Haze(28)

"I want to speak to him." Her voice quivers. "Can someone get him on the phone?"

I step forward, not only to answer her question, but to relieve my brother from his post. "I'm here. I came when I heard."

Her eyes drift lazily over my face, never stopping to acknowledge my presence. "If you tell Asher I need him, he'll come."

"Tell me how you're feeling, Mother." I pat Caleb on the shoulder signaling for him to move. "I'll sit with you now."

"Her blood pressure spiked." Rowan glances at me. "She was having trouble breathing. I was in the kitchen making her a coffee and Caleb was changing in the bedroom. I heard her fall."

"She went home with you?" I ask with a cock of my brow. My mother has a suite at the hotel the company owns in midtown. It's a private space dedicated just to her for when she's in New York.

Caleb squeezes my shoulder. "I thought it best. I was hoping we could both speak with her in the morning together about the latest development with dad."

I cast my gaze down at the bed. It's obvious that this is more than an anxiety attack. The color has drained completely from her face. She's visibly shaking.

"Are you alright?" I lean down to kiss her forehead. "What happened? Did you feel faint?"

Her bottom lip quivers slightly before her eyes settle on Caleb and then me. "He called when I stepped into the powder room."

I take a deep breath, understanding now. She knows. Father called to tell her.

"I think my heart is broken." Her hand, with a tube attached to administer an IV, rests in the middle of her chest. "He loves someone else. He's never going to love me again."





CHAPTER SEVENTEEN


Isla




"Have you ever been in love, Isla?"

I wonder if this is a trick question. It might be genuine but it's doubtful. I'll answer honestly because that's the best policy, or so they say. Besides, this conversation may actually help to get my mind off of Gabriel. I'm still floating after what happened in his car last night. "No, I've never been in love."

"Is it because of your weight?"

Well, f*ck. I stepped right into that.

"What's wrong with my weight?"

Cicely's eyes run over the same pink wrap dress I wear at least once a week. "Nothing. I mean you're not exactly overweight. I guess you're what people refer to as curvy."

I guess you're what I refer to as a raging bitch.

"I haven't had any complaints." I smooth my hands down my sides to my waist.

"You said you have a boyfriend," she segues effortlessly. "Don't you love him?"

"No." I pull more bras out of the cardboard box at my feet. "I had a boyfriend and I didn't love him."

"He dumped you, didn't he?"

Seriously, Cicely? Get over yourself already.

"The break up was mutual," I say even though I know I should walk away from her so this conversation, whatever it is, can end. I've been back here helping her unpack the delivery for more than an hour. It's Steph's turn to do it now. "What about you, have you ever been in love?"

"Yes."

The answer catches me so far off guard that I drop the bras in my hands back into the box. "You've been in love?"

"Once." She swallows so loudly that I'm sure everyone in the boutique can hear it. "It was a long time ago. I was young."

She's still young. "What was he like?"

Her brow furrows slightly as she picks up the bras and begins sorting them herself. I watch in silence as she moves her lips, as if she's rehearsing what she'll say.

"It's your birthday today, isn't it?" She gives me a weak smile. "I forgot to wish you a happy birthday this morning."

I've never felt pity for Cicely before. She presents herself as closed-off and cold. Maybe that's just a fa?ade and beneath all of that is a heart that has been tortured and broken. Perhaps she was hurt so deeply that she can't allow herself to feel anything for anyone, not even a hint of kindness or compassion.

"Thank you." I smile back.

"You should get back out on the sales floor." She nods towards the stockroom's open door with her chin. "The merchandise can't sell itself."

***

"I believe this belongs to you." Gabriel holds my violin case in his hands. "I'm sorry I didn't return it earlier."

I shake my head slightly. "No, please. You have nothing to apologize for. How is your mother?"

He brushes against me to place the case on the front counter. "She'll be fine. It was exhaustion and stress. She'll take a day or two to recover in the hospital. Then we'll go from there."

I glance across the boutique to where Cicely is helping a customer. "I'm glad that she's fine. I was worried after you got that call last night."

He takes a step forward, his hand leaping to the dark blue tie around his neck. He adjusts it as he looks down at me. "If it were anyone else in dire need, I would have told them to go to hell."

I cast my eyes to the floor as I feel a blush race over my cheeks. He'd been a gentleman after the driver had told him about his mother. He slid me off his lap, exited the car almost immediately and then helped me out. After walking me to my building's front door, he'd kissed my forehead before sprinting back to the car. "Thank you for giving me a ride home."