Until the End of Time (29 page)

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Authors: Melanie Schuster

BOOK: Until the End of Time
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“
Lapsang Souchong is her favorite. Or Earl Grey,” Ceylon said quietly. She got down a mug and a small plate from the cupboard. Then she stopped and stroked the bridge of her nose with her index finger, a sure sign that she was upset. She could feel tears surging to her eyes and blinked rapidly to prevent them falling. The last thing Renee needed was some big ol’ drama queen scene.
Suddenly, the most unexpected thing happened; Martin turned her around and settled her next to his heart for a big hug. Enfolded in his arms was the last place she ever expected to find herself, but she didn’t fight it. His arms felt too good and she was too distraught to question what was going on. She just let him hold her and she clung to his strength while he whispered comforting words to her. After several long moments the teakettle noisily reminded them that it was full of boiling water. Ceylon reluctantly drew away from Martin and prepared the tea.
“
So what happened tonight, Ceylon? I can see that it’s not just a case of being ill. She looks traumatized,” Martin said quietly.
After all he’d been through since his accident, Ceylon wasn’t surprised by his perception. Nothing about Martin really surprised her, not his moodiness, his unexpected kindness or his potent masculinity. She looked up into his beautiful, scarred face and sighed.
“
I’m not sure what happened, but you’re right, she had some horrible shock. There’s only one thing I can think of that would do that to her. I just hope she can talk about it. Would brandy help, do you think?”
Martin found a bottle in Bennie’s pantry and added a small amount to the tea. Ceylon put some homemade shortbread on a small plate and put everything onto a tray. “Sugar helps when you’re in turmoil. I have no idea why, but it does,” she said. She picked up the tray to go upstairs, only to have Martin take it from her. She led the way to Renee’s room and Martin placed the tray in her hands.
“
I’ll be downstairs until Clay and Bennie get home,” he said in response to her unasked question. “I’ll also cancel your limousine—I’ll take you to your hotel.”
Before she could react to that, he leaned over and kissed her. It was too close to her mouth to be on her cheek, yet too far on her cheek to be on her mouth and Ceylon had no doubt but that he had deliberately placed it there. But she couldn’t afford to get all gooey about it, she had to see to Renee. Renee had rolled herself up into the smallest ball possible and her golden eyes were dulled and listless, but wide open. Ceylon set the tray down on the dresser and went to Renee, stroking her hair.
“
Sweetie, I want you to drink this tea, okay? Just sip a little of it and maybe you will be able to tell me what happened.”
She went to the dresser to get the tea and was encouraged by the fact that Renee stopping rocking back and forth and sat up. She was even more encouraged that Renee spoke to her as she was handing her the mug of tea; at least she was until she heard the words Renee whispered.
“
Ceylon, he was there tonight. The man that raped me was at the dinner.”
Before she realized what she was doing, Ceylon gasped in sheer horror. She immediately tried to compose herself but she couldn’t help the expression of pain that crossed her face. To some extent she was expecting the words because she knew of nothing else except the unexpected death of a loved one that could make someone as strong as Renee collapse like that. But to hear them in those soft measured tones was dreadful. She wanted Renee to get it all out, but she wasn’t sure that she would be able to. But after a few sips of the steaming, brandy-laced tea, Renee continued to talk. She talked until she was all talked out, but she wasn’t able to sleep for a long time.
When she at last drifted off, Ceylon sat with her for awhile to make sure she was really sleeping. She finally went downstairs to see if Bennie and Clay had come in. It was just her and Martin, who was in the family room pretending to read a book while the stereo played softly. He was leaning back on the big sofa and looked too good for words with his tuxedo jacket removed and his band-collared shirt opened at the neck. Ceylon stood in the doorway, stroking her nose again. Martin held out his arm to her and without hesitation she joined him on the sofa, nestling into his side and cradling her head on his shoulder. They sat quietly like that until Martin could feel the moisture from Ceylon’s eyes dampening the front of his shirt. That was when he pulled her into his lap and held her as close as he could so that she could cry out her pain for her friend. It was a little bit after that when he kissed her, and there was no doubt about where this one landed
.
