his tongue on her neck, the fingers circling her clit incessantly, and his thick cock all worked in tandem, and the dam broke. Waves of pleasure washed through her, flame spread through her veins, and she slammed her eyes shut against it, seeing nothing but white light behind her lids. She was making too much noise and managed not to say his name in a scream but did in a whisper as he lay her on her back and pounded into her to find his own end.

She hung on as he prolonged her agony, dragging it out until she was pleading with him in her mind to give her respite. Still, it was too good, the lewd smack of flesh on flesh and his harsh groans blending together like sinful music as she sobbed and thrashed her head. Jake seemed to enjoy her distress, every flutter of her inner walls making his eyes darken to violet as he moved within her taut wet heat. She felt very far from human as she felt his cock jump inside her, anticipating his release, but he pulled out with a moan so decadent she would never find the words to put it into song. He wiped his hand off the sheet on what she hoped would be his side.

Part of her wanted to be mad about him ruining her clean sheets, but most of her was warmed through that he had thought he had to do that. She could always make him him wash them before he scurried off to fulfil his duties. His weight and the kisses he was planting on her throat kept her still as she trailed her nails down his strong back, and he made a sound suspiciously like a purr as she repeated the action. It was a while before either could speak, and everything she thought of felt silly, and she was both grateful and surprised when he broke the calm silence.

“This was supposed to get you out of my head.”

She chuckled, eyes at half mast as she replied, “I was thinking the same thing. Did it work for you?”

His head shook as he spoke into her sweaty neck, “No. You?”

“No.” She sighed.

“This can’t – it’s my job to protect you. I can’t do that if I’m distracted by the mere thought of you.”

“I know...”

Still, he didn’t move to leave as his head lifted and met her eye in the dim room, a pained expression on his face, “What do we do now?”

She considered it, already well aware of the drawbacks to dating her, and that was without the added burden of him being under her employment. The press would have a field day, and she would just be another tabloid fixture. If that day came, she would take the fall and hope something new came along to dethrone her reign of salacious stories. She had no plan; she who planned everything and masterminded her entire career, she couldn’t prepare for this. It would have to play out on the world’s stage.

“I don’t know. We can figure it out later.” She muttered, eyes heavy with sleep as he rolled off her and guided her into a spooning position.

“Go to sleep. I’ll sneak out once you are.” He whispered and kissed her tenderly. She could only nod as she gave into the lure of blissful nothing and peaceful dreams. She woke up to a note on her pillow that kept a sappy smile on her face throughout her day.

I will see you tonight. J.

***

It went on like that for weeks. She felt like she was on a secret mission most nights as they snuck around under her team’s noses and made carnal use of many rooms without prying eyes. Her bedroom, her kitchen island, the camera-free elevator to her penthouse, a closet during a shoot, it didn’t matter where. It only mattered that it was with him. It was his hands tugging at her clothes or rucking her skirt over her hips and bending her over someone’s desk until essence dripped down her thighs, and she became a creature of base instincts. He would claw, tear and bite as he made her disintegrate.

Permanently slick between her thighs, she’d stopped wearing underwear by week three. She had delighted in his reaction and the things he growled whenever she wore something purely for him to tear off her. Like the little black dress she’d worn to one of the few parties she regularly attended. He’d looked murderous that entire night and she paid for it beautifully. And the day after that particular steamy incident, he used his tie as a blindfold, bending her body into a vessel for him to fill; she had run off to the bathroom every time she caught sight of that damned tie around his throat the following day. Hurriedly using her own hand to take the edge off until they could be alone, he would direct her through the secret phone he’d given her, voice all smoky darkness as she fucked her hand.

If anyone noticed her gazing off into space frequently, mind reeling with the pleasure he had given her, no one said a thing. Jessy was the only person she dared to tell, and even then, she kept much of it quiet from her oldest friend. This wasn’t like the lovers of her past. She wanted to protect him from the reality of her life and knew he would hate being gossiped about. So, she kept it to herself, drowning in lust and an inconvenient love that she denied every time she pulled him inside her body. The dive bars, disguises and secret garden rendezvous whenever they were at her beach home kept her going through the constant observation of everyone around her.

