Page 65 of Hayes

"No." She shook her head. "I did this to you, I should–"

"It's over."

"It's not. Please come here."

He stared at the outstretched hand as if seeing it for the first time. But he knew he had to get control of his emotions before he could go to her.

"No." His smile was a little shaky. "I need some air. I will order something to be sent up. I promise that I will just be a minute."

Before she could say anything, he strode swiftly from the room and slammed the doors shut behind him.

Camelia stared in the direction he had taken blindly for a minute, the tears still falling. Lifting a hand, she wiped the tears away. She knew it was going to take time for them to get past the incredible hurt and pain.

Pressing a hand to her stomach, she tried to control the riotous emotions tumbling around inside her. They were going to have to talk this thing through, or every single time, it was going to rear its ugly head and spoil things between them.

*****

He went for a drive to clear his head after leaving instructions for the kitchen to send up some soup and toast for her. He had also left instructions with one of the maids to keep an eye on her. He really should not have left, but he was so overcome that he had to leave.

He knew he was being unreasonable, but he could not seem to be able to help himself. Could not seem to stop. He had taken the red sports car and turned on the patch of dirt road that led to an old, abandoned building. Shoving the lever into Park, he killed the engine and reached for his phone.

"Mother, where are you?"

"Just pulled into the driveway. The luncheon went on forever, and I have to admit that I was tempted to just leave. How is Camelia?"

"I left her at the house. Can you–" He leaned his head back and closed his eyes briefly. "Will you check in on her? I am on the road, I just needed to get some air."

"Darling, is everything all right?"

"No," he rasped. "I might have said some things. I am such a damn mess, that I cannot– each time I open my mouth is to go back to the past. I cannot seem to fight my way out of it."

"Darling, it is going to take time."

"She wants us to get married in an intimate ceremony at the house."

"I think that's a lovely idea. And she doesn't have to do a thing. I can handle all the arrangements."

"I wanted something to show the world that it does not matter what happened in the past. That we have moved on from the awful tragedy. I wanted to give her something lavish, something she could have inside her memory to replace what is there.

She thinks about it. I can see the sadness on her face, and it kills me. Mother, I am hovering. I am becoming too clingy, and I don't know how to stop."

"Listen to me darling," she urged. "What the two of you went through was tremendous, something awful and I doubt I would be able to stand after going through something like that. It is going to take time. You have to give yourselves time to get through it."

"I know. Just take care of her for me until I get back, will you?"

"Of course."

Hanging up, he threw the phone on the passenger seat and sat there staring off into the wooded area.

*****

"The maid said you ate everything." Hillary bustled into the room with a smile on her lips. "It means that you are feeling much better." She noticed the tears spiking the girl's lashes and did not comment.

"Where is he?" she asked quietly.

Plucking the tray from her lap, Hillary put it away, sitting down on a chair next to the bed. "Out to clear his head. He's hurting."

"He is obsessing." She shook her head. "I really should not be discussing this with you–"

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