Kelly
The event had gone off without a setback, my speech delivered with the exactness of years of practice, the crowd hanging on every word. I smiled through the applause, the excitement buzzing in the air. But despite the excitement of a successful evening, a strange unease that disturbed me.
When I entered my private office, I was greeted by the sight of a bouquet resting on the desk, nestled between my campaign notes. Fresh lilies, soft white petals, their fragrance delicate and sweet. They were beautiful, but it was the note that made my heart stutter.
For a brief moment, I felt a wave of relief. Adrian had said he would be in the city soon, and though I hadn't seen him for weeks, I longed for his presence. Maybe these were from him, his way of showing support. After I picked interest in becoming a politician, I moved down to Washington DC with Harper, while Adrian stayed back in New York to run the hospital.
But as I reached for the envelope, a cold shiver ran down my spine.
'You will never outrun your past, Kelly. Not even with a new name'
The handwriting wasn't Adrian's. My stomach dropped. The words, simple but venomous, made my breath catch in my throat.
I stared at the flowers, the thick knot of anxiety twisting in my chest. There was no mistaking in it, this wasn't a gesture of love or affection. This was a warning, a threat. From someone who knew far too much about me, someone who knew the real me. Someone who was still lurking in the shadows of my life.
Anderson!
The realization hit me like a wave crashing against the shore. Anderson had recognized me, I had seen him at the event a week ago but pretended not to see him. I focused on my speech, on putting on the perfect face for the crowd, that I hadn't even considered he would be there. But now, the pieces fell into place. The sudden, inexplicable feeling of being watched had made sense in the moment, but I had brushed it off, thinking it was just the pressure of the event.
I dropped the flowers as if they were burning my skin, the once-pretty petals now scattered across the polished surface of my desk. My mind screamed at me to be rational, to calm down. It wasn't him, It couldn't be. But the ink on that note, the way it seemed to rattle my public life told me otherwise. Anderson had found me.
I couldn't escape. Not even with a new identity.
.....
I paced around the office, trying to steady my breath, but my thoughts raced. I had spent years growing, healing, reinventing myself. And now, it seemed all of it had been for nothing. The past was still chasing me.
The flowers, his flowers had arrived the moment I had begun to feel like I could finally breathe again. Like I could finally look forward to something beyond the walls I had built for myself. And yet here I was, back in the cage I thought I had left behind.
I turned toward the window, the city lights stretching before me, blurring together in the distance. I should have known better. No one truly escapes their past. Not when it's as deeply entwined in your life as mine had been with Anderson.
I should have been stronger, I should have been smarter. I should've been more careful!
The phone buzzed on my desk, pulling me from my thoughts. I glanced at the caller ID before answering, the momentary relief I felt at seeing Adrian's name on the screen was almost too much to bear.
"Adrian," I said, my voice softer than I intended.
"Kelly, where are you? I'm in the city, I—"
"I'm here," I interrupted, trying to keep my voice steady. "I was just finishing up an event."
"I know, I saw. You were amazing tonight," he said, his voice warm, comforting. "I'm close. I'm on my way to you. I've missed you."
The ache in my chest at hearing his words made me want to collapse into the comfort of his embrace. Adrian had always been my rock, my shield, the person who reminded me that maybe, just maybe, there was a future where I didn't have to keep looking over my shoulder.
"Adrian, I…" My voice faltered. I glanced back at the scattered flowers on the desk, the cruel message taunting me.
"Are you okay?" he asked, sensing the change in my tone. "What's wrong?"
"I—" I started, then paused. The truth hung in the air, suffocating, but I couldn't say it out loud. Not yet.
"I'm fine," I said instead. "I'll be ready when you get here."
I ended the call with a quick promise to see him soon, but the dread never left. My mind kept racing, replaying the message over and over again. Anderson was out there, he recognized me. And no matter what I had done, he would never let me go. He was a threat to my career, my new identity!
.....
Hours passed before Adrian finally arrived, his familiar presence filling the space with warmth. He wrapped his arms around me in a tight hug, his lips brushing the top of my head. For a brief moment, I let myself relax into him, allowing the comfort of his presence to wash away the anxiety.
But my mind was elsewhere. It wasn't Adrian's arms I was craving, but the escape I had once been sure I'd found. Now, it was all slipping away.
"I'm sorry I didn't get to you sooner," Adrian murmured, pulling back to look me in the eyes. "The campaign looks like it's going great. You've really come a long way, haven't you?"
I smiled faintly, my hand resting on his chest.
"Yeah, but it feels like every step forward is followed by two steps back."
Adrian raised an eyebrow, his gaze sharpening.
"What do you mean?"
I hesitated. How could I explain the fear I felt without revealing everything? How could I tell him the one thing I had never said aloud, that I was terrified Anderson would destroy everything I had worked for? That my past might still have the power to crush my future?
"I just… I've been thinking," I began, my voice shaky. "There's something I haven't told you. Something I've been keeping from you."
He stiffened. "What is it?"
I looked away, unwilling to meet his gaze.
"I don't want to drag you into this. Not when things are just starting to feel right."
Adrian gently cupped my face, forcing me to look at him.
"Kelly, we're in this together, whatever it is."
I swallowed hard.
"I know. But it's….."
Just then, there was a soft knock at the door, pulling me away from the moment. I froze.
Adrian frowned, his eyes narrowing.
"What was that?"
I shook my head, taking a step back.
"I don't know. Stay here. I'll check."
I walked cautiously toward the door, my heart pounding in my chest. As I reached for the doorknob, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched. That someone was standing just beyond the threshold, waiting to pounce.
I opened the door, only to find… nothing. No one was there. Just the quiet hum of the city outside.
"Kelly?" Adrian called from behind me. I turned to face him, his expression concerned. "What's going on?"
I closed the door softly, locking it behind me.
"I thought I heard something. I'm just being paranoid."
Adrian didn't buy it.
"Something's wrong. You're not telling me everything."
I didn't know how to respond. I wanted to scream the truth, to finally say the words I had kept buried for so long, but I couldn't.
Instead, I turned away, leaning against the wall.
"Maybe it's just… everything catching up with me."
Adrian stepped closer, his hand gently brushing against mine.
"We'll figure it out together."
I wanted to believe him. I needed to believe him.