Moving On

Chapter 6 - Part 2

When Tyler got back to the mansion, he found Kate chatting with Marianne. He couldn't make out what they were talking about, but he could hear them laughing away.

"Feeling better?" Tyler asked as he entered, interrupting their conversation.

"Yeah."

"I'll leave you two alone and go finish up my book," Marianne said. "Let me know if you need anything." She gave Kate a pat on the leg and left.

"Have you met Marianne before this?" he asked when Marianne stepped out of the room.

Kate blinked, and her hand reached for her necklace. "Why do you ask?"

"The two of you seem to be on friendly terms."

"Marianne is nice to everyone."

"Did she visit him?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said and quickly changed the subject. "Would you pass me the eye drops?"

He took out the box of eye drops from the bag, opened it, and handed her a vial. "You're a horrible liar."

"I'm not lying."

"You're just avoiding my question."

Kate dripped a drop into each of her eyes and turned to him. "Why don't you ask her instead?"

He shrugged, not saying anything else.

She sighed softly. "She didn't tell you because she didn't want to upset you."

He pulled out another box from the bag and opened the eye gel. "We should've used this first."

"It's all right. I'll use it now." She took the tube of gel from him and tilted her head back. She squeezed the tube, but it simply refused to cooperate.

Sitting by the side of her bed, Tyler took the gel from her and lifted her chin. He squeezed a dab of the gel into each of her eyes. She blinked a few times, her brows moving to form a frown.

"This feels weird."

"It'll be fine after a while. Get some rest. I'll leave your door open. Shout if you need anything."

"Ty, are you all right?"

"Just close your eyes and rest."

Kate nodded, but when he was about to leave, she reached out and grabbed his arm. "He really missed you, and he wanted to see you. He just didn't know how to. He knew it was his fault."

Tyler clenched his jaws, and though Kate probably couldn't see him clearly, he turned his face away from her.

Didn't know how? He should've just shown up.

He had waited so many years for a visit, a phone call. He had waited until his heart grew cold from disappointments, and he learned not to hope.

"I'm not asking you to forgive him. I just want you to know that he knew the fault was all his." She ran her finger down along the taut line of his cheek.

Her soft touch startled him.

His hands kept finding their way to her, and she hadn't shrunk from his touch, but he was really aware that this was the first time Kate had touched him.

The resentment, disappointment, and hurt all melted away.

Unconsciously, he took her hand as it fell from his face and held on tight. He wanted to pull her into his arms, to hold her, to allow her warmth to dissolve the misery he'd carried for so long.