Page 44 of Tension

Vel took the unicorn and wrapped its front hooves around his neck and tied it with the string. Compared to him, the unicorn looked a lot smaller.

He held out his hand. I took it with a smile, and we continued on our way.

This may sound corny, but we had a magical night.

It felt like the world was moving in slow motion around us.

The lights were slightly blurred, and everything felt out of focus.

The only clear thing was him.

“Was your last night in Clam Shell eventful?” Vel asked.

We had our shoes in one hand and held on to each other while walking on the beach.

“Very,” I told him, resting my head on the unicorn still wrapped around his neck.

We walked in silence, but I knew we both had a lot to think about.

CHRIS

“Hey, Chris!” I waved at the security guard for Saint Cloud General Hospital.

“Hey, Chris!” He responded back.

That was our thing since we shared a name.

“Been missing you, girl; we need to grab a drink.”

“I’m going to hold you to that,” I told him as I headed for my floor.

I missed being here and traveling through this area where I was needed.

Time away was great, but so was the feeling of coming home.

I settled into a new apartment, my new car looked good outside with its black rims, and life was generally going good.

Vel had been busy getting his gym ready, but he made time for me, and he even invited me to go house hunting with him.

I was smiling down at my phone while texting him when my coworker, Malisa, came up.

“Hey, these were left at the front for you.” She held out a bouquet. Bright colors. The kind that grabbed attention but didn’t say much.

I took them slowly, tugging the small card from between the stems.

‘I miss you.’

No name.

I blinked. Did Vel send these?

Before I could finish my thought, Malisa leaned in too close, her eyes on my screen like she could read the messages upside down.

“Who’s got you smiling at your phone?” she asked, her voice sugary and too loud. “The same person who sent you the flowers?”

“I hope so,” I said quickly, thumbing out a message to Vel.

Malisa shifted on her feet, clearly waiting.