Her hands were still against his chest, clutching the purses. “It is. They probably hate me.”
He couldn’t let her think that. Maybe they would be upset with her, but given how they’d reacted to her in the waiting room, he didn’t think so. “I’ll be with you the whole time. I won’t leave you.”
She shook her head against his chest. “That’s not true. Everybody leaves me.”
He hugged her tighter and pressed a soft kiss to her hair. “I won’t. Now come, my dear.”
He let go of her and started towards the door, giving her some space. He held out his hand and waited and, after several moments, she placed her hand in his. Corrado was still outside the door and he led them back to the waiting room.
Genevieve paused outside the door, looking through the glass window in the door to peek inside. He could see the Kaurs inside from his viewpoint, crying inconsolably.
Genevieve shook her head over and over again. “I can’t, I can’t I can’t.”
He cupped her face again, forcing her to pause and look into his eyes. “You can. And I’ll be right here when you do.”
She pursed her lips, then licked them and took a deep breath. Gabriel opened the door for her and she stepped inside. Then she burst into tears.
“I’m so sorry! I’m so sorry!”
The Kaurs didn’t stop crying, they only enfolded her into their hug.
Gabriel stepped forward and put a hand on Mr. Kaur’s shoulder and Mrs. Kaur’s arm, quietly sharing condolences as well.
He eventually took a seat next to Corrado and made some plans, and Corrado left to find a phone. Once the Kaurs and Genevieve finished consoling each other for the moment, Genevieve walked over to him.
She took his hand after she sat down, surprising him. He didn’t fucking care who noticed them together, but he did know she might regret it later.
“Shall I take you home, my dear?”
She visibly shuddered. “I…I can’t deal with my mother tonight. Maybe I could sneak in after she goes to sleep though. She’s probably still waiting up for me. Maybe. Who knows.”
He couldn’t let her vile retch of a mother destroy her after she was already so destroyed from losing a friend. “Stay at the palace. No one will know except for Corrado and I if you don’t want them to, and we can take you back to your mother in the morning.” He squeezed her hand. “I’m going to be selfish and ask you to let me take care you, Genevieve.”
She stared at nothing in particular for a few moments. “In that same room you showed me before?”
“If you like. If you hated it, we have plenty of others.”
“Can I stay in your room? With you?” She looked at him, so much sadness in her eyes. “I-I don’t want to be alone tonight.” She suddenly shook her head. “Forget it. That was stupid. And I didn’t mean it like it sounded. I?—”
He squeezed her hand again. “I understand. Of course you can stay with me. I won’t try anything likethatwith you, not while you’re grieving. Trust me, I’m not an asshole.”
She gave him a small smile and said quietly. “No, you’re not.”
They said goodbye to the Kaurs, Gabriel gently reminding them to reach out to him if they needed anything, and they left.
GENEVIEVE
Genevieve didn’t havemuch recollection of what happened once they left the hospital. She was too numb. If she thought of a single thing, that might make her think aboutotherthings, abouther, and she didn’t want to think about anything at all. So she didn’t.
She let Gabriel escort her to a car, and she worried about getting in a car again, but then he held her close and she managed to get through it. She let herself think only about hisarms around her as they drove through the streets as the sun eased into the day. How could another day dawn? Why didn’t the world stop? Why?—
NO. She wasn’t going to think about it. She wasn’t going to think about it.
She barely noticed them going through the various palace gates. She didn’t even think about where they were going or what she was going to do, or even what she’d tell her mother about where she was.
“Shall I take you to the Rose Room again?”
It took her several moments to realize he was speaking to her and they were once again standing in the foyer of the Royal Wing. “What?”
