Testament (10 page)

Guy nodded encouragingly at me, but I still couldn’t move. “Cadence,” Mrs. Munroe hissed, off stage. She waved her hands erratically like an air traffic controller would to get me off stage. But it was useless. I was unmovable.

Finally, the stagehand had the presence of mind to close the red velvet curtains. As they swung together, I got a fleeting glance of Kellan’s smirk and Micah’s devastation before everything went black.

 Something cool slithered across my face. I wanted to swat it away, but my arms seemed pinioned at my side. “Cadence, come back to me.”

My eye-lids fluttered as I struggled to get to where the voice was. It soothed and comforted me. Blurry shapes came into my view. Finally, my vision cleared, and I saw Micah’s face. “There you are. We were afraid you hit your head harder than we thought.”

“I hit my head?” I croaked.

He nodded. “Yeah, when you passed out.”

Mortification flooded me. “Oh no, I fainted on stage?”

Another voice answered me. “Yes, you did.” I turned my head to see Griff’s worried expression. “Mrs. Munroe and the others believed you were so overcome with joy and elation at being in the Top Three that you fainted.”

“Yeah, overcome is the right word, but it wasn’t with joy,” I mumbled.

Micah helped pull me into a sitting position. That’s when I noticed I was back in my suite. Naomi and Maggie sat on the loveseat while Laurel paced nervously near the door. “Just when I thought it couldn’t be any worse, I manage to top things by making a fool out of myself.”

“Luckily, only the people backstage saw what happened since they’d pulled the curtain,” Micah said.

Griff nodded. “Mrs. Munroe sent someone to get me, and well, the others came along to make sure you were all right.”

“Thanks guys,” I said.

Someone pounded on the door. When Laurel opened it, it was Mrs. Munroe. “Ah, so she’s finally came around,” she commented.

“Yes, I’m terribly sorry for all the fuss.”

“Oh, that’s all right, dear. Emotions can overwhelm us sometimes.” She glanced around the room. “Now that Cadence is awake, I’m going to have to have the rest of you leave. She needs her rest. After all, she has a big day tomorrow.”

Inwardly, I groaned. Naomi, Maggie, and Laurel waved and headed out the door before Mrs. Munroe could say anymore. Griff leaned over and kissed my cheek. “Your pupils aren’t dilated, so you should be fine to go ahead and go to sleep.”

I reached out and hugged his neck. “Thanks, Dr. O’Bryant.”

When Griff pulled away, Micah started to lean over to kiss me, but I jerked my head to the doorway where Mrs. Munroe stood. “Feel better, Cadence. I know everything is going to be all right,” he said, his intense brown eyes locking with mine. I knew what he meant then. No matter what the outcome was tomorrow night, he would find a way for us to be together.

“I hope so,” I murmured.

“Goodnight, Cadence. I’ll have someone check on you during the night,” Mrs. Munroe said.

“Thank you.”

She flipped the light-switch off and shut the door. Darkness enveloped me.

***

The following morning I woke up with a raging headache. Fortunately, I found one of Mrs. Munroe’s assistants sitting by the bed with a breakfast tray. She also had some aspirin for me to take.

“So are you excited about today?” she asked, as she surveyed me nibbling nervously on my toast.

“Oh yes, very much so,” I lied.

“Kellan and Emma had breakfast together this morning, and they’re spending some time together now on the estate.”

“Hmm.”

Each of us would be allotted three to four hours with Kellan before the pageant. After that time, he would make his decision. It seemed ridiculous to me that someone could choose a life partner after four hours of conversation, but then I had to remind myself that the entire pageant was absurd.

“Mrs. Munroe wanted me to tell you that you are supposed to meet Kellan at noon by the Liberty fountain.”

On the east side of the estate, there was a massive fountain. It had always been a sad, rather than impressive, fixture to me considering the torch came from the Statue of Liberty—it had been partially destroyed during the massive flood of the Great Fall. Richard had used most of the statue for scrap. The torch he had insisted on preserving as a testament not to what once was, but what he was and always would be—the master of the universe.

Just as I realized I couldn’t possibly eat anything more than a few bites of toast, a knock came at the door, and Laurel popped her head in. Mrs. Munroe’s assistant took the breakfast tray and left us in private.

“Good morning.”

I eyed her contemptuously. “Are you really this chipper this morning?”

She grinned. “I imagined you’d be in a pretty foul mood, so I thought I’d try to do as much as I could to brighten things up around here.”

“Nothing can do that.” I peeled back the covers on the bed. “I haven’t showered yet. Do you mind waiting?”

“Go right ahead. I’ll see what’s on television.”

I groaned on the way to the bathroom. “I just hope they don’t have some crazy instant replay of me looking like a deer in the headlights.”

I bathed as quickly as I could, and then appeared back out in the room in my robe.

Laurel dried my hair for me. Each time I looked in the mirror, she was looking back at me. When she finished, she cleared her throat. “Are you nervous?”

“About being alone with him?”

She nodded.

I shrugged. “Not really.”

She continued brushing my hair in long strokes. “Aren’t you the least bit curious about what he’s really like? Like, you might see him a little differently when it’s just the two of you.”

“Frankly, I don’t want to see Kellan in a different light.”

“Hmm, I think I know why.”

I sucked in a breath and eyed her in the mirror. “What do you mean?”

Laurel put the brush down on the counter. “I think that dark-haired Knight in Shining Armor that was by your side last night has something to do with it.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I lied.

“I think you do.”

An uncomfortable silence permeated the air. Finally, I said, “If I were in love with Micah, what’s it to you? Working for Maureen like you do, you should understand that women don’t fare well in Kellan’s world.”

Laurel sighed. “Yes, you’re right.” She added the final touches to my hair. “But I do know that Kellan isn’t his father. The very fact you’re sitting here before me is proof of that.”

