by Vaughn, Eve
Sadie sighed. “I guess it’s a subject that’s bound to be brought up when I have a couple of reminders.” She touched her belly fleetingly, feeling a wave of sadness brush over her. Her child would be raised in a single parent home. It’s not what she’d envisioned for her life, but she had to do what she had to do to protect her baby. Maybe she and Rhys could have worked out some kind of supervised visitation, but his reaction to her pregnancy didn’t bode well for that happening.
She reached over to the end table and picked up a slender metal rod and eased it inside her cast to relieve an itch that had been irritating her for the last several minutes. She couldn’t wait to get this thing off and regain full mobility.
“So, have you heard from him recently?”
“He called, I but haven’t returned any of his calls. I just can’t do this right now. I’m not in the right frame of mind, ya know? I’m still smarting over our last confrontation, which made me realize, I have to take care of me and this baby. His needs and wants are the furthest things on my mind right now.”
“Good idea. But what will you do if he decides to show up? You two work on the same campus. You’re bound to run into one another at some point.”
“I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it.”
“I admire how well you’re handling this, little sister.”
“What choice do I have?” She hastily wiped away a tear that escaped her eyes. Oh hell, she thought she was done crying.
Lily rubbed her knee. “Oh, hon, it will be alright. You’re not alone. You know Daisy, Rose and I have your back and we’ll support you in whatever.”
“I appreciate that. I only hope I’m a better mother than I am at relationships. I sure can pick them can’t I?” Sadie laughed without humor.
“You’ll be a great mother. I don’t know anyone as loving as you. You’ll certainly be ten times better than that she-beast who calls herself our mother. Speaking of her, is she still leaving you harassing messages?”
“Unfortunately. She still wants me to come back to DC.”
“You’re not considering it, are you?”
“I am actually.”
“Why? She’ll make you miserable, not to mention the added stress she’d cause. You don’t need that in your condition.”
“Relax. I’m thinking of going up there for a visit, nothing more. Maybe because I’m about to become a mother, I need to talk to her. See if there’s some connection there. To find out why she is the way she is.”
“I can save you a trip. She’s the way she is because she’s an evil shrew who wants everyone to be as miserable as she is. For as long as I can remember she’s always been bitter and unhappy. When Daddy was alive, he went out of his way to avoid her. It always made me wonder what he’d ever seen in her in the first place, and then I figured it out.”
Sadie barely remembered her mother and father’s interactions with one another but what little bit she did, they never seemed particularly affectionate with one another. Her curiosity was peaked. “Why?”
“I was born less than nine months from when they were married.”
“You could have been premature.”
“I doubt it. It’s clear he married her because he felt he had to and not because he actually loved her. Who’d love that?”
“Mom’s an attractive woman.”
Lily rolled her eyes. “On the outside, but she’s ugly to the bone. Why put yourself through the aggravation of seeing her?”
“I don’t know. I just need to do this.”
“Well, I’ll go with you. No sense in you going up there alone. And before you argue, I insist. When were you thinking of going?”
“There’s a three day weekend coming up. I was thinking next weekend.”
“Okay, I’ll make the arrangements.”
For once she didn’t mind her sister’s persistence. Sadie had a feeling she’d need all the support she could get when she faced her mother.
* * *
Rhys was exhausted by the time he made it home that night. How he got through his lectures he didn’t know, but somehow he made it. He’d had office hours but thankfully no one had shown up giving him the chance to finish up his term papers. Once he was done, he calculated grades and left them for the admin assistant to enter into the system.
He’d stayed later than he normally would have, but things had been awkward at home lately. He still couldn’t bring himself to look at Carys and not remember what she’d done, but he knew that he’d have to eventually have a sit down with her.
Rhys contemplated calling Sadie but didn’t want to battle with her answering machine. He’d call her tomorrow. No, he’d go to the registrar’s office and see her in person and give her the apology she deserved.
As he walked upstairs he heard the bath running. Carys rarely used the bathroom in the main hallway unless she wanted to take a bath since she had a shower stall in her private bathroom. When she was younger she took bubble baths, but not so much anymore. Shrugging it off, he would have walked by if he didn’t hear a squishing sound under his feet. He looked down, noticing the carpet was wet. The water was coming from under the bathroom door. What the hell?
He knocked on the door. “Carys, you okay in there.”
No response.
“Carys, turn off the tap.”
Still no answer.
He twisted the door handle. Locked. On instinct, he shouldered the door with all his might, forcing it open. He cried out at the sight that greeted him. Sitting in the tub full of red water was an unconscious Carys. A razor lay on the floor.
Chapter Sixteen
The second Rhys saw his brother enter the waiting room, something within him broke. All the pent-up frustration and anxiety he’d experienced over the past several weeks came flooding out. He was in Colin’s embrace within seconds letting out every emotion he’d been holding in. Rhys hadn’t cried like this since he was a little boy and even then he couldn’t remember doing it with so much raw anguish.
Colin held him tight. “It’ll be okay, little brother. I’m here now.”
