Page 10 of Forever King

“Kate, what aren’t you telling me?”

Each word comes out sounding shaky because I’m terrified at what her answer could be. I’ve dreaded hearing from her what I told her all those years ago in my first year away at college. I remember how devastated she looked when I confessed that I’d cheated on her. Marius and Kellen warned me that one day she may do the same to me and I’d have no choice but to accept that I have it coming, but I’ve never believed them.

Not Kate. Not my Kate. She wouldn’t do that.

But I’m sure she thought that about me, and what did I do? I threw away a relationship because of my ego and too much drinking one night.

It feels like hours before she sits up in bed and sighs, blowing the air out of her lungs. Every second I wait to hear what she has to tell me feels like torture. Is she going to tell me she cheated on me with some teacher at school?

Jesus, I feel sick. Marius and Kellen told me turnabout is fair play. Why was I such a jackass back then? How could I have done that to her? Did she feel this way when I was acting odd and finally told her I went with someone else?

“My wallet got stolen. I was walking down the street on my way back to school after I spent time with the girls and a guy jumped out at me.”

For a moment, I feel pure relief, but that’s quickly replaced by worry which is overwhelmed by rage that someone hurt her. Itoss the purse back onto the chair and walk over to sit next to her on the bed as she covers her face and begins to cry.

“Kate, I’m here. It’s okay. You’re okay. You’re safe. I got you,” I say softly as she sobs.

When she doesn’t respond, my mind goes to the worst place it could. Did this guy who stole her wallet do anything else? Is that why she didn’t want me to touch her at first when she came home?

“Baby, did something else happen?” I ask, unsure how to say what I’m thinking.

She drops her hands from her face and shakes her head. “No, it’s nothing like that. He didn’t do anything but take my wallet. I’m being silly. I’ve spent most of my life in the city. I don’t know why I’m acting like this.”

“Because some asshole stole your wallet. That’s why you’re acting this way. But it’s okay. You’re safe. We can make sure all your credit cards are cancelled, and we’ll replace everything else he took. I’m just relieved you’re okay.”

“I’ll be fine. I was just shocked. That’s all. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you at first.”

I pull her into my arms and hold her against my chest. “You know you can tell me anything, don’t you?”

She nods against my body and sighs. “I know. I think I was embarrassed and felt stupid that I put myself in that position.”

Leaning back, I set my hands on her shoulders and shake my head. “No, we aren’t doing that. You’re the victim here. We’re not blaming you for some jackass’s crime. I’m just glad you didn’t tell me you found someone else.”

A look of utter confusion settles into her face. “What are you talking about?”

“I thought when you were acting strange that you went with someone else. Marius and Kellen told me someday what I didback in college was going to come back and bite me on the ass. I thought maybe this was that.”

She chuckles, and I have to admit they really did get into my head with that stuff. “And to think I said I liked those two brothers. At this rate, the only one I’m going to like is Matthias. Whatever they said about what happened, no, I don’t plan on giving you a dose of your own medicine. There’s no other man in this world I want, Ronan King. I promise you that.”

“Well, good because there’s no other woman I want in this world.”

Throwing off the covers, she throws her legs off the side of the bed and stands up. “I think I’d like to have some dinner and hear about your big news. Did you make anything or get takeout?”

“No. I was going to whip up some spaghetti, but I hate cooking for just myself.”

“I think I could go for Chinese,” Kate says.

She starts walking out of the bedroom, so I follow along. I can’t express how relieved I am that what I was thinking about wasn’t the problem. Getting mugged in the city is never a good time, but thankfully, that guy only wanted her wallet. Everything in there can be replaced.

Even better, my worries about her being with another man were nothing but ghosts my brothers put into my head. I need to listen to those two far less than I do.

“Chinese sounds great to me!” I say, relieved everything is going to be okay.

4

Kate

Stretching my arms,I slowly wake up and look over to see Ronan’s side of the bed empty. My brain feels a bit muddled, so it takes me a few seconds to remember he had an early appointment this morning.