Bracelet? No bracelet.

I was happy to just slip away quietly but as if he had sensed my presence he turned and looked directly at him Like moth to flame, I approached the pair of them. The doctor took his leave just as I reached their side, thwarting any secret hopes of finding out what they were doing there.

The first thing I noticed was how similar to his mystery woman I looked. I might have glossed over her features when I first saw their photos, but Sarah had been right. The woman standing before me was blonde, had a beautiful sweetheart face, pointed nose and pouty lips.

An overwhelming sense of longing filled me as I stopped opposite them. I wanted to bury my face in Pierce’s shirt like I did whenever I felt stressed. I’d inhale his warm woodsy smell and feel like all was right with the world. I needed to feel like that now more than ever. Instead I squared my shoulders and forced a confidence I didn’t feel onto my face. I refuse to cower in front of them.

“What are you doing here?” He asked, concern written on his face. Fear filled me immediately and I fought the urge to wrap my hands around my stomach. I could not let Pierce find out about my baby. If he rejected it, I didn’t know if I could deal with the heartache.

“It’s a hospital, Hannah needed a checkup so I thought I would tag along.” I lied, hoping he would not see through my story. I held his gaze steadily as he scanned my face for a hint of a lie. He looked like he wanted to ask more questions, but stopped himself when she pulled on his arm.

“Pookie bear, won’t you introduce me to your friend?” She said in a whiny voice while looking at him adoringly. Pierce’s eyes pulled away from mine immediately words came out of her mouth.

A sudden urge to throw up consumed me. did she just call Pierce Blackwood a cutesy nickname and more importantly did he answer without a scowl or growl or threat of punishment if she did it again. It was like the man in front of me was different from the one I had spent a night with.

“This is Myra.” He responded. Not Myra, my girlfriend or friend, even acquaintance. I was just Myra today.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mira.”

“Myra.”

“Yeah. That’s what I said.” She looked at Pierce confused and back at me. “Anyway, I think I’ve watched a couple of your shows. You’re such a great actress, it’s a shame you’re very undervalued in the market, but I suppose it’s bound to happen.” She nodded like she was sympathizing with me, but I knew better. I could smell her passive aggression from a mile away.

“And you are?” I asked politely, extending my hand forward.

“Tami.” Pierce answered in a clipped tone. He didn’t want me getting cozy with her, I noted.

“How long have you known my pookie bear?”

“A while,” I replied, forcing a smile on my face. I suddenly did not want to know the relationship between the two, that would make Pierce’s normally icy exterior melt. I asked anyway.

“Oh me and him go way back. We were highschool sweethearts. First love and all that, but then we lost contact for a while.” She replied brightly. Pierce’s hand on her waist drew her closer to his body, I felt a pang of jealousy in my chest. For all we did in private he had never shown any form of affection for me in public.

When Tami was just this image in our pasts, I fooled myself that it was okay that he had liked me because of how much I looked like her, but standing in front of her now, I felt disgusted by my own skin, and needed to get away from both of them. I peeled my eyes away from his hands on her torso and back to her face.

“Well I’m glad you’re getting back together”

“So am I! I can’t begin to describe how excited I am to be here with him again. I hope we can go back to how things were before I left.” She smiled lovingly at him.

Pierce grunted in reply, his eyes glued to my face. I searched his face for an explanation. Why was she here, why was he being protective of her? What was going to happen with us?

“I’m afraid we have to leave Myra.” He said, his eyes still glued on mine. “I will see you again soon.” His eyes darkened.

“Oh! pookie, I think I left my bracelet in the room, can you get it for me.” She said brightly. Pierced forced his eyes away from me and looked down at her. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine waiting here. Nobody’s going to steal me away.”

Resigned, he nodded and brushed past me. I fought the urge to follow him with my eyes.

“Must be hard for you, isn’t it?” Tami said when he was gone. Her warm smile had been replaced by a knowing smirk. She looked me up and down. “He tried so hard to replicate the real thing, it’s impressive.”

Color stained my cheeks, and I remained tongue tied. “Well thanks for filling in for me while I was gone, I bet you kept him entertained. But I’m back now, and your services are no longer needed.”

“I am not a threat to you Tami. My relationship with pierce is different from what you have with him.”

“I don’t feel threatened by you or anyone in the city. None of you stand a chance. Which is why I showed the article, it’s a public announcement that Pierce is mine and nobody else’s. ” Her face turned into a mask of honey again..

“But I wish you the best in your career. I hope you make a big hit one day.” She smiled sweetly as Pierce returned to her side

“There was no bracelet in the room Tami, how important was it to you?” he asked concerned. “I could have them do a thorough search for it.” In our two years together I had never seen this side of Pierce.

“You’re so loving pookie, but it’s okay .” She looked straight at me. “It’s kinda worthless anyway.”

Just as she turned he grabbed my arm and pulled me to him. “We have to talk, Myra, I’ll get to you when I can:”

“Come on Pookie, I’m tired of standing here.” She grumbled. Pierce spared a look at the ward I had come from before he spun on his heels and led Tami away.

I had a feeling his ‘talk with me would be about my disposal. Tami had said it. She was back, he had no use for me. All last thread of hope that I had clung to shriveled as they got farther away from me. I felt like a nobody to him. My cheeks burned in humiliation. Tami’s and Sarah’s words played over and over again after I left the hospital.

When I returned back to the apartment that Pierce had rented for me at the start of our contract relationship I curled up in a chair and watched the city go by.

When I agreed to date him, I had not counted on the fact that I would fall in love with him, yet here I was, a heart broken mess for a man that didn’t think I was important enough to get a little warning on the end of our relationship. He could’ve told me she was coming back. Give me enough time to prepare myself for this heartbreak. Oh, who was I kidding. Nothing could prepare me to leave Pierce.

As far as I knew, I had two options; wait for Pierce to pay me a visit whenever he found the time away from Tami, and watch as he breaks the news of the end of our relationship, or the second option. Save us both the hassle of a face to face meeting.