His brother’s comforting words only made him cry harder. Rhys would have been embarrassed at this outpour if he weren’t so broken on the inside. He didn’t know how long they stood there, with Colin’s arms around him, and his heartbreaking, but eventually, he was able to get his emotions under control.
Colin pulled back slightly, “There you go now. Do you feel better?”
Rhys sniffed, slightly chagrined at his emotional outburst. “Yes, thank you.” He eyed the tear-stained smudges of Colin’s jacket. “Sorry about that.”
Colin patted him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. It’s just a little water, besides, what kind of brother would I be if I can’t be here for you in your time of need. How is she by the way?”
“She’s lost a lot of blood, and she needed a transfusion. Our blood types don’t match but thankfully her blood type is common enough for the hospital to have had enough of what she needed on hand. She’s stabilized now. Had I arrived here a minute later, she may not have made it.” The very thought of what could have happened if he’d just gone to bed instead of checking on her made him shudder.
“Don’t beat yourself up over this. You couldn’t have known she’d do this. It’s not your fault.”
“It’s kind of you to say so, but it is my fault. Did you know she’d cut herself deep enough to rupture an artery? She wanted to die. This wasn’t some cry for help. My baby wanted to die.” Rhys nearly broke down again.
“But she didn’t. You just said she’d be okay.”
“Physically maybe, but what of her mental health? I pushed her to this by not being a good father. For not being there for her.”
“That’s ridiculous and you know it. You’ve been an excellent father. Come on, let’s grab a seat. You look worn out.”
Rhys laughed without humor. “Well, I’ve been here all night, so I guess you can say that, but I’m not leaving until I can talk to Carys. I saw h
er briefly after her blood transfusion but she was still unconscious. She looked so small and helpless in that bed.” He allowed Colin to lead him to some of the nearby chairs and took a seat.
Colin sat next to him. “Did they at least offer you a room so you could catch a quick nap? You’re not going to do Carys any good if you’re passed out as well.”
“They offered, but do you honestly think I can sleep a wink with Carys lying up in a hospital bed? Knowing I’m responsible for her being here? There were bandages around her wrists. Both of them. I’d gladly take my own life for causing her this kind of pain.”
“How were you supposed to know she’d do this?”
“Because I’m her father, that’s why. I should have seen this coming, should have told her how much I love her no matter what. Did you know she’s been sabotaging every single relationship I’ve attempted to have since she was ten? Maybe deep down I knew she was doing it, but I didn’t do anything about it because most of the women I’d previously dated didn’t turn out to be any good anyway. A couple of them were nice enough I suppose, but I’d never met a single woman who was worth fighting for until Sadie.”
“And maybe that’s why Carys put more of an effort into trying to separate you two because she knew this time around was different.”
“That’s part of it, but the other part was, I never took the time to sit her down and tell her how much she meant to me. I just took it for granted that she knew. I was so awful to her when I found out what she did. And then I tried to sell her horses. I shouldn’t have done that.”
“I don’t think this has anything to do with the horses. It sounds like Carys has been holding on to a lot of insecurities. You did tell me she knew about not being your biological daughter for some time. Do you think that may have triggered her to act so possessively toward you?”
“It’s quite possible. But the one thing I am certain of is as soon as she’s out of here, I’m taking her to see a therapist. I should have done it as soon as I found out what she’d done to Sadie.”
“You were angry, understandably so. She’s a lost little girl, Carys is, but she’s still old enough to distinguish right from wrong. How were you to know she was this deeply in need of some counseling? Look, I love Carys, she’s basically a good kid, but even I can see she’s a bit spoiled. You overindulge her as a way to compensate for not being her biological father when what she really needs is to be reassured of your love and not with just material things. Don’t be so hard on yourself.
Rhys raised a brow. “And since when did you get your degree in psychology?”
“I’ve been watching Dr. Phil lately. There was an episode that I wanted to catch called Man Haters. I was hooked from then on. I DVR it every chance I get.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me. Dr. Phil? Where’s my older brother Colin and what have you done to him. And why on Earth are you watching a show on Man Haters?”
Colin scratched the back of his head. “Trying to get some insight, mate.”
“Sadie’s sister?”
“How’d you guess?”
“You did mention how infuriating she is the last couple times we talked. Still turning down your advances?”
Colin scowled. “She won’t even give me a chance. For such a beautiful woman, she’s a bit of a bitch. I mean, she seems friendly enough to the rest of my employees, but I notice how she’s a bit cooler around the men than she is toward the women. I thought she might be a lesbian at first, but I don’t think so. I figure she’s just one of those man-hating, ball busting bitches.”
“Yeah, so why do you keep pursuing her?”
“You know me, I love a challenge. Besides, she’s got an ass like you wouldn’t believe. I think she just needs a little taming. I’ve got something in mind for her.”
Rhys groaned. “I’ve already messed things up with Sadie on a grand scale, don’t put me further in the doghouse than I already am.”
“This has nothing to do with your Sadie.”
