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Fleur had managed to get clearance to read me into what she did for her company. I got some high-level information and was told that I'd have to go through a background check for more. I'd never get her level of clearance, but I'd at least know when the fuck she was going out of the country if not where she was at.
I'd tried to ask her if she'd quit and that conversation had not gone well at all. I loved her even more for why she did what she did. MyGrianwas a patriot and a do-gooder. I knew that about her, but not the extent of her goodness.
Even though her parents and sister had been complete douches to her, when she thought she was dying, she left a message for them so they wouldn't feel guilty in case she didn't make it home.
My Fleur took care of everyone and apparently hated it when someone took care of her.
She sat up in bed, grumpy and sullen, leaning against a stack of pillows against the headboard. "I'm bored, and I hurt. When can I use my arm again?"
"Soon, love." I lay next to her and kissed her forehead. "How about I entertain you?"
She snorted. "I can't have sex, Romeo."
"You think that's all I have in my repertoire to entertain you, sex?"
"I guess we can watch a ballgame," she said, resigned.
"So, sex and sports…that's all you think I am?" I didn't think she thought that, but I found making her defensive a good tactic to get her to stop being a grouch.
"No, Callum, never," she protested.
Worked like a charm!
"I know, baby." I smiled. Christ! It was going to be so much fun getting to know her better. This time, I'd open myself to her and not be scared about getting hurt or worried about making Sabine upset.
"I gotta ask. You talked to the parents and sis about…all that stuff?"
I groaned. "Yeah. Sabine managed to convince your parents that she was insecure about Seamus because of you, and that's why she fucked that other guy."
"Me?"
"And since you stole me from her, she convinced them that you could've stolen Seamus, too," I informed her.
She stared at me for a long moment and then burst out laughing.
God! I'd missed that laugh. Her big happy 'my heart is so big, come join me' laugh.
"I hate that Seamus's last thoughts were about Sabine fucking him over."
She cupped my cheek with her good hand. "He wasn't upset. He…it sounded like he'd known or guessed. He told her they were done. She wanted to talk more, and he said they would, but he wouldn't be coming home again, not as her husband. He was divorcing herfine ass."
"What a shitshow," I muttered.
"He seemed fine when he told me to keep this to myself and that he’d handle everything. He even smiled while we talked. I... I thought he was relieved, like he’d finally found a way out. That’s what I believed—that he wanted out of his marriage, and this was the perfect excuse, that it was her fault."
I kissed her lips then, softly. "Thank you for giving me that."
"I'm so sorry he's gone. I miss him, too. But I never feltthatway about him."
I grinned. "Just me."
She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, just you."
"Settle down,Grian. I'm going to entertain you with a poem."
She smiled that brilliant, beautiful smile of hers. "Really?"
"Yeah, really." I picked up a book of poetry I’d left on her bedside table for just this purpose. I’d been reading poetry ever since she’d introduced me to its beauty, and right now, this poem captured everything I wanted to say.