“That’s all I can ask.” Denver winked winningly and strutted off, knowing that Rhian was watching him walk away.
Rhian laughed to herself. All the boys here were so easy. Sure, they were focused on their training, but they were just like guys all around the world. All she had to do was flutter her eyelashes and they were putty in her hands. Denver sure looked like he could be some fun and might be a welcome distraction while she put her plan together.
The room fell silent as Kelton skulked into the dining hall. Ash risked a glance at him, but the dangerous scowl on his face had her turning back to her plate in double quick time.
He was getting increasingly difficult to be around. Although Ash still loved her time at the academy and relished in her progression in the training aspect of it all, she missed Kayleigh being there. Kayleigh had been a reassuring presence for her and she wished that things could go back to the way they’d been before. And, not just for her. Kelton was clearly suffering from her absence and the sooner she came back, the better life would be for all of them.
Chapter Three
Every part of her body and mind was calling to her to go back to the academy, back to Kelton so that they could talk this through and make sense of the mess that they were in, but her heart prevented her from going. He’d shattered it too badly with the web of lies he’d kept from her.
It was hard being away from him. Kayleigh needed this time and space to get her head together. She already knew that at some point in the future, he would find her. That was part of the reason she hadn’t fled too far. It wasn’t like she wanted to disappear from his life entirely, she just needed some breathing space.
Staying at her friend’s house was perfect, for the time being at least. It was slightly cramped with the two of them living there, but seeing as she was out most of the time, Kayleigh more or less had the run of the place.
Staring out of the window at the cold winter night, Kayleigh felt another pang of homesickness creeping over her. She knew that it wasn’t morning sickness. Luckily, she’d hadn’t suffered with that so far and was hoping to escape it. The pregnancy was going as well as could be expected. She knew she was going to have to see a doctor at some point, but she couldn’t bring herself to go just yet. Without Kelton, she wanted to hide from the world and heal her wounds.
That was another thing that scared the living daylights out of her. The child. The baby. Until the birth, they wouldn’t know what the baby was going to be. It was a constant worry. If the child wasn’t born Lamia Matris, her secret would be out and that could ruin Kelton’s career.
There were too many things on her mind, too many things to worry about with regards to their future. She was drowning under the doubt and for now, she couldn’t see a way out of it.
Which was why she was sitting alone in the window, looking out into the stormy night with worry in her heart as she missed the man she loved.
Kelton was stood by the long floor to ceiling window on the second floor, looking out at the stormy night. He was a solitary figure, standing there in a world of his own.
This was a ritual that he had done every single night since Kayleigh had walked out of the door and out of his life. When he wasn’t fulfilling his duties as a warrior and trainer, he was out searching every corner of the city for the love of his life. He wouldn’t stop until he found her. However, when situations wouldn’t allow him to leave the academy so he could actively search her out, he could be found by the window, solemnly waiting for her to come home to him. He lived for the moment when she would walk back into his life.
Doctor Marion Phillippe hated to see him like this. He was like a tortured soul. She didn’t know what had happened between the two of them that could have been so bad that it had sent Kayleigh running, but seeing Kelton becoming a broken man broke her heart. She and Kayleigh had been close friends for many years and Marion felt helpless. She didn’t know what to do for the best. While Kayleigh was still missing, all she could do was be there for Kelton and wait for her to come back.
Pausing for a moment, she was unsure whether to disturb him. He stood there alone every evening he was at the academy, unapproachable. Alone. It was like he had built a wall around him that none of them could penetrate. Marion hated to see the pain he was in. There was nothing she could prescribe for him. Only time would heal him. Only Kayleigh returning would heal him.
She knew that he wasn’t speaking to any of his friends or colleagues about what was going on with him. He was in this by himself. He couldn’t keep bottling it up like he was. It wasn’t healthy for him. Marion knew that she had to try and help him in some way. If he would let her, that is.
“Kelton.” She said softly.
Kelton didn’t reply. She hadn’t expected him to. He stood there frozen to the spot, unmoving, unspeaking and unseeing. Marion was half tempted to leave him to it. It was clear that he wanted to be left alone. But, she couldn’t do that. Marion was close to Kayleigh, but Kelton was also a friend as well as a work colleague. As a doctor, she couldn’t see him suffer like this and as a friend, she had to try to help him.
“Kelton?” She tried to get his attention once more.
“What is it?” His voice was raspy and he didn’t turn from the window.
“Is there anything I can do for you?”
Kelton didn’t reply.
“Please, talk to me. Tell me what happened. I might be able to help you.” She pleaded gently.
“No one can help. I’ve ruined everything.”
Marion paused for a moment. It might not seem like much to some people, but this was the most she had got out of him since Kayleigh had left. At least he was conversing now. “What do you mean? I’m sure it’s not as bad as you think.” She asked.
Kelton fell silent once again, cutting the conversation off before it had even started. Marion couldn’t just leave him there like that, all alone and torturing himself over whatever it was. He needed help.
