A Heart Worth Healing

Chapter 7

(Author's note: This chapter has a lot of explanation in it. I was only twenty-one when I wrote this years ago and back then I couldn't think of any other way to show the time passing. The tension builds and the story gets more exciting soon!)

The next morning, Kirsty woke up expecting to feel Derek's arms still around her. But he was gone. He had left in the middle of the night after she had fallen asleep.

Kirsty rolled over onto her back, feeling the weight of her conscience in every pore of her being. The night before had seemed a dream, magical almost. She may as well have been drunk from the way she had behaved. She could not understand what had come over her. Her inhibitions had been clouded by the strength of Derek's charm. And something else, although she was too inexperienced to name it. For some strange reason, she did not regret what she had done. For she now felt closer to Derek than she had ever been to anyone else in her life. She remembered how her parents had seemed to have a certain preoccupation with each other. A preoccupation she now had with Derek. She wanted to believe that he felt the same way about her.

She did not want to consider the disheartening notion that the sacrifices she had made in the last twenty-four hours had been made in vain. She did not want to think that Derek was too worldly to appreciate innocence. Everything had seemed so infallible the night before. Now that the night was over, Kirsty was painfully aware that things were still uncertain. She would have to be careful not to make any assumptions or overstep the boundaries of their agreement. Everything would depend on Derek, in other words.

The only thing Kirsty knew for sure was that she felt decidedly different. She was no longer the carefree young girl who used to run along the beach watching for her father's fishing boat. She was now a woman; irrevocably so. Her youth now seemed so far away...part of a different realm, a different time.

After Kirsty showered and got dressed, she went downstairs to find Derek. She looked everywhere for him, but he was nowhere to be found. She almost bumped into Roland as she was leaving the empty dining room.

"May I help you, Miss McLaren?" Roland asked, apparently noticing Kirsty's agitation.

"I'm looking for Mr. Gibson," Kirsty replied, her voice showing her uncertainty. Was she allowed to look for him?

Nodding slightly, Roland answered, "Mr. Gibson had a business meeting early this morning. He usually takes his breakfast in the solarium. Would you care to do the same?"

Kirsty nodded and she followed Roland down the hall. The solarium was a small room located in a wing off the swimming pool. There were plants everywhere and the green foliage seemed to overpower the small dining table in the middle of the room. It seemed like the room would have been better suited for a greenhouse instead of a breakfast nook. Nevertheless, the plants had a calming effect over Kirsty and she enjoyed eating her breakfast there.

After breakfast Kirsty went up to her bedroom. She was at a loss as to what she should be doing. She did not want to appear lazy or stupid because Derek had suddenly left her feeling like a fish out of water.

Kirsty sat and looked out the bay window of her room. She felt more and more glum as the minutes passed by. She did not see Maggie come into the room until she started dusting the furniture.

Noticing Kirsty sitting under the window, Maggie jumped in surprise.

"Oh! Miss, I didn't know you were in here," Maggie said. "I can come back later, if you like."

"No, that's okay, Maggie," Kirsty replied. "I don't mind if you come in. As a matter of fact, I'm glad you're here because I would like to talk to you."

Maggie's brow furrowed slightly in unease.

"You would, miss?" she asked, in trepidation, looking around the room. "I hope everything is to your liking."