One For Sorrow

Chapter Nine

03:30

Cecelia was sitting in her chair filling out forms when Riley and Sally finally decided to grace her with their presence.

“Wondered where you had gone,” Riley said, sitting in one of the chairs on the opposite side of her desk.

“Would you like a drink?” She asked, ignoring Riley’s remark.

“‘I’ll get them!” Sally said. She knew there could be a heated discussion about starting, and she was too tired to get involved.

“Coffee, white two sugars,” Riley said to Sally’s retreating figure.

“Your wish is my command,” She replied as she left the room.

“How are you feeling?” Riley asked once Sally had gone.

“Fine.” She said as she concentrated on filling out forms.

“Know of any hotels around here who book out rooms at four in the morning?” He asked. “They aren’t in the red light district.”

“You don’t have anywhere to stay?” She said, looking up at him, a little surprised at that. Riley was normally a very well-organized person.

“I haven’t moved here yet and was planning on returning home tonight before all hell broke loose. By the time I get home now, it will be time to come back again. So there is really no point. I can sleep in my car anyway, no point in booking a room for a couple of hours is there.” He said as he mulled over the possibilities in his head.

“I have a spare room you can use.” She told him before she could stop herself. Crap! Why did I do that?

“I wouldn’t wish to be an intrusion.” He said, slightly shocked at her offer.

“Trust me, compared to last weekend, you are no intrusion.” She said quietly. His face dropped as she spoke, he wished he could just pull her into his arms and comfort her. “And to be honest, I might actually sleep if I knew someone I trusted was in the house with me.”

“Then, of course, I will accept your invite, if it means I get to protect you.” He winked. She looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

“On one condition,” she said.

“What’s that?” He asked, c*****g his head to one side.

“No questions, no harassing me into telling you what happened.” She explained. She was physically, mentally, and emotionally tired.

“Cee-Jay!” Riley exclaimed.

“No, please, I will tell you when I am ready to, and I don’t think I am ready to relive the story again yet, so please, don’t”, She begged him.

“Deal, I will sleep on the sofa and be your personal watchdog for the night, nothing more.” He said, sighing in resignation.

“You don’t need to sleep on the sofa, Riley, I have a six-bedroom house.” She pointed out to him.

“You have your own place now, or has your mother downsized?” Riley asked with a chuckle.

Cecelia laughed at his comment. “No Mother hasn’t downsized, and yes, I have my own place. Remember that house we always used to say we would buy?”

“Yeah, I remember.” Of course, he remembered he had saved up to put a deposit down on it the day he had planned to ask her to marry him, the same day she had left him. The reminder felt like a stab to the heart.

“Well, I brought it when I came home.” She said. He raised an eyebrow.

“I wondered who had brought it, I was quite upset when I found out it had been sold. Figures that no one would know with how secretive you like to be” At that point, Sally returned with three steaming mugs of tea and coffee and they went about filling out the paperwork they needed. Cecelia left the tape in her secretary’s in-tray and locked up her office before everyone proceeded down to their cars.

04:15

He was parked at the bottom of her driveway waiting for her to get home. She obviously needed reminding of what would happen if she spoke to anyone about what had happened that night. He looked at his watch and yawned. It was a quarter past four in the morning, she had to be home soon. He was sure of it.

Suddenly he saw headlights. He was hidden well out of the way so he couldn’t be seen. The familiar Audi turned into the driveway, followed by another car. This made him strain to see. A Mitsubishi sports car turned into the driveway with the interior lights on in it. He swore as he worked out who was behind the wheel. What was his new boss doing bringing that b***h home? He punched the dashboard and decided he would wait and see if the man left.

04:20

Cecelia’s home was an immaculate-looking three-story country house that was situated at the back of Beyond. The grounds behind the big stone wall that surrounded her land were perfectly tended and beautifully colored. Cecelia had her gardener, Marvin, to thank for that. It always cheered her up, to come home to such beautiful gardens. The man really did have a green thumb and a keen eye for detail.

Riley parked the car close to the front door on the gravel driveway. Behind Cecelia’s car. Pulling the break on, he took out the key, undid his belt, and got out. Striding over to her car, he opened it and helped her get out.

“Come on, let’s get you inside, shall we.” He said, taking her briefcase and putting an arm around her waist.

“Will you do me a favor?” She asked in a quiet tone that had a hint of nervousness to it, which made Riley frown slightly.

“Of course, Cee, anything. What would you like me to do?” He asked as she unlocked her front door.

