Chapter 13

"Thanks. I needed a break." Celeste plucked at her savory roll listlessly.

"Darling, I thought you said things were going well with Rylan." Kelly reached for her freshly made fruit juice glass and took an appreciative sip.

"I thought so as well." Rising restlessly, Celeste wandered around the well-appointed office. The room was large and cozy—that was the word that sprung to mind. The floor-to-ceiling window offered a stunning view of an outdoor garden bursting with colors and a delightful gazebo with wisteria entwined through the intricate design.

It was more of a home than a restaurant, and from where she stood, Celeste could see the stream meandering gently and the tables and chairs - the white against the green of the trees, an enchanting combination. It looked like a fairytale setting, and it sprung to her that this location would make a wonderful setting for their first date.

"Celeste?"

Turning to her friend, she mentally shook her head and focused.

"What happened?"

"He wants a week."

"You already told us that much."

"I went to his place last night to surprise him."

Kelly's tapered brows lifted. "That's always a very bad idea."

"No.' She shook her head with a laugh. "Yes, it was, in hindsight, a reckless plan, but thankfully, I did not have to get physical. He was alone and was happy to see me. I was feeling lousy after that migraine attack and needed him." She wandered over to the table and sat back down. "It went well - we made love twice at night and in the morning.

It was a very domestic scene. He was getting ready for work, and I was fixing his tie, and there I was, thinking that this was something I would love to do every morning. Wake up with him next to me. Take showers together, work out in the gym, fix his tie, make him coffee at least." She shook her head.

"We started kissing, and suddenly, he ended it and became angry. He said some things to me, and I tried - I held onto my temper and reminded myself that I had hurt him and he was entitled to his anger."

Picking up her fork, Kelly dug into her salad. "I am conflicted."

"What? Why?"

"I am friends with both of you and what you told me regarding the letter-" She shook her head. "That's not easy to shove to the back of the mind and say hey! It happened so long ago. He still loves you, darling.

That"s how much I realize. Or he would not be giving you the time of day. But you have to realize that this is also very hard for him. He is angry with himself for not being able to resist you, and he is probably wondering if you will do the same thing again."

Staring at her, Celeste huffed out a breath. "I see your point. Colin is wondering if he is out for revenge."

"I never thought of that."

"What do you think?"

Kelly shook her head and ignored the insistent ringing of her phone. "From what I know about Rylan, he is a straight shooter. You also have to understand that he was almost engaged to Madeline, and now he is faced with having to tell her that he was throwing her over for the very woman who wrecked his life. That-"

Kelly shook her head again. "Darling, that has to be an insurmountable task. He will upend the life he had settled for to one he is not certain about."

Leaning back in the chair, Celeste closed her eyes briefly. "I never thought of that," she said quietly. "I told him we should not contact each other for the week."

Kelly stared at her with raised brows. "Think that's wise?"

"I was upset. I also said some pretty nasty things to him. I sat there passing judgment on him instead of trying to understand what he was feeling."

"You are also human."

"I reread the letter. I told you he still has it."

"Yes." A frown pleated Kelly's brow. "And I am not certain that is a good idea. That means he will continue to cling to the past. I am not a shrink, but he will not move forward until he gets rid of it."

"My sentiments exactly." Heaving out a breath, Celeste toyed with her sandwich. "I don't know what the hell to do."

"Call him."

"He might not pick up, and I don't want him to think I am going to be a doormat because of what I did."

Kelly burst out laughing. "You a doormat? Please."

Celeste grinned at her. "Perhaps doormat is not the right terminology. I think I should give him a day or two. We both need it."

"Don't make it too long," she warned.

"I won't."

*****

He was reaching for the phone to call her when his doors burst open, and his mother came rushing in.

"What is it?" His heart immediately flipped inside his chest, and he wondered if something had happened to Celeste.

"You have not seen the news?"

"Celeste?" He asked faintly.

"No. Madeline was in a terrible accident. She is being rushed to Mercy."

"What happened?"

"She was on her way here to see you. She called me a few minutes ago and wanted to surprise you. She said she had not seen you in days and wanted to drop by."

He stared at her. "You did not think to tell me? I was on the verge of breaking things off with her."

"She said she wanted to surprise you."

Rylan gave her a hard look before pushing away from his desk and heading for the door. "I have a meeting with finance-"

"I will take care of it."

"How bad is she, and what happened?"

"She was cut off at the light by a drunk driver. Darling, her car was a complete wreck."

Swearing under his breath, he headed out, instructing his assistant as he went.

"Keep me updated," Michelle said, hurrying after him.

*****

She heard it on the news, and the decision on whether or not to call him was taken away from her then. And there was another problem. Jacques had flown in from Italy and showed up at her photoshoot. And he was insisting on them having lunch.

"I would like to explain my - how do you say? My side of things. Bella, I was a foolish man and would like to make amends."

She had not agreed to lunch, but she had heard on the news about the accident.She was about to hang up when he answered, and he sounded stressed.

"I heard about the accident. How is she?" Their fight earlier this morning did not matter.

