Page 21 of A True King

“What do you mean exactly?” she asks.

I look at the time. It’s very early morning at home.

“Shouldn’t you be…sleeping?” I ask. If eye rolling made a sound, I would be hearing it right now.

“I should be doing a lot of things, but if you must know, I was nauseous and couldn’t sleep, so I’m up in my office doing some…work,” she admits. “So?”

I sigh and look back at the bedroom door. Cain and Vince are seated near the front of the plane. Vince is sleeping, Cain is reading a book. Our stewardess is tucked away in the galley, probably prepping things for breakfast, if she’s not napping.

I lean back in my seat. “I don’t know how I feel about it all.”

She’s quiet for a beat and so am I. “Do you still love her?”

I pause, considering it. “I think I do.”

“Do you still trust her?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Well, then, that’s your dilemma. You are in love with someone that you aren’t sure you can trust. That’s a problem.”

“No shit.”

“You either have to forgive her and move on together, or you have to let her go. You can’t keep her at arm’s length forever. You’ve reached a fork in the road. Make your choice.”

“When did you become so wise?” I ask.

“Not wise, just observant.”

“Is that so?”

“Lion, can I give you my thoughts on this?” she asks. “And also, know that I haven’t found any evidence that contradicts what Mia has told you.”

“I don’t think I can stop you from telling me your thoughts, not even if I duct-taped your mouth closed.”

She laughs. “True.” She pauses and then continues. “I think that if I was scared and confused, I would do something I didn’t want to in order to protect the ones I loved. Especially if I didn’t think it was a big deal. If they just wanted your schedule, then, that’s public information anyhow. I think they were trying to have a confirmation of it and of any private meetings you had, but I can see why she did what she did. She was young and didn’t want to lose her job or you or her family. It doesn’t make it right, but when push came to shove, she showed her true colors. She didn’t give in to the demands. She did what she thought would protect you. And that is loyalty that you can’t buy, it’s a devotion that is earned. That woman loves you. She did all of this because she loves her family, and she loves you.”

“My head agrees with you, but that doesn’t make my heart hurt any less.”

“I know,” Anna whispers. “I should go and try to sleep some more. If Logan wakes up and finds me missing, I’ll get the riot act.”

I chuckle. “I bet you will.”

“He’s already all protective dad. It’s like I’m made of glass and our kiddo is gonna combust if I don’t follow the doctor’s orders exactly as stated.”

“Somehow, I have a feeling he still knows he’s married to the feistiest little ninja around.”

She giggles. “Our kid is gonna be like a little ninja swimmer.”

I roll my eyes at the reference to both Anna’s martial arts love as well as Logan’s love of all water sports.

“Take care,” I say.

“You too, and, Lion, give her a chance, one more chance. We all make mistakes. God knows I’ve made my fair share and so have you.” And with that, she hangs up, leaving me even deeper in thought than before she called.

Eventually, sleep overpowers me, and I dream about her. I dream of all the dirty things we’ve done in that bedroom where she now sleeps. The memories of those intimate moments playing like a movie reel in my mind, interlaced with snippets of what she said happened. A mysterious man. A threat. The phone that was found in the closet. So many pieces of a puzzle that don’t add up and I can’t help, even in sleep, to feel like the sands of an hourglass are falling faster and faster.

I wake with a start, confused by what my brain has been showing me. Vince is sleeping. Cain has on headphones as he reads a book. I gaze out at the sky. It’s just starting to turn pink; the sun is low in the sky. We will arrive soon.

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