Chapter 4

“I am in Canada for business,” he started saying. “And I have been watching you over there while I was having dinner with my clients.” He pointed his finger in the direction where he came from. “I have to come over to verify if it's you or not after they left.”

“Excuse me Blake,” she stood up. “I have to go.”

“Oh no, please,” he reached out to touch her arm. “Don't go just yet. We need to talk.”

“I have nothing to talk to you about! She slapped his hand away. “Stop embarrassing me. People are looking our way already.”

“Tasha, please let's talk,” Blake pleaded with her.

“No!” she snapped at him and hurried away to the elevator. She jumped in and held her breath until it stopped on her floor and she rushed down the long corridor to her room.

She couldn't believe what just happened. Seeing Blake in flesh and blood after seven good years was unbelievable. Her heart clenched as she shut the door, she fell to the ground and started weeping. Seeing Blake in a Canadian restaurant was not how she had envisaged their reunion at all.

Seeing him looking as handsome as ever was nerve racking for her. She didn't know where she got the courage to walk away from him as he stood beside her, reeking of wealth and power, like he had always wanted.

“Damn you Blake,” she started cleaning her face with the back of her hand after some time, wondering why she was even crying in the first place. “Damn damn you…! You sonofabitch!”

She sprang to her feet, “I have to get out of this country by tomorrow morning.” She muttered loudly to herself.

She knew how powerful Blake was, he could send his men after her to bring her to wherever he was so as to force her to talk to him.

“Thank God, I already presented my paper today.” The conference would end tomorrow Thursday evening, but she couldn't wait any longer.

She took her phone and dialed Jason, her travel agent’s phone number.

“Hi Jason,” she said, her voice sounding desperate. “Can you help me change my ticket to tomorrow's first flight instead of Friday?”

“Are you okay, Tasha?” Jason asked with concern in his voice. “You sound agitated.”

“Ye-,yeah, I am okay,” she rubbed her temple. “I had an emergency call from work, so I have to be back in Berkeley tomorrow afternoon. Can you help me with that?”

“Let me see what I can do,” Jason promised.

“Listen, if you can't change it, just help me get another ticket for the first flight tomorrow morning.”

“That's alright,” he answered. “I will call you back in a bit.”

Tasha sighed and cut off the line.

She brought her suitcase out and put it on the bed. She started grabbing her clothes and shoes and dumping them in the suitcase, her mind running overtime, she prayed Blake would not come after her that night.

She picked up her phone in panic and called her mother.

“Hey, Tasha,” her mom answered from the other end. “We are just finishing dinner.”

“Mom, I saw him!” She said in a panic strike voice. “He's here in Canada!”

“Who are you talking about, Tasha?”

“Blake, mom,” she started pacing the floor. “Blake Carter, I saw him.”

“Calm down,” Mrs. Harrison said. “Now take a deep breath and talk to me.”

She took two long deep breaths and told her mom what just happened. Her mom assured her that Blake could do nothing to her and Tyson.

“Are you sure mom?” She asked fearfully. “Blake could be rootless if he wants to be.”

“I am so sure, dearie,” the older woman said. “And I think it's good you've decided to return home tomorrow.”

*********

“What the fuck!” Blake muttered angrily to himself and sipped from his whiskey. He was pacing around the living room of the penthouse, where he was staying.

Blake couldn't sleep well throughout the night. He'd been so riled by seeing Tasha unexpectedly after all these years. Not to talk of her running away from him.

She was the last person he thought he would come across in Canada. He felt bad for being a coward. For choosing wealth over their love years ago. That was the only reason he didn't run after her. He didn't want to make things worse. He had called his personal investigator immediately to find out everything about her. He desperately wanted to apologize to her.

“Oh Tasha, I wish you will listen to this stupid, selfish man,” he said to himself as he looked out into the night. “God…she's still as beautiful as she used to be. Yes, even more beautiful.”

He knew she left Cleverwood, but he didn't make any further investigation about her. He thought it was better to leave it at that so that he could face his new family and his career.

But now that he saw her, he knew he needed to go back to that hotel to talk to her in the morning if he wanted to have peace of mind. He decided not to return home the following morning as he had planned to.

He already called his private investigator to find out everything about her, including the room she was staying in the hotel where he saw her.

He momentarily remembered that he had to call his wife, Stacy. She told him in the afternoon that their four-year-old son had an ear infection and couldn't go to his kindergarten class earlier today.

He went to pick his phone up from the dining table and dialed Stacy's phone number. She answered after four dials.

“Hey darling,” his words came out slurry.

“Hey,” Stacy said impatiently.

“Did I catch you in the middle of something?”

“Yes, but it's okay. Never mind.”

“How is Jayce? Is he feeling any better now?”

“He's much better now and sleeping soundly. “I bought him the drug Dr. Alex prescribed.”

“Thank God,” his voice was clearer now. “Listen, darling. I don't think I can make it back home tomorrow.”

“Why?” she asked in a whisper.

“You remember Ta-?”