Grabbing a comb, she began to work the knots out of her hair. If she chose to leave she’d have to ask Kane’s permission to do so, otherwise he had every right to follow her and drag her back. But would he? Not likely, given how he seemed to have been feeling towards her when he left.
She found an elastic to hold her hair back into a pony tail and efficiently restrained her long tresses. Yes, leaving was a possibility, but then she’d never see Kane again, never feel his arms around her, never feel his kiss. That would be hard. If she stayed, there was still a chance that they would maintain a physical relationship, but would it be enough? Sex was all they had to begin with and after the first little while, she’d known that wasn’t sufficient. Could she be happy going back to just that? She really didn’t know.
Wrapping herself in a robe, she padded back into the bedroom intent on getting dressed, lost in thought. Halfway across the room, she stopped short. There was that package, still on the floor. At one point in time, it had been wrapped in colourful paper with a pretty bow. Now, due to its rough treatment, the corner was crushed and the bow was decidedly squished.
Carefully she picked it up, turning it over in her hands until she found the tag. It was written in a bold scrawl, but still quite readable. ‘Happy Birthday, love Kane.’
Her hands trembled. It had been her birthday yesterday and she’d totally forgotten about it! Her lips trembled as she stared at the tag. He’d written ‘love Kane.’ Had he meant it or was it a throwaway term used when signing a card? His feelings a few hours ago led her to believe it was the latter. Kane had no love for her, even if he had remembered it was her birthday and bought her a present. A lone tear rolled down her face and she quickly scrubbed it away.
When had he set the present out? The package had been on the bed when he’d thrown her down, so he must have placed it there at some point after coming home in the morning and before listening to the tape. But why hadn’t Marla taken it when she’d come into the room to leave the diary and steal the note? It made no sense.
Chewing on her lip, she tried to decide if she should open it or not. It was addressed to her, though she doubted Kane still wanted to give her anything. After a few moments of hesitation, she sat down on the edge of the bed and opened the box, curiosity winning out. Drawing away the layers of tissue paper, she gave a soft cry of delight. It was the green angora sweater she’d looked at on her second day. Gently she picked it up and stroked the soft material against her face. How had Kane remembered her mentioning it?
Confusion filled her. What was going on? Did Kane care or not? The present seemed to indicate yes, but his feelings after blood-bonding with her were a definite no. Maybe he had felt something, but her deceit over Bryan had ruined it.
Realizing that she was clenching the sweater in her hands, she smoothed the material and refolded it into the box, then threw out the wrecked paper and bow. The card she kept, tucking it into her small jewellery box. Even if it meant nothing, she wanted to remember that at one point, Kane had cared a little bit.
Standing by the dresser, she considered what she should do next. She didn’t feel like facing the rest of the pack. Logically, she knew they wouldn’t be aware of what had happened, but she didn’t feel up to faking happiness. Unfortunately, hiding in the room wasn’t a solution either. Eventually, she had to face the world. As she wavered, practicality won over. Her stomach rumbled reminding her that she hadn’t eaten since lunch the previous day. Taking this as a sign, Elise quickly dressed and went in search of something to eat.
Chapter 29
Elise followed the familiar clatter of pots and pans that let her know Helen was back in her domain. As she entered the warm, friendly kitchen, she pasted a smile on her face and tried to sound perky. “Hi, Helen. I missed you yesterday.”
Helen was pulling a ham out of the oven and answered over her shoulder. “I indulged myself and slept in since it was around two in the morning when I finally got home, and then I guess our paths just never crossed.”
“Wow! You really stayed late with Carrie and John.”
“Well, it was mostly John. The man was a total wreck after the birth, and was convinced he’d never go near Carrie again for fear of making her pregnant.”
“I take it he didn’t do well during labour?”
Snorting, Helen shook her head and after testing the temperature of the ham, popped it back in the oven. “He’s fine now, but at the time it was touch and go with him.” She closed the oven door and finally turned to look at Elise. Giving a cry of joy, Helen hurried across the room and embraced her. “Oh, Elise, I’m so happy for you.”