“Will you sleep in the same room as me? I know it may sound very forward, but I forgot how safe I always felt with you.” She felt like a child asking to sleep in mummy’s bed, but she was certain this man could help her.

A broad smile spread across his face as he led her through the door. “If it is what you wish, then of course, but only if you are comfortable with it.”

“That is it though, you can share the bed but nothing more than sleep,” She said, trying to make her point clear.

“I didn’t even realize you wanted me in bed, I thought I was going to curl in a chair in the corner.” He replied.

“I’m not that cruel a person.” She said, with a smile as she walked into the kitchen and switched the light on. “Would you like something to drink?”

“Tea would be great.” He said with a smile as he took off his suit jacket and hung it on the back of one of the chairs at the breakfast table.

“Why don’t you make yourself comfortable in the lounge and I will bring it over to you.” She said, filling the kettle up with water. He took a seat at the breakfast bar. “That’s not the lounge.”

“Ah, but I can’t keep an eye on you and protect you if I’m in there and you are here, can I?” He grinned.

She chuckled and went about making tea for them both. She sat on the stool next to him, handing him his mug, she took a deep breath, if she was going to tell anyone, he was the one she could trust the most. “OK, now this is one hundred percent off the record. No statements, no repeating, nothing. This is between you and me only.”

He was quiet a moment as he watched her looking at the floor, and whilst he thought it over. “OK, off the record,” he said after a moment.

She took a deep breath. “What do you want to know?”

“From the start,” He told her.

“OK, here we go. I was sitting reading when there was a knock on the door…” She related the story of what had happened a week ago, including every little detail she could remember. By the time she had finished talking, she was crying and shivering uncontrollably and had wrapped her arms around herself, and was rocking back and forth on the chair slightly. “It was all my fault it happened, I only have myself to blame.”

Suddenly, she found herself wrapped in his arms. His hand gently stroked her hair as he rested his lips and nose on the top of her head.

“Oh Cecelia, it is not your fault, I can promise you that. The only person that is to blame for this is him. He put you through this and you did not deserve any of it in the slightest.”

She sniveled against his shirt. “‘He put the fear of God into me, Riley, I have never been so scared in all of my life. I very nearly upped and left. But I couldn’t do that, not to Sally, not to Julie, and then there was Paige as well. I just could not leave them all behind.”

“I’m here now, no one is going to hurt you again, I promise you.” He said, taking in a deep breath, drawing the scent of her hair into his nostrils. It reminded him of watermelons. “I will be here as long as you need me.”

“Don’t leave me, Riley.” She mumbled.

“‘I never wanted to in the first place.” He told her. “Come on, let’s get you some sleep.” He let her lead him upstairs. “You have done wonders with the house, I remember the day we looked around here. I have even been to a mortgage company. I was going to surprise you with it.”

She looked up at him stunned as they walked along the corridor. “And then I ruined it. I am sorry Riley, I thought it was for the best, you seemed to be very distant with me, and with me moving away, I thought that maybe it would be too much of a strain on us, so I did the thing I thought we needed, I can’t believe how wrong I was.” She said as they entered the bedroom. She sat on the bed and he sat down next to her.

“There was a reason behind my nerves, but this is in the past now, we have a fresh start, a new beginning.” He said with a smile, he was slightly sad at the memory of that night.

She looked at him, he was hiding something. “What is it? What were you doing?”

“I was going to ask you to marry me.” He mumbled. It was his turn to look away from her as he looked at this famous invisible spot on the floor.

She put a hand on his cheek to pull his eyes back to hers. “Oh Reilly, I am so sorry! I had no idea.” She said in a whisper. She leaned over and kissed his lips lightly. When she moved away, he smiled down at her, he lightly ran his thumb over her lip, being careful of the scab in the middle of it.

“It feels like we have never been apart.” He said.

“I wish it were so.” She smiled at him and hugged him.

“I still have the ring.” He whispered.

“I…” She started.

“No sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“Yes.’ She whispered.”

“What?”

“Yes, if you are asking, yes.” She told him. “I forgot how safe you make me feel, even after everything that has happened over the last week, I still feel like I can be strong when I have you around.”

He looked at her speechless before stroking some hair behind her ear with a smile. “Come on, let’s get you into bed, we can discuss it soon.” He kissed her on the head before standing and starting to undo his shirt.

They both got undressed and got into bed. She turned into him and curled into a ball against him. In moments she was sound asleep in the safety of his arms.