Mine, all Mine (Book 1) (Mature 18+)

Serenity

"Ricky? What are you doing here?"

Ricky stood on Serenity and Nyle's front porch looking conflicted and torn. "Hi Serenity," he quietly greeted her.

"What are you doing here? I thought you guys had studio time booked until after midnight."

"We did. We do. I... I got done with my parts earlier than expected so I decided to break out. I thought I'd come visit with you for a while. Do you mind?"

"No, of course I don't. Don't be silly. Come on in."

Serenity stood back to allow Ricky to enter the huge foyer. She closed the door and headed towards the kitchen.

"You want something to drink or eat? I was just getting ready to eat dinner. I made more than enough so you can have some if you want."

"No thank you."

Serenity walked to the stove, got a plate from the top cabinet, grabbed a serving spoon and began loading her plate with home-made lasagna and salad. "So, what's wrong? You look troubled about something." She glanced back over her shoulder at him and frowned at the weariness in his eyes. "Is everything okay?"

"No."

He didn't elaborate so Serenity resumed fixing her plate, figuring he would continue when he felt ready.

"Serenity."

Something in his tone made Serenity turn and look at him again. Her thick eyebrows furrowed with confusion as Ricky took a heavy, tattered duffel bag off his shoulder and sat it on the island.

Serenity turned away from the stove. "What's that?"

Ricky simply shook his head and ran his fingers through his cork-screw curly brown hair. He ran his hand over his face and looked up at the ceiling, sighing heavily. He closed his eyes and shook his head again. His voice was heavy with sadness as he continued. "I feel horrible about doing this but I feel even more terrible because I've kept this secret for so long. It's been eating me up inside."

"What are you talking about?"

"When you and Nyle got married and Tristan showed up at the church... he gave me something." He gestured towards the duffel bag. "This."

Serenity's heart pounded in her chest as she uneasily gazed at the bag. "What is it?"

"Letters. Its letters Tristan wrote for you during the first year he was away. There are more." He reached inside his pants pocket and produced a small key. "The rest are in a safe deposit box in a bank downtown. He said he wrote you every day for the last seven years and he kept all the letters. Just before he left the church he told me about them and made me promise to give them to you. When I was leaving the reception, Nyle spotted me and asked me about the bag. I told him what was in it and he took it away. He didn't think you needed to know about it. He was worried about it setting you back in some kind of way. Against my better judgment and good conscience, I allowed him to take them. He thought I left but I didn't. I saw him going outside with the bag and I followed him. I watched as he tossed them in a dumpster; then I went and retrieved them after he left.

"I've been struggling with the secret of these letters all this time. I wasn't going to say anything; I swear I wasn't. I wanted to respect Nyle's feelings but at the same time I felt horrible for Tristan because he really wanted you to have them. He called me after he and Nyle had a meeting a few months ago and just broke down. He told me that Nyle told him he had tossed the letters. I knew I should've told him I had them but I didn't. You and Nyle seemed so happy and I honestly didn't want to create trouble between you two. The past couple of weeks with Tristan being down about how things transpired when he came here to see you have been very hard to say the least. I feel so bad for him Serenity. I know he hurt you badly but I feel sorry for him, I really do. He's my best friend, and my heart aches for him. You're my friend as well, and I know you haven't been doing all that hot either, so... So I... I want you to have these."

Serenity stood staring at the bag as tears slowly fell from her eyes.

Concern flickered in Ricky's blue eyes as he watched her. "Serenity, say something please. Say something."

Serenity released the shaky breath she'd been holding since Ricky had produced the bag. "The past couple of weeks all I could think about was if he was telling me the truth about these and how much I hoped he was. Then all I could think about was how angry I was at Nyle for not allowing me the option of seeing them for myself and making my own decision. Now that you have them... Now that they're here..."

She walked to the island and fingered the black bag. She tearfully looked over at Ricky and rubbed his shoulder. "Thanks Ricky."

Ricky's frowned face loosened with relief. "You're not pissed off at me?"

"I might be later. But not now. Right now I'm just thankful. Utterly thankful."

She pulled him in her arms and heartedly embraced him as he tightly hugged her back. Their moment of serenity was interrupted by the telephone.

"Excuse me for a moment," she sniffled. She grabbed a napkin off the table and blew her nose as she walked to the phone. She picked it up off the wall and answered. "Hello?"

Serenity's lips lifted in a wide grin when she heard Katherine's voice on the other end. "Hi Katherine.... Wait a minute, wait a minute... Slow down... What... What's the matter? Tristan? What?"

The smile on Ricky's face quickly faded when he saw the look of concern on Serenity's. He rushed over to her and stood by her side.

"Katherine, wait a minute, I can't understand what you're saying," Serenity said with heightened panic. "What about Tristan? What happened to him?"

Ricky immediately grabbed Serenity's hand and firmly held it, waiting.

Serenity attentively listened for a few more moments before weakly collapsing against Ricky. Her broken heart stormed in her chest and her face twisted with brutal anguish. She closed her eyes, dropped the phone, and screamed.