Slow Dancing

09 | rubato

But leaving was the endgame. Was I leaving because Adelaide wanted me to? Or because a part of me knew that Kaden no longer needed me, and that I didn't really fit into his life anyway?

I didn't know, it was all too confusing, but leaving was the endgame and it was simple and it was for the best.

Taking a deep breath, I opened the lid of the box that I had been carrying all this while and held the box out to Edwin. "Will you do something else for me?"

His eyebrows rose as I took out a little potted plant with blue flowers.

"Could you please take care of this? It's for Kaden, but I'm afraid he wouldn't be able to take care of it properly until he gets his eyesight back. There's a list of instructions I taped around the pot and it's really quite easy. I wish I could give it to Kaden myself but the thing is – I won't be here when he opens his eyes," it was difficult to keep my voice calm at the end.

He took the plant and studied it silently. "Does this have something to do with the fact that you're not Ms White?"

My mouth fell open. "How did you know?"

"I've seen Ms White," he returned mildly, staring at me with amusement. "I had to rearrange young Mr Bretton's schedule for a meeting with her. Besides, you don't behave anything like her. Mr Bretton has never behaved the way he does around you with her either. I played along because I assumed that I wasn't meant to know the difference." His smile quickly faded into a grave expression. "I don't know what's going on, nor do I try to find out these things, but I hope you know that Mr Bretton will be very disappointed when he opens his eyes and doesn't see you."

"I wish I could. Unfortunately, I don't think I can."

He simply nodded and studied the plant again. "What species is this?"

"Myosotis," my smile was wistful. I had wracked my brains for the past few days, wondering what to get him. Kaden had everything he wanted in the world and, somehow, nothing I ever gave him seemed extravagant enough. So I had finally settled for this. "Kaden will understand when he sees it."

Because there's another name for Myosotis:

Forget-me-nots.

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The first thing I noticed about Kaden when he came out of the shower was that there wasn't the usual piece of gauze wrapped round his head. But his eyes were shut tight, as though he was actually afraid to open them.

The second thing I noticed was that he wasn't wearing anything but a towel wrapped loosely around his waist. And I couldn't help but realise that Kaden Bretton was lean, tanned and very, very fit; something that I hadn't registered the previous time because of his bruises. His shoulders were broad, with the kind of athletic build that came from years of running and going to the gym.

I let out a squeak that was halfway between pure mortification and surprise, before falling a step back, gripping the doorknob behind me. It wasn't my intention to enter just as he was coming out of the shower. I just figured he was done a long time ago and had grabbed a pack of ice on my way back up so I could attend to his bruises.

"Please wait until I'm out of here before you drop the towel," I blurted when his head turned in my direction. "And yes, hi, it's me again."

His lips quirked up in a soft smile and he shook his head. "It's fine. Just go to my wardrobe and get some clothes for me, will you?"