But, it was more than that. She was torn. She held an important piece of information that Kelton wasn’t aware of. She had kept the details to herself for this long because she hoped that Kayleigh would return quickly, but she hadn’t. Marion couldn’t keep the details of Kayleigh’s pregnancy to herself any longer. Whether it was going to help him or make matters worse, she didn’t know, but it was a risk she had to take.
This was one of the most difficult situations she had ever found herself in. As a doctor, she had to respect the oath she had taken with regards to patient confidentiality, but it was eating her up inside to keep this from Kelton. She didn’t want to break Kayleigh’s trust. She didn’t know what to do.
But, honestly, what good would it do to tell him about the baby? Would it help him at all? Or would it make a bad situation intolerably worse for him? If he knew, would it help him in his search for her? Marion felt sick at the thought of going behind Kayleigh’s back, but what else could she do? She couldn’t keep this from Kelton any longer.
Taking in a deep breath of courage, Marion stepped forward to stand next to Kelton. He was a huge, strapping male and she felt dwarfed in comparison. To anyone that didn’t know him, all they would see was the lethal warrior ready to battle the enemy. To her, she could see how tortured he was, the five o’clock shadow was evident and the bags under his eyes were deep and heavy.
“Kelton, I really need to talk to you about something.”
“I’m busy.”
“I can see that.” Marion resisted rolling her eyes. “But, it’s important.”
“It’s not the best time.” He didn’t take his eyes off the window in front of him, scanning the landscape.
“It’s the only time.” She insisted.
Kelton sighed loudly. “What is it?”
“Can we go somewhere a little more private?”
Kelton nodded reluctantly and turned from the window. Marion followed him in tense silence as he led the way back down the grand staircase and into his office.
The normally organised space was looking u
ntidy, with papers strewn across the desk, piles of books littering the floor and an overflowing bin full of crumpled paper. Kayleigh was usually the one to help Kelton keep things organised and in their place. Despite the cleaners that tried their best to keep the academy looking spick and span, Kayleigh’s missing presence was obvious in this room.
“Take a seat.” Kelton waved over to the chair that sat on the opposite side of the desk. Marion had to move a stack of receipts, putting them on the corner of the desk before she sat down.
Kelton sat down heavily in his leather chair, looking like the weight of the world was laying on his broad shoulders. Marion had known him for more years than she could remember and not once could she recall his emotions being so clearly on display for the world to see. He was usually a typical warrior, brooding and focused, keeping his personal life detached from his professional. She was glad now that she was here that she’d insisted on speaking to him. She had made the decision on the spur of the moment, but she knew that it was the right thing to do. It was the only thing she could do. Kelton had to know this.
“So? What’s so important?” Kelton asked, sounding tired.
Marion took in a deep breath. This was going to be hard for her to say, but there was no backing out of it now, even if she wanted to. “If you need to have it in writing, I can do that, but I need to hand in my notice of resignation.”
That got his attention. Kelton’s eyes suddenly focused on her. “What? Why the hell would you want to do that?”
“Kelton, listen…”
“Don’t you think that I’ve got enough on my plate at the moment? You’re the best physician we’ve ever had. You’ve been here for years. Why now?”
“Kelton, this is difficult for me to explain.”
“I’ve got difficult. I’m drowning in difficult at the moment.”
“Which is the reason I have to do this.” Marion replied, solemnly.
“What can I do to make you stay? You can’t leave. Tell me what the problem is and I’ll do what I can to make things better. I thought you were happy here?”
“I am happy here!” Marion insisted.
“So why the hell do you want to leave, then? I don’t understand.”
Marion ran a hand through her immaculately styled hair. “Because I have to break patient confidentiality. I can’t stay here after that.”
“What do you mean?” Kelton frowned. “Is it one of the warriors? Or the trainees?” He knew that he had taken his eye off the ball lately, but he couldn’t think of anything so serious that would cause Marion to want to leave.
“It’s nothing to do with the warriors or the trainees.”
“So, what it is then?” Kelton was starting to sound impatient.
“It’s to do with Kayleigh.”
Kelton’s eyes widened. “What about Kayleigh? Have you heard from her?” He sat forward in his chair, hoping that this could be the breakthrough that he needed to find her. That was all he wanted, to find her and make things right between them again. His life was incomplete without her. An essential piece of his heart had left him and he needed her back.
“No. I’m sorry. I haven’t heard from her. This is about something that happened before she left.”
Kelton sagged in his chair slightly, that spark of hope within him burning out again. “Do I really need to know?” He wasn’t entirely sure that he actually cared. All he could concentrate on was getting her back. He had caused this goddamn mess that they were in. At this moment in time, he wasn’t rightly sure that it mattered what happened before she left. He’d caused this. Kayleigh wasn’t to blame in any way.
“Yes. You do.” Marion wrung her hands in her lap nervously. “She came to me the day she left.”
Kelton frowned, worry flooding his mind. Of course it mattered. If it didn’t, Marion wouldn’t be here. “Was she sick? What was wrong with her?”
Marion shook her head. “I feel terrible betraying her trust like this, but you have to know.”
