After Cain left I stay in our bedroom curled up on our bed. Hours later I was still in the same position and everything was starting to cramp. I sat up and stretched out all my tense muscles. With a sigh I looked down at my hands. I had, had a lot of time to think about what happened with Cain and I since he left. I knew things could have went down differently. My emotions were all over the place when I had gotten back and I just snapped.
Guilt began to eat away at me. I understood his fears. I understood everything about where he was coming from. But, I just wanted him to understand me. I needed him too. I couldn’t just stay on campus all the time and only be allowed to the pack grounds. It was insane. We needed to come to some kind of agreement where that was concerned. It should’ve been done when I got back but both of our tempers got the best of us.
Standing on shaky legs I decided that a shower was the first thing I needed. Maybe a nice long bath, that sounded divine. I didn’t bother with the lights when I walked into the bathroom. I opted for lighting a few candles that were scattered around the bathroom. The fire light was soothing and fragrance being emitted from bath salts I poured into the warm running water was even better. A sigh of pleasure whispered past my parted lips as I submerged my body into the water.
***
An hour later I emerged from the bathroom feeling refreshed. A tantalizing scent tickled at my nose and I followed it out of the bedroom and down the hall. So many different aromas were floating around they made my mouth water. As I rounded the corner into the kitchen/dining area I stopping in my tracks with my mouth agape. Cain was standing at the table holding a single white rose. The table was set for two with lit candles adorning it.
“They say that the white rose is sometimes called ‘The Flower of Light’,” Cain began. “There’s a whole lot of different meanings for all the different colors of roses but this one,” he held out the rose. “I liked the best. Everlasting love - love stronger than death, an eternal love, undying and all sustaining. A love that is sustained more by loyalty, reverence and humility than by red-blooded passion - which would be a red rose.
“Somewhere along the way I lost sight of all that. I couldn’t see past my need to keep you safe and out of harms way. All I could think about was my need. What I wanted. I didn’t stop to think about you.”
“Stop...” I whispered wanted to tell him how I felt about all that went down.
“Just let me finish, please.” I nodded “I love you more than anything in this entire world and I would do anything - anything at all - to make you happy. I haven’t done that, I know. I can remember every single thing you’ve said to me about wanting to get out and do something. But I didn’t listen, at all. You’ve begged me so many times to let you go off with the girls - anyone - and I refused to let you. For that I am truly sorry.”
“So am I,” I whispered “I shouldn’t have done what I did today. I knew that you were be upset and I didn’t care. It didn’t matter to me that were you going to be mad, I just needed out of this place. I’m sorry for that and I am so sorry for snapping at you when I got back. I understand where you’re coming from. I understand your need to know that I’m safe, I do. But, I just wanted you to understand me. You can’t keep me on constant lock down and expect me to not go insane.”
“I do understand. Well, I do now. I think I’ve known all along but I just didn’t want to accept it. I couldn’t.”
“Neither did I.” I smiled walking over to him.
