"Tell me every terrible thing you ever did, and let me love you anyway." - Edgar Allan Poe

-3-

June 2012

"Come on. Pick up." Gillian was standing in her office. Phone pressed onto her ear. The lights shining onto her hair and illuminating it with a gloss. It was already dark outside. Everyone had left for the day but Gillian was waiting for Cal, so they could drive to his home together. And he was still out for a case. She was trying to reach him the second time in a row now. Already having called five minutes ago, but he didn't pick up. Neither did he call her back. Her heart was racing. Again. Was that becoming a more constant habit now? After...you know...being in a more serious relationship with him. She is moving now; walking towards her office door and looking out of it. To get a look into the halls, floors of their building. The ringing of the calling in one of her ears was getting heavier with each second. The other one was hearing noises from outside of her office; not seeing anyone. Gillian was about to cancel the call, when he picked up.

"Oi, darling. What's the matter?" He answered.

"Cal. I need you to come into the office as fast as you can." Gillian just about whispered.

"You know I'm out with Loka. Will take around fourty minutes."

"Yes. Yes, I know. Cal. There are men here. They look for you, and..." Gillian was now moving over to her couch, to hide, and maybe get some time alone before the four men would barge into her office again. "...they said that you couldn't follow their demands, so they will make sure you will, Cal." She told him in all honesty.

"Are you alone with them?" His voice changed from a lighter to very serious one. In other contexts she would have given that more thought and let herself, maybe, dwell on it a little longer. Letting the depth of it soak into her system and turning everything around. Making her think about just how sexy it sounded.

"They are taking a tour through the rooms. There are four of them. They came in and asked for you. I told them you aren't available. But they won't leave until they can talk to you in private. I... I don't think they will do me any harm. But they didn't look like they were gonna break that promise, Cal." She told him honestly.

"Stay put. Close your door. Don't call police, ok? I'm coming." He introduced her.

"Yes, okay. I will stall them a bit."

"Be right there, promise." And with that he hung up, leaving Gillian back on her own.

"You need to talk to me!" She was angry. He could see that. Every-bloody-one could see that from a mile away. They were standing in his bathroom. He had his hands shoved into his jeans pockets, looking back at her now with a grim face. "Nah. I don't want you to get into that." He only stated this. She was walking a few steps up and down then: Calming herself with these motions, he knew that. She also wanted to bite her fingernail (an old habit when being worried which she thought she had given up), but as she raised her hand, she noticed, and let it fall again. She took a deep breath and nodded to herself. Cal stood motionless at that moment and watched her. She was wearing her hair in a ponytail. Cal liked that, he thought it made her look more combative, perhaps.

They were fighting. Maybe arguing. He didn't even know how they got into his bathroom. Well, actually he did know. She did confront him about the happenings in the last weeks. And he was trying not to talk about that, but she wouldn't let go. So he walked, and she followed. Everywhere. Up to his bathroom where she took the initiative and closed the door behind them, so he couldn't leave: now he was standing still and she was moving.

"Then talk to me about whatever else is going on in your head, because I don't seem to understand." She looked up and tried to catch his eyes. "Please. Enlighten me." Cal considered his options. His eyes never leaving her face. She still was so beautiful even when she was mad. Maybe that's why he did that. Make her mad, because he loved how she behaved, confronted him then. It was sexy as hell. So he couldn't say no. Reject her in that way, when he had all of her now: body and soul.

"I'm not gonna tell you everything." He offered, and she took that: "But you're going to talk to me, right?"

He gave her a short nod and he didn't miss that her eyes changed, softened again. "I'm taking the lead, yeah? When and where I want. You gonna listen? I don't want it to change our relationship."

"It won't, Cal." She took a step towards him. "I don't know why, but I love you. Whatever will be." Her little dimple shows off and he cannot resist, telling her his whole truth. "I love you."

Next: June 2