Doing it For the Kids

17 - The End

He must've sensed her because she gasped as he suddenly turned to look at her with wide eyes.

"Put your jeans on!" he snapped, unable to tolerate those long bare legs, the sensible yet ridiculously sexy panties, and the too short t-shirt flashing an inch of belly. He needed clarity here, not libido-fuelled haziness.

"No!" she snarled back. "Too bad if the sight of me makes you sick!"

He shook his head, "what?" the sight made him ANYTHING but sick. He wriggled, ruing the bad timing of the sudden tightness in his jeans. "Why are you packed up and ready to leave? Has something happened?"

She shrugged, "you obviously want me gone, I just wanted to sort it out face to face before I left. I'm not running from anything."

"GO? Bloody hell Violet, why would I want you to leave?"

She twirled her thumbs as she tried to avoid looking at him, not wanting to cry, "look I understand that in your eyes I'm the spawn of Satan. It is best if I go."

She stepped towards the door, but his voice stopped her.

"If you walk out that door it's because YOU want to and nothing to do with me." He stepped towards her and she could feel his presence over her shoulder. "It's taken weeks to get you in a room with me again; I have no desire to see you walk away."

She turned to face him trying to stop the stubborn tears that escaped her eyes, "you did more than get me in a room with you.....I can't be what you want! I know that now......"

He gasped, "WHAT? You obviously have NO idea what I want V!"

She looked up at him, "I'm not Carla!"

He shook his head in wonder, "no shit?! I am WELL aware that you are not her. Thank God! Is that why you were going? Because you're not her?"

Stunned Violet stared at him, completely not expecting this reaction. He took her hands and looked at her imploringly, "Violet! Carla was a manipulative bitch. I thought I loved her but I didn't, our marriage was probably over before Marvin stepped in, I just didn't cope well with losing everything."

"She was coming back to you....."

He half laughed, "I wouldn't have taken her V. She made a fool out of me, and it's been my pride, my anger, my thirst for revenge that has kept those wounds open, raw. That's been the problem, me and my ego."

She sat down before her legs wobbled anymore, "I thought you still loved her."

"I've realized lately that I never really loved her, I thought I did...." he squatted in front of her, "until I met you, and realized what true happiness really is. I have hardly slept, since you left Mbumba. For the first time in my life I don't hanker after being back in South Africa anymore, I love it there, of course I do, but it's not the same without you. Every inch of that home reminds me of you, and I know one thing, I want to be wherever you are V."

"You don't mean it Hendrick!" she could barely process his words.

He lifted her chin, forced her to look at him, "I'm not too proud to say it, I love you Violet Parker, and I don't want to spend a minute more without you."

She shook her head, "you took back the diamond.....I thought you hated me."

Hendrick laughed, "just try getting this sorted at 5pm on a Saturday night in a Swiss ski resort! It has been a murderous challenge and taken me hours. There was nowhere that had the right materials, or the skill to do it. I had to drive an hour away to finally get this made!" Dropping onto his knees, he reached in the pocket of his jeans and pulled out the velvet box that housed the diamond. Flicking it open he watched her face intently, smiling at the wonder in her eyes.