A Wager Of The Heart

46. Coming clean

:::Charity:::

I heard him approach, had been hearing him for a while. He had a tendency to mutter quietly to himself as he walked. I couldn't understand his exact words but the steady rhythm of his voice brought me back to myself. I watched the night sky with only half of my attention. It was strange, really. I remembered finding the clearing and the rock but everything from that point until I heard his voice was nothing but a tangled mass of feelings.

I felt much better, somehow wholly myself again. I would be fine to face him and his father, or even Ursula, I was ready for it. He drew closer to me, maybe ten feet away and the muttering stopped. I looked over at him without sitting up. He's as tall as a giant, I observed in my tired mind. Reluctantly I sat up and, just as reluctantly, he sat down next to me. 

I could think of nothing to say to explain myself, there was no explanation actually so we sat in silence. After several moments of silence, I took a deep breath and said, "Geri probably hates me." I could sense he was giving me time to say whatever I needed to say.

He remained quiet for a while and then slowly said, "Geraldine is worried, we all were."

I sighed my guilt away. She would forgive me, I knew. "I'm sorry." I said anyway. I felt I owed it to the rest of them. "I didn't mean to be gone so long, I just needed time to think, to recollect myself." I yawned and stroked the rock between my fingers. "I couldn't stand being in doors any longer."

"I assumed as much," he said confidently as he watched me from the corner of his eye. "But may I ask? Why not seclude yourself in the garden?"

I laughed and then looked sheepishly at him. "I didn't want you to find me." The irony made me smile and he matched my grin with a half-smile that made him look even more alluring.

It was silent for a long time as he watched me in that half way. "Would you like to talk about it?" I couldn't help the burble of laughter that escaped my tired mouth as I looked at him skeptically. He threw his hands up in mock offense and said, in a haughty tone, "I happen to be a very good listener."

I laughed again, unable to help myself. He watched me bemusedly and I wondered if I was making an even greater fool of myself. "I could tell how well you listened between declarations of love and exclamations of beauty. Mostly how you continued to provide them long after I asked for them to stop."

Kent laughed and looked away for a moment. When he looked back his face was a mask of sincerity, only his eyes gave him away. "All of them were true and heartfelt, I assure you. And to clarify," he said dropping the guise of sincerity, "you never asked, you demanded."

I giggled and conceded. "Well, either way."

He snorted happily and then continued with his forced authenticity. "I can, however, set aside my own wishes in the service of a friend."

I watched him dubiously for a moment until the moon shone clearly on his coal black eyes. His face was mocking genuineness but his eyes held true honesty. At least for the moment. "A friend?" I quipped, raising a brow.

He smiled again and bowed his head. "Indeed, yours is an iron will that even I cannot break. Besides," he said playfully, "under the circumstances, it didn't seem prudent any longer."

Again I studied him closely and was almost disappointed by the truth of his words. I chided myself and even managed to smile, Geri would be happy and that's all that mattered. "Alright," I agreed reluctantly, "I'll tell you. But you must promise to tell no one else." I pierced him with my stare until he nodded his head in acceptance. I clarified anyway, "Not Geri or your mother. Especially not my father." I waited again for the nod of his head.