Author's Note
I am sorry I have been absent for long periods of time. I seem to be doing a lot more reading these days than writing.
Here we go another chapter of Hello. I hope you will enjoy it.
Erdi
Two weeks later
Carefully I extract myself from Ranger's hold, slip out of bed and pull on the Rangemen Shirt he disregarded earlier.
As silently as I can possibly be, I make my way over to the open door and close it behind me, before tip-toeing across the living room to the floor to ceiling windows.
I let out a sigh of relief and let my gaze wonder over the city lights. It is three am and I can't sleep. My mind is working overtime and I haven't had time to breathe since we got to Trenton.
We seemed to have fallen into the same routine we had three years ago, with the difference that I am not working at Vinnie's, but for Ranger. Because I was going stir crazy Ranger offered me a research job, which keeps me occupied all day. The Rangemen welcomed me back with open arms and it is nice to be joking around with them.
I also went to see Lula and Connie, who welcomed me back with open arms even though I have been a shitty friend in recent years. We went to dinner and drinks and it was like I never left.
I definitely have not gone to see my family. When Ranger and I finally got together all those years ago, things went south with my mother. And my father being the loyal husband that he is, didn't do anything to prevent it. After the shooting, my mother refused to talk to me in general. I sent them a letter after I left town, to inform them how to get in touch with me, but it went unanswered.
Same goes for my sister. She took our mother's side and I haven't spoken to her since I left. I miss my nieces and I did sent them gifts and letters, which came back unopened. My nieces aren't on social media and I do not have their phone numbers. The last thing I want is for them to think I don't care about them anymore, but there is no way of contacting them.
Grandma Mazur died before I left, so I went to visit her grave with Ranger the other day. The grave itself is so plain that I wouldn't even know it was my grandmother's, if it wasn't for the name edged into the stone.
Ranger has been sweet, attentive and has bend over backwards to make me feel comfortable since we got to Trenton. Every night we have Dinner together, either on seven or in his office if he still has work to do. And on a couple of occasions he treated me to Dinner and a movie outside of Rangemen. There are no Guards following me and the only stipulation he had was that I'd carry a tracker and a panic button. But this all is just not me and I don't fit into this town anymore. This is no longer my home.
I really need to talk to Ranger about how I feel, but I have chickened out every time the opportunity came up. I know what I need to say is going to break his heart alongside with mine, but being with him is just not enough to make me happy to stay here.
Suddenly a pair of strong, mocha latte coloured arms wraps around my midsection and a naked chest presses against my back, startling me out of my thoughts. "What are you doing awake?" Ranger questions in a sleepy voice.
"Go back to bed...I will be there soon." I tell him softly and run my palm up and down his forearms.
"Not happening Babe. Something is going on in that pretty head of yours and I want to know what it is. I have been waiting patiently the last few days, but time is up. If this is going to work we need to be honest." He says now more alert, while drawing me even closer to his chest.
"Even if it is going to break both of our hearts?" I ask and swallow hard to keep the tears at bay. I should have never come here. I should have stayed away.
"I wondered how long it would take…" Ranger whispers and for a long time we just stand there, holding each other in silence. Heartbreak is the worst and I do not wish it upon my worst enemy. This shit hurts and makes me want to throw up.
"I am so sorry" I breathe out and the tears start running. "I wish I could stay. I wish I could be what you need me to be, but I can't. This…. all this is not who I am. I stayed because I love you, but it's just not enough anymore….I am so sorry."
"Shh it's okay" He says calmly and turns me in his arms so that I am facing him. His hands move to cradle my face and he presses his lips to mine. "It's okay….it's okay" he keeps saying over and over again between each kiss, which are soft and bittersweet.
His hands move down my arms to the hem of my shirt, leaving Goosebumps along the way, before lifting it up and over my head.
"So beautiful" he whispers and wipes away the tears that are still running down my cheeks. One drops down to my naked breasts and he bends down and licks it away. My breath hitches, my heart rate instantly picks up, while he continues to suck and lick and run his hands all over my body.
When I make a move to pull down his pants, he stops my hands. "Just you…. for now" he looks at me with so much love and pain in his eyes that it breaks my heart all over again and the tears starts flowing even more.
His hand moves down to the sweet spot between my legs and I widen my stand to give him better access. His finger enters me hard and fast without wasting time on foreplay and a gasp escapes my lips. Ranger's other hand moves to the back of my neck, holding me in place. He alternates between kissing and biting my neck and breasts, while pumping his long finger in and out of me, each time bringing me closer to the edge of an orgasm.
I am panting now for a release and the familiar tingling in the lower region of my body becomes more intense until it explodes and I am seeing stars. It takes me a moment to get down from my Ranger induced high, but when I finally open my eyes, I find him looking at me with a smile.
