Love Walked In (Stevens Book 7)

Chapter 20

It felt like Caleb was taking forever to join her, and she was so afraid of what he would say when he did. She knew that he would never look at her the same way again. She fought back the tears as she packed an overnight case. 

Where was he, what was taking him so long?

She had begun to think that he had left without saying good bye when he quietly walked into the bedroom, taking off his tie. He had already removed his suit jacket.

He sat down in the chair at the end of the bed and took his shoes off as he watched her smooth the same wrinkle out of her shirt over and over again.

"So, you do love me?" he asked casually.

"You know I do Caleb. I always have." She wouldn't look at him. She couldn't, for fear she would see pity in his eyes.

"Your sister tells me you were supposed to marry Bryce, and that he was who your father had picked out for you."

"Yes, Bryce and I pieced it together the other night over dinner. Ironic isn't it?"

"Would you have preferred Bryce to me?"

He sounded nonchalant, but she had a feeling that he was very serious.

"No." Her head jerked up and she looked at him, begging him to see the truth of that one word.

He smiled as if he was teasing her and he had known it all along.

Unable to take it anymore she let it burst from her.

"I killed my mother."

She was met with silence and she couldn't bear to look away as his smile faded. She was shocked that she had spoken the words aloud. Why, after all these years, was she finally able to say the words that had always choked her before?

Perhaps it was the feeling of family that had settled over her during the last few days in New York.

"Why don't you tell me everything? I'm sure that it's not as matter of fact as you make it sound." Caleb rose from his chair and moved to sit next to her on the bed, putting his arm around her shoulders and drawing her near. Norah sighed as she laid her head on his shoulder, his warmth and smell comforted her and made her feel safe.

"When I was sixteen I was in a horrible car accident. I was driving, and my mother was in the car with me and she was killed. I was in the hospital for almost a year, they said I would never walk again."

"Who else was in this wreck, when did it happen?" Caleb asked.

"I d-don't know. All I remember was that it was night and we were coming home from a competition."

"A competition?"

"Yes, I used to be a show jumper. I think I won, but I don't really remember." Norah closed her eyes unable to recall any specifics from that night.

"If you can't remember that simple detail then how do you know that you killed her?"

Norah flinched at his matter of fact words. No one had ever said those words aloud to her but her sister, and she had only said it once. She had eluded to the fact yes, but never used the words killed or killer.

"My father and sister made it very clear that it was my fault."

"I doubt it was your fault Norah, but I can believe that your father and sister let you think that it was. They probably wanted someone to blame." Caleb placed a light kiss on her forehead.

"I was to blame." Her voice broke.

"Well, I don't blame you Norah, and I'm sure your mother doesn't. It is called and accident for a reason." Caleb rose and started to undress. "We'll talk some more after we learn the facts."