“I was bad. I had to live with that. Live with being bad. You were my punishment. If you weren’t there, I wouldn’t be punished. I had to be made to suffer for being bad. Yes, I was bad.”
Shane sat back, looking at her with pity. This woman was gone. She’d been gone for a long time. There was no use in staying there with her any longer. There was nothing she could tell him, no answers she would be able to give. Maybe she’d been lost from the first moment she’d met the man who had raped her and caused Shane’s existence. Maybe it had been before that moment. Either way, she was just a shell, and he would never get any clear answers from her.
He rose, and Lia quickly followed.
“I won’t be back, Betty. I’m sorry you’ve had such a difficult life,” he said as he looked down at the woman, who was now rocking herself back and forth, back and forth.
“Please, Shane, please,” she pleaded, holding her legs as she rocked in the chair.
“Please, what?” Both he and Lia were puzzled.
“Please don’t hurt me anymore. I was just bad once, just once. Please set me free,” she begged, her eyes showing emotion as they teared up.
What Shane did next nearly dropped Lia to her knees.
He walked to Betty, and Lia was afraid he was going to hurt the woman, but she should have known better. This man would never hurt anyone — not even a person who had helped to ruin his early existence.
He kneeled down and put his hand on hers, which was resting on her legs. “You are free, Betty. Do you hear me? You’ve paid for your crimes. It’s time for you to be free. There won’t be any more punishment. You don’t have to be afraid anymore,” he whispered while looking in her eyes.
The rocking motion stopped, and she looked at him with wonder. The corner of her mouth turned up.
“I’m free?” she asked.
“Yes, you are free. No one will hurt you anymore. I won’t hurt you. You’ve served enough time.”
Shane stood up and moved to the door, knocking to be let out.
“Thank you,” Betty whispered as he and Lia left the room. The last sound they heard before the door shut was the sound of laughter, a tinkling noise that made Lia think of a child, a very young one.
Shane didn’t say a word as they walked from the hospital, just took the time to process what Betty had said to him.
It was good that he’d come, good that he’d spoken to her. He could no longer hate the woman who had given him birth. All he could do was feel pity toward her vacant shell, once a person, perhaps, now mentally a child locked inside a useless body.
Now, maybe she would find a measure of peace. He meant what he’d said to her — she was free to end her punishment. He didn’t love her, never could love the woman who had hurt him so badly for so many years.
He could forgive her, though.
“Thank you, Lia. It was good that I went there.”
“I was thinking it was too much,” Lia said as she faced him with tears in her eyes.
“No. I may have told her she was free, but I was also set free, Lia. How can I hold that lifeless woman responsible? She has punished herself far more than I would ever want to punish any person. She was wrong in what she did to me, but she’s more than paid the price.”
Shane pulled Lia into his arms and held on tight. Her freshness, love, and loyalty held him on the ground, kept his heartbeat steady.
With Lia, he could get through anything.
Chapter Forty-One
Ari
Something woke Ari far too early in the morning. A noise? She didn’t know what, but before she could open her eyes, she could smell the sweet scent of flowers. As she sleepily took in the room, she lay there with her mouth agape.
Looking around in shock, she couldn’t see a single bare place on any of the tables in the room. They were filled with vase after vase of her favorite flowers, stargazer lilies. The beautiful pink-and-white flowers were everywhere, mixed with roses, lilacs, carnations and delicate greenery.
The sight was so beautiful, Ari wished for a moment that she were a poet or a painter rather than a historian.
“Rafe?” she called, but there wasn’t an answer.
She turned to glance at the clock on the night stand and noted that it was midnight. Not morning, at all. They’d gone to bed only a couple hours before. How had he managed to decorate the room while she was there sleeping?
Crawling slowly from his giant bed, she moved through the room, smelling the beautiful bouquets. On each one, there was a note attached. There had to be a hundred notes.
She opened the first:
Your smile is a beacon on a stormy night.
She rushed quickly to the next envelope:
My heart isn’t whole without you.
She moved through the room, opening note after note.
Your beauty is unparalleled.
You make every day a delight.
Nothing makes me happier than to have you in my arms.
Your intelligence is breathtaking.
Ari clutched note after note in her hand, collecting them all, a shy smile splitting her face. When she entered the bathroom, more flowers awaited her, along with burning candles, their scent flavoring the air.
On the mirror another note was written in what appeared to be a permanent marker. His housekeeper wouldn’t be happy, but Ari was thrilled.
Get dressed and come out the front door.
Ari didn’t hesitate; she rushed back into his room and found a stunning blue dress hanging in the closet, along with fresh lingerie and stockings, and a pair of heels she fell instantly in love with.
Dressing quickly, she then hurriedly put on a minimum of makeup, brushed out her hair and threw the bedroom door open.
Tears filled her eyes when she saw that the hallway was lined with more bouquets, all sporting notes, all in Rafe’s handwriting. She wanted to rush out the door, but she took her time gathering the notes, opening each one and cherishing the words of his heart’s confession.
Some were little quotes from texts and messages he’d sent her, some spoke of her beauty and talent, and some simply said, I love you. Each one she clutched in her hand, knowing she would forever hold on to them.
When she reached the stairs, she found large vases with more bouquets, and candles on every other step to guide her way down. Her collection of notes kept getting larger.
At the door, a man in a tux waited for her with a glass of champagne in his hand. She thanked him as she accepted the glass, then beamed when she saw the sparkling white limo in the driveway.
Another well-dressed man waited there. He opened the door for her, holding her glass while she got in. Expecting to see Rafe inside, she was disappointed to find herself alone. The man handed her the champagne, then gently shut the door.