The Mute Mistress

The Mute Mistress: Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Nathan smiled before he opened his eyes. Her perfume lingered on his pillow. He stretched his arm and turned his head to feel sick. Pushing himself up, he realized he was by himself.

He confirmed his fears, seeing no traces of her scattered around his room. After grabbing lounge pants from his closet, he rushed back to his bed. No, he wasn't making things up, she really wasn't there but the sickness of her disappearance was. He wanted her to stay, not return to the guest house. Didn't she realize last night was more than a moment?

"Belle?! Belle have you seen–" Typing in his phone, Nathan hadn't stepped all the way into the kitchen when he received an answer.

"An emergency sent her home," she answered, removing the crispy French toast from the skillet. Nathan paused, eyeing her strangely. Her answer was too calm.

She threw him a fleeting glance before asking, "What is it, Nathan?"

"You don't seem worried."

"Nathaniel?" She used his full name, and felt more trouble flitting around his belly when she asked, "How was the gallery opening?"

"It was the best night I've had in a long time." He looked down fondly. The memory of her bled into his mind just as quickly as her disappearance, angered that she left without as much as a text. A stab in his heart.

Belle turned off the burner and put down the spatula. "And how much do you care for her?"

Nathan shivered inside his skin. He had no desire to lie about his feelings, yet he still felt caught. He struggled to describe his feelings, but his silence was provocative enough.

"Of course, I knew how you felt about Mary from the very beginning. That's why I was so protective of her."

Belle moved from the stove and toward him and his confused face. "You pushed her away once, but when you brought her back, you tried. It's been so long since I've seen your kindness. And around her, it rests in your eyes and in the ways you look at her. You disappeared into your own world when she was in that gown, I was surprised you could ever hear me when you only saw her. I've never seen you this way before, but it would have been cruel for me to interfere with the company you keep."

He tipped his head and sighed, "I know. I ended things with–"

"Did you?" Belle interrupted harshly.

He raised his voice. "Yes. I couldn't do it anymore. No more fake bullshit, no more superficial relationships."

She moved her shoulders expressively. "Good, but the nature of your work requires the latter. Which brings me to beg the question: does Karina understand this?"

"Yes!"

"Yet she has sent me emails this morning."

"For what?" His eyes darkened at the thought of Karina threatening Belle to get to him.

"For the ceremony, Nathan!" Belle shouted. Nathan felt a wave of panic push him upright.

"I see the change in you, but it's going to take more work for others who hardly ever saw you to notice. Karina is a lovely girl when she chooses to be, but you knew she was never right for you as it never evolved from business. But that doesn't mean she doesn't deserve the decency of clarity."

He covered his face and pulled his hands down. "I fucked up."

"I love you, so be a man and fix it. Unfortunately, the ceremony is tomorrow. What are you going to do Nathan?"

✧ ✧ ✧

He faked a smile amidst a few camera flashes. He wouldn't have shown up at all. But Abraham tried his hand with the organizers who promised to donate a substantial donation to a local children's hospital if he attended. He tried to convince his publicist he could arrive alone, but Nathan was reminded immediately of the media storm that would brew from her fans and he couldn't afford the petty media squabble and rumors circulating online. He knew gossip had the potential to evolve into a war against reputations and false allegations.