Epilogue
Caden
Cara walked out of the bathroom. Her face was pale and white as she clutched the small plastic stick. “I guess it’s the stomach flu,” she said as she stuffed the stick back into the box and wrapped it up in the bag of trash. “I’m sorry to ruin the weekend, Caden.”
“Are you sure?” asked Nora. She took a step towards Cara and gently placed her hand on her shoulder. “Sometimes those things can be wrong.”
“I’m sure,” Cara reiterated. “I think I just need to lie down and relax for a bit. Thank you for all of your help.” Cara pushed past Nora and hugged me. “I’d like to rest for a bit. Maybe it’ll pass and we can enjoy everything you had planned.”
“Okay, whatever you want.” I gave her a gentle hug and walked her over to the bed. “Nora, can we call if we need anything?”
“Absolutely, Mr. Zahn. Here’s my number.” Nora passed him a card and made her way to the door. She looked back at Cara. “I hope you feel better.”
A moment later, Nora was gone, leaving Cara and me alone in the room.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” I asked. I eased myself onto the edge of the bed where Cara had nestled herself under the covers and gathered herself into a ball.
“I’ll be fine. I just need some rest and maybe something light to eat to settle my stomach. Any chance you could find something for me?”
“I’m on it.”
I kissed Cara on the head and left. I hated to see her sick.
As I made my way to the first floor, I could hear Dwayne talking with Nora in the front office near where we had checked in. Their whispers echoed through the quiet corridors, but as I approached, they quickly stopped.
“Mr. Zahn, is everything all right?” asked Nora.
“Yes. Cara decided she wanted something light to eat. Any chance I could raid the kitchen?”
Dwayne straightened. “I could have the staff prepare something for her—”
“No, Dwayne. I’ll take care of it if that’s okay. Just point me in the right direction.”
Dwayne smiled and nodded down the hallway. “First door on your left. Help yourself to anything you need.”
“Thanks.”
I took the short walk down the hallway and pushed open the heavy swinging doors. The kitchen was cold and dark and the stainless-steel countertops reflected the glare from the emergency lights scattered throughout the kitchen.
It was an extraordinarily large kitchen and I could imagine the staff running around, preparing meals for the guests.
I flipped on the switch and the kitchen came to life. Fluorescent bulbs flickered on, casting a bright white flood of light everywhere.
This was definitely not the evening or start to the weekend I had planned, but taking care of Cara was the priority and seemed natural, almost like we had been together for years instead of a bit over a month.
I grabbed a few boxes from the pantry and spread the contents across a plate I had grabbed from the shelf, neatly arranging everything as if I were a master chef. I opened the large refrigerator and pulled out a selection of cheese and a can of ginger ale.
Carefully, I put everything on a tray I had found sitting on the side counter and finished the spread off with a few glasses of water and a glass of ice. I pushed through the second set of swinging doors that led to the empty dining room and swiped a small vase from a table that held a single red rose.
Nora smiled at me as I passed her in the hallway. “You’re a good man, Mr. Zahn,” she said.
I nodded and smiled back, not taking my focus or concentration off of balancing everything on the tray.
A moment later, I was through the door of the room and staring at the empty bed where I had left Cara.
“Cara?”
The bathroom door swung open and Cara stood in the doorway, looking better than she had before I had left. “I wanted to clean up a bit. I’m feeling better.” She smiled as she looked at the tray.
“I managed to whip a little something up for you.”
“You did?”
I set the tray on the empty bed and walked over to Cara and wrapped my arms around her. “Are you sure you’re feeling better? I can take you back to your place, it’s no problem.”
“I want to be here with you.” Cara pulled me over to the bed and we both lay down, careful not to tip the carefully balanced tray. “I appreciate you taking care of me.”
“You’re welcome. You’re the person I believe I’ve been searching for and just never found, until that day. I’ve never looked back. I can see an amazing future with you and one that I want to start now.” I rolled onto my side and faced Cara as I grabbed her hand. “I want to travel with you, I want to build a life with you…” I pulled her hand to my lips and kissed it. “I want to take care of you, no matter what.”
Cara’s face flushed as she smiled through pursed lips. “I...I know. I feel the same way Caden, but…”
“But what?”
“I—it’s complicated. There’s no one I want more than you, and I’m getting there. I’m there, but maybe I just need some time to process a few things.”
“Cara, we’ve been through a lot these last weeks. More than most relationships. I’m here for you, no matter what.”
Cara turned and stared at the ceiling, arching her neck as tears streamed from the corners of her eyes and rolled toward her ears. “Caden, I’m—”
“Pregnant,” I said. “I know. I heard Nora and Dwayne talking when I left the room. And based on how you were feeling, it isn’t a surprise.” I wiped the tears from either side of her face and kissed her cheek. “We’ll deal with this, together. Right now, we need to focus on you and maybe trying to enjoy the rest of the weekend if you’re still up for it.”
“I’d like to,” she said, “but honestly, I think I’d feel better if we just got some sleep and headed back home tomorrow. I’m so sorry to disappoint you, I know you’ve put a lot of effort into this weekend, making sure everything was perfect.”
I kissed her cheek again and inhaled, taking in the smell of her hair, the smell of strawberries. “You could never disappoint me Cara. Never.”
Dear Reader,
Thank you for downloading and reading Torn. As a thank you, I’ve include sneak peeks of several of my recent releases that you may not have read yet. Enjoy!
Ellie & Tristan