He quickly drops his pants and backs me up against the cold window. "Ahhh" I yelp and the bastard chuckles.
His mouth finds mine again and at the same time his hands grab my thighs and pull them around his hips, sliding his hard penis with force into my wet sweet spot. We both grown when he enters me, unsheathed and raw.
"Shit" He curses and is about to draw back out, when I lock my legs tighter around him.
"I am on the pill and clean." I tell him.
"Me too" He nods and starts moving inside me.
The next morning
"I really am sorry" I tell him and throw more of my clothes into my suitcase. We had made a stop in San Diego on our way from New Zealand so I could grab some clothes, which I now have to pack while he watches me.
"Don't be" He tells me from his spot on the edge of the other side of the bed. "We will make it work."
Last night was spectacular. We didn't go to bed for a long time and today I feel exhausted and extremely satisfied. I should be happy, but the only thing I could do is curl up in a fetal position and cry.
"I don't know how" I am growing more frustrated with each item I throw into the case. He is so damn adamant and convinced that we will make it, it drives me nuts. "Long distance has never worked for anyone."
"We are special. We will make it work" He shoots me a look that tells me that he is hell bent on making it work. Come hell or high water. And what Rangers wants, Ranger gets.
"Ranger…" I sigh.
"No Babe...I can feel that this time is different. Just believe in it" He stands, walks over to me and draws me into his chest. He smells too good and I get lost in his embrace for a moment. "But will you please take your tracker and panic button with you? It would put me at ease knowing you have them if you need them."
I nod into his shoulder in agreement. This is the least I can do to let him know I am safe. "But no obsessive checking." I retort.
"I try my best" He chuckles. "But no promises."
One month later
"You have reached the voicemail of Ranger Manoso. Please leave a message and I will get back to you" I sigh just as the beep tone rings through the speaker.
"Hey, it's me... You probably know that since you can see my missed call...anyways...I got your flowers and the voicemail. I loved them...they are beautiful…. I miss you too...I hope we will get a chance to talk soon. How about I come for a weekend the week after next? Let me know." With that I hang up and sigh again.
The first two weeks apart were great. We talked a lot, facetimed often and exchanged a lot of messages, but that has declined in the last couple of weeks.
I can hardly reach him and our text exchanges are spread out, with each of us only replying every few hours due to the time difference and our work loads. It seems like half of San Diego decided to skip their bail.
And as far as I know Rangemen has been busier than ever, with some sort of secret project. To say it's been tough, is an understatement. I miss him a lot.
I was a mess when I returned to San Diego. Janine bought me tonnes of Ben & Jerry's and we sat there and watch girly movies for two days straight. That is when I pulled myself together and tried to believe that everything would work out.
But at the moment it is looking like it isn't. This would be the first time Ranger doesn't get what he wants.
2 Weeks later
"I am sorry Babe. I have to deal with this."
"It's ok" I assures him, even though I am sad that I won't be going to Trenton after all.
"No it is not. I was looking forward to this weekend and then these idiots had to screw up the biggest event for our biggest Client. I need to make a personal appearance and smooth things over. And that is not even it... I probably have to stay in Miami for at least a couple of months to clean house." He groans, while I hear him stuffing things into his bag in the background.
"Shit...that bad?" I ask, while I fill out the form for my FTA I just brought back to the cop shop, when he called.
"Yeah. Darius is just not in control anymore. Ever since losing his second in charge Maple to New York, things have started to fall apart. And I haven't noticed, because I was too preoccupied with myself." He growls.
"Ranger…" I sigh.
"No, Babe. This one's on me. I should have paid better attention and now I need to sort it out. Someone told me that Maple used to hold the place together and was really in charge. Time to whip all of them back into shape….This really couldn't come at a worse time." I can practically see him shaking his head in annoyance.
"You referring to the project you have going on?" I bait, knowing he will either ignore the question or simply tell me to mind my own beeswax. I accept the cheque that the cop hands me and make my way out of the station.
"Babe, I can't tell you anything. It's top secret." He replies amused. I have tried to bait him into telling me what it is ever since I found out about it via Mr.-I-can't-keep-secrets Lester.
"Well my plan was to give you one hell of a blow job to spill the beans, but seems like that will have to wait." I grumble.
"My boys maybe big, but they are definitely not bean size" He chuckles and I groan.
"Let me know when you have time and I will fly to Miami, okay?" I ask, changing the topic.
"Will do...I love you" He says and with that he hangs up. Even after all this time, he still hasn't learned proper phone etiquette. With a scowl I pocket my phone. It's time for me to catch the next bad guy.
What did you think?