***
Renee was on her way back to Detroit before noon the next day. It took an Academy Award caliber performance to convince Bennie, Clay and the others that she was fit to fly, but she carried it off. She made a great show of lightheartedness and chalked her anxiousness up to homesickness for Andrew. It was only a partial lie, she told herself.
“
Now Bennie, it’s been three days since I’ve seen my beloved and my babies. Don’t forget I have two puppies waiting for me, too. It was just a little touch of the flu, that’s all. I’ll be just fine when I get home. After all, Andrew is a doctor, for heaven’s sake!” she said lightly. While she was selling this happy tale to Bennie, she was also packing rapidly. It didn’t really matter what Bennie or Clay or Big Benny or anyone else had to say on the matter—she was getting the hell out of Atlanta that day if she had to walk. Bennie had to accept what Renee was saying at face value, although she wasn’t too sure about her feeling fine, as she insisted. Renee still looked drawn and ashen to her, but as she pointed out, she was making haste to get home to a doctor, so she would be cared for if she was really ill.
It wouldn’t have been possible to convince Ceylon, but then again Ceylon knew the whole truth of the matter and was in agreement that Renee needed to get home to Andrew as fast as possible. She said so to Renee on the telephone as Renee was about to leave for the airport. “Okay, dear heart, you get back home to Detroit as quick as you can and tell Andrew everything. The sooner he’s aware of what is going on, the quicker you two can work it out,” Ceylon said confidently. “Everything is going to be fine, Renee, you’ll see. You’re not alone in this anymore. You have me and Andrew and Yolanda and nothing bad is going to happen while we have breath in our bodies, okay?”
Renee was so overcome with emotion that she could barely reply. Ceylon seemed to sense it because she immediately switched to a more neutral topic, that being the elusive Martin.
“
He’s a perfect gentleman, damn him,” Ceylon sighed dramatically. “He could’ve taken advantage of me last night, but no, he stayed with me until I fell asleep and then he disappeared into the night. But I’ve got news for Mr. Man, I’m not that easy to lose,” she murmured in her husky, silky voice.
Despite the tears clogging her throat, Renee managed a chuckle. Ceylon did have a way of making her laugh even while she was in turmoil. Still, she was thoroughly relieved to be on board the plane where she could have the privacy to deal with the horror show her life was becoming. The plane was crowded due to holiday traffic, but Renee was glad; the hordes gave her the luxury of anonymity. No one knew her or paid any attention to the beautiful woman whose icy demeanor was betrayed by the rapid movement of her fingers. As always in moments of stress, she was rapidly counting her fingers with her thumbs—
one, two, three, four; one, two, three, four…
***
Renee’s homecoming wasn’t quite what Ceylon had predicted, but anything was better than being in Atlanta. Contrary to what she had told Bennie and Clay, Renee hadn’t alerted Andrew to her travel plans. She couldn’t have dealt with seeing him right away. She had no idea what she would say to him, how she would explain what happened, how he would react…her mind was in such chaos that all she could do on her long ride home from the airport, was stare blindly out of the window of the taxi and count silently.
One, two, three, four...one, two, three, four…
The tears didn’t start until she was safely inside the house. The sense of relief that she was expecting when she entered the big house evaded her completely. It was warm and familiar and oddly welcoming, but there was no release from the tension that had held her in its grip since the night in Atlanta when it all began. Despite being safe at home, the miasma of rage and terror still engulfed her. She wasn’t safe here anymore than she was in Atlanta; being home only made her face the fact more clearly.
A sound from the mudroom made Renee remember that she wasn’t alone in the house. She hurried into the room off the huge kitchen and let the little dogs out of the carrier where they spent their days until they were thoroughly housebroken. She was gratified to see that her little pets had not forgotten her in the few days that she was gone. On the contrary they made their adoration known with barks, wet doggie kisses and the legendary “wee-wee of joy” as Andrew irreverently referred to the tiny puddles they made when excited.
It was that bit of normalcy that popped the bubble of calm Renee had vainly been trying to float. The tears starting rolling down her cheeks unchecked and she finally sank to her knees and let go with the huge, wracking sobs she had been holding in. Renee wept until there was no more breath in her body, until her throat was raw from sobbing. The room grew smaller and smaller and the darkness pushed in on her until there was nothing but inky black surrounding her.