“Excuse me if that doesn’t make me feel better. Have you even stopped to really think why I am here? Even if Kellan wanted me, why in the hell would Richard allow him to move me on? I mean, after everything he stands for and what happened with Venessa, I just don’t understand.” I bit my lip to fight back the tears. My emotions threatened to overtake me, and I knew this wasn’t the time or place to allow that to happen. Too much was happening too fast, and I didn’t know how to cope with it.

Laurel rubbed my shoulders. “Richard stated it would be Kellan’s choice, and he is a man of his word. I don’t see him backing down.”

I swiped a tear away with the back of my hand. Regardless of what I could do for the Abir, I didn’t want to be a part of the pageant anymore. “But I’m so confused. I just want to go home. I want this to all be over. I-I want my old life back.”

As she rubbed wide circles across my back, Laurel said, “I know you do, sweetheart. But think of it this way. There are a lot of people who would like their lives back and for the world to be the way it once was. But that’s just not going to happen. So for now, we can only do the best with what we have.”

“But—”

“All you can do is take a deep breath, keep an open mind, and give Kellan a chance.”

“Whatever.”

“Look, you’ve got to calm down or there’s not going to be a lot I can do make-up wise for you, okay?”

“Fine,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest.

Laurel started on my makeup, but tension hung so heavy in the air you could’ve hack sawed through it. When I caught her eye in the mirror, she cocked her head. “It’s not over til’ it’s over, sweetheart. There’s still time to throw the pageant and be back in that dark haired cutie’s arms by nightfall.”

Her calling Micah a “cutie” brought a smile to my lips, even though I felt like anything but smiling. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I think you know exactly what I’m talking about. But I also know what a strong, independent woman you are, and I’d imagine you’re conflicted about more than just him.”

“Maybe,” I whispered.

She nodded. “But I will say he would be worth it. I mean, he was positively frantic when you were out cold. Nothing would calm him, not even your brother assuring him you would be fine.”

“He cares about me too much.”

Laurel ceased powdering my face. “Why would you say that?”

I refused to meet her expectant gaze. “Because I don’t know if I feel for him as strongly as he does for me. We’ve always been friends—well, he’s been Griff’s friend this last year or so. And in that time period, everything has been so crazy that I hadn’t really given any thoughts to having a boyfriend. Griff used to tease me about how much Micah liked me, but I thought he was just being a typical older brother. Sure, there were times I thought there was something more with him—”

“You thought there was something or was it really that you wanted there to be something?”

“I don’t know. Maybe. I-I guess I never really stopped to think about it.”

“Uh-huh,” Laurel replied, cocking her head like she didn’t believe a word of it.

I sighed. “And now when this stupid pageant nonsense happened, Micah finally told me how he felt. But instead of relief that I finally know the truth, it just feels we’re on some out of control merry-go-round of emotions.”

“Maybe something drastic needed to happen so you both could realize how you truly feel.”

Her words, the conversation, the events of the past two days finally snapped me in two. Tears stung my eyes, sending blackened streaks over my cheeks. “Would you just stop it?” I shouted. Laurel’s eyes widened in shock, but I barreled on. “Dammit, you guys are making me feel like a defective wind-up toy. I mean, one minute you’re telling me to give Kellan a chance, the next you’re telling me how much Micah loves me. Then he’s coming to my room telling me how much he loves me and I’m telling him back while Kellan is inching me along in this screwed up little game. What is that supposed to do to me but make me confused as hell!”

“I’m sorry, Cadence.” She chewed her lip like she might cry, which made me feel even worse. Why was it I seemed only capable of hurting people lately?

I touched her arm. “No, I’m the one who should be apologizing.”

Laurel shook her head. “I can’t imagine what you must be going through. Well, I sort of can. I know a little bit about heartbreak and loving someone you can’t have.”

“You do?”

She nodded.

“Who?” I pestered.

For the first time since I’d met her, Laurel appeared embarrassed. “I really shouldn’t tell you.”

“But I told you about Micah and everything. I promise I won’t say anything.”

She appeared to ignore my question by fixing my tear stained cheeks. Finally, she met my gaze. “This can never go any further because it would be bad for so many people.”

I leaned forward so far in my chair I thought I might fall out. She drew in a deep breath. “It was Maureen.”

I jolted back. “K-Kellan’s mother?”

She nodded.

“But I didn’t know she…”

Laurel shook her head. “That’s just it. She isn’t.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay. I mean, we spent so much time together that I guess it was inevitable. There were moments when I thought she might feel the same—she and Richard’s marriage was over almost as soon as it started. She’d grown up in a divorced family, and she hated to do that to Kellan.”

I grabbed her hand and squeezed it. “There’s someone out there for you, Laurel. I just know it. You’re too special for there not to be.”

She smiled at me. “I suppose so. I mean, I haven’t given up looking.”

I grinned. “I don’t think you should.”

Whirling me around in the chair, she said. “All done.”

Peering at my reflection in the mirror, I questioned, “So, do I look all right?”

“You look like an angel—well, at least until you open your mouth.”

I laughed. “Thanks a lot.” One glance at the clock and I hopped out of the chair. “I better go, or I’ll be late.”

“Good luck.”

Just as I got to the door, I turned back around. “Thanks Laurel.”

“For what?”

I wanted to tell her thanks for reminding of me my mother. Over the past two days, she had sparked long dormant memories in me about the relationship I’d had with her. Just like with Laurel, my mom had always talked me through my problems, even if sometimes she added to them. Finally, I replied, “You know, for listening.”

She winked. “Right back at ya, babe.”

I blew through the doors and hurried down the velvet carpeted hallways. When I got outside, I found Kellan sitting by the fountain waiting for me. “Oh, I’m sorry I’m late,” I said.