As if reliving a bad dream, the thoughts were spinning in his head, and Stuart really needed to get himself together. He released her and rubbed his palms down Edie’s arms, wincing at the red marks his fingers left behind on her flawless skin. "I hurt you! Why didn’t you tell ?"
Edie shook her head and smiled. "You didn’t hurt !"
Looking at her delicate face, another surge of sadness ca over him. He pulled her close and held her in his arms again. "Ever since I started working for the company, my mother and I haven’t had a lot of contacts. The only ti we talk is when it has sothing to do with work." He stopped, took a deep breath, and continued. "You ask what my mother is like. Honestly, I don’t know! She has her life, and I have mine. I don’t want you to worry! I don’t care what she thinks of you. All that matters is that I love you."
When there was any ntion of his mother, Stuart’s tone was harsh and cold. "Stuart...you must love your mother?" Edie hesitated.
"When it cos to my mother. I feel nothing, only emptiness," he smiled, not looking at her, it was a mocking smile, but it was a smile of pain.
Edie looked confused. "She’s your mother! I don’t understand? I would give anything to have my mom back in my life. I loved her so much, but your mother’s still living, and yet the two of you are like strangers. Explain, make understand?"
"I can’t...." Stuart didn’t know how to answer her questions. "I can’t explain if I don’t understand it myself."
From the sound of his voice, Edie could feel his heart being pulled apart. She also ached for his awful loss. "Oh, Stuart! When you’re ready, I’ll be here for you."
Stuart stared deeply into Edie’s eyes. "Thank you for being so patient with !"
Edie pulled him close and hugged him. She gently rubbed Stuart’s back to comfort him. "I don’t know what happened to you, but I can see how much it’s tornting you. I want you to always rember that you have to lean on."
Her warm embrace made Stuart feel so good on the inside, and he closed his eyes, enjoying the mont. Edie’s hands were gentle and soft, and the gentle sweep of her voice soothed him. His mories were taken back to Marina and the guilt he felt. From that mont, he thought his life was over until he t Edie. She appeared in his life like a gift from heaven. Thinking of Edie lightened his darkening mood. For the first ti in his life, he understood loss.
"Edie, will you ever betray ?" Stuart asked.
Edie shook her head. "What?" she asked. Thinking she heard him wrong. "Will I ever betray you?"
"Yes!" he answered.
With a puzzled look on her face, Edie said, "No! I will never betray you. Do you an the world to ? I don’t know what happened in your life before , but know that no matter what..." The tears started to fill her eyes. "I will always be here for you. That’s what marriage is! For better or for worse. I will always love you!"
"You are the most beautiful woman in the world." Stuart leaned forward and kissed her forehead gently. "I will never let you go." Stuart could handle anything that ca his way, but there was one thing he feared. That was the betrayal of Edie, and she was his only weakness.
"I hope not!" Edie said. "We were destined to be together in this life." She snuggled her face against his flushed skin, enjoying the soft heat of his body and feeling his pulse beat under her cheek, hearing her own heart moving into the sa rhythm of his.
Suddenly her mind flashed back to yesterday. ’The agreent, fiancé, broken promises.’ Clyde’s words rang again and again in her mind. ’This is ridiculous!’ Edie thought. ’We’re adults and agreents are ant to be broken. How could we be tied together with a stupid promise between families?’ Being trapped in an endless web of worry made Edie totally exhausted, both physically and ntally. She inhaled the musky scent of Stuart’s aftershave, and being close to him was the safest she had felt in a very long ti.
Edie’s eyes slowly closed. Stuart studied her face. He rested his cheek against her hair, listening to her take a deep breath, and he smiled. Stuart loved her, and the more ti he spent with her, the more he knew that he loved her and she loved him. He loved her with all of his beings, and yet agony was gnawing at him. Stuart feared for Edie’s safety more than anything. The urge would give him no rest.
"Mr. Yates, Old Greg is...," Mr. Sampson’s voice ca from outside the door.
Stuart quickly covered Edie up with a blanket and opened the door. Mr. Sampson had a weird expression on his face. "What is it? Why did you hesitate?" Stuart asked, lowering his voice.
"Master Yates..." Old Greg interrupted before Mr. Sampson could finish his sentence. Mr. Sampson stared at Stuart with worry written all over his face, knowing he was unable to do anything.
Suddenly, a loud and powerful voice bood from within and bounced off the walls of the hallway. "My dear grandson-in-law! I’ll be staying here for a few days. Where do you want to put my things?"
Stuart raised his brow curiously, "What a surprise! We weren’t expecting you!"
Mr. Sampson said in a low voice, "Excuse , Master Yates..." he tried several tis to explain, but Old Greg didn’t let him get very far. Mr. Sampson shrugged helplessly.
Mr. Watson pushed the wheelchair over toward Stuart, and behind him were two other n holding suitcases. Old Greg wore a very satisfied smile as he looked up at Stuart. A look of confusion ca over Stuart’s face. "Grandpa, would you mind telling what you’re doing?"
Grandpa smiled. "I need a change of scenery. I’m tired of living at that old house. I also want to keep my eye on you and my granddaughter," he frankly replied. Then his smile faded as his face suddenly beca serious. "When will I have a great-grandson?"
There was no change in Stuart’s expression. "Mr. Sampson shows Old Greg to his room," he said as he pointed to the room at the end of the hallway. Stuart’s voice had remained calm and steady throughout their whole conversation.
Old Greg looks at Stuart and says, "You’re a good man." His head moved back and forth, and he seed to be searching for sothing. "Is Edie not ho?"
"She’s sleeping! I’ll let her know that you’re here later," Stuart replied.
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