He seemed much better at hiding his distraction. His aloof attitude greeted her each morning, but she could see under it now, and he appeared to soften whenever she asked him to take her to the studio. Fans and paparazzi haunted the place in hopes of seeing her. He was a wall of hard muscle between her and the crowds blinding her with camera flashes, using his jacket to shield her as much as he could until they were safe behind the studio doors. She knew she loved him by the second night they spent together, and now, she knew their hands were tied. Fate was in charge as they couldn’t stay away from each other.

She tried to. Had locked her door one night, biting her lip and eyes stinging as she stared at the door and thought of his confusion when he found the way to her barred. The door was soon unlocked, and when he crawled into her bed at three am, her legs pried apart by his cold hands, she couldn’t do anything but burn as he taught her a secret language she’d never be able to speak again. She saw her love reflected back in his eyes whenever he was inside her, or they shared secret looks across a crowded room. Like magnets, she always knew where to find him, and he always had a laser focus on her. Their hands would brush, the tiny contact enough to tide her over until she had him alone. She had never felt so alive, so free and high.

But what comes up must come down, and their fall would be heard around the world as they grew complacent. It happened on a Monday, as all bad things usually do. They were ensconced in the studio after her session ended, alone, and she was in his lap, fully clothed, thankfully. But neither had thought to lock the door after John left his booth. Jake must’ve been listening for anything strange as when the door opened, she was picked up and dropped on the worn couch; he reached for his gun and resumed his duties in the time it took for her to blink. But she’d unbuttoned his shirt, his tie lay on the floor at her feet and she knew it was already too late.

A camera flashed, Jake shouted a warning before the camera went off again, and the next thing she knew, the paparazzo was on his back, Jake was shaking his fist out, and her castle crumbled down around her. Jake grabbed his camera and went to smash it, but she held him back.

“Don’t! They can sue me for that. Just take the film out or delete them.”

The man on the floor was wide-eyed and clutching his bleeding face as he glared at her and spat, “Doesn’t matter; they’re already backed up online.”

Her heart sank through the floor as Jake heaved a sigh and took a menacing step toward the man, the hand holding his gun began to rise, and she knew he would kill him to keep her safe. But she wouldn’t ever forgive herself if she allowed it. She called his name, ignoring the man on the floor as he picked himself up. Jake shoved the camera into his stomach so hard that he stumbled back before turning his tail and bolting away.

All the chats they’d shared under cover of night and bedsheets, where she was just Kenzi, the woman, and he was just Jake, the man who wanted the woman, came hurtling toward her as her worst fears came to life. His time in the Marines, her rise to fame, his future goals, and hers, they had shared it all. She had warned him how difficult it was to be with her, even secretly. Once the press got wind she was in a relationship, they would be hunted and killed before they could grow into something permanent. She had never wanted that for him but couldn’t ignore the pull between them. His magnetic force kept her coming back for more despite the worry. And after those first few days, he had given up pretending this was just sex. They were fucked.

They left the studio through a back entrance. The car ride home was filled with silence so loud she heard it like a scream in her ears as he stared through the window and twisted his hands. Long nights with his hands tangled in her hair would no longer be possible, and her heart bled, a thorny fist closed around it as he avoided her searching eyes. He never said a word as he escorted her into her building, she was desperately trying to find a way to stop the world from finding out, but knew it was futile as the elevator dinged and he left ahead of her. He shadowed her to her room, not saying a word as the echoes of their feet mocked her and she shut the bedroom door in his pained face and finally let the tears fall. A gaping wound had opened in her chest as she curled up on her bed and turned off her phone as it began to blow up with notifications.

