Gwh woke up with a splitting headache, the kind that made her regret every drink from the night before. As she cracked open her eyes, she heard the steady rush of water from the bathroom.
She could barely remember what had happenedst night-her memories were a blur, all sharp edges and missing pieces. She seemed to recall her father bringing her home, but then, somehow, Hawthorne had appeared. Everything else was a swirl of half-remembered dreams and restless tossing.
She had no idea when Hawthorne hade home. Groggy and disoriented, Gwh pushed herself to sit up just as Hawthorne stepped out of the bathroom. His short, dark hair was dripping wet, and he wore nothing but a robe loosely cinched at the waist. He looked effortlessly maic, his presence filling the
room.
"Finally awake, Mrs. Everhart," he said, crossing over to her. He reached out, intending to ruffle her hair in that familiar way of his. Instinctively, Gwh turned her face away, dodging his hand.
His arm froze midair, the gesture hanging awkwardly between them.
But Hawthorne''s patience seemed endless. He simply straightened, crossed to the window, and drew back the curtains. Morning sunlight poured into the room, flooding everything with gold.
Gwh was bathed in the soft light, her nightdress slipping off one shoulder to reveal skin so pale it seemed to glow.
Hawthorne''s eyes darkened, his gaze lingering as he swallowed, his Adam''s apple bobbing reflexively.
Gwh caught the look in his eyes, but she wasn''t in the mood for this.
"What''s going on with Patti Yale?" she asked, her tone t.
She vaguely remembered asking him this same questionst night, but she couldn''t recall what answer he''d given her. Too much alcohol had wiped the details away, leaving only a handful of indistinct scenes.
"Gwyn, she''s just someone I used to know. That''s all. There''s nothing between us. Can we please leave this behind us, and never bring it up again?"<fnb88f> Official source is fι?dnοvel</fnb88f>
Gwh remembered her mother''s ex-husband saying almost those exact words to Victoria, her mother. The memory stung. Inside her mind, two voices were at war-one wanting to believe him, the other refusing.
"Hawthorne, I don''t want to hear another lie. I''ve already written the divorce papers. You can sign them yourself."
Hawthorne stared at her, caught off guard. After a moment, he looked at her with gentle patience. "Next week is the harvest festival. Can''t we stop fighting, just for now?"
But Gwh was ice-cold, her voice steady. "Hawthorne, if there''s someone else in your heart, why can''t you just admit it? You didn''t have to marry me out of pity never needed your charity." s
Know
He had wounded her deeply, deeper than she wanted to admit. Hawthorne, had once made her believe she could leave her pain behind that maybe she could heal. But nothing hurts quite like heartbreak. If Hawthorne had been sent to save her, then she''d been saved-and now their story was over. No need to drag things out. s
Hawthorne ignored her words. He sat down quietly in front of her and gently tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear.
"Silly girl, I didn''t marry you out of pity. I married you because I wanted to."
Gwh gave him a thin, bitter smile. "And Patti Yale? Did you want her, too? Hawthorne, you only get one heart. You can''t split it in two."
He knew now was not the time to argue.
"Gwyn, give me some time. I promise I''ll give you an answer you can ept. I have my reasons."
Those were almost the same words McNeil had once said to Victoria, and now Hawthorne finally understood the helplessness his mother had felt.
At least he wasn''t trapped like she had been; his life wasn''t patched together with
nothing but hope and old regrets. He still had choices.
They''d been together long enough,
and after every pregnancy scare, they''d never really taken
precautions. Gwh wondered if she might already be pregnant. If she was she''d have to make a decision-she couldn''t let this drag on. s
"Are you about to tell me he once saved your life, and this is all just you paying
him back?"