JК
The Gate House :: Demille Nelson
Страница: 453 из 490”
Susan just stood there, then dropped her eyes and said, “I’m sorry…”
“Don’t be. This is our decision, not just yours.” I said, “Better yet, send him in here and I’ll tell him myself.”
She shook her head. “He doesn’t want to see you… he just wants your answer.”
“My answer is I’ll leave tomorrow if he comes into this office now.”
“I’ll tell him.” She looked at me and said, “I love you.”
“I know you do.”
“Do you love me?”
“I do.” But I can’t.
She nodded again and said, “We had this time together… and I will never forget this week.”
“Neither will I.” I suggested, “You need to get on a plane to somewhere tomorrow and get out of here until things settle down.”
“I know… they want me to come to Hilton Head. But…” She asked me, “What am I going to do without you?”
“You’ll do fine.” I reminded her, “I’ll be here waiting for your father.”
She took a step toward me, but I said, “Take care of this.”
She looked hurt, and she looked so lost. I wanted to take her into my arms, and I would, but not until they were gone.
She stood motionless, then nodded and left.
I stared at the door, hoping she’d turn around and come back, and we’d both go into the living room and throw the Stanhopes out of the house. Our house. I also hoped that she wouldn’t make that decision.
I felt… a lot of things. Anger, for sure. But mostly I felt that sense of loss that I remembered from ten years ago; that understanding that it was over, and worse, that it should not be this way – that there was too much love between us that was being thrown aside for reasons that might not be good enough to justify the decision to part. And I felt, too, there was something wrong here… that Susan had been right and that Fate had brought us together again. So how was this happening?
I remained standing, staring at the door.
The only comfort I could take in this was that Susan, and Edward and Carolyn, could now see William Stanhope for what he was – and that knowledge would do them more good over the years than his money. The other thing that was comforting was my sure belief that William understood that I was waiting in the wings, and that I would reappear if he didn’t follow through on his promise to at least maintain the status quo.
Susan just stood there, then dropped her eyes and said, “I’m sorry…”
“Don’t be. This is our decision, not just yours.” I said, “Better yet, send him in here and I’ll tell him myself.”
She shook her head. “He doesn’t want to see you… he just wants your answer.”
“My answer is I’ll leave tomorrow if he comes into this office now.”
“I’ll tell him.” She looked at me and said, “I love you.”
“I know you do.”
“Do you love me?”
“I do.” But I can’t.
She nodded again and said, “We had this time together… and I will never forget this week.”
“Neither will I.” I suggested, “You need to get on a plane to somewhere tomorrow and get out of here until things settle down.”
“I know… they want me to come to Hilton Head. But…” She asked me, “What am I going to do without you?”
“You’ll do fine.” I reminded her, “I’ll be here waiting for your father.”
She took a step toward me, but I said, “Take care of this.”
She looked hurt, and she looked so lost. I wanted to take her into my arms, and I would, but not until they were gone.
She stood motionless, then nodded and left.
I stared at the door, hoping she’d turn around and come back, and we’d both go into the living room and throw the Stanhopes out of the house. Our house. I also hoped that she wouldn’t make that decision.
I felt… a lot of things. Anger, for sure. But mostly I felt that sense of loss that I remembered from ten years ago; that understanding that it was over, and worse, that it should not be this way – that there was too much love between us that was being thrown aside for reasons that might not be good enough to justify the decision to part. And I felt, too, there was something wrong here… that Susan had been right and that Fate had brought us together again. So how was this happening?
I remained standing, staring at the door.
The only comfort I could take in this was that Susan, and Edward and Carolyn, could now see William Stanhope for what he was – and that knowledge would do them more good over the years than his money. The other thing that was comforting was my sure belief that William understood that I was waiting in the wings, and that I would reappear if he didn’t follow through on his promise to at least maintain the status quo.