King and Yara

Chapter 14 (Yara): I Failed You

Copyright © 2024 by GroveltoHEA

I'm not a tosser and turner. If I can't sleep, I get up and either take a shower or stand at the window, looking out at the night until I start shivering and my eyes start to get heavy. So it was no surprise that after everything King had told me tonight, I was at the window once I'd showered. A double-whammy kind of night.

Staring out into the darkness, I tried to make sense of everything and weigh the truth of King's words in my mind.

He claimed to love me. A couple of months ago, that was all I wanted from him. Now, I was still so angry and numb from what he'd done, I didn't know if it even mattered. I wasn't sure if he could ultimately deal with his past or if this would happen again. I'd been amazed at how much he'd revealed to me about his marriage, things I'd never have guessed in a million years. That he'd loved her at the start was clear, but by the end, that love had been twisted into something ugly that had overshadowed their beginnings.

But even after what she'd done to him, he'd still spent millions to keep the circumstances of her death out of the papers, to bury the story as surely as he'd buried Runi. He'd done it both for the children and for himself. But he'd also admitted that he hadn't bothered to suppress the pictures of Carmen and him. He let me be humiliated because he couldn't handle his emotions like a grown man, because his past was looming larger than his feelings for me.

After two hours at the window, I was no closer to unraveling the mixture of emotions inside me, so I gave up trying. Exhaustion will do that to you, and I didn't know what was beyond exhaustion, but I was definitely there. At my limit, unable to think another thought or process another emotion. I needed a break from the pain and betrayal I felt, from horrible houseguests and plotting against one in particular, from maintaining my distance from King...all while trying to shield Louise and Carter from my unhappiness and the deep chasm that now existed between the two people they loved most in this world.

My eyes finally shut around four in the morning. Never able to sleep in very late, I was stalking into the kitchen at nine, on the hunt for a reason to live.

The smell of coffee told me the hunt was over, and I was soon sipping my first cup of the day. With my eyes now fully open, I wandered out to the backyard where King and the children were kicking the soccer ball around. The minute they spied me, Carter and Louise came screaming toward me.

"Yara!!"

As I gave them their morning hugs and kisses, the last of my sleep fog was pushed away as they talked excitedly about the zoo. A zoo trip, apparently, followed by a picnic on the zoo grounds, followed by a trip to the nearby park that had a water feature playground.

Holy action-packed day. I think I needed to go back to bed.

"Give Daddy a minute with Yara," King said. "Go kick the soccer ball to each other for a few minutes so Yara can wake up."

They ran off, practically bouncing off the ground in their excitement.

"Didn't get much sleep last night?" he asked me.

I shook my head. 

"So, it occurred to me that with all the shit I put you through, everything that's been going on, maybe we could just call a timeout on all the shit and have a fun day, just the four of us. Set everything aside for today and take a break, if you will."

I blinked at him. That was so close to what I'd been thinking last night at the window, it was like he was in my head.

"But, I also know that I'm the last person you want to spend time with, so I already teed that up for you with Louise and Carter. I told them we'd ask you if you could go with us, but you might have too much studying to do for your classes. So they're prepared for that. We talked about it over pancakes, I reinforced that when we got dressed for the day and we've been talking about it while we've been playing outside. So, it's up to you. Stay home and enjoy a quiet day, or come with us. Just know you can say no and opt out and they're ready for that."

I was still stuck on the part where King suggested we all needed a break, which led me to a question that had just dawned on me.

"It's Tuesday. Why aren't you at work?"

There was the king smile. "I took off the rest of the week. Anything that comes up that my team can't handle, I can deal with from home. But today's so nice, I wanted to get out and do something with Carter and Louise. And you, if you want a break, but I didn't want to presume. I promise it'll be a light and easy day, and I won't push you on anything or dump any more heaviness from the past on you."

I thought about the invitation for a few minutes as I sipped my coffee, and made my decision.

"Give me a few minutes to get ready to go, and then I'll make some sandwiches --"

"Already done," he said. "I made enough for all of us in case you decided to go. Drinks are packed, desserts, and there's enough sunscreen to keep us all from getting sunburned. I have hats for everyone, too, and towels, swimsuits and water shoes for the water park."

"What time did you get up?"

"Never went to bed, which was a good thing because they were both up at six and heading straight for your door thinking I was already at work, so I intercepted them. I heard you moving around until four, so I wanted to let you sleep in."

Where was this thoughtfulness when you were gone for three weeks taking pictures with Carmen, allowing me to be humiliated, King?

No. I pushed that aside, determined to let it go, just for today. I'd allow myself a break from the anger and hurt and simply enjoy the day.

Twenty minutes later, we were on the road, headed for the zoo. King kept his word and made it a fun, carefree day for all of us. We demolished all the food he'd made a few hours later, hungry from all the walking and the fresh air. 

Sometimes I had to push if only out of my head as King teased us all playfully throughout the day, while still keeping a watch out for us. After we finished at the zoo, we headed to the park with the water playground, and Carter and Louise spent a happy couple of hours there getting soaked under our watchful eyes. A couple of times, King would look at me and smile, and it was the sweet smile he only gave to his children. Or me.

We headed home around dinner time, and we ate together, Louise and Carter recapping the highlights of the day. A couple hours later, they were out for the count.

"You should go to bed, too," King said to me. "You didn't sleep much last night."

"I'm going right now," I told him, hating that this was so awkward now.

"Yara," he said suddenly, "thank you for today."

He was grateful. I could hear it clearly in his voice. With a nod, I walked away.

When I got to my room, I saw there was a box on my bed. Curious, I opened it and had to look at it twice to make sure I was seeing it right.

Inside was a delicate, exquisitely worked gold crown, with  a large emerald surrounded by diamonds as the centerpiece.

A crown?

When I looked back in the box, I saw a small handwritten note from King.

You told Louise that whoever you marry would make you feel like a princess because he'd love you and treat you very well. 

I'm sorry I failed you.

Then you told her that if a girl wants a crown, her prince will get her one just because it makes her happy.

I want to make you happy, Yara.

Copyright © 2024 by GroveltoHEA