“Just tell me.”
“Kayleigh’s pregnant.”
Kelton looked like he had been physically slapped across the face with the revelation. That had been the very last thing he had ever expected to hear. They had never discussed having children. They weren’t even sure that it was possible for them. Evidently, it was.
“I don’t know what to say.” Kelton’s eyes clouded over with tears as he scrubbed a hand over his shaven head.
“I can’t really tell you any more than that. We only did the original pregnancy test and were planning on scheduling another appointment to date the pregnancy.”
“I can’t believe it.” Kelton was truly shell shocked.
“I’m so sorry I didn’t come to you with this before. I didn’t know what to do for the best. I now wish that I’d told you about this sooner, but I didn’t know what to say or how to approach the subject. I thought that she would have come back by now and would have been able to tell you herself.”
Kelton looked at Marion and smiled sadly. “You don’t have to apologise for anything. This was a hard call for you to make. And, you don’t need to resign over this.”
“But I do.”
“I refuse to accept your resignation. I don’t need to deal with the shit of finding a replacement for you. Especially now.” Kelton held up a hand to stop her protests. “I’m not taking no for an answer. This wasn’t a professional call and it doesn’t reflect on your position as a doctor whatsoever. It was a personal call and you’ve done the right thing in telling me.” The urge to find Kayleigh buzzed through his veins stronger now than ever before. She was carrying his child. There were now two important pieces of his heart to find out there.
“I’m so sorry, Kelton.”
Kelton waved a hand at her absentmindedly. “So, you have no idea how far along she is?”
“I’ve no idea at all, I’m afraid.”
“Do you have any idea where she could have gone?” He’d asked her that question before, but things were different now.
“I’ve no clue. Why would she run off like that? It doesn’t make any sense. She was concerned about the pregnancy, but she seemed overjoyed.” Marion asked, looking puzzled.
Kelton shook his head sadly, feeling deflated again as he was reminded of his role. It was all his fault. Now that he knew that she was pregnant, the guilt weighed even heavier on him. He couldn’t imagine what she was going through, the kind of thoughts and emotions that must be going through her mind.
“Kelton?” This was the first time that Marion felt like she was finally getting close to finding out what had caused her friend to run off so abruptly.
Kelton suddenly groaned and put his head in his hands. This was all getting too much for him to handle. He had ruined the best thing that had ever happened to him and he had no way to put it right.
“It’s all my fault.” He moaned.
“What’s your fault?”
Kelton’s shoulders suddenly shook with silent sobs and Marion immediately ran around to the other side of the desk, putting an arm around him. Marion was all for equal rights for men and women and happily told any of the trainees that got injured or who were suffering from homesickness that it was perfectly normal for a man to cry. But, to see Kelton crying like this? It broke her heart.
Through rasping sobs, Kelton choked out, “This was all on me. I’ve ruined everything.”
“What do you mean? Talk to me. Tell me what happened, Kelton. I might be able to help you in some way.”
“I cheated.”
Marion dragged in a breath. That was the last thing she would have ever expected to hear from him. Kelton and Kayleigh had such a strong relationship and Kelton was such a man of worth that she would never imagined he could or would do something like that. It was clear to anyone that saw them together how in love they were, even after all this time together. How could he have done this to her?
Kelton felt Marion’s arms go stiff around him as she pulled back slightly. He couldn’t blam
e her one little bit. That one admission would change her entire opinion of him.
“I know what you must be thinking of me.” He said as he roughly scrubbed his eyes free of tears.
“But, why Kelton? Why would you do that to Kayleigh?” Marion crouched down next to him. “What happened to make Kayleigh run off like that? Did you tell her what happened? Did she catch you with another woman?” That was the only explanation that Marion could come up with. Kayleigh’s hormones and emotions were sure to be all over the place at the start of her pregnancy, seeing Kelton with another woman would have been more than enough to send her over the edge.
“No. It wasn’t like that.”
Marion got up to walk back around the desk. She knew that Kelton needed a bit of space to compose himself. Sitting back down in the chair, she crossed her legs elegantly. “Well, tell me what it was like, then.”
“It wasn’t like it was something I planned on.”
“It usually isn’t.”
“Please, let me explain before you judge me.” Kelton looked at her with pain in his eyes.
“You’ve just told me that you cheated on my friend.”
“Well, listen to my side before you write me off.” He snapped, understanding the accusation in her eyes, but no one could hate him any more than he hated himself in that moment.
“I’ll try and keep an open mind. Kayleigh is a good friend and I want her safe and sound and if talking through this mess can help us to find her, then that’s what we need to do.”
Kelton ran a hand wearily over his face, ridding himself of those last few lingering tears. “She didn’t catch me doing anything. It was something that happened a very long time ago.”
“How did she find out? What happened?”
“It was when the twins walked into the academy and their mother announced that they were my daughters.”
Marion gasped. “You have got to be joking!”
“I wish I was. That was the biggest mistake of my life.”
“And it’s seriously come back to bite you on the ass.”
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