"She is in a medically induced coma." His deep voice sounded weary, and she wished she could volunteer to rush to his side and put her arms around him. "The doctors are talking about possible brain damage. This changes things, Celeste."

She felt her heart crumbling. "You will have to be there for her right now."

"I appreciate your understanding."

"Does that mean I cannot come around?"

"I need time," he told her huskily. "I was about to break things off with her. I just have to be here for her right now. I am sorry."

"So am I." She was about to tell him about Jacques but decided it did not matter. Maybe they were not meant to be together after all. Maybe it was God punishing her for what she did in the past. She had no idea what it was, but it was too hard.

"Take care of yourself." She hung up before he could say goodbye and sat numbly in the corner of the room.

Her emotions were veering very close to the surface, and she was trying hard not to give in to tears. She had another two hours of wardrobe changes and posing, and then there was the problem with Jacques; she had no idea what to do.

Rising from her position on the loveseat, she washed her face in the bathroom.

*****

"Darling, I am so happy you came over. You should not be alone at a time like this. Would you like something to eat? I could ask Leon to whip something-"

"No." Walking to the cabinet, he selected a bottle of aged scotch and poured some into a glass.

"How is she?"

"She came through the operation, but she is in a coma. There is some swelling on the brain that is worrying. I persuaded Charles to go home and get some rest."

"You should follow your advice," Michelle murmured. "You look exhausted."

"I sat with her and talked. The doctors said that hearing familiar voices might do the trick."

He took a sip of the drink, his expression bleak. "I told Celeste we must cool things down a bit."

"You are not going to be able to see her. If the press gets hold of the fact that you are, they will blow this out of proportion."

He turned to pin her with a cold glare. "And you love that, don't you? You never liked her and were not pleased when I said I was starting things back up with her."

Firming her lips, she shook her head. "I only wanted to protect you."

"You keep saying that!" Leaning his head against the glass, he took a breath and felt the heaviness taking over. "We fought this morning. We did not leave things in a good way. We said things - regrettable things to each other because I was angry that she had such power over me. Now, I am going to have to stay away from her.

On my way from the hospital, I almost went to her place. I wanted to talk to her, to feel her arms wrapped around me. I don't know what the hell to do. I feel guilty that I was planning on breaking it off with Madeline."

"Darling, you are torturing yourself-"

"We were not meant to be." His voice was rusty with emotion. "Celeste and I think it's time we come to terms with it."

Michelle felt her heart break as she stared at his haggard expression. She believed she was doing him a favor by trying to sabotage his relationship with Celeste, but she finally realized that he would never find happiness without her.

"I cannot believe I am saying this, but I think you are wrong." She told him quietly.

His head snapped up as he stared at her with narrowed eyes. "What do you mean?"

"You certainly cannot be seen together, not right now. But you two belong together."

Taking a deep breath, she rose and walked toward him. "You have not been happy since you two broke it off. I hardly see you smile for twelve years. It's as if the light had been extinguished from your life." She touched his arm lightly.

"I have to be there for Madeline," he pointed out.

"I concur, but I advise you against writing off your relationship with Celeste. You love her."

"I do." He whispered hoarsely. "And being without her is making me crazy."

"There you go."

"Thanks, Mother."

"I have done a great deal of harm to both of you, and I am sorry for it." She sighed deeply. "I can only hope to find a way to make amends."

He squeezed her hand. "I understand. I need to go home and try to get some sleep."

*****

Jacques stared at her in rebuke. "You are with someone else. You are unwilling to give me a chance because of another man."

She had finally agreed to have lunch with him but was not certain it was a good idea. She had chosen a pretty low-key restaurant so that there was no chance of reporters lurking around to snap a shot of them together. She had spent last night sitting up in bed and agonizing over what the future holds for her.

"You are lucky I even accepted the invitation to lunch, and you have no damn right to expect a second chance." She told him coolly. The avocado sandwich she had ordered was not doing anything for her.

"I love you-"

"No." She shook her head. "You know what Jacques? I am not even upset with you anymore, and I must tell you that you wasted your time coming here."

He pouted, and as Celeste studied his petty face, she noticed how weak his chin was, not for the first time. He was classically beautiful with sculpted cheekbones, ink-black hair, and sultry dark brown eyes, and his body was slim and well-toned.

But his face lacked character, not like Rylan's. Never like Rylan's, she thought achingly, missing him like crazy. "Your friend told me to visit. She led me to believe that you were pining away."

"Friend?" She stared at him with a frown. "What friend?"

"Michelle, something. She reached out—Bella?" he peered at her, noticing the ominous expression on her exquisite face. "What is it?"

"Michelle Braithwaite called you?"

He snapped his fingers, a smile flashing. "That's her name. I believe she is associated with some cruise lines or the other?"

"She is." Finishing the juice, she started to push away from the table.

"Where are you going?"

"To settle a problem."

"We have finished having lunch."

Sitting back down, she met his eyes. "Hear me loud and clear, Jacques, and hopefully, I will not have to repeat myself. I never loved you. The thing between us was a mistake and one that I regret. I am in love with someone else, which will never change."

