Awakening Book One of the Trust Series(112)

His shoulders were slouched, and weariness from what she guessed was a very trying two weeks, six months, and life had taken over.

She rested her hand on his cheek and turned his head to hers. It was then she saw him. Really saw him. Not the Garrett he wanted the world to see, nor the one she had known for these past six months. She saw the person that was vulnerable and unsure of himself, that never knew if he was good enough, or was even positive that if he was wanted.

It was the Garrett that she had longed to know this entire time; the Garrett that she suspected was hidden underneath a mask, simmering underneath the surface. It was the man that she knew was there all along.

They still had their major differences that they needed to try to overcome, but this was a start. She now had hope that perhaps they could salvage what was left of their relationship.

She reached up on her toes, her lips touching his tentatively. His tears mixed with hers as their lips met, her heart pounding heavily in her chest.

“Can you forgive me?”

She knew she meant her next words. “I forgive you.”

“I should have been honest with you from the first day.”

“You should have.” Caitlyn paused. “But thank you for showing me all of this, for showing me your world, and who you really are.”

“Am I too late?”

She pressed her lips together. Her betrayal filled her mind. It was not only a physical infidelity, but also an emotional one. She considered telling Garrett the truth. But she couldn’t.

He was raw, exposed, and his only crime had been to hold a secret that he was sworn to keep. She could not hurt Garrett. Not now.

She shook her head. “No, you’re not. I am willing to try if you are. But I want this-” she put her hand where his heart lay. “This is real. This isn’t Garrett pretending to be someone else, pretending to be strong, or flirtatious, or indifferent. This is the real you. And if I can’t have the real you, then there can’t be an ‘us’ Understand?”

He buried his face in her hair. “I promise. I will not hold anything back. It is the truth and only the truth from now on.”

“Thank you.” She ignored the twinge of guilt she felt deep underneath the surface.

The next two weeks, Garrett and Caitlyn talked. This time, Garrett openly spoke about his past, his mother and father, his frustrations and understandings of the Trust not making him the Head of Household. He talked of having a difficult time letting anyone truly in, his father’s use of him to achieve his own means causing that.

Garrett talked of how much his missed his mother, of how she was the only person who really had looked out for his best interests. He also talked about Councilman McPherson and the loyalty he felt to him for giving him chances time and time again.

She noticed that he still wore the ring around his neck; his family crest. He talked of how he longed to redeem his family’s name among the Descendants, and how his goal was eventually to get back into the Tribunal.

Finally, he talked of her. They spent countless hours, lying next to one another, with him whispering sweet nothings of his devotion to her and how glad he was that he could truly share this part of his life with her. It was something he had always dreamed of, being able to share who he really was with another person.

It was two of the happiest weeks she had spent with him and when it was over, she could not perform Projectile Telepathy, but she had something much more valuable in its place. She was cared for and happy and nothing could take that away.

Until Declan returned.

The mid-afternoon December air was crisp, on the verge of chilling. Caitlyn wrapped her jacket around her tighter as she waited for Garrett to return from a brief meeting with the lead Inquisitor, Randall Eaton, regarding his reinstatement. The new Actual could have waited inside the building for him, but she wanted to be outside, along with her thoughts. Instead, she chose the Gazebo to wait in, watching some of the last brown leaves clinging desperately to their trees in a vain attempt at survival.

Last night had been a long one for her; she did not get back until close to sunrise. She had not expected Jonathan to come to her asking for help. The fact that they had caught Lionel surprised her; the fact that Declan was not involved surprised her even more.

But what really caught her off guard was the news that greeted her this morning. The Trust revealed that they broke off the treaty agreement with the Cine Tofa as of the night before. Jonathan had mentioned nothing of this action to her, not that she would have expected him to. People were already meeting in private, discussing actions and setting up plans. Emotions appeared to be varied at the report, the murmurings revealed that some were thrilled, some were angry, but most we just plain nervous about the unknown.