“Like hell it doesn’t. She and her sisters are extremely close. If you hurt Lily, I’ll have even less than the minuscule chance I already have of winning her back.”
“Well, I certainly can’t hurt Lily if she doesn’t have a heart to break.”
“It’s not that simple. Sadie never opened up too much about it but there’s a strain in the relationship between her and her mother. And from my understanding, her sisters have nothing to do with their mother at all, Lily included. Maybe she is the way she is because of something deeper. All I’m saying is tread lightly, okay?”
“Fine, but this battle of wills between her and I—I intend to win.”
Rhys sighed, knowing there was no talking his brother out of something when he set his mind to it.”
“So what was this thing you had in mind for her, or dare I ask?”
“Oh, just that she’ll be traveling abroad with me. She doesn’t know it yet, but if she wants the promotion I’ve been dangling over her head she’ll take it.”
“Colin, I know you’ve been doing most of your business in Europe these last several years, but in the States, they have things called sexual harassment laws.”
“I won’t be doing anything she doesn’t want us to do. Trust me, I’ll keep it strictly professional. By the way, have you had a chance to talk to mom?”
“Yes. She wanted to take the next flight out of Wales to come over, but I convinced her to stay put until Carys is in a better state of mind—until I’m in a better state of mind. I really have to see to her needs before anything else. And then there’s Sadie. I’ve got to talk to her, apologize and let her know that I want to work things out although she won’t return my calls. She’ll have to see me eventually, after all, she’s carrying my child and she won’t be rid of me so easily.”
“Things will work out for the two of you, I’m sure of it. Sadie is a good sort. She seems to be the type to have a forgiving heart.”
“But everyone has limits, and I may have finally pushed her to hers.”
Rhys didn’t know what his brother would have said before the doctor showed up.
“Mr. Edwards, I’m Dr. Prakash. You were dealing with Dr. Turner last night, but I’ll be the one handling your daughter’s care for the remainder of her stay here.” The doctor didn’t look much other than Carys, but she seemed competent.
Rhys stood up to take the hand she offered. “How is she?”
“She’s doing well. But she’ll need to remain in the hospital for seventy-two hours for a psychological evaluation by state law, due to her attempted suicide.”
“And then can she come home?”
“If the resident psychiatrist clears her she can. She’s awake now if you’d like to see her.”
“I would. Is she asking for me?”
“She hasn’t said much beyond answering the questions we’ve asked her. I think it would lift her spirits to see you.”
“Thank you, Doctor.” Rhys turned to his brother. “Could you stay out here, Colin? I think I need to see Carys alone. I’ll come out for you later.”
“Sure thing. I’ll be here for as long as you need me to.”
“Thank you. And if I haven’t already said it, I really appreciate you being here for me.”
“What is family for?”
Rhys offered him a smile before following Dr. Prakash down the corridor. When he entered his daughter’s room the doctor gave him a silent nod of understanding before leaving him alone. He slowly approached the bed. Carys’s head was turned toward the window. She looked so pale. So sad. He wanted to take her in his arms and hold on tight but he wasn’t sure if she’d want him to.
“Carys.” He took the chair next to her bed.
She turned her head toward him. There was despair in her big green eyes and a sadness he hadn’t noticed before. She didn’t say anything, but she didn’t stop looking at him either.
Hesitantly, Rhys reached out and took her hand in his. It was a good sign that she didn’t snatch it away. And that
’s when he noticed it. Her hands were in padded cuffs connected to the bed rail.
He’d been told last night it was standard procedure for patients on suicide watch, but to see her this way nearly caused him to break down again. Then he had to remind himself to be strong for her sake. “I’m so sorry, Carys. I never meant for things to turn out this way, never meant for you to feel like I didn’t care about you.”
“You’re not mad at me?” she croaked, her throat sounded hoarse.
“Disappointed? Yes. Mad? No. I love you, very much. And I wish I would have told you more so you’d know that you’re the most important person in my life.”
She moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue. “You really mean that?”
“I do. I love you, Carys. I’m sorry; I turned my back on you these last several days. I handled it all wrong.”
Carys squeezed his hand gently. “I really can’t blame you. What I did was awful and I feel bad. I thought if I were out of the way it would make things right again.” Tears streamed down her cheeks and Rhys’s heart broke all over again.
“Your death would not make anything right. In fact, it would tear my world apart. You’ve got to know this Carys. Have you any idea how I felt to find you as I did.”
“I was hoping it would be too late by the time you found me. I hate myself and I thought you hated me too. I was so awful to Sadie when all she wanted was to be my friend. I-I couldn’t look at myself in the mirror when she fell off Buttercup. I really didn’t mean for her to get hurt like that. I only wanted to scare her, really I did. But…but the more I thought about it, I realized just how bad things could have been for her. The other women in your life, they weren’t half as nice as Sadie was to me, but I thought I’d push her away first before she could hurt me.”
It was all coming together for him. How could he have been so blind? “Did any of the other women treat you badly?”