"You don't have to be such a bitch about it," he said petulantly.

She laughed at that. "That's the Jacques I know."

"I would have made you happy."

"No." She shook her head. "That's not true. Go back to Italy or stay, it does not matter to me. But we are not having lunch or dinner ever again. Is that clear?"

He nodded. Dark eyes smoldering.

"Goodbye."

*****

She waited until she was inside her car before making the call. She did not even mind the channels she had to go through before she got to the woman's assistant, who told her in a lofty tone that Ms. Braithwaite was unavailable to speak to anyone at this time and she could take a message.

"Tell her it's Celeste, and I"ll wait until she takes my call."

The woman politely told her to hold, and she waited impatiently as the minutes ticked away. She was fully prepared to march to the corporate office and sit there until the woman agreed to meet with her.

"Celeste," the voice came on the line, making her pause. "I am sorry to keep you waiting, but I was, in fact, in a meeting."

The pleasant tone took her aback, and it managed to erase her anger for a second. "You had no damn right to interfere again. Did you call Jacques? How dare you-"

"I apologize. And you have my assurance that it won't happen again."

Celeste blinked at that and was immediately suspicious. "What are you playing at now?"

"Nothing." The woman told her quietly. "I saw my son after he visited the hospital last night, and I could hardly bear the haunted look on his face."

"How is he?" She asked huskily.

"Conflicted. He is wondering if you two will ever be together. I told him not to give up. I never realized how unhappy he had been over the years. My dear, he loves you. He must be there for Madeline until she wakes up, but he will need you."

Leaning back, Celeste closed her eyes briefly. She was getting assurance from the last person she expected, which felt weird.

"Where is he?"

"He had to go to some meetings, but I think he will be heading to the hospital after." There was a pause, a brief one. "You should call him. I am sure he would love to hear from you."

"Thank you." She whispered.

"It's the least I can do."

*****

He was sitting in the hospital parking lot, trying to erase the weariness from his entire body, when his phone rang. He was about to ignore it when he saw who was calling. The exhaustion lifted as if by magic.

"Hey, you."

"Hey, you." He could not hide the pleasure her voice was giving in, and he did not want to hide it.

"How are you?"

"Want the truth or the politically correct response?"

"Truth, always."

"I miss you," he told her huskily, smiling at the silence.

"You must have read my mind." She told him throatily.

"Why is that?"

"Because it's the same thing I am feeling. Look darling, I understand why we cannot be with each other-"

"No," he said forcefully. "I was damn wrong. I want to see you, darling. These past couple of days have been hell on me.

Yes, I know I have to be there for her until she wakes up, but I want to spend my nights with you. I want to feel your arms wrapped around me. I am so tired, Celeste. It feels as if I am carrying the entire world on my shoulders."

"Where are you?" She asked him huskily.

"In the hospital parking lot, I"m trying to summon the effort to go to my empty apartment."

"How about I meet you there?"

"Are you sure?"

"I am positive."

"Thanks, darling.," he told her hoarsely.

*****

As soon as he opened his car door, she was in his arms, pushing him back against the car, her entire body wrapped around him.

"Hey." he breathed in her scent and closed his eyes as the relief and comfort washed over him.

"Hey." She whispered into his neck. "You feel so wonderful."

"I could say the same about you." His arms were tight around her waist. "Are we going in?"

"Eventually. I missed you so much."

"If we go inside, I intend to show you how much you were missed."

"I am sold." When she started to ease away, he held her tighter and lifted her into his arms.

"I need another few minutes." Bending his head, he kissed her slow and deep, sending white-hot heat trembling through her body. Ending the kiss, he strode towards the doors, managed to open them, and went toward the elevator. She snuggled against him, inhaling his scent, feeling the pleasure of being with him washing over her.

He did not stop until he was upstairs and inside his bedroom. Instead of putting her down, he strode over to the tan leather sofa and sat with her cradled against him. They said nothing for a few minutes as they savored being together like this.

"How is she?" She finally asked.

"The same." His hands moved up and down her back slowly. He felt steadier than he had felt for the last couple of days and knew she was the reason for it. "No changes."

"I am sorry." Lifting her head from his neck, she brushed back a lock of hair from his forehead.

"So am I." His green eyes studied her exquisite face. "When Mother came into the office with the news, for one awful moment, I thought it was you, and I am ashamed to say that when she told me who it was, I felt absolute relief that it was not you." His hands cupped her face.

"The thought of losing you was so frightening that I stopped breathing." He bent to brush his lips against hers. "I said that I wanted space from you, but I was so damn wrong. I need you, darling, and I want you with me."

"I want that too." She told him tearfully. "I am here for you, no matter what."

"I was an idiot."

"So was I. Oh, darling." Closing the distance between them, she kissed him hard enough for him to wrap his arms around her and deepened the kiss. His hands raced up and down her back restlessly as the passion built.

"Come to bed with me," he urged. "Let me lose myself in you and forget everything."

She nodded, her throat tight with emotions. His hands came around her neck as he lifted her into his arms.