Mine for a Moment
: Chapter 55

I pause by my front door and take a deep breath, trying my best to improve my shitty mood before walking in. This entire week has been a fucking clusterfuck, and I miss my girl. Serenity is my safe haven, and I miss the way her hair smells when I hold her in my arms. I miss her smiles, and the way she’ll listen to me talk endlessly about work matters she doesn’t give a fuck about.

I miss the way she steals bites of my food, and the way she laughs at my stupid jokes. I miss the way she shivers when I run my finger down her spine, and the way her breath hitches when I kiss her neck.

I sigh and rest my forehead against the door, my heart aching as I remember Theo asking her out while I just stood there, wishing it could’ve been me saying those words to her. Is she sitting opposite him right now, smiling at him in that intimate way I’d come to consider mine? Will he walk her back to my own fucking home and kiss her good night?

I clench my jaws and steel myself before unlocking my door, my heart stuttering when I realize I never changed the code. I expected Serenity to believe in me, in us, when I hadn’t truly let go of my past. I made her key in a code that reminded her of Tyra every damn day, and I didn’t even realize it.

“You’re home,” Tyra says when I walk in, and I pause, looking around my home and replaceing it looking different. It takes me a moment to realize that a couple of little things are gone—the little dish Serenity bought for my car keys, her polka dot umbrella. My heart begins to race, dread washing over me as I walk farther into the living room and replace the blanket she loves missing from the sofa, along with the cushions we spent an hour choosing at a small market stall in Morocco.

“Archer?” Tyra says. “What’s wrong?”

I run a hand through my hair, my breathing uneven as I walk into the kitchen and pull one of my cupboards open. “Where is that stupidly huge mug with the pink hearts?” I ask, my voice hoarse. I bite down on my lip as I walk to my bedroom, scared of what I’ll replace. “Where the fuck is everything?” Panic seizes me when I replace my room devoid of Serenity’s things. “Who changed my silk bedding? Where is the jewelry box that was on my nightstand?”

My thoughts begin to spiral as I step into my walk-in wardrobe and replace all of Serenity’s things gone, her favorite T-shirts of mine folded neatly, a handwritten note on top of them.

Thank you for letting me borrow everything I wanted, even if it was only for a moment. I’m returning it all to you now, as promised.

All my love,

Serenity

“Archer, you’re worrying me,” Tyra says, gently placing her hand on my bicep. I step away instinctively and turn to face her, trying my best to remain calm despite the pure chaos in my mind.

“Where is she?” I ask, my voice breaking on the last word.

Tyra searches my face before taking the note I’m holding out of my hands, her expression stoic as she reads Sera’s message. “She left,” she explains.

“What do you mean, she left? She still has a week of her notice period left, and why the fuck would she leave without a word? What happened?”

Tyra looks back at me, something shifting in her expression. “Ezra took her to the airport, Arch. He told her she didn’t need to stay for her notice period if she didn’t want to, so she left. I helped both Ezra and her pack earlier today. He’s moving out today too. I thought you knew.”

I bury a hand in my hair and sink down on my bed, hating that clean laundry smell. It doesn’t feel right at all. My bedroom is supposed to smell of the millions of hair products Serenity uses, blended together with that damn bodywash that leaves glitter all over my skin when our bodies melt together. I don’t even have a moment to feel relieved that she isn’t on a date with Theo—her absence steals away every thought, leaving nothing but misery.

My hands tremble as I reach for my phone and navigate through my contacts, my heart aching as I stare at the heart and tulip emojis for a second before I click the dial button. It goes to voicemail instantly, but that doesn’t stop me from dialing her number again.

Tyra sits down next to me, her eyes roaming over my face, something akin to concern in her eyes. “She’s on a flight,” Ty says, her voice soft.

I nod and put my phone away, my wits just enough about me to realize I shouldn’t let her see how I’ve got Serenity saved in my phone. “Right,” I murmur. “Did she tell you where she’s going?” We haven’t spoken about her leaving at all, neither of us wanting to acknowledge it, but we should have. If we had, I would’ve known where she’s going, where to replace her.

“She said she wanted to travel for a while, see if she gets inspired to paint. She loved working for Ezra and you, but painting has always been her real passion. Serenity has always dreamt of being showcased in galleries, and I think taking some time off to explore that option is exactly what she needs. Don’t you?”

Tyra places her hand on my thigh when I remain silent, and I tense. “It felt like there was more to it, though. Serenity didn’t explicitly say it, but from what I understand, she had her heart broken and needed a fresh start. I was being a little nosy, and Ezra eventually told me that Theo is dating someone else. We always thought that they’d end up together eventually, and I’m honestly surprised they haven’t.”

“Yet,” I murmur, my voice laced with venom. “They haven’t gotten together yet, but they probably will. She wanted him once. With time, those feelings will probably return, and next time, he’ll be there to reciprocate.” My mind begins to torture me with thoughts of a future where she’ll have gotten over me, and I grit my teeth as I think of her in his arms, his hands roaming over her body, discovering every sensitive spot I thought was mine.

She’ll giggle when he touches her feet, only to moan when he spreads her legs and runs his finger up her thigh. He’ll replace out that she loves wearing those sexy stockings and that a single kiss can make her wet. He’ll hold her in his embrace after, feeling the way her hair tickles his face, the way her breathing slowly deepens as she falls asleep on his chest. He’ll accompany her to her mother’s birthday, holding her hand as she smiles up at him, and I’ll have to stand there and watch the love of my life love someone else.