 

 

 

 

Chapter Sixteen
When Renee’s eyes opened, she felt no better; she actually felt a little worse. She was stiff from her awkward position on the floor and she was cold. Mostly, though, she was thoroughly disgusted with herself. How could she have let herself fall to pieces like that? For God’s sake, what had the last 10 years of her life been about, if not keeping insanity from her door? What had all that hard, painful work with Yolanda been about if she was going to fall to pieces like an overwrought teenager with an eating disorder? Renee sat up abruptly and rubbed her eyes with her fists, something she never, never did because it could wreck the delicate skin.
What a mess, what a mess. What am I going to do? How am I going to tell Andrew that his brother is about to go into business with the man who raped me? How am I going to face Donnie? Or Clay? Or anybody else? And why am I sitting in a puddle of puppy pee crying like an idiot?
The absurdity of her current position made her move, finally. She stumbled to her feet and hastily cleaned up the small puddle left by her excited puppies. After taking them for a much-needed walk, she came back into the house and took her luggage upstairs. While she unpacked, she tried to keep her mind clear and focused on what she had to do next. It was clear that she had to tell Andrew everything. Just being able to express her pain and confusion would lessen the agony; she knew this in her heart. But what the proper words were, she had no idea.
Hi, honey, missed you, had a great time, your brother is going into business with the man who raped me
. No, it just didn’t play. Somehow, though, she had to find a way to tell him, the sooner the better.
The afternoon passed in a blur. As keyed up as she was, Renee couldn’t sit still. She busied herself by doing needless cleaning and straightening, which proved to be rather unrewarding, as the house was always immaculate. After rearranging the objects on her dressing table a third time, she decided to prepare a big meal. Cooking would occupy her mind as well as her hands, she decided.
When Andrew walked in the back door of the house, he was amazed. Not only was Renee home unexpectedly, but she had prepared a magnificent meal for him. It was simple food, comfort food--meatloaf, macaroni and cheese and a special sautéed cabbage that only Renee could prepare. But the meal was one of Andrew’s favorites and he was touched that she had gone to so much trouble, in addition to being thrilled that she was back. He found her in the dining room arranging a romantic table setting for two. In seconds he had her in his arms.
“
Baby, what are you doing here?” he asked happily. “Did I get my days mixed up or something? I thought you weren’t coming home for a couple more days.”
Despite his surprise at seeing her, it was plain that Andrew was ecstatic to have her where she belonged. His gentle embrace was just what Renee desperately needed after the turmoil of the past hours. She returned his sweet, gentle kisses and allowed the pain and anxiety to flow away as she adjusted to feeling his strength flow through her body. Finally, she began to speak. “Well, I had a…a slight stomach virus and…I just knew I would feel better here with you. So I came home,” she hedged.
There was plenty of time for him to hear the whole sordid story—for now she just wanted to look at him and assure herself that he was real, that this was her real life and nothing ugly could intrude on her happiness. She stepped away from him so that she could adore him with her eyes and was reassured with what she beheld. He was rumpled and tired looking, but there was a look of peace and happiness about him, too. Before she could ask him about his eating and sleeping habits he took her hands and drew her into the living room and they sat down on the big sofa together.
Andrew gathered her as close to him as possible, kissing her again before speaking. “Damn, I’m glad you’re back! I had no idea I could miss you so much,” he admitted. “Renee, the surgery went well. It went better than ‘well’, actually. So far everything has gone perfectly and the babies are holding their own,” he told her with obvious pride.

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