It had been stupid to believe she could keep him. All her promises to keep them safe tasted like ash as she sobbed silently and ignored the world clamoring for her attention. All the secret touches, pining for him as he stood beside her now felt idiotic. She did not leave her room. Made sure the door was locked before slipping under the covers, fully dressed, and cried herself to sleep. It felt like no time at all had passed when sunlight streamed through her open blinds, and her phone rang relentlessly on her nightstand.

She checked to see who was calling, and at seeing her mom’s name, she answered it and waited for her to ream her out.

“Kenzi, darling, I know you’re avoiding us, but we have to get a handle on this before it’s too late.”

Her sore eyes prickled again, but she screwed them shut, refusing to cry again so soon as she said, “I know, Mom. I just need a few hours, okay?” Her voice was raw and thick, but she hung up before her mom could pry anything out of her and fell back on her bed. Paper crinkled under her head, making her frown as she pulled it out, and her chest hollowed out at seeing Jake’s name. How he’d gotten inside to leave it for her, she didn’t want to know. Rage, despair, frustration, and a thousand other emotions slammed into her as she read his note and crumpled it into a ball. She tossed it at the wall and watched it roll under her vanity. The words were seared into her memory as she let herself be overwhelmed by all she was feeling.

Kenzi, I’ve been given a new client.

I’ll be gone by morning. I’m so sorry.

This wasn’t meant to go this far.

I don’t want to leave, but I need you safe.

That’s all that ever mattered to me.

Jake.

Her mother had warned her about her tendency to let blind faith lead her, and now she would pay its hefty toll once again as she tried to salvage gold from the wreckage the media would create. And she was furious at herself for not listening to her moms advice, blinded by it some nights as she paced the creaking floors and bit her nails down to the quick. She might never see him again; the idea sliced through her, a jagged cut she knew would leave an invisible, indelible scar. It wasn’t like all those other times when she could effortlessly pick herself up and head outside like she was immune to the media wondering why she couldn’t keep a man. This time, she had wanted to keep him, and he had run at the first sign of trouble. She didn’t blame him as she gathered herself hours later and allowed her mom entry to her room. No, she understood and only wished she could tell him how much she adored him before he’d gone.

Time, it was a curious thing. It would either heal and mend, or she would be frozen in this state forever, always waiting for him where he left her. Neither fate appealed to her, so she did what she always did. She turned to music and buried herself in work to block out the noise of those trying to figure out where her latest conquest had vanished to. They were like bloodhounds on the hunt whenever she left the house. Out for her dirty laundry as they lambasted her for daring to have something for herself. Her secret phone remained silent despite her breaking one night after getting wine drunk, and her message went unanswered.

She was in emotional limbo, and her other guards were watching her more closely after he left. They never left her alone, and it wore on her as much as Jake’s ghosting. Every tall and dark haired man in her periphery had her twisting to see if it was him. It never was. Two weeks later, she caught sight of him at an event, but when she’d turned for a closer look, he’d gone, and her guards suddenly circled her. Her mother was to blame for that, and she wanted to be angry but only felt the pit in her stomach deepen endlessly. He haunted her everywhere she went after that. It drove her mad, and she would freeze, hold her breath and clutch her purse as he managed to escape her sights.

After one such encounter, she’d chased after him, high heels clacking loudly off the tiled floor as he disappeared around a corner, and she lost him. She had given in to the rage then and sent him a text before turning off her phone.

Kenzi: Pussy. Never took you for one, Jake. Pathetic. Keep running; it’s all you’re good at.

Regret instantly slapped her, but she squared her shoulders and returned to the party. She put on the performance of a lifetime as she schmoozed record label bosses and industry connections. Once she was alone in her room, exhausted from pretending she was fine, her personal phone buzzed with a message from an unknown number. Her guards had been sent away to enjoy themselves as her penthouse had provided security, and she needed to breathe. She almost deleted it, thinking it was a tabloid looking for a story, but her thumbs worked before her brain could and opened it.

Unknown: Meet me in the dive bar on the east side. There is a back door if you don’t want to be seen.

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it.

Part Two:

Meet Me Tonight

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