“You know,” Bethany leads, dusting her hands off after loading and armful of my things into the front seat of my car. “In theory, if you started your own consulting firm, I’d be your first applicant,” she smiles broadly. “No matter where headquarters happened to be,” she adds looking around the busy street as though she sees nothing at all.
“Yeah?” I smirk.
“Yep,” she nods.
“I’ll make a mental note of that,” I say and give her a quick hug before rounding my car and heading off for nanny, nurse, big sister, and brand new auntie duties. God help me.
I detest the smell of hospitals but it’s the very last thing on my mind as I sit on a plastic upholstered chair that sort of transforms into a something that resembles a beach lounger more than a sleeper sofa. I try adjusting myself as quietly as possible but the plastic material rustles terribly. Ellie doesn’t wake up though, thank goodness. She’s been restless and nervous and excited and back again and I’ve tried for several days now, since I arrived actually to keep her mind completely off the scary situation she finds herself in. In truth, she’s handling everything like a champion and I’m very proud of her resilience in the face of something that makes for a very overwhelming ordeal.
Anyway, keeping my butt in the plastic lawn chair has helped keep my mind off Sylas and the fact that I haven’t seen or heard from him at all since I came home. I’d like to pretend he doesn’t know I’m back for the time being but common sense tells me Sy definitely knows I’m in town. Palmetto Grove isn’t some sprawling metropolis and Sy isn’t blind or deaf.
He’s just chosen to avoid me. He wants nothing to do with me and I can’t say I’m shocked or that I blame him. I inhale deeply and settle further into my seat willing myself to put all thoughts of Sy out of my mind. I’m exhausted. It seems as though I’ve only been nodding off for a few minutes when I hear someone clear their throat loudly. I mumble incoherently and slowly crack my eyes open to see Ellie awake and smiling at me. Next to her is Doug who is also wearing a grin. I frown and rub my eyes.
“What time is it and why are y’all looking at me like that,” I mumble, digging around in the seat for my cellphone.
“It’s twenty-two minutes til midnight,” Sy says from the corner of the room where he’s leaning against the wall.
“Oh. Hey. Um. Okay,” I nod unsure why the hell everyone is here and looking at me like I know the secret to life.
“I’m on duty,” Doug says. “You get outta here,” he says in that way that means he’s not asking but telling.
“Okay then.” I shrug, getting to my feet. I lean over Ellie’s form in the bed and give her a hug. “Love you guys,” I pat her belly gently. “I’ll be here tomorrow to keep you company.”
“Actually Momma is coming to hang out. Take the day to relax in a real bed,” she says wrinkling her nose with her eyes on the beach lounger.
“I’ll call tomorrow and see what’s going on,” I say not making any promises. I want to be here as much as possible and she knows it.
“Come on, Rae. I’m taking you home,” Sy says, looking impatient and my heart shrinks. Now I’m beginning to think I should have either driven my own car to Louisiana or I should have just rented a car with an open-ended reservation. Dammit.
“I’m sure Daddy can come get me,” I shake my head.
“Rae, let’s go,” he says annoyed, looking at his watch like I’m making him late.
I keep my mouth shut and walk past him and straight to the elevator. I press the button for the bottom floor and try to ignore the man standing entirely too close to me. Why can’t elevators be twice the size they are? The doors slide open and we ride down to the bottom floor in the most awkward silence ever. Sy is speed walking to his truck with me essentially jogging to keep up.
I notice him checking his watch every couple of minutes and my anger spikes. Who does he think he is? I didn’t make him come and pick me up! He opens the passenger door and doesn’t even give me the opportunity to climb in. Sy grips me around my waist and tosses me in the truck then jogs around the front to get in on his side.
“Uh, where’s the fire, Sylas?” I mutter through my teeth. He ignores me completely as he speeds across town. Stuck in my own thoughts about this ridiculous display from him, I don’t even notice where we are going until his truck rocks as it drives over the path, around the baseball complex, and to the water’s edge at the bayou.
“What are you doing?” I ask, shaking my head.
“Outta the truck, Rae,” he orders, hopping out himself. He rounds the truck and again picks me up and deposits me roughly to my feet then he grabs my hand and drags me over to the old magnolia where our initials are carved out.
“Sy! Stop!” I yell pulling my hand out of his. “What is this?” I cross my arms over my chest, shaking my head. “You won’t speak to me beyond one-syllable words, you don’t care to—”
Before I can even get the words out, his arms are around my body and I am pulled tightly against his. He kisses me hard and passionately but it’s brief. His mouth makes a popping sound as he pulls away, breathing roughly, his hands shaking.
“Does that seem like someone that doesn’t care, Rae?” He pushes his hands through his hair and again checks his watch. “Now I’m almost out of time so just give me a minute here,” he says holding one finger up. He drags me closer to the tree and bends down and flips a switch on several little battery-powered lanterns. The base of the tree lights up, our initials clear as day. My jaw drops and my mind spins. What in the hell is he up to?
“Way I figure it, I have no right to be here saying any of this to you. I caused you so much pain and I’ll never forgive myself—”
“Stop,” I demand, shaking my head as I step closer to him.
“Let me finish,” he orders, again checking his watch. “I don’t have a lot of time left.” I frown at him and shake my head in confusion but Sy doesn’t acknowledge it. He simply goes on with a speech I can tell he practiced. “As I said, I don’t have any right to say these things to you, to ask a thing of you, but that’s never stopped me before when it comes to you. I have a deal for you.” He swallows roughly and I narrow my eyes on him. “Give me a chance to make things right. Let me make it better. Let me love you,” his voice wobbles. “And love away the hurt and bury all the bad memories with amazing ones. I know I can make you happy, dammit, and I swear I can and will,” he says checking his watch yet again.
“Sylas,” I whisper touching his cheek gently. “The truth is, we had something special and real back then. We had something great, but we were kids—totally different people. The woman I am today is a stranger to you in the same way I don’t know you. On top of that, BCF, and you, and Dale don’t deserve to inherit my bad press or my enemies. Those things worry me. I want us too, and I’ve been trying hard to work on myself but what if this can’t work? We may as well be strangers.” Sy nods and looks at me speculatively with his full lower lip trapped between his teeth.