Read The Shards of Serenity for Free Online

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    “I’m calling an ambulance!” he proclaimed, as he yanked his cell phone out of his pocket aggressively.
    “No, Markus, don’t!” I cried. “I’m just…having flashbacks of my ex-husband. I know he’s states away, but it feels like he’s somewhere in this apartment. Whether he’s crouching behind a toilet or standing outside the window - I can’t say. But, I just feel him! I know that’s insane.”
    “Serenity, that not insane. That man put you through Hell, and it makes sense that it’s going to take time to truly heal from that. However, I can guarantee he’s nowhere to be found. Follow me,” he insisted.
    As I walked around my small apartment with Markus, I watched him pull back every drawer, door, and crevice to show me that my anxiety had truly trumped my sense of reality again. Mitchell was nowhere to be found; and I was safer than I’d ever been. I realized at that moment that Markus Glenn truly was sincere about every word he had uttered and that there was at least one person out there who maintained a serious interest in my well-being. I realized it may have been a minimal or even psychotic gesture to any third partner witnessing us. But, it was at that moment that I truly felt loved for the first time in my life.
     
    Our next month flowed together similarly as I learned to mentally give myself to the man who bent over backwards to extend his compassion, tenderness, and joy each day. Things finally made the transition from emotional to physical one October evening, when color-changing leaves blew in the air effortlessly, and a calm breeze maintained a perfect temperature. I was riding in his passenger seat, tapping my toes to his music that I’d learned to appreciate as we headed to his apartment for the very first time.
    “I love you, Markus,” I said happily, with a grin extending halfway up to my eyes.
    “I love you too, Serenity,” he responded. I always admired the way his words and tone always matched mine; never trying to one-up me, while never falling short.
    “Isn’t it crazy what a few weeks can do to two people?”
    “It’s not about the quantity of time, Serenity, it’s about the quality. I’ve had months that almost killed me. Others that substantially changed my career, for better or worse. This last one has made my life better, and for that, I love you.”
    As usual, I found myself speechless around him. And so I put my sunglasses on, kept my smile from being too obvious, and I turned his favorite song up to high volume. Life was beautiful as we knew it.
    When we parked the car, Markus led me up a cobblestone flight of stairs to his humble abode. Upon opening the door, I realized this was anything but spontaneous, as pre-arranged R&B music pulsated through a surround speaker system, and a dim trail of lighting seductively led us to his bedroom. He cracked the door smoothly; as my senses were flooded with coconut candles, art deco furniture, and a nightstand full of cocoa-shea lotions and name-brand oils. He unbuttoned his silky button-down shirt, loosened his jeans, and calmly laid back into his zebra-print bed; ready to receive me.
    Without thought, I leaned into him and offered the most thorough kiss of my life; our souls singing symphonies while our tongues swirled together in harmony. He wrapped his hand around my pony-tailed locks, untying them as if we'd made love a million times before. I took his other hand and guided it over my chest, as he explored my meaty D-cup breasts for the first time. With swift motions he undressed me, and moved his mouth to the pink of my nipples. With every breath he exhaled, I felt sensations of lust. With every move of his tongue, I felt sensations of love. It took four years for my ex to destroy me, and only thirty days for this new man to rebuild me completely.
    "Let's get a little more comfortable," he suggested, as he unbuttoned my pants and slid them down carefully. There was something about his gentle