Page 417 of Tormented Billionaire Romance Series

“You’re his new…”

“Well, I guess I should say I think Imightbe his new. We seem to have some things to work out, and he mentioned that you were his…previous. I was hoping we might have a chance to have a word. That is, if you don’t mind.”

She glanced around the shop and looked past me at the front door. “Well, my traffic seems to be a bit light at the moment; I think there’s a game somewhere in town today that’s getting most of the business. Let’s have a seat.”

We went to an empty table and sat down together as if we were just a couple of customers. Once we were seated, I told her the whole story about Elijah and me — leaving out the sexy details that she could certainly fill in for herself — and she showed me a mix of reactions ranging from sympathy to dismay to alarm to sadness. She positively squirmed when I got to the part about the drugged-up Kane coming to Elijah’s building, wanting what he wanted from me. And, she looked fit to cry at the story of Elijah breaking it off because of my fears and doubts. All in all, Kathleen’s heart seemed to go out to me, and her reaction suggested an air ofBeen there, done that.

At the end of my story, Kathleen folded her hands on the table and quietly composed herself. Then, for the first time since I started talking, she spoke.

“In case you’re wondering,” she said, “I amnotjealous. I broke things off with Elijah myself and I’ve had no regrets about it. But, ah…Corinne, is it? Corinne, I totally understand what you’ve been through. And, I totally understand why you would come to me about this. You and I are both Elijah Bennett veterans, I suppose. Though your little ‘tour’ with him hasn’t been as long as mine was.”

“No…no, it hasn’t,” I said, intrigued with her little metaphor about being with Elijah as having been “through the wars,” so to speak.

“What do you need from me?” she asked.

“That’s kind of an interesting question,” I replied. “I’m not completely sure. I think I just wanted to talk to someone who’d been through a relationship with him and come out the other side okay. Youareokay…” I put that last part as a question as much as a statement.

“I’mveryokay,” said Kathleen.

I said, “Maybe I just wanted some reassurance that I’d be okay, too.”

“Are you going to keep seeing him?”

“He says he’s a new person,” I said. “And… I think I believe him.”

“Then, you have more faith than I had,” she admitted. “He insisted to me, pleaded with me, that he was a new person. But, all I could see was who he was, and how I didn’t want any of his past coming in my present. I couldn’t trust that what happened to you wouldn’t happen to me. Maybe I should have given him more of a chance. But at the time, I couldn’t.”

“I get that,” I said. Her mention of “faith” had hit a strong personal chord with me, though she couldn’t know it. I was raised, after all, by a man of faith, and while I was never what I’d call provincial or dogmatic, there had always been some degree of faith in my life. I’d always believed in the possibility of something better, which must have been the reason I was willing to talk to Elijah again and why I was so interested in talking to Kathleen now.

Remembering any number of Daddy’s sermons and the things he’d talked about to his congregation, I said, “Forgiveness can be hard sometimes. Really, really hard.”

“You seem to be more able to look past Elijah’s old life than I was,” said Kathleen. “I respect you for that. I do believe he’s a better man now. Looking back, I remember what a really great guy I thought he was until I found out about his past. Having walked away from him, I see things more clearly. Honestly, I accept that I gave him up and he’s moved on, and I wish him well.” She gave me one of herPrice is Rightsmiles and said, “I wish you well, too.”

It was such an honest, sincere, compassionate…decent…kind of moment. And, it was hardly the kind of scene you’d expect to go on between two women who had an incredibly desirable man in common. The whole thing, though, made me glad that I’d gotten off the fence and come in to talk to Kathleen. I felt no jealousy at all, nor did she for me. I actually liked her.

“How about a cup of your fantastic coffee before I go?” I suggested.

“Come on back up front,” she said. As we got up together and headed back for the counter, Kathleen noted, “Most women wouldn’t want to talk to the ex-girlfriend of the man they’re interested in.”

“Well, I’m new in town,” I pointed out, “and you and I are really pretty much of a clean slate.”

She smiled and laughed a little laugh, agreeing with me.

_______________

I was back at the apartment watching TV when Elijah called. I told him about my day. From his reaction, it was the last thing he ever expected to hear, which I guess was only natural.

The stunned surprise came through in his voice. “You talked to Kathleen? Sothat’swhat that was about…”

As unprepared for that as Elijah was for my news, I said, “That’s whatwhatwas about?”

“She called me today.”

Eyes widening, I said, “Shedid?”

“She did. Kathleen called, out of the blue, or so I thought. And, she apologized to me. She said she was sorry she could never forgive my past, and she wished me all the best for my future. And, she meant it. So, that’s what that was about. She’d been talking to you.” He paused. “Wow, Corinne. Most women would never go to a guy’s ex-girlfriend that way.”

“That’s what Kathleen said, too,” I recalled. Apparently, I was not what you’d call “most women.”

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